Leviticus 5:1-19

Introduction to Leviticus 5
Concerning witnesses who, being adjured, refuse to tell the truth, Lev_5:1. Of those who contract defilement by touching unclean things or persons, Lev_5:2, Lev_5:3. Of those who bind themselves by vows or oaths, and do not fulfill them, Lev_5:4, Lev_5:5. The trespass-offering prescribed in such cases, a lamb or a kid, Lev_5:6; a turtle-dove or two young pigeons, Lev_5:7-10; or an ephah of fine flour with oil and frankincense, Lev_5:11-13. Other laws relative to trespasses, through ignorance in holy things, Lev_5:14-16. Of trespasses in things unknown, Lev_5:17-19.

Lev 5:1 And if a soul sins and hears the voice of swearing, and is a witness, and he has seen or known, if he does not tell it, then he shall bear his iniquity.

Swearing - Adjuration. The case appears to not be of profane swearing, and taking the name of God in vain, but instead, of false swearing, or perjury, that of one who has been put upon his oath as a witness by a magistrate, and fails to utter all he has seen and heard. See Proverbs 29:24 He who shares with a thief hates his own soul; he hears an oath and does not tell Numbers 5:21 (then the priest shall have the woman swear with the oath of the curse, and the priest shall say to the woman), "the LORD make you a curse and an oath among your people by the LORD'S making your thigh waste away and your abdomen swell;

There follow here three special examples of sin on the part of the common Israelite, all sins of omission and rashness of a lighter kind than the cases mentioned in Lev_4:27
1) Lev_5:1, when any one had heard the voice of an oath (an oath spoken aloud) and was a witness, was in a condition to give evidence, whether he had seen what took place or had learned it. In this case, if he did not make it known, he was to bear guilt, which he had contracted by omitting to make it known.

2) The second was Lev_5:2-3, if any one had touched the carcase of an unclean beast, or cattle, or creeping thing, or the uncleanness of a man of any kind, if he had unconsciously defiled himself by touching unclean objects, and had consequently neglected the purification prescribed for such cases.

3) The third was Lev_5:4, if any one should swear in idle, empty words of the lips, - “to do good or evil,” that he would do anything whatever (Num_24:13; Isa_41:23). Rash swearing, that a man will do or not do such a thing. If he did not reflect that he might commit sin by such thoughtless swearing, and if he perceived it afterwards and discovered his sin, and had incurred guilt with regard to one of the things which he had thoughtlessly sworn.

Lev 5:2 Or if a soul touches any unclean thing, whether a dead body of an unclean beast, or a dead body of unclean cattle, or the dead body of unclean swarming things, and if it is hidden from him that he is unclean and guilty--

Hid from him - Either through forgetfulness or indifference, so that purification had been neglected. A person who, unknown to himself at the time, came in contact with any thing unclean, and either neglected the requisite ceremonies of purification or engaged in the services of religion while under the taint of ceremonial defilement. In such a case there had been a guilty negligence, and a sin-offering was required. If he do it unawares, yet that would not excuse him, because he should have been more circumspect to avoid all unclean things. Hereby God designed to awaken men to watchfulness against, and repentance for, their unknown, or unobserved sins

Lev 5:3 or if he touches the uncleanness of man, whatever uncleanness by which he is unclean, and it is hidden from him, and he knows, then he shall be guilty.

Lev 5:4 Or if a soul swears, pronouncing with his lips to do evil or to do good, whatever it is that a man speaks rashly with an oath, and it is hidden from him, and he knows, then he shall be guilty of one of these.

Pronouncing - Idly speaking Psalms 106:33 because they provoked his spirit so that he spoke rashly with his lips. The reference is to an oath to do something uttered in recklessness or passion and forgotten as soon as uttered. It is very likely that rash promises are here intended; for if a man vow to do an act that is evil, though it would be criminal to keep such an oath or vow, yet he is guilty because he made it, and therefore must offer the trespass-offering. If he neglect to do the good he has vowed, he is guilty, and must in both cases confess his iniquity, and bring his trespass-offering. Rashly, without consideration either of God's law, or his own power or right, as David did, 1Sa_25:22.

pronouncing with his lips; not in his heart

Lev 5:5 And it shall be when he is guilty in one of these, he shall confess that in which he has sinned.

He shall confess that he hath sinned - Even restitution was not sufficient without this confession, because a man might make restitution without being much humbled; but the confession of sin has a direct tendency to humble the soul, and hence it is so frequently required in the Holy Scriptures.

In one of these things - In one of the three forementioned cases, either by sinful silence, or by an unclean touch, or by rash swearing.

Lev 5:6 And he shall bring his trespass offering to Jehovah for his sin which he has sinned, a female from the flock, a lamb or a doe of the goats, for a sin offering. And the priest shall make an atonement for him for his sin.

Lev 5:7 And if his hand cannot reach to a lamb, then he shall bring for his trespass which he has committed, two turtle-doves or two young pigeons to Jehovah-- one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering.

Provision is here made for the poor of God's people, and the pacifying of their consciences under the sense of guilt. The expense of the sin-offering was brought lower than that of any other offering, to teach us that no man's poverty shall ever be a bar in the way of his pardon. Thus the poor are evangelized; and no man shall say that he had not wherewithal to bear the charges of a journey to heaven. If he brought fine flour, a handful of it was to be offered, but without either oil or frankincense (Lev_5:11), not only because this would make it too costly for the poor, for whose comfort this sacrifice was appointed, but because it was a sin-offering, and therefore, to show the loathsomeness of the sin for which it was offered, it must not be made grateful either to the taste by oil or to the smell by frankincense.

Lev 5:8 And he shall bring them to the priest, who shall offer for the sin offering first, and shall wring off its head from its neck, but shall not divide it.

Lev 5:9 And he shall sprinkle of the blood of the sin offering on the side of the altar, and the rest of the blood shall be drained at the bottom of the altar. It is a sin offering.

Lev 5:10 And he shall offer the second for a burnt offering, according to the ordinance. And the priest shall make an atonement for him for his sin which he has sinned, and it shall be forgiven him.

Lev 5:11 But if he is not able to bring two turtle-doves, or two young pigeons, then he that sinned shall bring for his offering the tenth part of an ephah of fine flour for a sin offering. He shall put no oil on it, neither shall he put frankincense on it. For it is a sin offering.

If he brought fine flour, a handful of it was to be offered, but without either oil or frankincense not only because this would make it too costly for the poor, for whose comfort this sacrifice was appointed, but because it was a sin-offering, and therefore, to show the loathsomeness of the sin for which it was offered, it must not be made grateful either to the taste by oil or to the smell by frankincense.

tenth part of an ephah. - “the tenth deal;” probably less than half a gallon, about three quarts. The ephah contained a little more than seven gallons and a half. This is called an omer, Exo_16:36 and is as much as a man can eat in one day.

But if he be not able to bring two - Which is supposing a man to be in the poorest circumstances he can well be; and such is the grace and goodness of God, that he has provided for the atonement and forgiveness of the poorest, as well as of the rich:

He shall put no oil, neither frankincense - for it is a sin offering, and therefore must not be honored or must have everything removed from it that is beautiful and amiable.

Lev 5:12 And he shall bring it to the priest, and the priest shall take his full handful of it, a memorial of it, and burn it on the altar, on the fire offering to Jehovah. It is a sin offering.

Lev 5:13 And the priest shall make an atonement for him for his sin that he has sinned in one of these, and it shall be forgiven him. And the rest shall be the priest's, as a food offering.

Lev 5:14 And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying,

Lev 5:14 through Lev_6:7.
The trespass-offerings as they are described in this section and in Lev_7:1-7, are clearly distinguished from the ordinary sin-offerings in these particulars:

(1) They were offered on account of offences which involved an injury to some person (it might be the Lord Himself) in respect to property. See Lev_5:16; Lev_6:4-5.

(2) they were always accompanied by a pecuniary fine equal to the value of the injury done, with the addition of one-fifth. Compare Num_5:5-8.

(3) the treatment of the blood was more simple. Compare Lev_4:5.

(4) the victim was a ram, instead of a female sheep or goat.

