Leviticus 6 commentary

Though all the instances relate to our neighbour, yet it is called a trespass against the Lord. Though the person injured be mean, and even despicable, yet the injury reflects upon that God who has made the command of loving our neighbour next to that of loving himself. Human laws make a difference as to punishments; but all methods of doing wrong to others, are alike violations of the Divine law, even keeping what is found, when the owner can be discovered. Frauds are generally accompanied with lies, often with false oaths. If the offender would escape the vengeance of God, he must make ample restitution, according to his power, and seek forgiveness by faith in that one Offering which taketh away the sin of the world. The trespasses here mentioned, still are trespasses against the law of Christ, which insists as much upon justice and truth, as the law of nature, or the law of Moses.

The daily sacrifice of a lamb is chiefly referred to. The priest must take care of the fire upon the altar. The first fire upon the altar came from heaven, ch. 9:24; by keeping that up continually, all their sacrifices might be said to be consumed with the fire from heaven, in token of God's acceptance. Thus should the fire of our holy affections, the exercise of our faith and love, of prayer and praise, be without ceasing.

The law of the burnt-offerings put upon the priests a great deal of care and work; the flesh was wholly burnt, and the priests had nothing but the skin. But most of the meat-offering was their own. It is God's will that his ministers should be provided with what is needful.

The blood of the sin-offering was to be washed out of the clothes on which it should happen to be sprinkled, which signified the regard we ought to have to the blood of Christ, not counting it a common thing. The vessel in which the flesh of the sin-offering was boiled must be broken, if it were an earthen one; but if a brazen one, well washed. This showed that the defilement was not wholly taken away by the offering; but the blood of Christ thoroughly cleanses from all sin. All these rules set forth the polluting nature of sin, and the removal of guilt from the sinner to the sacrifice. Behold and wonder at Christ's love, in that he was content to be made a sin-offering for us, and so to procure our pardon for continual sins and failings. He that knew no sin was made sin (that is, a sin-offering) for us, 2Co 5:21. Hence we have pardon, and not only pardon, but power also, against sin, Ro 8:3.

1. And the Lord spake unto Moses. Moses now no longer treats of the means of expiating errors when the sinner is guilty through thoughtlessness; but he prescribes the mode of reconciliation, when any one shall have wilfully and designedly offended God. And this is well worthy of notice, lest those who may have been guilty of voluntary sin should doubt whether God will be propitiated towards them, provided they make application to the one sacrifice of Christ, in which consists the entire substance of the shadows of the Law. We must indeed beware lest we indulge ourselves under the cover of God’s clemency and readiness to pardon, — for the lust of the flesh provokes us to sin more than enough, without the addition of this snare, — nor is it less than a blasphemous insult to God to take occasion and license for sin, from the fact of His willingness to pardon. Let then the fear of God reign in us, which will repress our wicked desires like a rein, so that we should not wilfully fall into sin; and let His mercy rather engender the hatred and detestation of sin in our hearts, than incite us to audacity. Yet, at the same time, we must prudently take heed, lest if we imagine God to be inexorable to our voluntary sins, this excessive severity should overthrow the hope of salvation even in those who are the holiest. For even now-a-days there are some madmen who deny pardon to all who may have chanted to fall through the infirmity of the flesh, since to morose men this severity has its charms, and by this hallucination Novatus Novatus, a Carthaginian Presbyter, who in conjunction with Novatian a Presbyter of Rome, was the founder of the Novatian sect, a.d. 251, also called Cathari, or Aristeri. They “considered the genuine Church of Christ to be a society, where virtue and innocence reigned universally, and refused any longer to acknowledge those as its members who had even once degenerated into unrighteousness.” — Waddington’s Church Hist., vol. 1 pp. 165, 166.

C. mentions, Inst., book 4, ch. 1, sect. 23, (Calvin Society’s Translation, vol. 3, p. 35,) the similarity of some of the opinions held by the Anabaptists of his day to those of the Novatians. greatly troubled the Church of old. But if we all honestly examine ourselves, it will plainly appear that those rigid censors, who affect the reputation of sanctity by immoderate asperity, are the grossest hypocrites. For if they would abandon their pride, and examine into their lives, which of them would find himself free from concupiscence? and whose conscience must not often smite him?

It is then monstrous blindness to exalt men, clothed in human flesh, to such a pitch of perfection, as that their conscience should not convict them of any fault or blame. And nothing is more pestilent than this imposture of the devil, excluding from the hope of pardon those who knowingly and willingly have sinned; since there is not one even of God’s best servants, in whom the corrupt affections of the flesh do not sometimes prevail; for although they be neither adulterers, nor thieves, nor murderers, yet there is none whom the last Commandment of the Law — “Thou shalt not covet,” — does not convict of sin. And assuredly the more advance one has made in endeavors after purity, the more he feels and acknowledges that he is still very far from reaching its goal. Therefore, unless we would purposely close the gate of salvation against us, we must hold that God is placable towards all, who trust that their sin is forgiven them by the sacrifice of Christ; for God is neither changed, nor is our condition worse than that of the fathers, whereas under the Law God appointed sacrifices for the expiation even of voluntary offenses. Hence it follows, that although we are convicted of voluntary sin, yet a remedy is set before us in the Gospel for procuring pardon: else would these ancient figures be more than delusive, which had no other object than to be testimonies and mirrors of the grace which was finally manifested to us in Christ. If there ought to be a mutual agreement between the external representation of grace under the Law, and the spiritual effect which Christ brought in, it plainly appears that sins are no less forgiven to us now, than to the ancient people; and thus that believers are reminded by this symbol, that they are not to despair of reconciliation, whilst they take no pleasure in their sins; but rather that they should boldly seek for pardon in the perpetual sacrifice which constantly renders God favorable to all the godly. And surely since repentance and faith are the sure pledges of God’s favor, it cannot be but that they should be received into His grace who are endued with these two gifts. Besides, the remission of sins is an inestimable treasure, which God has deposited in His Church, to be the peculiar blessing of His children; as the Confession of Faith declares, “I believe in the Holy Catholic Church, the forgiveness of sins.” Nor would what Paul proclaims concerning the embassy entrusted to him be consistent, unless Christ’s satisfaction daily propitiated God towards believers. (2 Corinthians 5:20.)

