Law of the trespass-offering. LEVITICUS. The priest's portion of it. avreλεs, perpetually, to all intents and purposes) that influences of the Holy Spirit on the souls of men were come unto God by him; seeing he ever liveth. (TavтOTE essentially necessary to apply and render effectual this wv, he is perpetually living) to make intercession for atonement, to the salvation of the soul. And incesthem; in which words there is a manifest allusion to sant gratitude for the ineffable love of God, manifested the perpetual minchah, the perpetual fire, and the per- by his unspeakable gift, is surely required of all those petual burnt-offering, mentioned here by Moses. As who have tasted that the Lord is gracious. Reader, the minchah, or gratitude-offering should be perpetual, dost thou feel thy obligations to thy Maker? Does so our gratitude for the innumerable mercies of God the perpetual fire burn on the altar of thy heart? Art should be perpetual. As the burnt-offering must be thou ever looking unto Jesus, and beholding, by faith, perpetual, so should the sacrifice of our blessed Lord the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the be considered as a perpetual offering, that all men, in world? And dost thou feel the influences of his Spirit, all ages, should come unto God through him who is at all times witnessing with thy spirit that thou art his ever living, in his sacrificial character, to make inter- child, and exciting thee to acts of gratitude and obecession for men; and who is therefore represented dience? If not, of what benefit has the religion of even in the heavens as the Lamb just slain, standing Christ been to thee to the present day? Of a contrary before the throne, Rev. v. 6; Heb. x. 19-22. And state to that referred to above, it may be well said, as the fire on the altar must be perpetual, so should This is not the way to heaven, for the way of life is the influences of the Holy Spirit in every member of above to the wise, that they may depart from the the Church, and the flame of pure devotion in the shares of death beneath. Arise, therefore, and shake hearts of believers, be ever energetic and permanent. thyself from the dust; and earnestly call upon the Lord A continual sacrifice for continual successive genera- thy God, that he may save thy soul, and that thou fall tions of sinners was essentially necessary. Continual not into the bitter pains of an eternal death. CHAPTER VII.. The law of the trespass-offering, and the priest's portion in it, 1–7. As also in the sin-offerings and meatofferings, 8-10. The law of the sacrifice of peace-offering, 11, whether it was a thanksgiving-offering, 12-15; or a vow or voluntary offering, 16-18. Concerning the flesh that touched any unclean thing, 19. 20, and the person who touched any thing unclean, 21.. Laws concerning eating of fat, 22-25, and concerning eating of blood, 26, 27. Farther ordinances concerning the peace-offerings and the priest's portion in them, 28-36. Conclusion of the laws and ordinances relative to burnt-offerings, meat-offerings, sin-offerings, and peace-offerings, delivered in this and the preceding chapters, 37, 38. A. M. 2514. An. Exod. Isr. 2. LIKEWISE this is the law 5 And the priest shall burn of the trespass-offering: bit them upon the altar for an offerAbib or Nisan. is most holy, ing made by fire unto the LORD: 2 In the place where they kill the burnt-it is a trespass-offering. offering, shall they kill the trespass-offering: and the blood thereof shall he sprinkle round about upon the altar. Chap. v., vi. 1-7,- - Chap, vi. 17, 25; xxi. 22.- - Chap. i. 3, 5, 11; iv. 24, 29, 33.- -d Chap. iii. 4, 9, 10, 14, 15, 16; NOTES ON CHAP. VII. Verse 1, Trespass-offering} See end of the chapter. Verse 2. In the place where they kill the burnt-offering] Viz., on the north side of the altar, chap. i. 11. Verse 3. The rump] See the notes on chap. iii. 9, where the principal subjects in this chapter are explained, being nearly the same in both. Verse 4. The fat that is on them] Chiefly the fat that was found in a detached state, not mixed with the muscles; such as the omentum or caul, the fat of the e A. M. 2514. An. Exod İsr. 2 6 Every male among the priests shall eat thereof: it shall be eaten in the holy place : fit is most holy. 7. As the sin-offering is, so is the trespassoffering: there is one law for them: the priest that maketh atonement therewith shall have it.. 8 And the priest that offereth any man's burnt-offering, even the priest shall have to Chap. ii. 3. iv. 8, 9; Exod. xxix. 13.- Chap. vi. 16, 17, 18; Num. xviii. - Chap. vi. 25, 26; xiv. 13. Verse 8. The priest shall have to himself the skin] Bishop Patrick supposes that this right of the priest to the skin commenced with the offering of Adam, "for it is probable," says he, "that Adam himself offered the first sacrifice, and had the skin given him by God to make garments for him and his wife; in conformity to which the priests ever after had the skin of the whole burnt-offerings for their portion, which was a Of a thanksgiving offering, A. M. 2514. B. C. 1490. CHAP. VII. An. Exod. Isr. 2. offering which he hath offered. Abib or Nisan. and the manner of offering it. B. C. 1490. himself the skin of the burnt- shall offer with the sacrifice of A. M. 2514. thanksgiving unleavened cakes An Exod. Isr. 2. mingled with oil, and unleavened Abib or Nisan. wafers 1anointed with oil, and cakes mingled with oil, of fine flour, fried. 