(5) there was no such graduation of offerings to suit the rank or circumstances of the worshipper as is set forth in Lev_4:3, Lev_4:32, etc.

Lev 5:15 If a soul commits a trespass and sins through ignorance in the holy things of Jehovah, then he shall bring for his trespass to Jehovah a ram without blemish out of the flock, together with an amount set by you, by shekels of silver, after the shekel of the sanctuary, for a trespass offering.

Commit a trespass - Rather, here and in Lev_6:2, perpetrate a wrong. The word is different from that rendered trespass elsewhere in these chapters.

In the holy things of the Lord - This law seems to relate particularly to sacrilege, and defrauds in spiritual matters; such as the neglect to consecrate or redeem the firstborn, the withholding of the first-fruits, tithes, and such like; and, according to the rabbins, making any secular gain of Divine things, keeping back any part of the price of things dedicated to God, or withholding what man had vowed to pay. Compare Num_5:6-8.

With thy estimation - The wrong done or the defraud committed should be estimated at the number of shekels it was worth, or for which it would sell. These the defrauder was to pay down, to which he was to add a fifth part more, and bring a ram without blemish for a sin-offering besides.

Sins through ignorance - For if a man did it knowingly, he was to be cut off, Numbers 15:29-30 And you shall have one law for him who acts through ignorance; for him that is native among the sons of Israel and for the alien that resides among them. But the soul who acts with a high hand, whether of the native or of the alien, the same blasphemes Jehovah. And that soul shall be cut off from among his people.

Lev 5:16 And he shall make it good in which he has sinned, in the holy thing, and he shall add the fifth part of it, and give it to the priest. And the priest shall make an atonement for him with the ram of the trespass offering, and it shall be forgiven him.

Lev 5:17 And if a soul sins, and he has done that which ought not to be done, any one from all the commands of Jehovah, and does not know, and he is guilty and bears his iniquity;

And does not know - Ignorance of the Law, or even of the consequences of the act at the time that it was committed, was not to excuse him from the obligation to offer the sacrifice. Yet he is guilty, and shall bear the iniquity; be chargeable with guilt, and is liable to punishment, and must make an atonement and satisfaction for it; see Luke 12:48 But he not knowing, and doing things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For to whomever much is given, of him much shall be required. And to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.

if a soul sin --This also refers to holy things, and it differs from the preceding in being one of the doubtful cases,--that is, where conscience suspects, though the understanding be in doubt whether criminality or sin has been committed. The Jewish rabbis give, as an example, the case of a person who, knowing that "the fat of the inwards" is not to be eaten, religiously abstained from the use of it; but should a dish happen to have been at table in which he had reason to suspect some portion of that meat was intermingled, and he had, inadvertently, partaken of that unlawful viand, he was bound to bring a ram as a trespass offering. These provisions were all designed to impress the conscience with the sense of responsibility to God and keep alive on the hearts of the people a salutary fear of doing any secret wrong.

Lev 5:18 then he shall bring a ram without blemish out of the flock, at your evaluation, for a trespass offering, to the priest. And the priest shall make an atonement for him for his ignorance in which he erred without knowing it, and it shall be forgiven him.

Lev 5:19 It is a trespass offering. He has certainly trespassed against Jehovah.

Leviticus 4:13-35

Lev 4:13 And if the whole company of Israel sins through ignorance, and the thing is hidden from the eyes of the assembly, and if they do that which ought not to be done to any of all the commands of Jehovah, and are guilty;

If the whole congregation of Israel sin - This probably refers to some oversight in acts of religious worship, or to some transgression of the letter of the law, which arose out of the peculiar circumstances in which they were then found, such as the case mentioned 1Sa_14:32, etc., where the people, through their long and excessive fatigue in their combat with the Philistines, being faint, flew on the spoil, and took sheep, oxen, and calves, and slew them on the ground, and did eat with the blood; and this was partly occasioned by the rash adjuration of Saul, mentioned 1Sa_14:24 : Cursed be the man that eateth any food until evening. Gersom interprets it, through the ignorant teaching of the judges, who by their instruction cause the people to err, and commit sins of ignorance.

Lev 4:14 when the sin is known which they have sinned against it, then the congregation shall bring near a young bull for the sin, and bring him before the tabernacle of the congregation.

But if the sin of the congregation was only the omission of some ceremonial duty, a kid of the goats was to be offered, Numbers 15:24 then it shall be if it is committed by ignorance without the knowledge of the congregation, all the congregation shall offer up one young bull for a burnt offering, for a sweet savor to Jehovah, with its food offering and its drink offering, according to the ordinance, and one kid of the goats for a sin offering.

Lev 4:15 And the elders of the congregation shall lay their hands on the head of the young bull before Jehovah, and the young bull shall be killed before Jehovah.

And the elders of the congregation - These must be two at least, some say three, and some say five; the more generally received notion is, that they were three of the sanhedrim; though the Targum of Jonathan makes them to be the twelve rulers of the twelve tribes:

Lev 4:16 And the priest that is anointed shall bring of the young bull's blood to the tabernacle of the congregation.

Lev 4:17 And the priest shall dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle seven times before Jehovah, before the veil.

Lev 4:18 And he shall put some of the blood on the horns of the altar which is before Jehovah, which is in the tabernacle of the congregation. And he shall pour out all the blood at the bottom of the altar of burnt offering, which is at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

Lev 4:19 And he shall take all its fat from it and burn it on the altar.

Lev 4:20 And he shall do with the young bull as he did with the young bull for a sin offering; so shall he do to it. And the priest shall make an atonement for them, and it shall be forgiven them.

Lev 4:21 And he shall carry forth the young bull outside the camp, and burn it as he burned the first bull. It is a sin offering for the congregation.

Lev 4:22 When a ruler has sinned and through ignorance has acted against one of the commands of Jehovah his God, which is not to be done, and is guilty;

When a ruler hath sinned - Under the term nasi, one that is lifted up above others in honour, power, and authority, or that bears the weight of government: the word comes from one which signifies to lift up, or to bear; it may be understood of a governor of a family, or of a tribe, it is possible that any person who held any kind of political dignity among the people is meant, though the rabbins generally understand it of the king. The trespass of such a civil functionary being less serious in its character and consequences than that either of the high priest or the congregation, a sin offering of inferior value was required--"a kid of the goats"; and neither was the blood carried into the sanctuary, but applied only to the altar of burnt offering; nor was the carcass taken without the camp; it was eaten by the priests-in-waiting.

Lev 4:23 or if his sin which he has sinned shall be made known to him, he shall bring his offering, a kid of the goats, a male without blemish.

A kid of the goats - A shaggy he-goat, in distinction from a smooth-haired he-goat. It was the regular sin-offering at the yearly festivals Leviticus 16:9 And Aaron shall bring the goat on which Jehovah's lot fell, and offer it for a sin offering. Leviticus 16:15 Then he shall kill the goat of the sin offering that is for the people, and bring its blood inside the veil. And he shall do with that blood as he did with the blood of the young bull, and sprinkle it on the mercy-seat and before the mercy-seat. Numbers 28:15 And one kid of the goats for a sin offering to Jehovah shall be prepared, besides the continual burnt offering and its drink offering. Numbers 28:22 and one goat, a sin offering to make an atonement for you. Numbers 28:30 one kid of the goats, to make an atonement for you and at the consecration of the priests Leviticus 9:3 And speak to the sons of Israel, saying, Take a kid of the goats for a sin offering, and a calf and a lamb of the first year, all without blemish, for a burnt offering. while the smooth-haired goat appears to have been generally offered for the other sacrifices Psalms 50:9 I will take no bull out of your house, nor he-goats out of your folds Isaiah 1:11 To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices to Me? says Jehovah; I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I do not delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs, or of he-goats.

Lev 4:24 And he shall lay his hand on the head of the goat and kill it in the place where he kills the burnt offering before Jehovah. It is a sin offering.

Lev 4:25 And the priest shall take of the blood of the sin offering with his finger, and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and shall pour out its blood at the bottom of the altar of burnt offering.