The question here is not about some trifling offense, but about the crime of unfaithfulness, doubled by the addition of perjury. It is true that perfidy, or deceit, or violence, are first mentioned, to mark the grossness of the sin; but the guilt lies chiefly in the profanation of God’s name when the injury done to man is sheltered under a false oath. At any rate, he is admitted to pardon who has both iniquitously deceived his brother and has impiously abused God’s name. Hence it appears that God spares wretched sinners although they may have contaminated themselves by faithlessness, and have aggravated the crime committed against men by sacrilege, having insulted God through their perjury. But although Moses only enumerates transgressions of the Eighth Commandment, still he teaches, according to his usual manner, by synecdoche what must be done in the case of other offenses also. If, then, anything shall have been taken away by violence, or by fraud, and perjury has been superadded, he commands not only that satisfaction should be made to the neighbor who is defrauded, but that the price of atonement should also be offered to God. And the reason for this is expressly given, because not only has a mortal man been injured, but God has also been offended, who would have men conduct themselves justly and reverently towards each other; and then the crime is carried to extremity by the violation of God’s sacred name. The sacrifice is not indeed required from a thief or robber, or from the denier of a deposit, or the appropriator of anything lost, unless they have also perjured themselves; yet the words of Moses are not without their weight: if any one, by the denial of a deposit, or by theft, or robbery, shall have “committed a trespass against the Lord;” whereby he signifies, that whenever an injury is inflicted on men, God in their person is offended, because every transgression of the Law violates and perverts His justice.

We shall elsewhere see more about the restitution to be made in case of theft or robbery, especially when a person has been found guilty. This point, however, is alone referred to directly in this passage, viz., that whoever injures or inflicts a loss upon his brother, incurs guilt and condemnation before God; but if he proceeds to such a pitch of obstinacy, as to cover his crime by falsely appealing to the sacred name of God, he is polluted by double iniquity, so that compensation of the damage is not sufficient, but he must also make atonement to God. But we must understand this of those who, having escaped from the fear of punishment, voluntarily repent. The notion of some commentators who alter the copula into the disjunctive particle, and consider perjury to be one of the various sins referred to, I reject as foreign to the meaning of Moses. Others explain it thus: “If any shall have committed robbery or theft, or shall have sworn falsely about a thing lawful in itself:” but I do not see why the words should be wrested thus; besides, their mistake is refitted by the context itself, in which restitution is coupled with the sacrifices, and this could not be applicable unless perjury were conjoined also with fraud or violence. Nor does the disjunctive particle which follows help them; for after he has commanded what was taken away by force or deceit to be restored, because all the various points could not be separately expressed, it is added, “Or all that about which he hath sworn falsely,” not as if the guilt of perjury had been contracted in any other matters, but that he might cut away all means of subterfuge, which the repetition also confirms; for, after having introduced the crime of swearing falsely, he again, as if more clearly explaining what he had said, commands the restitution of the principal, together with the fifth part. But what is it that he commands to be restored except what the deceiver had kept back under cover of his oath? Of this a clearer exposition will be found under the Eighth Commandment.

A satisfaction is therefore enjoined to be made towards men together with the offering. Nor is it without reason that God commands them to make up the loss on the day when the offering is made, lest hypocrites should promise themselves impunity after having enriched themselves by the property of another. It was indeed permitted them to restore their property to others before they propitiated God by the sacrifice; but God will not have His altar defiled, which would be the case if thieves or robbers offered victims belonging to others. He would, therefore, have the hands of those who sacrifice cleansed from pollution. And surely those who offer a victim to God out of spoils unjustly obtained, in some measure implicate Him as a participator in their crime. Hence may profitable instruction be drawn, viz., that hypocrites busy themselves in vain in reconciling God to themselves, unless they honestly restore what they have unjustly taken. Meanwhile we must observe the distinction in the words of Moses between the satisfaction made to men and the sin-offering which propitiates God; for we gather from hence, as I have said, that they obtain not pardon from God who desire to remain enriched by their stolen property; and yet that God is not appeased by anything but sacrifice. Clear proof of this latter point may be gathered from the whole Law, which prescribes but one means of reconciling God, i.e., when the sinner makes atonement for himself by offering a victim. Hence the diabolical figment as to satisfactions is refuted For a statement of this doctrine, see Canons of the Council of Trent, Sess. 6, Can. 30; Sess. 14. Caput. 8, 9, Can. 12, 13, 14, 15. See C.’s “Antidote to the Canons of the Council of Trent,” (Calvin Society’s Edition,) p. 160. by which the Papists imagine that they are redeemed from God’s judgment; for although God shall have remitted the guilt, they still think that the liability to punishment remains, until the sinner shall have delivered himself by his own works. To this end they have invented works of supererogation, to be meritorious in redeeming from punishment; hence, too, purgatory has come into existence. But when you have studied all the writings of Moses, and diligently weighed whatsoever is revealed in the Law as to the means of appeasing God, you will find that the Jews were everywhere brought back to sacrifices. Now, it is certain that whatever is attributed to sacrifices is so much taken away from men’s own works. But if it were not God’s intention to down His ancient people to outward ceremonies, it follows that it is only by the one Mediator, through the outpouring of His blood, that men are absolved from all liability either to guilt or punishment, so as to be restored to favor by God.

7. And the priest shall make an atonement. From this form of expression also, which frequently occurs, we must learn that the victim in itself was not the price of redemption, but that expiation was founded on the priesthood. For they have foolishly and falsely invented the notion that men work something themselves in the sacraments, “Qui’ls apportassent rien du leur aux sacremens;” that they bring something of their own to the sacraments. — Fr. whereas their virtue and effect proceeds from quite another quarter. The offering, therefore, properly speaking, is passive rather than active as regards man. Addition in Fr., “c’est a dire, qu’il n’y apporte rien du sien, mais qu’il y recoit;” that is, that he brings nothing of his own to it, but receives something from it. The force of this will be more clearly understood from the delusion of the Papists. They are indeed compelled to acknowledge that in the sacraments men are passive, in so far as they receive the grace there offered to them; but they presently pervert this doctrine, by inventing their opus operatum, as they call it. But, lest the people should think that they bring from their own stores (domo) the price of their redemption, Moses constantly inculcates that it is the peculiar office of the priest, to appease God, and to blot out sin by expiation. It is also worthy of observation that he adds, “before the Lord,” for by this clause the profane notion is refuted, that men are purged by the legal sacrifices only civilly, as they say, i.e., before men, as if there were no spiritual promise included in them. Now, if this were so, the fathers would have been confirmed in the confidence of pardon by no external symbols, than which nothing can be more absurd; but by this one clause all ambiguity is removed, when Moses declares that they were absolved “before the Lord."

Leviticus 6

Leviticus 6:8-15, 23-25, 30

8. And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

8. Loquutus est etiam Jehova ad Mosen, dicendo:

9. Command Aaron and his sons, saying, This is the law of the burnt offering: It is the burnt offering, because of the burning upon the altar all night unto the morning, and the fire of the altar shall be burning in it.