9 And all the meat-offering that is baken in the oven, and all that is dressed in the frying-pan, and in the pan, shall be the priest's that offereth it. 10 And every meat-offering, mingled with oil, and dry, shall all the sons of Aaron have, one as much as another. 11 And this is the law of the sacrifice of peace-offerings, which he shall offer unto the LORD. 12 If he offer it for a thanksgiving, then he m 13 Besides the cakes, he shall offer for his offering leavened bread with the sacrifice of thanksgiving of his peace-offerings. 14 And of it he shall offer one out of the whole oblation for a heave-offering unto the LORD, and it. shall be the priest's that sprin-. kleth the blood of the peace-offerings. n 15 And the flesh of the sacrifice of his m Amos iv. 5.-" Num. xviii. 8, -11, 19. Chap. xxii. 30. Chap. ii. 3, 10; Num. xviii. 9; Ezek. xliv. 29. Or, on the Chap. ii. 4; Num. vi. 15.flat plate or slice. Chap. iii. 1; xxii. 18, 21. custom among the Gentiles as well as the Jews, who gave the skins of their sacrifices to their priests, when they were not burnt with the sacrifices, as in some sin-offerings they were among the Jews, see chap. iv. 11. And they employed them to a superstitious use, by lying upon them in their temples, in hopes to have future things revealed to them in their dreams. Of this we have a proof in Virgil, Æn. lib. vii., ver. 86-95. -huc dona sacerdos 66 Cum tulit, et cæsarum ovium sub nocte silenti Pellibus incubuit stratis, somǹosque petivit; Multa modus simulacra videt volitantia miris, Et varias andit voces, fruiturque deorum Colloquio, atque imis Acheronta affatur Avernis. Hic et tum pater ipse petens responsa Latinus Centum lanigeras mactabat rite bidentes, Atque harum effultus tergo stratiśque jacebat Velleribus. Subita ex alte vox reddita luco est." First, on the fleeces of the slaughter'd sheep By night the sacred priest dissolves in sleep, When in a train, before his slumbering eye, Thin airy forms and wondrous visions fly. He calls the powers who guard the infernal floods, And talks, inspired, familiar with the gods. To this dread oracle the prince withdrew, And first a hundred sheep the monarch slew; Then on their fleeces lay; and from the wood He heard, distinct, these accents of the god.-PITT. The same superstition, practised precisely in the same way and for the same purposes, prevails to the present day in the Highlands of Scotland, as the reader may see from the following note of Sir Walter Scott, in his Lady of the Lake : "The Highlanders of Scotland, like all rude people, had various superstitious modes of inquiring into futurity. One of the most noted was the togharm. A person was wrapped up in the skin of a newly-slain bullock, and deposited beside a water-fall, or at the bottom of a precipice, or in some other strange, wild, and unusual situation, where the scenery around him suggested nothing but objects of horror. In this situation he revolved in his mind the question proposed; and whatever was impressed upon him by his exalted imagination, passed for the inspiration of the disem bodied spirits who haunt these desolate recesses. One way of consulting this oracle was by a party of men, who first retired to solitary places, remote from any house, and there they singled out one of their number, and wrapt him in a big cow's hide, which they folded about him; his whole body was covered with it except his head, and so left in this posture all night, until his invisible friends relieved him by giving a proper answer to the question in hand; which he received, as he fancied, from several persons that he found about him all that time. His consorts returned to him at daybreak; and then he communicated his news to them, which often proved fatal to those concerned in such unwarrantable inquiries. "Mr. Alexander Cooper, present minister of North Virt, told me that one John Erach, in the Isle of Lewis, assured him it was his fate to have been led by his curiosity with some who consulted this oracle, and that he was a night within the hide above mentioned, during which time he felt and heard such terrible things that he could not express them: the impression made on him was such as could never go off; and he said, for a thousand worlds he would never again be concerned in the like performance, for it had disordered him to a high degree. He confessed it ingenuously, and with an air of great remorse, and seemed to be very penitent under a just sense of so great a crime he declared this about five years since, and is still living in the Isle of Lewis for any thing I know." -Description of the Western Isles, p. 110. See also Pennant's Scottish Tour, vol. ii., p. 301; and