And the priest shall take of the blood of the sin offering with his finger- With the finger of his right hand, as the Talmudists observe, and Gersom on the place; the priest first received the blood into a basin or ministering vessel, and then dipped the finger of his right hand into it, that next the thumb:

and put it upon the horns of the altar of burnt offering; the four horns of it; in this there was a difference between the sacrifice of the anointed priest and of the congregation, and this of the ruler; the blood of the former was put upon the horns of the altar of incense, this upon the horns of the altar of burnt offering:

and shall pour out his blood at the bottom of the altar of burnt offering; the South bottom of it; the order of the priest's proceeding in putting the blood was different from that used in putting it on the horns of the altar of incense; here he first put the blood upon the southeast horn, then upon the northeast, next upon the northwest, and then upon the southwest; and upon the bottom of that horn where he finished, he poured the remainder of the blood, which was the southern bottom.

Lev 4:26 And he shall burn all its fat on the altar, as the fat of the sacrifice of peace offerings. And the priest shall make an atonement for him for his sin, and it shall be forgiven him.

Lev 4:27 And if any one of the people of the land sins through ignorance, by doing that which is not to be done against one of the commands of Jehovah, and is guilty;

the people of the land, that is, any individual who was not a priest, king, or ruler among the people; any of the poor or ordinary sort. Any of these, having transgressed through ignorance, was obliged to bring a lamb or a kid, the ceremonies being nearly the same as in the preceding cases. The original may denote the very lowest of the people, the laboring or agricultural classes.

They typified Him whose soul was made an offering for sin, Isaiah 53:10 But the LORD was pleased To crush Him, putting Him to grief; If He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, And the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand. 2Corinthians 5:21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. And it is worthy of remark, that the Greek word used by Paul in that verse is the same by which the Septuagint, in more than fourscore places in the Pentateuch, translate the Hebrew word hattaah, sin, which in all those places our translation renders sin-offering.

From all these laws concerning the sin-offerings we may learn
1. To hate sin, and to watch against it.
2. To value Christ, the great and true sin-offering, whose blood cleanses from all sin,

Lev 4:28 or if his sin which he has sinned shall be made known to him, then he shall bring his offering, a ewe of the goats, a female without blemish, for his sin which he has sinned.

Lev 4:29 And he shall lay his hand on the head of the sin offering, and kill the sin offering in the place of the burnt offering.

Lev 4:30 And the priest shall take of its blood with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and shall pour out all the blood of it at the bottom of the altar.

Lev 4:31 And he shall take away all its fat, as the fat is taken away from the sacrifice of peace offerings. And the priest shall burn it on the altar for a sweet savor to Jehovah. And the priest shall make an atonement for him, and it shall be forgiven him.

Lev 4:32 And if he brings a lamb for a sin offering, he shall bring a female without blemish.

he shall bring it a female without blemish; typical of Christ the Lamb of God, without spot and without blemish, 1Peter 1:19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.

Lev 4:33 And he shall lay his hand on the head of the sin offering, and kill it for a sin offering in the place where he kills the burnt offering.

Lev 4:34 And the priest shall take of the blood of the sin offering with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and shall pour out all its blood at the bottom of the altar.

Lev 4:35 And he shall take away all the fat of it, as the fat of the lamb is taken away from the sacrifice of the peace offerings. And the priest shall burn them on the altar, on the fire offerings to Jehovah. And the priest shall make an atonement for his sin that he has sinned, and it shall be forgiven him.

Leviticus 4:1-12

Introduction to Leviticus 4
This chapter is concerning the sin-offering, which was properly intended to make atonement for a sin committed through ignorance, I. By the priest himself (Lev_4:1-12). Or, II. By the whole congregation (Lev_4:13-21). Or, III. By a ruler (Lev_4:22-26). Or, IV. By a private person (Lev_4:27, etc.).

Lev 4:1 And Jehovah spoke to Moses saying,

And the Lord spake - This formula is the commencement of a distinct section of the Law.

The Expiatory Sacrifices. - The sacrifices treated of in ch. 1-3 are introduced by their names, as though already known, for the purpose of giving them a legal sanction. But in ch. 4 and 5 sacrifices are appointed for different offences, which receive their names for the first time from the objects to which they apply, i.e., from the sin, or the trespass, or debt to be expiated by them: sin, i.e., sin-offering (Lev_4:3, Lev_4:8, Lev_4:14, Lev_4:19, etc.), and debt, i.e., debt-offering (Lev_5:15-16, Lev_5:19); - a clear proof that the sin and debt-offerings were introduced at the same time as the Mosaic law. The laws which follow are distinguished from the preceding ones by the new introductory formula in Lev_4:1-2, which is repeated in Lev_5:14. This repetition proves that Lev 4:2-5:13 treats of the sin-offerings, and Lev_5:14-19 of the trespass-offerings; and this is confirmed by the substance of the two series of laws.

Lev 4:2 Speak to the sons of Israel, saying: If a soul shall sin through ignorance against any of the commandments of Jehovah concerning things which ought not to be done, and shall do any one of them,

if a soul should sin through ignorance; sin is from the soul, though committed by the body; it is the soul that sins, Ezekiel 18:4 Behold, all souls are Mine. As the soul of the father, also the soul of the son, they are Mine. The soul that sins, it shall die.

The presumptuous sinner might or might not have committed such a crime as to incur punishment from the civil law: it was enough that he had with deliberate purpose rebelled against God (see Pro_2:13-15), and was “cut off from among his people” and alienated from the divine covenant (see Lev_7:20; Exo_31:14; compare Mat_12:31; 1Jo_5:16). But the other kind of sin, that for which the sin-offering was appointed, was of a more complicated nature. It appears to have included the entire range of “sins, negligences and ignorances” for which we are accustomed to ask forgiveness. sin-offerings were required not only when the conscience accused the offender of having yielded to temptation, but sometimes for what were breaches of the Law committed strictly in ignorance Lev_4:13, Lev_4:23, Lev_4:28; Lev_5:17, and sometimes on account of ceremonial pollution. Sins of commission versus sins of omission. Ignorance of sin is no excuse to the Lord.

According to one commentary, the Jewish writers distinguish the commandments of the Lord into affirmative and negative, and make their number to be 613. Of these, 248 are affirmative and 365 are negative ones and they observe it is only the transgression of negative precepts that is here meant, and for which a sin offering was to be brought.

If a soul shall sin through ignorance against any of the commandments of the Lord-- All sins may be considered, in a certain sense, as committed "through ignorance," error, or misapprehension of one's true interests. The sins, however, referred to in this law were unintentional violations of the ceremonial laws,--breaches made through haste, or inadvertency of some negative precepts, which, if done knowingly and wilfully, would have involved a capital punishment.

Sinning “in error” is not merely sinning through ignorance (Lev_4:13, Lev_4:22, Lev_4:27, Lev_5:18), hurry, want of consideration, or carelessness (Lev_5:1, Lev_5:4, Lev_5:15), but also sinning unintentionally (Num_35: 11, Num_35:15, Num_35:22-23); hence all such sins as spring from the weakness of flesh and blood, as distinguished from sins committed with a high (elevated) hand, or in haughty, defiant rebellion against God and His commandments.

Lev 4:3 if the priest who is anointed sins, resulting in guilt to the people, then he shall bring for his sin, which he has sinned, a young bull, a son of the herd without blemish, to Jehovah for a sin offering.

According to the sin of the people - Rather, to bring guilt on the people. The whole nation is concerned in every transgression of its representative (priest). Many understand this passage thus: If the anointed priest shall lead the people to sin; or, literally, if the anointed priest shall sin to the sin of the people; that is, so as to cause the people to transgress, the shepherd going astray, and the sheep following after him.