9. Praecipe Aharon et filiis ejus, dicendo, Haec est lex holocausti, (holocaustum est, quod aduritur super altare tota nocte usque mane, ubi ignis altari accensus fuerit in eo.)

10. And the priest shall put on his linen garment, and his linen breeches shall he put upon his flesh, and take up the ashes which the fire hath consumed with the burnt offering on the altar, and he shall put them beside the altar.

10. Induet se sacerdos veste linen, femoralibus item lineis induct se super carnem suam, tolletque cinerem quum absumpserit ignis holocaustum ex altari, et ponet eum secus altare.

11. And he shall put off his garments, and put on other garments, and carry forth the ashes without the camp unto a clean place.

11. Postea exuet se vestibus suis, et induet se vestibus allis, efferetque cinerem extra castra ad locum mundam.

12. And the fire upon the altar shall be burning in it; it shall not be put out: and the priest shall burn wood on it every morning, and lay the burnt offering in order upon it; and he shall burn thereon the fat of the peace offerings.

12. Et ignis super altare ardebit in eo, non extinguetur, et accendet in eo sacerdos ligna quotidie mane, et disponet super illud victimam holocausti, adolebitque super illud adipes prosperitatum.

13. The fire shall ever be burning upon the altar; it shall never go out.

13. Ignis perpetuo ardebit in altari, non extinguetur.

14. And this is the law of the meat offering: The sons of Aaron shall offer it before the LORD, before the altar.

14. Ista est lex minha quam offerent filii Aharon coram Jehova ad altare.

15. And he shall take of it his handful, of the flour of the meat offering, and of the oil thereof, and all the frankincense which is upon the meat offering, and shall burn it upon the altar for a sweet savour, even the memorial of it, unto the LORD.

15. Tollet ex ea pugillo suo ex simila minha, et oleo ejus, et totum thus quod erit super minha: adolebitque super altare odorem quietis odorem ejus apud Jehovam.

23. For every meat offering for the priest shall be wholly burnt: it shall not be eaten.

23. Omnis minha sacerdotis tota eremabitur, non comedetur.

24. And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

24. Loquutus est Jehova ad Mosen, dicendo:

25. Speak unto Aaron and to his sons, saying, This is the law of the sin offering: In the place where the burnt offering is killed shall the sin offering be killed before the LORD: it is most holy.

25. Alloquere Aharon et filios ejus, dicendo, Ista eat lex hostile pro peccato, In loco in quo mactabitur hostia holocausti mactabitur hostia pro peccato coram Jehova, quia sanctificatio sanctificationum est.

30. And no sin offering, whereof any of the blood is brought into the tabernacle of the congregation to reconcile withal in the holy place, shall be eaten: it shall be burnt in the fire.

30. Omnis autem hostia pro peccato, de cujus sanguine inferetur aliquid in tabernaculum conventionis, ad expiandum in sanctuario non comedetur, igni comburetur.

1. Likewise this is the law. I have just confessed that I do not sufficiently understand how these two words, חטאה, chateah, and אשם, asham, differ from each other; and I have therefore followed the sense which is commonly received, and called them the sin and the trespass-offering, (hostiam pro peccato vel pro delicto.) Although in this second kind of offering he commands the same ceremony to be observed as in the former one, yet he mentions some things which he had before omitted, such as the sprinkling of blood around the altar, the offering of the fat, kidneys, etc., which had not been before expressed. The sum amounts to this, that they were to sacrifice in the same manner, and with the same rites for sin as for trespass, and make not the smallest alteration in the rule laid down for them.

Leviticus 7

Leviticus 7:11-18

11. And this is the law of the sacrifice of peace offerings, which he shall offer unto the LORD.

11. Haec autem est lex sacrificii prosperitatum, quod offerer Jehovae.

12. If he offer it for a thanksgiving, then he shall offer with the sacrifice of thanksgiving unleavened cakes mingled with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil, and cakes mingled with oil, of fine flour, fried.

12. Si pro gratiarum actione obtulerit illud, tune offerer pro sacrificio gratiaram actionis, placentas infermentatas versatas in oleo, et lagana infermentata uncta oleo, et similam frictam una cum placentis illis versaris in oleo.

13. Besides the cakes, he shall offer for his offering leavened bread with the sacrifice of thanksgiving of his peace offerings.

13. Cron placentis panis fermentati offeret oblationem suam pro sacrificio gratiarum actionis prosperitatum suarum.

14. And of it he shall offer one out of the whole oblation for an heave offering unto the LORD, and it shall be the priest’s that sprinkleth the blood of the peace offerings.

14. Offeretque ex eo unum panem, ex omni oblatione oblationem Jehovae.

15. And the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offerings for thanksgiving shall be eaten the same day that it is offered; he shall not leave any of it until the morning.

15. Caro autem hostiae gratiarum actionis prosperitatum ejus, in die oblationis ejus comedetur: non relinquet ex eo usque mane.

16. But if the sacrifice of his offering be a vow, or a voluntary offering, it shall be eaten the same day that he offereth his sacrifice: and on the morrow also the remainder of it shall be eaten:

16. Quod si votum, vel spontaneum fuerit sacrificium oblationis ejus, die quo ille obtulerit sacrificium suum, comedetur, et sequenti die comedetur quod superfuerit ex co.

17. But the remainder of the flesh of the sacrifice on the third day shall be burnt with fire.

17. Quodvero superfuerit de carne sacrificii die tertia, igni comburetur.

18. And if any of the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offerings be eaten at all on the third day, it shall not be accepted, neither shall it be imputed unto him that offereth it: it shall be an abomination, and the soul that eateth of it shall bear his iniquity.

18. Si autem comedendo comedatur aliqnid de carne sacrificii prosperitatum ejus die tertia, non placebit offerens illud, neque imputabitur illi, abominatio erit: et anima comedens ex eo iniquitatem suam portabit.

Leviticus 22

Leviticus 22:29, 30

29. And when ye will offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving unto the LORD, offer it at your own will.

29. Quum vero sacrificaveritis sacrificium gratiarum actionis Jehovae, in acceptationem vestri sacrificabitis.

30. On the same day it shall be eaten up; ye shall leave none of it until the morrow: I am the LORD.

30 Die ipsa comedetur: non relinquetus usque mane ex eo; ego Jehova,

Leviticus 19

Leviticus 19:5-8

5. And if ye offer a sacrifice of peace offerings unto the LORD, ye shall offer it at your own will.

5. Et quando sacrificaveritis sacrificium prosperitatum Jehovae, in acceptationem vestri sacrificabitis illud.

6. It shall be eaten the same day ye offer it, and on the morrow: and if ought remain until the third day, it shall be burnt in the fire.

