John Calvin on Leviticus 1:5-17

5. And he shall kill the bullock. The ceremony of killing is subjoined, viz., that the priest should prepare the victim itself, and pour its blood upon the altar, for it was not allowable for a private person to kill the victim with his own hands, but what the priest did in their name was transferred to them. “It is interesting to notice here, (says Bonar, in loco,) that Outram, Witzius, and others, seem to have proved that in patriarchal ages every man might offer his own sacrifice. The patriarchal ages were taught that every man must take Christ for himself personally. In the Mosaic economy, however, this is altered; there is another truth to be shewn forth. Any one (2 Chronicles 30:17) might kill the animal — any common Levite, or even the offerer himself — for there may be many executioners of God’s wrath. Earth and hell were used in executing the Father’s purpose toward the Prince of Life. But there is only one appointed way for dispensing mercy, and therefore only priests must engage in that act that signified the bestowal of pardon.” He appears, however, to be singular in his opinion that any but a Levite might kill the victim. But this is worth remarking, that although they brought the pledge of reconciliation from their home, yet that the ministers of expiation were to be sought elsewhere, since no one was competent for so illustrious an office, save he who was graced by the holy unction of God. It was, therefore, plainly manifested that all mortals are unworthy of coming near God to propitiate Him, and that the hands of all are in a manner polluted or profane except those which God himself has purged. For the honor of sacrificing came from nowhere else but from the grace of the Spirit, of which the external anointing was a pledge. We now understand how it was that individuals offered sacrifices to God, and yet that the priest alone performed this office. The altar was sprinkled with the blood, that the people might know that the blood poured from the victim did not fall on the ground, but was consecrated to God, and breathed, as it were, a sweet savor; just as now the blood of Christ appears before His face. I pass by the rest, since it does not seem worth while to enlarge on the third kind of offering, i.e., of the birds. Yet we must recollect that thus far Moses only speaks of the burnt-offerings, whose flesh was burned; for this was not the case with all, as we shall see hereafter. Although, then, it is twice said that “the priests shall lay the parts, the head and the fat,” etc., we must not understand it as if he only commanded the fat and the head to be burned, but that nothing was to be left the skin. Some think that פדר pheder, This word only occurs here, and in ver. 12, and chap. 8:20. S.M. says that the Jewish expositors declare it to mean that fat, or network of fat which is found upon the liver, and with which the severance (locus de-collationis) of the head was covered, when the head was put upon the fire. It is not easy to discover who may have said that it meant a dissevered head. — W. “Some translate it (says Poole, in loco) the body, or the trunk of the body, (whence, perhaps, C.’s error.) So the ancient Hebrews quoted in Fagius; so Vatablus, Grotius, Malvenda, Mercerus in Bochart." is a dissevered head, nor do I reject their opinion, provided we do not exclude the fat. Whatever was filthy in the victim, God would have to be washed, that it might not contaminate it. The question now arises why it was burned either wholly or partially. My own opinion is, that by the fire the efficacy of the Spirit is represented, on which all the profit of the sacrifices depends; for unless Christ had suffered in the Spirit, He would not have been a propitiatory sacrifice. Fire, then, was as the condiment which gave their true savor to the sacrifices, because the blood of Christ was to be consecrated by the Spirit, that it might cleanse us from all the stains of our sins. This God would have more fully represented in the burnt-offerings, yet no victim was offered of which some part was not consumed by fire.

Leviticus 2

Leviticus 2:1-16

1. And when any will offer a meat offering unto the LORD, his offering shall be of fine flour; and he shall pour oil upon it, and put frankincense thereon:

1. Anima quum offeret oblationem minha Jehovae, simila erit oblatio ejus: fundetque super eam oleum, ac thus superimponet.