If the priest that is anointed – possibly meaning the high priest as the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan, and the Septuagint version, render it. The high priest, in whom, considering his character as typical mediator, and his exalted office, the people had the deepest interest; and whose transgression of any part of the divine law, therefore, whether done unconsciously or heedlessly, was a very serious offense, both as regarded himself individually, and the influence of his example.

according to the sin of the people; the Targum of Jonathan is, when he (priest) offers the offering of sin for the people, not according to its manner''or rite; as if his sin lay in erring while he was offering; but be it in which way it may, whether by any unadvised inadvertent action of his own, or ignorant instruction of the people, so causing them to err, or any ignorance or mistake in offering the sacrifices of the people:

Note (Lev_6:24-30) how the essential holiness of Him who was "made sin for us" (2Co_5:21) is guarded. The sin-offerings are expiatory, substitutional, efficacious (Lev_4:12); (Lev_4:29); (Lev_4:35) and have in view the vindication of the law through substitutional sacrifice.

Do sin - Either in doctrine or practice. And this is noted as a character of imperfection in the priesthood of the law, whereby the Israelites were directed to expect another and better high - priest, even one who is holy, harmless, and separate from sinners, Hebrews 7:26 For such a high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners and made higher than the heavens.

Lev 4:4 And he shall bring the young bull to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before Jehovah, and he shall lay his hand on the young bull's head, and kill the young bull before Jehovah.

Lev 4:5 And the priest who is anointed shall take of the young bull's blood, and shall bring it to the tabernacle of the congregation.

The treatment of the blood was special in the sin-offerings. In the inferior sin-offerings it was smeared on the horns of the altar of burnt-offering Lev_4:25, Lev_4:30, Lev_4:34, while in this offering for the high priest, and in that for the nation, the high priest himself sprinkled the blood seven times within the tabernacle and smeared it on the horns of the altar of incense Lev_4:6-7, Lev_4:17-18. The different modes of sprinkling appear to have marked successive degrees of consecration in advancing from the altar of burnt-offering to the presence of the Lord within the veil.

To the tabernacle - Into the tabernacle; which was not required nor allowed in any other sacrifice, possibly to show the greatness of the high - priest's sin, which needed more than ordinary diligence in him, and favor from God to expiate it.

Lev 4:6 And the priest shall dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle of the blood seven times before Jehovah, at the front of the veil of the holy place.

Before the vail of the sanctuary - This is generally understood to mean the floor of the holy place in front of the veil.

The blood of this sacrifice was applied in three different ways:
1. The priest put his finger in it, and sprinkled it seven times before the veil, Lev_4:6.
2. He put some of it on the horns of the altar of incense.
3. He poured the remaining part at the bottom of the altar of burnt-offerings, Lev_4:7.

And the priest shall dip his finger in the blood- The finger of his right hand, as Gersom and Maimonides observe, for blood was always taken and sprinkled with the right hand, if done with the left it was wrong, according to the Jewish canons.

before the vail of the sanctuary: This typified the vail of flesh, whose blood gives boldness to enter into the holiest of all, Hebrews 10:19-22 Therefore, brothers, having boldness to enter into the Holy of Holies by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He has consecrated for us through the veil, that is to say, His flesh; and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies having been washed with pure water.

Seven times - A number much used in scripture, as a number of perfection.

Lev 4:7 And the priest shall put some of the blood on the horns of the altar of sweet incense before Jehovah, which is in the tabernacle of the congregation. And he shall pour all the blood of the young bull at the bottom of the altar of burnt offering, which is at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

Lev 4:8 And all the fat of the bull of the sin offering, he shall lift up the fat which is covering over the inward parts, and all the fat which is on the inward parts,

Lev 4:9 and the two kidneys, and the fat which is on them, which is on the loins, and he shall remove the lobe on the liver beside the kidneys.

Lev 4:10 Even as it was lifted from the young bull of the sacrifice of peace offerings, the priest shall burn them on the altar of the burnt offering.

Lev 4:11 And the skin of the young bull, and all its flesh, with its head, and with its legs, and its inward parts, and its dung,

And the skin of the bullock-. Not taken off; for the sin offerings that were burnt were not flayed at all, but were cut in pieces with their skins on them. In other burnt offerings the skin was taken off, and was given to the priest, Lev_7:8 but this being an offering for the priest, the skin was burnt with the rest.

Lev 4:12 even the whole bull shall he carry forth outside the camp to a clean place, where the ashes are poured out, and burn it on the wood with fire. It shall be burned where the ashes are poured out.

A clean place where the ashes are poured out - It was a place free from impurities, not like those referred to in Lev_14:40, Lev_14:45. The flesh, though it was burned in an ordinary way, and not sent up in the fire of the altar, was not to be confounded with carrion, but was associated with the remains of the sacrifices. The priests could not eat the flesh of this victim or of that offered for the sin of the congregation, as they ate that of other sin-offerings, because they were in these cases in the position of offerers.

The sacrifice, as having the sin of the priest transferred from himself to it by his confession and imposition of hands, was become unclean and abominable, and was carried, as it were, out of the Lord’s sight; from the tabernacle and congregation it must be carried without the camp, and thus its own offensiveness was removed, and the sin of the person in whose behalf it was offered. Paul applies this in the most pointed manner to Christ: Hebrews 13:11-13 For the bodies of those animals, whose blood is brought into the Holy of Holies by the high priest for sin, are burned outside the camp. Therefore Jesus also, so that He might sanctify the people through His own blood, suffered outside the gate. Therefore let us go forth to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach.

Even the whole bullock shall he carry forth without the camp- The Jewish writers interpret it without the three camps, the camp of the tabernacle, the camp of the Levites, and the camp of the Israelites. When the temple was built, such sacrifices were carried and burnt without the city of Jerusalem. There were three places for burning; one was in the midst of the court, where they burnt such sacrifices as were unfit and rejected; the other was in the mountain of the house called Birah, where they burnt such as any accident befell them, after the carrying of them out of the court; and the third place was without Jerusalem, called the place of ashes. This was typical of Christ being taken out of the city of Jerusalem, and suffering outside the gates of it, Heb_13:11.

unto a clean place, where the ashes are poured out; the ashes of the burnt offerings- According to one commentator (and Im not sure how sound this is) this was the place where Christ was crucified, being a place of skulls, or dead men's ashes, Joh_19:17.

Leviticus 3:1-17

Introduction to Leviticus 3
In this chapter we have the law concerning the peace-offerings, whether they were, I. Of the heard, a bullock or a heifer (Lev_3:1-5). Or, II. Of the flock, either a lamb (Lev_3:6-11) or a goat (Lev_3:12-17). The ordinances concerning each of these are much the same, yet they are repeated.

The law of the peace-offering in general, Lev_3:1-5. That of the peace-offering taken from the flock, Lev_3:6-11; and the same when the offering is a goat, Lev_3:12-17.

Lev 3:1 And if his offering is a sacrifice of peace offering, if he offers from the herd, whether it is a male or female, he shall offer it without blemish before Jehovah.

if his oblation be a sacrifice of peace offering--"Peace" being used in Scripture to denote prosperity and happiness generally, a peace offering was a voluntary tribute of gratitude for health or other benefits. In this view it was a token of thanksgiving for benefits already received, or it was sometimes votive, presented in prayer for benefits wished for in the future. The peace-offerings were offered by way of supplication. If a man were in pursuit of any mercy, he would add a peace-offering to his prayer for it. Christ is our Peace, our Peace-offering; for through him alone it is that we can obtain an answer of peace to our prayers.

Peace signifies
1. Reconciliation, concord, and communion. And so these were called peace-offerings, because in them God and his people did, as it were, feast together, in token of friendship. They could not thus eat together unless they were agreed; so that it was a symbol of friendship and fellowship between God and man, and a confirmation of the covenant of peace.

2. It signifies prosperity and all happiness: Peace be to you was as much as, All good be to you; and so the peace-offerings were offered either, (1.) By way of supplication or request for some good that was wanted and desired Or, (2.) By way of thanksgiving for some particular mercy received. It is called a peace-offering of thanksgiving, for so it was sometimes; as in other cases a vow, Lev_7:15, Lev_7:16. And some make the original word to signify retribution. When they had received any special mercy, and were enquiring what they should render, this they were directed to render to the God of their mercies as a grateful acknowledgment for the benefit done to them, Psa_116:12

Lev 3:2 And he shall lay his hand on the head of his offering, and kill it at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. And the priests, Aaron's sons, shall sprinkle the blood on the altar all around.