6. Die quo sacrificaveritis comedetur, et postridie: quod autem superfuerit usque ad diem tertium, igni comburetur.

7. And if it be eaten at all on the third day, it is abominable; it shall not be accepted.

7. Quod si comedendo comedatur die tertio, profanum erit, neque placebit.

8. Therefore every one that eateth it shall bear his iniquity, because he hath profaned the hallowed thing of the LORD: and that soul shall be cut off from among his people.

8. Et qui comederit illud, poenam iniquitatis suae portabit: quia sanctitatem Jehovae polluit: et excidetur anima ipsa e populis suis.

9. Command Aaron and his sons. He more distinctly explains what might have appeared to be omitted; nor is it without reason that he carefully enters into these full details, for since God prefers obedience to all sacrifices, he was unwilling that anything should remain doubtful as to the external rites, which were not otherwise of great importance; that they might learn to observe precisely, and with the most exact care, whatever the Law commanded, and that they should not obtrude anything of themselves, inasmuch as the purity of the holy things was corrupted by the very smallest invention. He would, therefore, leave nothing to the people’s judgment, but directed them by a fixed rule even in the most trifling matters. As to the burnt-offerings, he commands that they should not be taken away from the altar till they were consumed by the fire; but after they were put on, he commands them to be burnt in a constant fire till the morrow. With this intent, he expressly says, that the fire should be kept alight on the altar all the night, since the sacrifices would not have been reduced to ashes without the application of fuel. Secondly, he commands the priest, clothed in the linen garment, and breeches, as he was wont to be in the performance of his sacred duties, to go to the altar, and to take away the ashes and put them by the side, or at some part of the altar; but when he shall have gone away from the altar, he bids him take off his holy garments, and carry the ashes out of the camp to a clean place. But what he had before briefly adverted to as to the supply of wood, he immediately declares more fully to be, lest the fire should go out. Again, he assigns to the priest the office of setting the wood in order every morning. But, because in the sacrifices Or peace-offerings, vide supra, p. 105. of prosperities the Law commanded the fat only to be burnt, Moses now adds, verse 12, that the fat was to be burnt on the same fire. It is worthy of particular observation, that he finally subjoins a precept as to so keeping up the fire that it may never go out.

The intent of this perpetuity was, that the offerings should be burnt with heavenly fire; for on the day that Aaron was consecrated, the sacrifice was reduced to ashes not by human means but miraculously, in token of approbation. True that God did not choose daily to exert this power; but He interposed the hand and labor of men in such a manner that the origin of the sacred fire should still be from heaven. The same thing afterwards happened at the dedication of Solomon’s temple, because that alteration of the divine decree demanded a sign (tesseram,) lest any should think that it was at the will of man that the splendor of the temple should outvie the tabernacle. Finally, the sacrifice of Elijah was graced by the same privilege when he restored the abolished legal service; and then also God upheld what He had ordained in His Law, in opposition to all corrupt and degenerate rites. Meanwhile, in order to prevent any adulterations, He chose to have the fire continually burning on the altar day and night, nor was it allowable to take it from elsewhere. There was, indeed, amongst the Persians “The Persians regarded with reverence the sun and every kind of fire. The fire continually kept alive in their temples, was considered as sacred. It had been kindled from fire, which Zoroaster pretended to have brought down from heaven. It was fed by a particular kind of wood, and was supposed to be polluted even by the breath of those who approached it.” — Hill’s Essays on Ancient Greece, Essay 20. The sacred fire was kept alive even in their marches. — Curt, 3 3; Ammian Marcel., 23:6. a perpetual fire, and at Rome also under the guardianship of the Vestal virgins; “Virgines Vestales in urbe custodiunto ignem loci publici sempiternum.” — Cicero de Legg. 2:8. and it may be, that in foolish mimicry they transferred to themselves the custom which they had heard of being observed by the Jews; for thus it is that, for the purpose of deceiving unbelievers, the devil often falsely makes a pretense of something divine, and imitates God just as an ape imitates man: but the purpose of God in rejecting strange fire was to retain the people in His own genuine ordinance prescribed by the Law, lest any inventions of men should insinuate themselves; for the prohibition of strange fire was tantamount to forbidding men to introduce anything of their own, or to add to the pure doctrine of the Law, or to decline from its rule. Meanwhile, since God had once testified, as if by stretching forth His hand from heaven (to receive them, Added from Fr. ) that the sacrifices were acceptable to Him, believers were confirmed in their confidence of this by the pledge of the perpetual fire.

14. And this is the Law of the meat-offering. We have already seen that there were various kinds of this offering; now, the cakes or wafers are omitted, “Omettant les gasteux, et les tourtes, et bignets, tant cuits au four que frits;” omitting the cakes, and the tarts, and fritters, both cooked in the oven and fried. — Fr. and mention is only made of uncooked flour, whereof God commands that the priest should burn on the altar as much as his hand could hold. But this law was necessary in order that believers might be fully assured that God was propitiated by the due offering of this part, and that none might complain because the greater portion remained with the priests. Lest, however, the dignity of the sacrifice should be impaired, it was only permitted to the priests to make unleavened bread of it, which they were to eat in the sanctuary, as we have seen elsewhere. The meat-offering of the priests is excepted, which I conceive to be for two reasons, — first, that the excellency and dignity of their gift, honored as it was by special privilege, might stimulate the priests to greater efforts of piety, so as not to exercise themselves in God’s service in a common and perfunctory manner; secondly, that they might be thus restrained from the affectation of offering it too frequently. For if it only cost them a little flour, a door was opened to vain ostentation; they would have never ceased offering their “Leurs belles parades.” — Fr. minha, the profit of which returned to themselves; perhaps they might even have made a trade of it, as we see the Popish sacrificers entice the simple populace to profuse expenditure in offerings by the pomp of their fictitious devotion. Lest, therefore, they should cause their immoderate oblations to minister both to their vainglory and avarice, God willed that their meat-offering should be entirely consumed.

