INTRODUCTION TO Leviticus 1 This chapter contains certain laws and rules concerning sacrifices, particularly burnt offerings, which were delivered by the Lord to Moses, Leviticus 1:1 what those offerings should be of, Leviticus 1:3 what rules should be observed, what actions should be done, first by the persons that brought them, Leviticus 1:3 and...
And the Lord called unto Moses,.... Or "met him", as the phrase is rendered in Numbers 23:4. The word ויקרא, translated "called", the last letter of it is written in a very small character, to show, as the Jews (b) say, that he met him accidentally, and unawares to Moses: other mysteries they observe in it, as that it respects the modesty of...
Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them,.... For unto no other was the law of sacrifices given; not to the Gentiles, but to the children of Israel: if any man; or woman, for the word "man", as Ben Gersom observes, includes the whole species: of you; of you Israelites; the Targum of Jonathan adds, "and not of the apostates who worship...
If his offering [be] a burnt sacrifice of the herd,.... So called, because consumed by fire, see Leviticus 6:9 even all of it except the skin, and therefore its name with the Greeks is "a whole burnt offering", as in Mr 12:33 its name in Hebrew is עולה, which comes from a word which signifies to "ascend" or "go up", because not only it was carried...
And he shall put his hand on the head of the burnt offering,.... According to the Targum of Jonathan, it was his right hand; but it is generally thought by the Jewish writers that both hands were laid on; so Ben Gersom and Aben Ezra, with whom Maimonides (e) agrees, who says, he that lays on hands ought to lay on with all his strength, with both...
And he shall kill the bullock before the Lord,.... That is, the man that brings the burnt offering, for no other is yet spoken of; and according to the traditions of the elders (h), killing of the sacrifice was right when done by strangers, by women, and by servants, and by unclean persons, even in the most holy things so be it that the unclean...
And he shall flay the burnt offering,.... Take off its skin; this was the only part of it that was not burnt, and was the property of the priest, Leviticus 7:8 but who this was done by is not so manifest, since it is in the singular number "he", and seems to be the bringer of the offering; for Aaron's sons, the priests that sprinkled the blood,...
And the sons of Aaron the priest shall 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, see Leviticus 9:24 and this fire was kept burning continually upon the altar, Leviticus 6:12 and yet the Jewish writers say, it was the command of...
And the priests, Aaron's sons, shall lay the parts,.... That were cut in pieces, Leviticus 1:6 some of which are particularly mentioned: the head and the fat; the head which was cut off, and the body, the trunk of it; so, Aben Ezra says, the wise men interpret the word פדר "fat", which is only used here and in Leviticus 1:12 and which he thinks is...
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 לשכת המדחין, "the room of the washers", or the washing room, where they washed the inwards of the holy things (a); and after that they washed them upon the marble tables between the pillars, where they washed them three times...
And if his offering be of the flocks,.... As it might be: [namely], of the sheep, or of the goats for a burnt sacrifice; which were both typical of Christ, [See comments on Leviticus 1:2] he shall bring it a male without blemish; [See comments on Leviticus 1:3].
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 (g) 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...
And he shall cut it into his pieces, with his head and his fat,.... Or "his body", as the Targum of Jonathan; this was to be cut in pieces in the same manner as the bullock, [See comments on Leviticus 1:6]: and the priest shall lay them in order on the wood that [is] on the fire, which is on the altar; [See comments on Leviticus 1:8].
But he shall wash the inwards and the legs with water,.... As he did the bullock, Leviticus 1:9: and the priest shall bring [it] all: all the parts to the ascent of the altar, as the Jews (i) interpret it; all the parts and pieces of it, even the very wool on the sheep's head, and the hair on the goat's beard, their bones, sinews, and horns, and...
And if the burnt sacrifice for his offering to the Lord be of fowls,.... As it might be for the poorer sort, who could not offer a bullock, nor a sheep, or a lamb, Leviticus 5:7: then he shall bring his offering of turtledoves, or of young pigeons; the Jewish writers all agree, that the turtles should be old, and not young, as the pigeons young,...
And the priest shall bring it unto the altar,.... The southeast horn of it; near which was the place of the ashes, into which the crop and its feathers were cast (n): and wring off his head; by twisting it back as it should seem; the word used is only to be found here, and in Leviticus 5:8 the Jews say, it signifies to cut with the nail, and that...
And he shall pluck away his crop with his feathers,.... Or "with its meat", or "dung", as Onkelos renders it, meaning that which was in its crop; and so the Jerusalem Targum interprets it, "with its dung"; and Jonathan's paraphrase is, "with its collection", or what was gathered together in the crop; it includes the entrails, as Gersom observes:...
And he shall cleave it with the wings thereof,.... One wing being on one side, and the other on the other side: 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...
INTRODUCTION TO Leviticus 2 This chapter contains the law of the meat offering, and gives an account of what it was made of, fine flour, with oil poured, and frankincense put upon it, Leviticus 2:1 what was done with it; part of it burnt upon the altar, and the rest was the property of the priests, Leviticus 2:2 how it was to be when baked in an...
And when any man will offer a meat offering unto the Lord,.... Or, "when a soul", and which Onkelos renders "a man", so called from his more noble part; and, as the Jews say, this word is used because the Minchah, or meat offering here spoken of, was a freewill offering, and was offered up with all the heart and soul; and one that offered in this...