At the door - Not on the north - side of the altar, where the burnt - offering was killed, as also the sin - offering, and the trespass - offering, but in the very entrance of the court where the brazen altar stood, which place was not so holy as the other; as appears both because it was more remote from the holy of holies, and because the ashes of the sacrifices were to be laid here. And the reason of this difference is not obscure, both because part of this sacrifice was to be waved by the hands of the offerer, Lev_7:30, who might not come into the court; and because this offering was not so holy as the others, which were to be eaten only by the priest, whereas part of these were eaten by the offerer.

Lev 3:3 And he shall bring near from the sacrifice the peace offering, a fire offering to Jehovah. The fat that covers the inward parts, all the fat that is on the inward parts,

“The fat that covereth the inwards” refers to the caul or transparent membrane which has upon it a network of fatty tissue: The omentum, caul or web, as some term it. The fat that is upon the inwards; probably the mesentery or fatty part of the substance which connects the convolutions of the alimentary canal or small intestines.

“the fat upon the inwards” refers to the small lumps of suet found upon the intestines of healthy animals.

Lev 3:4 and the two kidneys, and the fat on them, on the loins, and the lobe above the liver, with the kidneys, he shall remove.

Lev 3:5 And Aaron's sons shall burn it on the altar, on the burnt sacrifice on the wood, which is on the fire. It is an offering made by fire, of a sweet savor to Jehovah.

This fat the priests were to burn upon the altar, over the burnt sacrifice, on the pieces of wood upon the fire. The peace-offering was preceded as a rule by the burnt-offering which burned, if not all day, at all events the whole of the forenoon, until it was quite consumed; so that the fat portions of the peace-offerings were to be laid upon the burnt-offering which was burning already. That this is the meaning is placed beyond all doubt, both by Lev_6:5, where the priest is directed to burn wood every morning upon the fire of the altar, and then to place the burnt-offering upon it, and upon that to cause the fat portions of the peace-offerings to evaporate in smoke, and also by Lev_9:14, where Aaron is said first of all to have burned the flesh and head of the burnt-offering upon the altar, then to have washed the entrails and legs of the animal, and burned them on the altar, upon the portions of the burnt-offering that were burning already.

Lev 3:6 And if his offering for a sacrifice of peace offering to Jehovah is of the flocks, male or female, he shall bring it without blemish.

Lev 3:7 If he is bringing near a sheep for his offering, then he shall bring it near before Jehovah.

Lev 3:8 And he shall lay his hand on the head of his offering and kill it before the tabernacle of the congregation. And Aaron's sons shall sprinkle its blood all around on the altar.

Lev 3:9 And he shall offer of the sacrifice of the peace offering, a fire offering to Jehovah. He shall take away its fat, all its fat next to the backbone, and all the fat that covers the inward parts, and all the fat that is on the inward parts,

The whole rump - The whole fat tail: There is, in Eastern countries, a species of sheep the tails of which are not less than four feet and a half in length. These tails are of a substance between fat and marrow. A sheep of this kind weighs sixty or seventy English pounds weight, of which the tail usually weighs fifteen pounds and upwards. This species is by far the most numerous in Arabia, Syria, and Palestine, and, forming probably a large portion in the flocks of the Israelites, it seems to have been the kind that usually bled on the Jewish altars. The extraordinary size and deliciousness of their tails give additional importance to this law. It consists of something between marrow and fat. Ordinary sheep are also found in Arabia and Syria; but in modern Palestine all the sheep are “of the broad-tailed species.” The broad part of the tail is an excresence of fat, from which the true tail hangs down “Near the rump-bone shall he (the offerer) take it (the fat tail) away,” i.e., separate it from the body.To command by an express law the tail of a certain sheep to be offered in sacrifice to God, might well surprise us; but the wonder ceases, when we are told of those broad-tailed Eastern sheep, and of the extreme delicacy of that part which was so particularly specified in the statute.

Lev 3:10 and the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them, which is on the loins, and the lobe above the liver, beside the kidneys, he shall remove it.

Lev 3:11 And the priest shall burn it on the altar, bread of the fire offering to Jehovah.

Lev 3:12 And if his offering is a goat, then he shall bring it near before Jehovah.

Lev 3:13 And he shall lay his hand on its head and kill it before the tabernacle of the congregation. And the sons of Aaron shall sprinkle its blood on the altar all around.

Lev 3:14 And he shall offer his offering of it, a fire offering to Jehovah, the fat that covers the inward parts, and all the fat on the inward parts,

Lev 3:15 and the two kidneys, and the fat on them, which is on the loins, and the lobe above the liver, beside the kidneys, he shall remove.

Lev 3:16 And the priest shall burn them on the altar, bread of the fire offering for a sweet savor. All the fat is Jehovah's.

Lev 3:17 It shall be a statute forever for your generations throughout all your dwellings, that you eat neither fat nor blood.

The blood was universally forbidden likewise, for the same reason that the fat was, because it was God's part of every sacrifice. The heathen drank the blood of their sacrifices; hence we read of their drink-offerings of blood, Psalms 16:4 Their sorrows shall be multiplied who run after another god. I will not pour out their drink offerings of blood; and I will not take their names on my lips. But God would not permit the blood, that made atonement, to be used as a common thing Hebrews 10:29 Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy of punishment, the one who has trampled the Son of God, and who has counted the blood of the covenant with which he was sanctified an unholy thing, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? nor will he allow us, though we have the comfort of the atonement made, to assume to ourselves any share in the honour of making it.

Leviticus 2:13-16

Lev 2:13 And every sacrifice of your food offering shall you season with salt. And you shall not allow the salt of the covenant of your God to be lacking from your food offering. You shall offer salt with all your offerings.

The meaning which the salt, with its power to strengthen food and preserve it from putrefaction and corruption, imparted to the sacrifice, was the unbending truthfulness of that self-surrender to the Lord embodied in the sacrifice, by which all impurity and hypocrisy were repelled. The salt of the sacrifice is called the salt of the covenant, because in common life salt was the symbol of covenant; treaties being concluded and rendered firm and inviolable, according to a well-known custom of the ancient Greeks, by the parties to an alliance eating bread and salt together, as a sign of the treaty which they had made. As a covenant of this kind was called a “covenant of salt,” equivalent to an indissoluble covenant Numbers 18:19 All the heave offerings of the holy things, which the sons of Israel offer to Jehovah, I have given you and your sons and your daughters with you, by a law forever. It is a covenant of salt forever before Jehovah to you and to your seed with you; 2Chronicles 13:5 Should you not know that Jehovah, the God of Israel gave the kingdom over Israel to David forever, to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt? so here the salt added to the sacrifice is designated as salt of the covenant of God, because of its imparting strength and purity to the sacrifice, by which Israel was strengthened and fortified in covenant fellowship with the Lord.

Consider how Christianity is the salt of the earth. Matthew 5:13 You are the salt of the earth, but if the salt loses its savor, with what shall it be salted? It is no longer good for anything, but to be thrown out and to be trodden underfoot by men. Consider the covenant of salt in this. If we do not have a covenant with God, what good is our lives? Mark 9:49 For every one shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt. Everyone of us is in covenant with God through the blood of Christ. Consider the additional concept of the covenant of salt in this verse. Colossians 4:6 Let your speech be always with grace, having been seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one. We can talk with grace when our words are tempered by our covenant with the Lord, with His words.

It had a typical meaning referred to by our Lord concerning the effect of the Gospel on those who embrace it (Mar_9:49-50); as when plentifully applied it preserves meat from spoiling, so will the Gospel keep men from being corrupted by sin. And as salt was indispensable to render sacrifices acceptable to God, so the Gospel, brought home to the hearts of men by the Holy Ghost, is indispensably requisite to their offering up of themselves as living sacrifices.

Salt was the opposite to leaven, for it preserved from putrefaction and corruption, and signified the purity and persevering fidelity that were necessary in the worship of God. Every thing was seasoned with it, to signify the purity and perfection that should be extended through every part of the Divine service, and through the hearts and lives of God’s worshippers. It was called the salt of the covenant of God, because as salt is incorruptible, so was the covenant made with Abram, Isaac, Jacob, and the patriarchs, relative to the redemption of the world by the incarnation and death of Jesus Christ.