2. And he shall bring it to Aaron’s sons the priests: and he shall take thereout his handful of the flour thereof, and of the oil thereof, with all the frankincense thereof; and the priest shall burn the memorial of it upon the altar, to be an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD:

2. Afferet autem eam ad filios Aharon sacerdotes, et accipiet inde plenum pugillum de simila ejus, et de oleo ipsius supra totum thus ipsius, adolebitque sacerdos odorem ejus super altare: oblatio ignita est odoris quietis Jehovae.

3. And the remnant of the meat offering shall be Aaron’s and his sons’: it is a thing most holy of the offerings of the LORD made by fire.

3. Et residuum e minha, ipsius Aharon erit et filiorum ejus, sanctum sanctorum est ex oblationibus ignitis Jehovae.

4. And if thou bring an oblation of a meat offering baken in the oven, it shall be unleavened cakes of fine flour mingled with oil, or unleavened wafers anointed with oil.

4. Quinn vero obtuleris oblationem minha, coctionem clibani, sit e simila placentae infermentatae mixtae oleo, et lagana ex infermentatis mixta oleo.

5. And if thy oblation be a meat offering baken in a pan, it shall be of fine flour unleavened, mingled with oil.

5. Si minha sartaginis erit oblatio tua, sit simila conspersa oleo infermentata.

6. Thou shalt part it in pieces, and pour oil thereon: it is a meat offering.

6. Concides eam in frusta, et fundes super cam oleum: minha est.

7. And if thy oblation be a meat offering baken in the fryingpan, it shall be made of fine flour with oil.

7. Quod si minha craticulm erit oblatio tua, simila sit oleo conspersa.

8. And thou shalt bring the meat offering that is made of these things unto the LORD: and when it is presented unto the priest, he shall bring it unto the altar.

8. Afferesque minham ex illis factam Jehovae: et offeres illam sacerdoti qui admovebit eam altari.

9. And the priest shall take from the meat offering a memorial thereof, and shall burn it upon the altar: it is an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD.

9. Tolletque sacerdos de minha odorem ejus, et adolebit super altare: oblatio est ignita odoris quietis Jehovae.

10. And that which is left of the meat offering shall be Aaron’s and his sons’: it is a thing most holy of the offerings of the LORD made by fire.

10. Et quod superfuerit e minha erit Aharon et filiorum ejus, sanctum sanctorum est ex oblationibus ignitis Jehovae.

11.: No meat offering, which ye shall bring unto the LORD, shall be made with leaven: for ye shall burn no leaven, nor any honey, in any offering of the LORD made by fire.

11. Omnis minha quam offeretis Jehovae non fiet fermentata: quia de nullo fermento, et de nullo melle adolebis oblationem ignitam Jehovae.

12. As for the oblation of the firstfruits, ye shall offer them unto the LORD: but they shall not be burnt on the altar for a sweet savour.

12. In oblatione primitiarum offeretis ea Jehovae: et super altare non ascendent in odorem quietis.

13. And every oblation of thy meat offering shalt thou season with salt; neither shalt thou suffer the salt of the covenant of thy God to be lacking from thy meat offering: with all thine offerings thou shalt offer salt.

13. Et omnem oblationem minhae tuae sale salies, neque cessare facies sal foederis Dei tui a minha tua: in omni oblatione tua offeres sal.

14. And if thou offer a meat offering of thy firstfruits unto the LORD, thou shalt offer for the meat offering of thy firstfruits green ears of corn dried by the fire, even corn beaten out of full ears.

14. Si vero obtuleris minham primitiarum Jehovae, spicam tostam igni, triticum contusum spicae plenae offeres minham primitiarum tuarum.

15. And thou shalt put oil upon it, and lay frankincense thereon: it is a meat offering.

15. Et pones super eam oleum, pones item thus super eam: minha est.

16. And the priest shall burn the memorial of it, part of the beaten corn thereof, and part of the oil thereof, with all the frankincense thereof: it is an offering made by fire unto the LORD.

16. Et adolebit sacerdos odorem ejus, de frumento ejus contuso et de oleo ejus ultra totum thus ipsius: oblatio est ignita Jehovah.