Sir W. Scott's Lady of the Lake. Verse 9. Baken in the oven] See the notes on chap. ii. 5, &c.... Verse 12. If he offer it for a thanksgiving] See the notes at the end of this chapter. Verse 15. He shall not leave any of it until the morning.] Because in such a hot country it was apt to putrefy, and as it was considered to be holy, it would have been very improper to expose that to putrefaction which had been consecrated to the Divine Being. Mr. Harmer supposes that the law here refers rather to the custom of drying flesh which had been devoted to religious purposes, which is practised among the Mohammedans to the present time. This, Laws concerning deflements, A. M. 2514. LEVITICUS. and of eating fat and blood. peace-offerings for thanksgiving | of peace-offerings, which pertain A. M. 2514. Abib or Nisan. An. Exod. Isr. 2. shall be eaten the same day that unto the LORD, even that soul An. Exod. Isr. 2. Abib or Nisan. it is offered; he shall not leave any of it until the morning. shall be cut off from his people. 22 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 23 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, Ye shall eat no manner of fat, of ox, or of sheep, or of goat. 24. And the fat of the beast that dieth of itself, and the fat of that which is torn with beasts, may be used in any other use : but ye shall in nowise eat of it. 25 For whosoever eateth the fat of the beast, of which men offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD, even the soul that eateth it shall be cut off from his people. ye 26 a a. Moreover shall eat no manner of blood, whether it be of fowl or of beast, in any of your dwellings." 27 Whatsoever soul it be that eateth any manner of blood, even that soul shall be cut off from his people. 28 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 29 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, He that offereth the sacrifice of his peace offerings unto the LORD shall bring his oblation unto the LORD, of the sacrifice of his peace-offerings. he thinks, might have given rise to the prohibition, as cred, because they were the only animals which were the sacred flesh thus preserved might have been offered in sacrifice, though many others ranked among abused to superstitious purposes. Therefore God the clean animals as well as these. But it is likely says, ver. 18, "If any of the flesh of the sacrifice that this prohibition is to be understood of these anibe eaten at all on the third day, it shall not be ac-mals when offered in sacrifice, and then only in refercepted, neither shall it be imputed unto him that offereth it; it is an abomination, and the soul that eateth of it shall bear his iniquity." That is, on Mr. Harmer's hypothesis, This sacred flesh shall avail nothing to him that eats it after the first or second day on which it is offered; however consecrated before, it shall not be considered sacred after that time. See Harmer's Obs., vol. i., p. 394, edit. 1808. ence to the inward fat, as mentioned on ver. 4. Of Whatsoever soul-that eateth any manSee the note on Gen. ix. 4. Shall be cut off excommunicated from the people of God, and so deprived of any part in their inheritance, and in their blessings. See the note on Gen. xvii. 14. Verse 20. Having his uncleanness upon him] Having | ner of blood] touched any unclean thing by which he became legally defiled, and had not washed his clothes, and bathed his flesh. Verse 21. The uncleanness of man] Any ulcer, sore, or leprosy; or any sort of cutaneous disorder, either loathsome or infectious. Verse 23. Fat, of ox, or of sheep, or of goat.] Any other fat they might eat, but the fat of these was sa Verse 29. Shall bring his oblation] Meaning those things which were given out of the peace-offerings to the Lord and to the priest.-Ainsworth. · Verse 30. Wave-offering] See on Exod. xxix. 27. Conclusion of the law relative A. M. 2514. An. Exod. Isr. 2. CHAP. VII. 31 And the priest shall burn the fat upon the altar: but the breast shall be Aaron's and his sons'. 32 And the right shoulder shall ye give unto the priest for a heave-offering of the sacrifices of your peace-offerings. 33 He among the sons of Aaron, that offereth the blood of the peace-offerings, and the fat, shall have the right shoulder for his part. 34 For the wave breast and the heave shoulder have I taken of the children of Israel from off the sacrifices of their peace-offerings, and have given them unto Aaron. the priest, and unto his sons, by a statute for ever, from among the children of Israel. 35 This is the portion of the anointing of Aaron, and of the anointing of his sons, out Verse 32. The right shoulder] See on Exod. xxix. 27. to the burnt-offerings, &c. B. C. 1490. of the offerings of the LORD A. M. 2514. Abib or Nisan. 