The salt for the sacrifice was not brought by the offerers, but was provided at the public charge, as the wood was, Ezr_7:20-22. And there was a chamber in the court of the temple called the chamber of salt, in which they laid it up. Can that which is unsavoury be eaten without salt? God would hereby intimate to them that their sacrifices in themselves were unsavoury. The saints, who are living sacrifices to God, must have salt in themselves, for every sacrifice must be salted with salt (Mar_9:49, Mar_9:50), and our speech must be always with grace (Col_4:6), so must all our religious performances be seasoned with that salt. Christianity is the salt of the earth. Our “sacrifices” are meaningless without Him covering us.

Lev 2:14 And if you bring a food offering of your firstfruits to Jehovah, green ears roasted by fire, grains of a garden, you shall bring near for a food offering your firstfruits,

a meat offering of thy first-fruits--From the mention of "green ears," this seems to have been a voluntary offering before the harvest--the ears being prepared in the favorite way of Eastern people, by parching them at the fire, and then beating them out for use. It was designed to be an early tribute of pious thankfulness for the earth's increase, and it was offered according to the usual directions.

The loaves of first-fruits were leavened and no part of them was burnt upon the altar (Lev_23:10-11; 17, 20). Every independent meat-offering was to be prepared without leaven, and a portion given to the Lord as fire-food, for a savour of satisfaction upon the altar; and the rest was to be scrupulously kept from being used by the offerer, as a most holy thing, and to be eaten at the holy place by the sanctified priests alone, as the servants of the Lord, and the mediators between Him and the nation. Interesting that as Jesus bore our leaven (sin) so do the priests here eat the leaven in the loaves given to them.

Lev 2:15 And you shall put oil on it and lay frankincense on it. It is a food offering.

Lev 2:16 And the priest shall burn it as incense with its memorial offering from its grains and from its oil, besides all its frankincense, a fire offering to Jehovah.

Now, as oil in the Scriptures is invariably a symbol of the Spirit of God, so bread-flour and bread, procured from the seed of the field, are symbols of the word of God Deuteronomy 8:3 "He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD. Luke 8:11 And the parable is this: The seed is the Word of God. As God gives man corn and oil to feed and nourish his bodily life, so He gives His people His word and Spirit, that they may draw food from these for the spiritual life of the inner man. The work of sanctification consists in the operation of this spiritual food, through the right use of the means of grace for growth in pious conversation and good works (Mat_5:16; 1Pe_2:12). The enjoyment of this food fills the inner man with peace, joy, and blessedness in God. This fruit of the spiritual life is shadowed forth in the meat-offerings. They were to be kept free, therefore, both from the leaven of hypocrisy Luke 12:1 In the meantime, when there had gathered together an innumerable crowd of people, so as to trample on one another, He began to say to His disciples first, Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy and of malice and wickedness 1Corinthians 5:8 Therefore let us keep the feast; not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. Leaven and honey (representing carnal nature) are both destructive of spiritual life; while the salt of the covenant of God (i.e., the purifying, strengthening, and quickening power of the covenant, by which moral corruption was averted) and the incense of prayer were both to be added, in order that the fruits of the spiritual life might become well-pleasing to the Lord. It was upon this signification that the most holy character of the meat-offerings was founded.

Leviticus 2:1-12

Introduction to Leviticus 2
In this chapter we have the law concerning the meat-offering. I. The matter of it; whether of raw flour with oil and incense (Lev_2:1), or baked in the oven (Lev_2:4), or upon a plate (Lev_2:5, Lev_2:6), or in a frying pan (Lev_2:7). II. The management of it, of the flour (Lev_2:2, Lev_2:3), of the cakes (Lev_2:8-10). III. Some particular rules concerning it, That leaven and honey must never be admitted (Lev_2:11, Lev_2:12), and salt never omitted in the meat-offering (Lev_2:13). IV. The law concerning the offering of firstfruits in the ear (Lev_2:14, etc.).

The meat-offering of flour with oil and incense, Lev_2:1-3. The oblation of the meat-offering baked in the oven and in the pan, Lev_2:4-6. The meat-offering baked in the frying-pan, Lev_2:7-10. No leaven nor honey to be offered with the meat-offering, Lev_2:11. The oblation of the first-fruits, Lev_2:12. Salt to be offered with the meat offering, Lev_2:13. Green ears dried by the fire, and corn to be beaten out of full ears, with oil and frankincense, to be offered as a meat-offering of first-fruits, Lev_2:14-16.

Lev 2:1 And when anyone will offer a food offering to Jehovah, his offering shall be of fine flour. And he shall pour oil on it and put frankincense on it.

A meat offering –qorban A feminine noun meaning a gift, a tribute, an offering. From an unused root meaning to apportion, that is, bestow; a donation; euphemistically tribute; specifically a sacrificial offering (usually bloodless and voluntary): - gift, oblation, (meat) offering, present, sacrifice. This word is used to signify a gift as in the peace gifts that Jacob presented to Esau Genesis 32:13 And he lodged there that night. And he took of that which came to his hand, a present for Esau his brother. Secondly, it signifies a tribute. An example of the use of this word is Judges 3:15 But when the sons of Israel cried to the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer for them, Ehud the son of Gera, the Benjamite, a left-handed man. And the sons of Israel sent tribute by him to Eglon the king of Moab where Ehud was sent from Israel to Moab on the pretense of bringing a tribute. Perhaps the most frequent use of this word is to denote a grain offering. Grain offerings were brought on pans, suggesting cakes Leviticus 2:5 And if your offering is a food offering on the griddle, your offering shall be of fine flour unleavened, mixed with oil and mixed with oil and other substances Numbers 6:15 and a basket of unleavened cakes of fine flour mixed with oil and unleavened wafers spread with oil, along with their grain offering and their drink offering.

A meat offering –mînchāh signifies literally a “gift”; (compare to qorban for offering seen in Leviticus 1) and it appears to have been applied especially to what was given by an inferior to a superior Gen_32:18-20; Gen_43:11; Jdg_3:15; 1Sa_10:27 : but in the technical language of the Law, it regularly denoted the vegetable offerings as distinguished from the animal offerings. KJV translators have rendered it “meat-offering”, applying the word “meat”, according to old usage, as a general term for food. Vegetable-offering or meal-offering would be a more convenient rendering and is written that way in the more modern translations.

The order in which the kinds of offering are named agrees with their development in order of time. The burnt-offering and the mînchāh answer to the first two offerings on record Genesis 4:3-4 So it came about in the course of time that Cain brought an offering to the LORD of the fruit of the ground. Abel, on his part also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and for his offering; Amos 5:22 "Even though you offer up to Me burnt offerings and your grain offerings, I will not accept them; And I will not even look at the peace offerings of your fatlings."

Three kinds of mînchāh are here mentioned (or 5 according to another commentary as noted in the next paragraph); (1) Lev_2:1-3; (2) Lev_2:4-7; (3) Lev_2:14-16. Of each of them a small portion was burned on the altar “for a memorial,” and the remainder was given to the priests. The offerings of flour belonged to the priests at large, but those of cakes and wafers to the officiating priests, Lev_7:9-10.

Calmet has remarked that there are five kinds of the minchah mentioned in this chapter.
1.soleth, simple flour or meal, Lev_2:1.
2.Cakes and wafers, or whatever was baked in the oven, Lev_2:4.
3.Cakes baked in the pan, Lev_2:5.
4.Cakes baked on the frying-pan, or probably, a gridiron, Lev_2:7.
5.Green ears of corn parched, Lev_2:14.

Fine flour - finely bolted flour of wheat. It was possibly always presented in a bowl. See Numbers 7:13 and his offering was one silver dish whose weight was one hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering.

Oil - For the purpose of anointing and as food; in both senses a symbol of divine grace. Oil symbolically means the influences of the Spirit, of which oil was the emblem, as incense was of prayer.

Meat-offerings seem to denote our obligation to God for the blessings of providence, and those good works which are acceptable to God.