16. And the remainder thereof. He repeats what we have seen just before, that the residue of those oblations, in which there was peculiar holiness, should belong to the priests; but upon condition that they should be eaten nowhere except in the sanctuary. A special precept is also given as to the minha, (meat-offering,) that it should not be made into leavened bread; for thus the meal, which had been already dedicated to God, would be changed into common food, which could not be done without profanation. Since, then, God admits the priests, as it were, to His own table, the dignity of their office is not a little heightened by this privilege; yet in such a manner as that by their liberty the reverence due to God’s service may not be impaired. Afterwards Moses confirms in general terms that right, which had been before assigned to them, that they should take what remained of the burnt-offerings, on condition that it should be eaten by males only, and in the sacred place; in order that God’s presence may not only act as a restraint on their luxury and intemperance, but, also instruct them in the sobriety due from His servants, and, in a word, accustom them to exceeding purity, whilst they reflect that they are separated from all others. At the end of ver. 18, some translate it in the neuter gender, “every thing that shall have touched them shall be holy:” but in this passage Moses seems to me to prescribe that none but the priests should touch the minha. It was said elsewhere of the altar and its vessels, that by virtue of their anointing they sanctified whatever was placed upon them; but we now see that ordinary men are prohibited from touching sacred things, that their sanctity may be inviolate. For we know that the sons of Aaron were anointed with this object, that they alone might be allowed to touch whatever was consecrated to God. Therefore the verb in the future tense is put for the imperative. So also it is soon afterwards said of the victims, ver. 27, “Whosoever shall touch the flesh thereof shall be holy:” A. V., “Whatsoever,” following the V. and not LXX. because Moses enacts this special law for the priests, that they alone should handle the sacrifices. Nor does what immediately follows contradict this, “when there is sprinkled of the blood thereof on any garment,” etc.; for he does not mean to say that the garments or any vessels would be consecrated by the mere touch; but it is an argument from the less to the greater; if it were not lawful to take a garment sprinkled with the blood, or the pots in which the flesh was dressed, out of the tabernacle, unless the garment were washed, or the pots broken or rinsed, much more were they to beware lest any of the ordinary people should meddle with it. For how shall a mortal man dare to lay a hand upon that holy thing (sanctitati) which could not even cleave to the garment; of a priest without atonement? The sum is that a thing so holy should not be mixed with unhallowed things.

Numbers 5

Numbers 5:8

8. But if the man have no kinsman to recompense the trespass unto, let the trespass be recompensed unto the LORD, even to the priest; beside the ram of the atonement, whereby an atonement shall be made for him.

8. Si non fuerit viro redhibitor cui restituat delictum, delictum restituetur Jehovae, sacerdotis erit, procter arietem expiationum quo expiebit eum.

25. Speak unto Aaron. We everywhere see how carefully God provided that the people should have no doubts about anything. And assuredly true religion is distinguished from false imaginations by this peculiar mark, that God Himself prescribes what is to be done. Nor can certainty, though religion ought to be based upon it, be derived elsewhere than from His own mouth. Now, because there was a difference between burnt-offerings and sin-offerings, it would have been natural to kill them separately in different, places, unless the error had been anticipated; but all doubt, is removed when God assigns the same place to them both. Whence, too, we gather that one law suffices for the proper worship of God, if men are not wise in their own conceits, but depend on His mouth. For how came it to pass that, whilst these two kinds of oblations differed from each other, the rule respecting them was the same on this point, except because it so pleased God? This passage, therefore, sufficiently reminds us with how great sober-mindedness and modesty it becomes us to follow what is pointed out to us in God’s word. A reason, however, is at the same time added, which may invite reverence to be paid to the sin-offerings, when especial sanctity is attributed to them, which, according to the idiom of the Hebrew language, is called “holiness of holinesses.” Moreover, Moses begins to distinguish between חטאה, chateah, A. V., “The sin-offering and the trespass-offering.” Michaelis has affirmed that the former was a sacrifice for sins of commission, and the latter for sins of omission: but the Hebrew lexicographer, J. Simons, has observed that this distinction is by no means compatible with the text in all instances. Professor James Robertson, “Clavis Pentat.,” in a note on Leviticus 4:3, gives other opinions about the distinction, but expresses himself as most approving of that which supposes the first to be an offering for offenses against the First Table of the Decalogue: the second for those against the Second Table. — W. and אשם, asham, which the Latins translate peccatum, and delictum, though he had before used them indifferently to express the same thing. What the difference was, I confess, I know not; I see the guesses of others, but nothing certain.

30. And no sin-offering. The exception is repeated both with reference to the sacrifices mentioned in the fourth chapter, and also to the solemn sacrifice, whereby the priest and the people were reconciled every year: for private persons individually atoned for their sins at less expense, and only the greater altar, which stood in the court, was sprinkled with blood; but if the priest reconciled God to the whole people, or to himself, in order that the intercession might be more efficacious, he entered the sanctuary to pour out blood on the opposite side of the veil. God now again commands that such victims should be entirely burnt. This passage, then, is nothing but a confirmation of the others in which a like command is given. Hence the Apostle, in an apt allusion, infers that the distinction of meats is abolished; for he says that the minor altar, which under the Law was hidden, is now laid open to us, (Hebrews 13:10,) and therefore we no longer eat of the legal sacrifices; yea, forasmuch as our One Priest has brought His blood into the sanctuary, it only remains for us to go forth with Him without the camp.

Leviticus 7

Leviticus 7:1-5

1. Likewise this is the law of the trespass offering: it is most holy.

1. Ista autem est lex hostiae pro delicto: sanctificatio sanctificationum est.

2. In the place where they kill the burnt offering shall they kill the trespass offering: and the blood thereof shall he sprinkle round about upon the altar.

2. Quo in loco mactabunt hostiam holocausti, mactabunt hostiam pro delicto, et sanguinem ejus sparget super altare per circuitum.

3. And he shall offer of it all the fat thereof; the rump, and the fat that covereth the inwards,

3. Totum vero adipem ejus offeret ex ea, caudam, et adipem operientem intestina.

4. And the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them, which is by the flanks, and the caul that is above the liver, with the kidneys, it shall he take away:

4. Duos quoque renes, et adipem qui est super illos qui est prope ilia, et fibram super jecur, cum renibus removebit.

5. And the priest shall burn them upon the altar for an offering made by fire unto the LORD: it is a trespass offering.

5. Adolebitque illa sacerdos super altare oblationem ignitam Jehovae: oblatio pro delicto est.

CHAPTER 6

Le 6:1-7. Trespass Offering for Sins Done Wittingly.

2-7. If a soul sin, and commit a trespass against the Lord--This law, the record of which should have been joined with the previous chapter, was given concerning things stolen, fraudulently gotten, or wrongfully kept. The offender was enjoined to make restitution of the articles to the rightful owner, along with a fifth part out of his own possessions. But it was not enough thus to repair the injury done to a neighbor and to society; he was required to bring a trespass offering, as a token of sorrow and penitence for having hurt the cause of religion and of God. That trespass offering was a ram without blemish, which was to be made on the altar of burnt offerings, and the flesh belonged to the priests. This penalty was equivalent to a mitigated fine; but being associated with a sacred duty, the form in which the fine was inflicted served the important purpose of rousing attention to the claims and reviving a sense of responsibility to God.