36 Which the LORD commanded to be given them of the children of Israel, in the day that he anointed 'them, by a statute for ever throughout their generations. m 37 This is the law of the burnt-offering, of the meat-offering, and of the sin-offering, and of the trespass-offering, and of the consecrations, and P of the sacrifice of the peaceofferings, 38 Which the LORD commanded Moses in Mount Sinai, in the day that he commanded. the children of Israel to offer their oblations unto the LORD, in the wilderness of Sinai. i Chap. viii. 12, 30; Exod. xl. 13, 15. Chap. vi. 14. m Chap. vi. 25. Ver. 1. Exod. xxix. 1. -P Ver. 11.- - Chap. i. 2. Chap. vi. 9. debach, the zain being changed into daleth,) a creature slain Verse 36. In the day that he anointed them] See in sacrifice, from П zabach, to slay; hence the altar the note on Exod. xl. 15, Verse 38. In the wilderness of Sinai.] These laws were probably given to Moses while he was on the mount with God; the time was quite sufficient, as he was there with God. not less than fourscore days in all; forty days at the giving, and forty days at the renewing, of the law. As in the course of this book the different kinds of sacrifices commanded to be offered are repeatedly occurring, I think it best, once for all, to give a general account of them, and a definition of the original terms, as well as of all others relative to this subject which are used in the Old Testament, and the reference in which they all stood to the great sacrifice offered by Christ. on which such sacrifices were offered was termed D mizbeach, the place of sacrifice. See the note on Gen. viii. 2. Zebach is a common name for sacrifices in general. 5. CHAG, a festival, especially such as had a periodical return, from an chagag, to celebrate a festival, to dance round and round in circles. See Exod. v. 1; xii. 24. The circular dance was probably intended to point out the revolution of the heavenly bodies, and the exact return of the different seasons.. See Parkhurst. 6. CHATTATH and ♫SUN CHATTAAH, SIN-offering, from Non chata, to miss the mark; it also signifies sin in general, and is a very apt term to express its nature by. A sinner is continually aiming at and seeking happiness; but as he does not seek it in God, hence the Scripture represents him as missing his aim, 1. DON ASHAM, TRESPASS-offering, from DN asham, or missing the mark. This is precisely the meaning to be guilty, or liable to punishment; for in this sa- of the Greek word uapria, translated sin and sin-ofcrifice the guilt was considered as being transferred to fering in our version; and this is the term by which the animal offered up to God, and the offerer re-the Hebrew word is translated both by the Septuagint deemed from the penalty of his sin, ver. 37: Christ is said to have made his soul an offering for sin, (,) Isa. liii. 10. 2. ISHSHEH, FIRE-offering, probably from wwx ashash, to be grieved, angered, inflamed; either pointing out, the distressing nature of sin, or its property of incensing Divine justice against the offender, who, in consequence, deserving burning for his offence, made use of this sacrifice to be freed from the punishment due to his transgression. It occurs Exod. xxix. 18, and in many places of this book. and the inspired writers of the New Testament. The sin-offering was at once an acknowledgment of guilt, in having forsaken the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns that could hold none; and also of the firm purpose of the offerer to return to God, the true and pure fountain of blessedness. This word often occurs. See the note on Gen. iv. 7; xiii. 13. 7. D COPHER, the EXPIATION or ATONEMENT, from caphar, to cover, to smear over, or obliterate, or annul a contract. Used often to signify the atonement or expiation made for the pardon or cancelling of ini3. D'EN HABHABIM, ITERATED or REPEATED offer- quity. See more in the note on Exod. xxv. 17.. ings, from an yahab, to supply. The word occurs. 8. MOED, an APPOINTED annual festival, from only in Hos. viii. 13, and probably means no more yaad, to appoint or constitute, signifying such feasts as than the continual repetition of the accustomed offer- were instituted in commemoration of some great event ings, or continuation of each part of the sacred service. or deliverance, such as the deliverance from Egypt. See Exod. xiii. 10, and thus differing from the chag mentioned above. See the note on Gen. i. 14. 9. ' MILLUIM, CONSECRATIONS or consecrationofferings, from mala, to fill; those offerings made in consecrations, of which the priests partook, or, in the Hebrew phrase, had their hands filled, or which had filled the hands of them that offered them. See the note on Exod. xxix. 19; and see 2 Chron. xiii. 9. 10. MINCHAH, MEAT-offering, from nach, to rest, settle after toil. It generally consisted of things without life, such as green ears of corn, full ears of corn, flour, oil, and frankincense; (see on chap. ii. 1, &c. ;) and may be considered as having its name from that rest from labour and toil which a man had when the fruits of the autumn were brought in, or when, in consequence of obtaining any rest, case, &c., a significant offering or sacrifice was made to God. It often occurs. See the note on Gen. iv. 3. The jealousy-offering (Num. v. 15) was a simple minchah, consisting of barley-meal only. 11. MESECH and MIMSACH, a MIXTUREoffering, or MIXED LIBATION, called a DRINK-offering, Isa. Iv. 11, from masach, to mingle; it seems in general to mean old wine mixed with the less, which made it extremely, intoxicating. This offering does not appear to have had any place in the worship of the true God; but from Isa. lxv. 11, and Prov. xxiii. 