These meat-offerings are mentioned after the burnt-offerings. Carried into typology and symbolism, without an interest in the sacrifice of Christ, and devotedness of heart to God, such services cannot be accepted.

Leaven is the emblem of pride, malice, and hypocrisy, and honey of sensual pleasure. The former are directly opposed to the graces of humility, love, and sincerity, which God approves; the latter takes men from the exercises of devotion, and the practice of good works. Christ, in his character and sacrifice, was wholly free from the things denoted by leaven; and his suffering life and agonizing death were the very opposites to worldly pleasure. His people are called to follow, and to be like him.

Lev 2:2 And he shall bring it to Aaron's sons, the priests. And he shall take out of it his handful of flour and its oil, with all its frankincense. And the priest shall burn the memorial of it on the altar, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savor to Jehovah.

Memorial - The regular name not only for the portion of the mînchāh which was burned on the altar Lev_2:9, Lev_2:16; Lev_5:12; Lev_6:15; Num_5:26, but for the frankincense which was laid upon the showbread Lev_24:7. It is the word which is applied to the prayers and alms of Cornelius, Acts 10:4 And he was gazing at him, and becoming terrified, he said, What is it, lord? And he said to him, Your prayers and your merciful deeds have come up for a memorial before God. Apparently Cornelius, although he still needed to know Jesus, had offered up his prayers and deeds with the same heart as the offerings of Leviticus 2:2.

Lev 2:3 And the rest of the food offering shall be Aaron's and his sons', most holy of the offerings of Jehovah made by fire.

A thing most holy - literally, a holy of holies. All offerings were holy, including the portions of the peace-offerings which were eaten by the laity; but that was “most holy” of which every part was devoted either to the altar, or to the use of the priests. The most holy food was eaten in “the holy place,” that is the precinct of the tabernacle, probably in the priests’ lodgings; but the priests’ portion of the peace-offerings might be eaten by the priests and their families in any “clean place” Leviticus 10:12-14 And Moses spoke to Aaron, and to Eleazar and to Ithamar, his sons that were left, Take the food offering that remains of the offerings of Jehovah made by fire, and eat it without leaven beside the altar. For it is most holy. And you shall eat in the holy place, because it is your due, and your sons' due, of the fire offerings of Jehovah made by fire. For so I am commanded. And the wave breast and heave shoulder you shall eat in a clean place, you, and your sons and your daughters with you. For they have been given for your portion and the portion of your sons out of the sacrifices of peace offerings of the sons of Israel.

Lev 2:4 And if you bring a sacrifice of a food offering baked in the oven, it shall be unleavened cakes of fine flour mixed with oil, or unleavened wafers anointed with oil.

Lev 2:5 And if your offering is a food offering on the griddle, your offering shall be of fine flour unleavened, mixed with oil.

Baken in a pan - supposed to be a flat iron plate, placed over the fire; such as is called a griddle in some countries.

Lev 2:6 You shall break it in pieces and pour oil on it. It is a food offering.

part it in pieces, and pour oil thereon--Pouring oil on bread is a common practice among Eastern people, who are fond of broken bread dipped in oil, butter, and milk. Oil only was used in the meat offerings, and probably for a symbolic reason. It is evident that these meat offerings were previously prepared by the offerer, and when brought, the priest was to take it from his hands and burn a portion on the altar.

Lev 2:7 And if your offering is a food offering in the frying pan, it shall be made of fine flour with oil.

Lev 2:8 And you shall bring the food offering that is made of these things to Jehovah. And when it is presented to the priest, he shall bring it to the altar.

Lev 2:9 And the priest shall take from the food offering a memorial of it, and shall burn it on the altar. It is an offering made by fire, of a sweet savor to Jehovah.

Lev 2:10 And that which is left of the food offering shall be Aaron's and his sons: it is most holy of the offerings of Jehovah made by fire.

Lev 2:11 Any food offering which you shall bring to Jehovah shall not be made with leaven. For you shall burn no leaven, nor any honey, in any offering of Jehovah made by fire.

As for the oblation of the firstfruits - Rather, As an oblation of firstfruits. The words refer to the leaven and honey mentioned in Lev_2:11 which might be offered among the firstfruits and tithes (Deu_26:2, Deu_26:12; compare 2Ch_31:5). Honey, being used to produce fermentation, and leaven (or, a small piece of fermented dough) were excluded because fermentation was an apt symbol of the working of corruption in the human heart. Or, as leaven was forbidden because producing fermentation, it was considered a species of corruption, and was therefore used to signify hypocrisy, malice, etc., which corrupt the soul; it is possible that honey might have had a moral reference, also, and have signified, as Jerome thought, carnal pleasures and sensual gratifications. Some suppose that the honey mentioned here was a sort of saccharine matter extracted from dates. Leaven and honey might be offered with the first-fruits, as we learn from the next verse; but they were forbidden to be burnt on the altar. If both represent sin, then the type depicted here shows how God cannot abide sin and partly to signify what Christ would be, and what they should be, pure and free from all error in the faith and worship of God, and from all hypocrisy, and malice or wickedness, all which are signified by leaven. One commentator says: honey was forbidden, though Canaan flowed with it, because to eat much honey is not good Proverbs 25:27 It is not good to eat much honey; so for men to search their own glory is not glory.

Lev 2:12 As an offering of the firstfruits, you shall bring them to Jehovah. But they shall not be burned on the altar for a sweet savor.

Directions are given about the first-fruits. 1. The oblation of their first-fruits at harvest, of which we read, Deu_26:2. These were offered to the Lord, not to be burnt upon the altar, but to be given to the priests as perquisites of their office, Lev_2:12. And you shall offer them (that is, leaven and honey) in the oblation of the first-fruits, though they were forbidden in other meat-offerings; for they were proper enough to be eaten by the priests, though not to be burnt upon the altar. The loaves of the first-fruits are particularly ordered to be baked with leaven, Lev_23:17. And we read of the first-fruits of honey brought to the house of God, 2Ch_31:5. 2. A meat-offering of their first-fruits. The former was required by the law; this was a free-will offering, Lev_2:14-16.

Let him be sure to bring the first ripe and full ears, not such as were small and half-withered. We mock God, and deceive ourselves, if we think to put him off with a corrupt thing while we have in our flock a male, Malachi 1:14 "But cursed be the swindler who has a male in his flock and vows it, but sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord, for I am a great King," says the LORD of hosts, "and My name is feared among the nations."

Leviticus 1:7-17

Lev 1:7 And the sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire on the altar and lay the wood in order on the fire.

Put fire upon the altar - The fire of the altar originally came down from heaven, and consumed the sacrifice, and which was a token of God's acceptance of it, Leviticus 9:24 And there came a fire out from before Jehovah, and burned up the burnt offering and the fat on the altar. And all the people saw and shouted and fell on their faces. and this fire was kept burning continually upon the altar, Leviticus 6:12-13 And the fire on the altar shall be kept burning on it. It shall not be put out. And the priest shall burn wood on it every morning, and lay the burnt offering in order on it. And he shall burn on it the fat of the peace offerings. The fire shall always be burning on the altar. It shall never go out. and yet the Jewish writers say, it was the command of God, according to this passage, that fire should be brought from another place and put here; Jarchi's note on the text is,"though fire came down from heaven, it was commanded to bring it from a common or private place:''and Maimonides says the same thing, and so it is often said in the Talmud. This fire may denote the wrath of God, revealed from heaven against all unrighteousness and ungodliness of men, and which is the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels, and all the workers of iniquity; and which Christ endured for his people in human nature, when he bore their sins, and became a whole burnt offering for them:

and lay the wood in order upon the fire; the wood for the sacrifice was an offering of the people, brought to the temple at the times appointed, Nehemiah 10:34 And we cast the lots among the priests, and the Levites, and the people, for the wood offering, to bring into the house of our God, according to the houses of our fathers, at times appointed year by year, to burn upon the altar of Jehovah our God, as it is written in the Law where was a place called "the wood room", or "wood chamber". It was in the northeast part of the court of the women; and here such priests as had blemishes wormed the wood, or searched the wood for worms; for whatsoever wood had a worm found in it, it was not fit to be laid upon the altar. It was from here the priests fetched the wood and laid it on the altar; for a private person might not bring it from his own house for his offering, though it was provided by the congregation, and brought here by private persons. It might be any sort of wood but that of the vine and olive, which were not used, because they did not burn well, and were soon reduced to ashes.