Le 6:8-13. The Law of the Burnt Offering.

9. Command Aaron and his sons, saying, This ... law of the burnt offering--In this passage Moses received instructions to be delivered to the priests respecting their official duties, and first the burnt offering--Hebrew, "a sacrifice, which went up in smoke." The daily service consisted of two lambs, one offered in the morning at sunrise, the other in the evening, when the day began to decline. Both of them were consumed on the altar by means of a slow fire, before which the pieces of the sacrifice were so placed that they fed it all night. At all events, the observance of this daily sacrifice on the altar of burnt offering was a daily expression of national repentance and faith. The fire that consumed these sacrifices had been kindled from heaven at the consecration of the tabernacle [Le 9:24], and to keep it from being extinguished and the sacrifices from being burned with common fire, strict injunctions are here given respecting not only the removal of the ashes [Le 6:10, 11], but the approaching near to the fireplace in garments that were not officially "holy."

Le 6:14-18. The Law of the Meat Offering.

14-18. this is the law of the meat offering--Though this was a provision for the priests and their families, it was to be regarded as "most holy"; and the way in which it was prepared was: on any meat offerings being presented, the priest carried them to the altar, and taking a handful from each of them as an oblation, he salted and burnt it on the altar; the residue became the property of the priests, and was the food of those whose duty it was to attend on the service. They themselves as well as the vessels from which they ate were typically holy, and they were not at liberty to partake of the meat offering while they labored under any ceremonial defilement.

Le 6:19-23. The High Priest's Meat Offering.

20. This is the offering of Aaron, and of his sons--the daily meat offering of the high priest; for though his sons are mentioned along with him, it was probably only those of his descendants who succeeded him in that high office that are meant. It was to be offered, one half of it in the morning and the other half in the evening--being daily laid by the ministering priest on the altar of burnt offering, where, being dedicated to God, it was wholly consumed. This was designed to keep him and the other attendant priests in constant remembrance, that though they were typically expiating the sins of the people, their own persons and services could meet with acceptance only through faith, which required to be daily nourished and strengthened from above.

Le 6:21-30. The Law of the Sin Offering.

25-28. This is the law of the sin offering--It was slain, and the fat and inwards, after being washed and salted, were burnt upon the altar. But the rest of the carcass belonged to the officiating priest. He and his family might feast upon it--only, however, within the precincts of the tabernacle; and none else were allowed to partake of it but the members of a priestly family--and not even they, if under any ceremonial defilement. The flesh on all occasions was boiled or sodden, with the exception of the paschal lamb, which was roasted [Ex 12:8, 9]; and if an earthen vessel had been used, it being porous and likely to imbibe some of the liquid particles, it was to be broken; if a metallic pan had been used it was to be scoured and washed with the greatest care, not because the vessels had been defiled, but the reverse--because the flesh of the sin offering having been boiled in them, those vessels were now too sacred for ordinary use. The design of all these minute ceremonies was to impress the minds, both of priests and people, with a sense of the evil nature of sin and the care they should take to prevent the least taint of its impurities clinging to them.

Lie unto his neighbor, etc. - This must refer to a case in which a person delivered his property to his neighbor to be preserved for him, and took no witness to attest the delivery of the goods; such a person therefore might deny that he had ever received such goods, for he who had deposited them with him could bring no proof of the delivery. On the other hand, a man might accuse his neighbor of detaining property which had never been confided to him, or, after having been confided, had been restored again; hence the law here is very cautious on these points: and because in many cases it was impossible to come at the whole truth without a direct revelation from God, which should in no common case be expected, the penalties are very moderate; for in such cases, even when guilt was discovered, the man might not be so criminal as appearances might intimate. See the law concerning this laid down and explained on Exo 22:7 (note), etc.

Have found that which was lost - The Roman lawyers laid it down as a sound maxim of jurisprudence, "that he who found any property and applied it to his own use, should be considered as a thief whether he knew the owner or not; for in their view the crime was not lessened, supposing the finder was totally ignorant of the right owner." Qui alienum quid jacens lucri faciendi causa sustulit, furti obstringitur, sive scit, cujus sit, sive ignoravit; nihil enim ad furtum minuendum, facit, quod, cujus sit, ignoret - Digestor, lib. xlvii., Tit. ii., de furtis, Leg. xliii., sec. 4. On this subject every honest man must say, that the man who finds any lost property, and does not make all due inquiry to find out the owner, should, in sound policy, be treated as a thief. It is said of the Dyrbaeans, a people who inhabited the tract between Bactria and India, that if they met with any lost property, even on the public road, they never even touched it. This was actually the case in this kingdom in the time of Alfred the Great, about a. d. 888; so that golden bracelets hung up on the public roads were untouched by the finger of rapine. One of Solon's laws was, Take not up what you laid not down. How easy to act by this principle in case of finding lost property: "This is not mine, and it would be criminal to convert it to my use unless the owner be dead and his family extinct." When all due inquiry is made, if no owner can be found, the lost property may be legally considered to be the property of the finder.

All that about which he hath sworn falsely - This supposes the case of a man who, being convicted by his own conscience, comes forward and confesses his sin.

Restore it in the principal - The property itself if still remaining, or the full value of it, to which a fifth part more was to be added.

With thy estimation - See Clarke's note on Lev 5:15.

And the Lord spake unto Moses - At this verse the Jews begin the 25th section of the law; and here, undoubtedly, the 6th chapter should commence, as the writer enters upon a new subject, and the preceding verses belong to the fifth chapter. The best edited Hebrew Bibles begin the 6th chapter at this verse.

This is the law of the burnt-offering - This law properly refers to that burnt-offering which was daily made in what was termed the morning and evening sacrifice; and as he had explained the nature of this burnt-offering in general, with its necessary ceremonies, as far as the persons who brought them were concerned, he now takes up the same in relation to the priests who were to receive them from the hands of the offerer, and present them to the Lord on the altar of burnt-offerings.