30, it seems to have been used for idolatrous purposes, such as the Bacchanalia among the Greeks and Romans, "when all got drunk in honour of the god." 12. AND MASSEETH, an OBLATION, things carried to the temple to be presented to God, from 1 nasa, to bear or carry, to bear sin; typically, Exod. xxviii. 38; chap. x. 17; xvi. 21; really, Isa. liii. 4, 12. The sufferings and death of Christ were the true masseeth or vicarious bearing of the sins of mankind, as the passage in Isaiah above referred to sufficiently proves. See this alluded to by the Evangelist John, chap. i. 29; and see the root in Parkhurst. 13:27) NEDABAH, FREE-WILL ́or voluntary offering; from 7 nadab, to be free, liberal, princely. An offering not commanded, but given as a particular proof of extraordinary gratitude to God for especial mercies, or on account of some vow or engagement voluntarily taken, ver. 16. 14. 70 NESECH, LIBATION, or DRINK-offering, from nasach, to diffuse or pour out. Water or wine poured out at the conclusion or confirmation of a treaty or covenant. To this kind of offering there is frequent allusion and reference in the New Testament, as it typified the blood of Christ poured out for the sin of the world; and to this our Lord himself alludes in the institution of the holy eucharist. The whole Gospel economy is represented as a covenant or treaty between God and man, Jesus Christ being not only the mediator, but the covenant sacrifice, whose blood was poured out for the ratification and confirmation of this cove nant or agreement between God and man. mentioned in the Old Testament. world. In most other offerings the priest, and often the offerer, had a share, but in the whole burnt-offering all was given to God. 16. from P KETORETH, INCENSE OF PERFUME-offering, p katar, to burn, i. e. the frankincense, and other aromatics used as a perfume in different parts of the Divine service. To this St. Paul compares the agreeableness of the sacrifice of Christ to God, Eph. v. 2: Christ hath given himself for us, an offering— to God for a SWEET-SMELLING · savour. From Rev. v. 8 we learn that it was intended also to represent the prayers of the saints, which, offered up on that altar, Christ Jesus, that sanctifies every gift, are highly pleasing in the sight of God. 17. KORBAN, the GIFT-offering, from p karab, to draw nigh or approach. See this explained on chap. i. 2. Korban was a general name for any kind of offering, because through these it was supposed a man had access to his Maker. 18. ' SHELAMIM, PEACE-offering, from o shalam, to complete, make whole; for by these offerings that which was lacking was considered as being now made up, and that which was broken, viz., the covenant of God, by his creatures' transgression, was supposed to be made whole; so that after such an offering, the sincere and conscientious mind had a right to consider that the breach was made up between God and it, and that it might lay confident hold on this covenant of peace. To this the apostle evidently alludes, Eph. ii. 14-19: He is our peace, (i. e. our shalam or peace-offering,) who has made both one, and broken down the middle wall; having abolished in his flesh the enmily, &c. See the whole passage, and see the note on Gen. xiv. 18. 19. TODAH, THANK-offering, from n yadah, to confess; offerings made to God with public confession of his power, goodness, mercy, &c. 20. TENUPHAH, WAVE-offering, from 1 naph, to stretch out; an offering of the first-fruits stretched out ̧ before God, in acknowledgment of his providential goodness. This offering was moved from the right hand to the left. See the note on Exod. xxix. 27. 21. TERUMAH, HEAVE-offering, from D ram, to lift up, because the offering was lifted up towards heaven, as the wave-offering, in token of the kindness of God in granting rain and fruitful seasons, and fill ing the heart with food and gladness. As the wave offering was moved from right to left, so the heave offering was moved up and down; and in both cases this was done several times. These offerings had a blessed tendency to keep alive in the breasts of the people a due sense of their dependence on the Divine providence and bounty, and of their obligation to God for his continual and liberal supply of all their wants. See the note on Exod. xxix. 27. In the above collection are comprised, as far as I can recollect, an explanation of all the terms used in the Hebrew Scriptures which signify sacrifice, oblation, atonement, offering, &c., &c., as well as the reference they bear to the great and only sufficient atonement, sacrifice, oblation, and satisfaction made by Christ Jesus for the sins of mankind. Larger accounts must be sought in authors who treat professedly on these subjects. |