The fire that came out of the tabernacle from before the Lord, and which was kept perpetually burning. It was not lawful to use any other fire in the service of God. See the case of Nadab and Abihu Leviticus 10:1-2 Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took their respective firepans, and after putting fire in them, placed incense on it and offered strange fire before the LORD, which He had not commanded them. And fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed them, and they died before the LORD.

Lev 1:8 And the priests, Aaron's sons, shall arrange the parts with the head and the fat on the wood that is on the fire on the altar.

The parts of the victim were then salted by the priest in conformity with the rule, Leviticus 2:13 And every sacrifice of your food offering shall you season with salt. And you shall not allow the salt of the covenant of your God to be lacking from your food offering. You shall offer salt with all your offerings. Ezekiel 43:24 'You shall present them before the LORD, and the priests shall throw salt on them, and they shall offer them up as a burnt offering to the LORD. Mark 9:49-50 For every one shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt. Salt is good; but if the salt becomes saltless, with what will you season? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another., and placed in order upon the wood, in the same relation to each other that they had in the living animal.

Fire is essentially a symbol of God's holiness. As such it expresses God in three ways:

1. In judgment upon that which His holiness utterly condemns Genesis 19:24 Then the LORD rained on Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven, Revelation 20:15 And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. And in Mar_9:43-48

2. In the manifestation of Himself, and of that which He approves Exodus 3:2 The angel of the LORD appeared to him in a blazing fire from the midst of a bush; and he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, yet the bush was not consumed. 1Peter 1:7 so that the trial of your faith (being much more precious than that of gold that perishes, but being proven through fire) might be found to praise and honor and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, Exodus 13:21 The LORD was going before them in a pillar of cloud by day to lead them on the way, and in a pillar of fire by night to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night.

3. In purification 1Corinthians 3:12-14 And if anyone builds on this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble, each one's work shall be revealed. For the Day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try each one's work as to what kind it is. If anyone's work which he built remains, he shall receive a reward. Malachi 3:2-3 "But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap. "He will sit as a smelter and purifier of silver, and He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, so that they may present to the LORD offerings in righteousness.

Lev 1:9 But its inward parts and its legs he shall wash in water. And the priest shall burn all on the altar, a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savor to Jehovah.

The priest shall burn - The verb here translated burn, is applied exclusively to the burning of the incense, to the lights of the tabernacle, and to the offerings on the altar. The primary meaning of its root seems to be to exhale odor, to smoke, to produce fragrance by fire. The word for burning in a common way is quite different. The importance of the distinction is great in its bearing on the meaning of the burnt-offering. The substance of the victim was regarded not as something to be consumed, but as an offering of a sweet-smelling savor sent up in the flame to the Lord.

But the inwards and his legs shall he wash in water, This was first done in a room in the court of the temple, called "the room of the washers", or the washing room, where they washed the inwards of the holy things; and after that they washed them upon the marble tables between the pillars, where they washed them three times at least; and whereas this is said to be done "in water”..

of a sweet savour unto the Lord: He accepting of it, and smelling a sweet savour of rest in it, as an atonement for sin and submission of the giver, typical of the sacrifice of Christ, which is to God for a sweet smelling savour, The Ephesians 5:2 And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us, and has given Himself for us as an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savor. Jewish sages noted that whether a man offers much or little, it matters only that his heart is directed to God. Maimonides explains that he who studies in the law, it is all one as if he offered a burnt offering, or a meat offering, or a sin offering. (We benefit from studying the bible. Our efforts to study are itself an offering to the Lord. 2Timothy 2:15 Study earnestly to present yourself approved to God, a workman that does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth.)

Lev 1:10 And if his offering is of the flocks, of the sheep, or of the goats, for a burnt offering, he shall bring a male without blemish.

Of the flocks - These directions are more brief than those for the bullock. With regard to the mode of sacrificing, the instructions already given for the oxen applied to the flock (i.e., to the sheep and goats) as well. Those who could not offer a bullock, were to bring a sheep or a goat; and those who were not able to do that, were accepted of God, if they brought a turtle-dove, or a pigeon. The burnt-offering of the sheep must have been that with which the people were most familiar in the daily morning and evening service. Sheep were preferred for sacrifice when they could be obtained, except in some special sin-offerings in which goats were required Lev_4:23; Lev_9:3; Lev_16:5. The lamb “without blemish” is a well-known type of Christ. Heb_9:14; 1Peter 1:19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot; (Type meaning a sign of something to come: an event, figure, or sign taken as foreshadowing of something in the future.)

Lev 1:11 And he shall kill it on the side of the altar northward before Jehovah. And the priests, Aaron's sons, shall sprinkle its blood all around on the altar.

And he shall kill it on the side of the altar northward before the Lord, This is a circumstance not mentioned in the killing of the bullock: Maimonides says, there was a square place from the wall of the altar northward, to the wall of the court, and it was sixty cubits, and all that was over against the breadth of this, from the wall of the porch to the eastern wall, and it is seventy six cubits; and this foursquare place is called the "north", for the slaying of the most holy things; so that it seems this being a large place, was fittest for this purpose. It seems to have been the largest and most convenient place for that work.

Interesting side note: Psalms 48:2 Beautiful on high, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King. Christ, our “sin offering”, our Lamb of God, was crucified on Mount Calvary, which was on the northwest side of Jerusalem; as by tradition, the morning sacrifice was killed at the northwest horn of the altar.

Lev 1:12 And he shall cut it into its pieces, with its head and its fat. And the priest shall arrange on the wood that is on the fire, which is on the altar.

Lev 1:13 But he shall wash the inward parts and the legs in water; and the priest shall bring near all of it and burn it on the altar. It is a burnt sacrifice, a fire offering of a sweet fragrance to Jehovah.

Lev 1:14 And if the burnt sacrifice for his offering to Jehovah is out of fowls, then he shall bring his offering of turtle-doves or of young pigeons.

Of turtledoves, or of young pigeons - The offering of a bird was permitted to one who was too poor to offer a quadruped. But in certain rites of purification birds were appointed for all, whatever might be their circumstances. See Lev_15:14, Lev_15:29; Num_6:10.

The Jewish writers all agree, that the turtledoves should be old, and not young, as the pigeons young, and not old; (the Targum of Jonathan, Jarchi, Aben Ezra and Gersom). Reasons include that they are the choicest and easiest to be found and taken. No mention is made of their being male or female, either would do, or of their being perfect and unblemished, as in the other burnt offerings. These creatures were proper emblems of Christ, and therefore used in sacrifice, whose voice is compared to the turtledove's, and his eyes to the eyes of doves, Song of Solomon 2:12 the flowers appear on the earth; the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtle-dove is heard in our land. They are meek and gentle, and so fit the character of Jesus according to some commentaries.

Lev 1:15 And the priest shall bring it to the altar, and wring off its head and burn it on the altar. And its blood shall be drained at the side of the altar.

Lev 1:16 And he shall pluck away its crop with its feathers, and throw it beside the altar on the east part, by the place of the ashes.

The place of the ashes - The ashes were daily removed from the altar (except on certain holy days) and thrown into a heap on its eastern side. When the heap became inconveniently large, it was removed in vessels appropriated to the purpose (see Exo_27:3) to a spot without the camp. Lev_4:12; Lev_6:11. Here the filth was cast, because this was the remotest place from the holy of holies, which was in the west - end; to teach us, that impure things and persons should not presume to approach to God, and that they should be banished from his presence.

Lev 1:17 And he shall cut it in two with the wings of it, not dividing it. And the priest shall burn it on the altar, on the wood that is on the fire. It is a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savor to Jehovah.

but shall not divide it asunder; the body of the bird, though it was cleaved down in the middle, yet not parted asunder, nor any of its wings separated from it; the Targum of Jonathan paraphrases it, "but shall not separate its wings from it".