Because of the burning upon the altar all night - If the burnt-offering were put all upon the fire at once, it could not be burning all night. We may therefore reasonably conclude that the priests sat up by turns the whole night, and fed the fire with portions of this offering till the whole was consumed, which they would take care to lengthen out till the time of the morning sacrifice. The same we may suppose was done with the morning sacrifice; it was also consumed by piecemeal through the whole day, till the time of offering the evening sacrifice. Thus there was a continual offering by fire unto the Lord; and hence in Lev 6:13 it is said: The fire shall ever be burning upon the altar, it shall never go out. If at any time any extraordinary offerings were to be made, the daily sacrifice was consumed more speedily, in order to make room for such extra offerings. See more on this subject in Clarke's note on Lev 6:23 (note). The Hebrew doctors teach that no sacrifice was ever offered in the morning before the morning sacrifice; and none, the passover excepted, ever offered in the evening after the evening sacrifice; for all sacrifices were made by day-light. The fat seems to have been chiefly burned in the night season, for the greater light and convenience of keeping the fire alive, which could not be so easily done in the night as in the day time.

And put on other garments - The priests approached the altar in their holiest garments; when carrying the ashes, etc., from the altar, they put on other garments, the holy garments being only used in the holy place.

Clean place - A place where no dead carcasses, dung, or filth of any kind was laid; for the ashes were holy, as being the remains of the offerings made by fire unto the Lord.

The fire shall ever be burning - See on Lev 6:9 (note) and Lev 6:20 (note). In imitation of this perpetual fire, the ancient Persian Magi, and their descendants the Parses, kept up a perpetual fire; the latter continue it to the present day. This is strictly enjoined in the Zend Avesta, which is a code of laws as sacred among them as the Pentateuch is among the Jews. A Sagnika Brahmin preserves the fire that was kindled at his investiture with the poita, and never suffers it to go out, using the same fire at his wedding and in all his burnt-offerings, till at length his body is burnt with it - Ward's Customs.

The meat-offering - See Clarke on Lev 2:1 (note), etc.

His handful of the flour - An omer of flour, which was the tenth part of an ephah, and equal to about three quarts of our measure, was the least quantity that could be offered even by the poorest sort, and this was generally accompanied with a log of oil, which was a little more than half a pint. This quantity both of flour and oil might be increased at pleasure, but no less could be offered.

In the day when he is anointed - Not only in that day, but from that day forward, for this was to them and their successors a statute for ever. See Lev 6:22.

For every meat-offering for the priest shall be wholly burnt - Whatever the priest offered was wholly the Lord's, and therefore must be entirely consumed: the sacrifices of the common people were offered to the Lord, but the priests partook of them; and thus they who ministered at the altar were fed by the altar. Had the priests been permitted to live on their own offerings as they did on those of the people, it would have been as if they had offered nothing, as they would have taken again to themselves what they appeared to give unto the Lord. Theodoret says that this marked "the high perfection which God required in the ministers of his sanctuary," as his not eating of his own sin-offering supposes him to stand free from all sin; but a better reason is given by Mr. Ainsworth: "The people's meat-offering was eaten by the priests that made atonement for them, Lev 6:15, Lev 6:16, Lev 7:7; but because no priest, being a sinner, could make atonement for himself, therefore his meat-offering might not be eaten, but all burnt on the altar, to teach him to expect salvation, not by his legal service or works, but by Christ; for the eating of the sin-offering figured the bearing of the sinner's iniquity;" Lev 10:17.

In the place where the burnt-offering is killed, etc. - The place here referred to was the north side of the altar. See Lev 1:11.

The priest - shall eat it - From the expostulation of Moses with Aaron, Lev 10:17, we learn that the priest, by eating the sin-offering of the people, was considered as bearing their sin, and typically removing it from them: and besides, this was a part of their maintenance, or what the Scripture calls their inheritance; see Eze 44:27-30. This was afterwards greatly abused; for improper persons endeavored to get into the priest's office merely that they might get a secular provision, which is a horrible profanity in the sight of God. See 1Sam 2:36; Jer 23:12; Eze 34:2-4; and Hos 4:8.

Whatsoever shall touch the flesh thereof shall be holy - The following note of Mr. Ainsworth is not less judicious than it is pious: - "All this rite was peculiar to the sin-offering, (whether it were that which was to be eaten, or that which was to be burnt), above all the other most holy things. As the sin-offering in special sort figured Christ, who was made sin for us, (2Cor 5:21), so this ordinance for all that touched the flesh of the sin-offering to be holy, the garments sprinkled with the blood to be washed, the vessels wherein the flesh was boiled to be broken, or scoured and rinsed - taught a holy use of this mystery of our redemption, whereof they that are made partakers ought to be washed, cleansed, and sanctified by the Spirit of God; that we possess our vessels in holiness and honor, and yield not our members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin," 1Thes 4:4; Rom 6:13.

The earthen vessel - shall be broken - Calmet states that this should be considered as implying the vessels brought by individuals to the court of the temple or tabernacle, and not of the vessels that belonged to the priests for the ordinary service. That the people dressed their sacrifices sometimes in the court of the tabernacle, he gathers from 1Sam 2:13, 1Sam 2:14, to which the reader is desired to refer. In addition to what has been already said on the different subjects in this chapter, it may be necessary to notice a few more particulars. The perpetual meat-offering, מנחה תמיד minchah tamid, Lev 6:20, the perpetual fire, אש תמיד esh tamid, Lev 6:13, and the perpetual burnt-offering, עלת תמיד olath tamid, Exo 29:42, translated by the Septuagint θυσια διαπαντος, πυο διαπαντος, and ὁλοκαυτωσις and ὁλοκαυτωμα διαπαντος, all cast much light on Heb 7:25, where it is said, Christ is able to save them to the uttermost (εις το παντελες, perpetually, to all intents and purposes) that come unto God by him; seeing he ever liveth (παντοτε ζων, he is perpetually living) to make intercession for them; in which words there is a manifest allusion to the perpetual minchah, the perpetual fire, and the perpetual burnt-offering, mentioned here by Moses. As the minchah, or gratitude-offering should be perpetual, so our gratitude for the innumerable mercies of God should be perpetual. As the burnt-offering must be perpetual, so should the sacrifice of our blessed Lord be considered as a perpetual offering, that all men, in all ages, should come unto God through him who is ever living, in his sacrificial character, to make intercession for men; and who is therefore represented even in the heavens as the Lamb just slain, standing before the throne, Rev 5:6; Heb 10:19-22. And as the fire on the altar must be perpetual, so should the influences of the Holy Spirit in every member of the Church, and the flame of pure devotion in the hearts of believers, be ever energetic and permanent. A continual sacrifice for continual successive generations of sinners was essentially necessary. Continual influences of the Holy Spirit on the souls of men were essentially necessary to apply and render effectual this atonement, to the salvation of the soul. And incessant gratitude for the ineffable love of God, manifested by his unspeakable gift, is surely required of all those who have tasted that the Lord is gracious. Reader, dost thou feel thy obligations to thy Maker? Does the perpetual fire burn on the altar of thy heart? Art thou ever looking unto Jesus, and beholding, by faith, the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world? And dost thou feel the influences of his Spirit, at all times witnessing with thy spirit that thou art his child, and exciting thee to acts of gratitude and obedience? If not, of what benefit has the religion of Christ been to thee to the present day? Of a contrary state to that referred to above, it may be well said, This is not the way to heaven, for the way of life is above to the wise, that they may depart from the snares of death beneath. Arise, therefore, and shake thyself from the dust; and earnestly call upon the Lord thy God, that he may save thy soul, and that thou fall not into the bitter pains of an eternal death.

If a soul sin - This sin, though directly committed against man, is emphatically said to be done against the Lord, not only in general, for so every sin against man is also against the Lord, but in a special sense, because this was a violation of human society, whereof God is the author, and president, and defender: and because it was a secret sin, of which God alone was the witness and judge: and because God's name was abused in it by perjury. To keep - In trust. Or in fellowship - Heb. Or in putting of the hand: that is, commerce or fellowship in trading, which is very usual when one man puts any thing into another's hand, not to keep it, but to improve it for the common benefit of them both, in which cases of partnership it is easy for one to deceive the other, and therefore provision is made against it. And this is called a putting of the hand, because such agreements used to be confirmed by giving or joining their hands together. By violence - Secretly; for he seems to speak here of such sins as could not be proved by witness. Or hath deceived - Got any thing from him by calumny, or fraud, or circumvention; so the word signifies.

Swear falsely - His oath being required, seeing there was no other way of discovery left.

Is guilty - This guilt being manifested by his voluntary confession upon remorse, whereby he reapeth this benefit, that he only restores the principal with the addition of a fifth part; whereas if he were convicted of his fault, he was to pay double, Exo 22:9.

In the day - It must not be delayed, but restitution to man must accompany repentance towards God. Wherever wrong has been done, restitution must be made, and till it is made to the utmost of our power we cannot look for forgiveness; for the keeping of what is unjustly got, avows the taking: And both together make but one continued act of unrighteousness.

And the Lord spake - Hitherto he hath prescribed the sacrifices themselves; now he comes to the manner of them. The burnt - offering - The daily one, which Exo 29:38, Num 28:3, as the following words shew. This was to be so managed and laid on piece after piece, that the fire might be constantly maintained by it. The morning burnt - offerings were to be kept burning all the day from morning to night also; but he mentions not that, because there was such a constant succession of sacrifices in the day - time that there needed no law for feeding and keeping in the fire then; the only danger was for the night, when other sacrifices were not offered, but only the evening burnt - offering, which if it had been consumed quickly, as the morning burnt - offering was, there had been danger of the going out of that fire, which they were commanded diligently and constantly to keep in.

The ashes which the fire hath consumed - That is, the wood consumed into ashes.

Other garments - Because this was no sacred, but a common work. A clean place - Where no dung or filth was laid. The priest himself was to do all this. God's servants must think nothing below them but sin.

It shall not be put out - The fire coming down from heaven, was to be perpetually preserved, and not suffered to go out, partly that there might be no occasion or temptation to offer strange fire; and partly to teach them whence they were to expect the acceptance of all their sacrifices, even from the divine mercy, signified by the fire that came down from heaven which was an usual token of God's favourable acceptance. Every morning - Though the evening also be doubtless intended, yet the morning is only mentioned, because then the altar was cleansed, and the ashes taken away, and a new fire made. Thereon - Upon the burnt - offering, which thereby would be sooner consumed, that the way might be made for other sacrifices.

Thus should we keep the fire of holy love ever burning in our hearts.

Of the meal - offering - Of that which was offered alone, and that by any of the people, not by the priest, for then it must have been all burnt. This law before delivered, is here repeated for the sake of some additions made to it.

His sons - The males only might eat these, because they were most holy things; whereas the daughters of Aaron might eat other holy things. In the court - In some special room appointed for that purpose. The reason why this was to be eaten only by holy persons, and that in an holy place, is given Lev 6:17, because it is most holy.

It - That part which remains to the priest; for the part offered to God seems not to have been baked at all.

Every one - That is, none should touch, or eat them, but consecrated persons, priests, or their sons.

When he is anointed - For high - priest for he only of all the priests was to be anointed in future ages. This law of his consecration was delivered before, and is here repeated because of some additions made to it. Perpetual - Whensoever any of them shall be so anointed. At night - Or, in the evening; the one to be annexed to the morning - sacrifice, the other to the evening - sacrifice, over and besides that meal - offering which every day was to be added to the daily morning and evening sacrifices.

Thou - Who art so anointed and consecrated.

It shall not be eaten - No part of it shall be eaten by the priest, as it was when the offering was for the people. The reason of the difference is, partly because when he offered it for the people, he was to have some recompence for his pains; partly to signify the imperfection of the Levitical priest, who could not bear their own iniquity; for the priest's eating part of the people's sacrifices did signify his typical bearing of the people's iniquity; and partly to teach the priests and ministers of God, that it is their duty to serve God with singleness of heart, and to be content with God's honour though they have no present advantage by it.

For sin - For the sins of the rulers, or of the people, or any of them, but not for the sins of the priests; for then its blood was brought into the tabernacle, and therefore it might not be eaten.

Upon any garment - Upon the priest's garment; for it was he only that sprinkled it, and in so doing he might easily sprinkle his garments. In the holy place - Partly out of reverence to the blood of sacrifices, which hereby was kept from a profane or common touch; and partly that such garments might be decent, and fit for sacred administrations.

Broken - Because being full of pores, the liquor in which it was sodden might easily sink into it, whereby it was ceremonially holy, and therefore was broken, lest afterwards it should be abused to common uses. Rinsed - And not broken, as being of considerable value, which therefore God would not have unnecessarily wasted. And this being of a more solid substance than an earthen vessel, was not so apt to drink in the moisture.

2 If a soul sin and commit a trespass against the LORD , and lie unto his neighbour in that which was delivered him to keep , or in fellowship , or in a thing taken away by violence , or hath deceived his neighbour :

This sin, though directly committed against man onely, is here emphatically said to be done against the lord, not onely in general, for so every sin against man is also against the Lord, whose image in man is thereby injured, and whose law, which obligeth us to love and fidelity and justice to other men, is thereby violated; but in a more special sence, because this was a violation of humane society, whereof God is the author and president and defender; See Numb. 5. 6. and because it was a secret sin, of which God alone was the witness and judge; see Act. 5. 4. and because Gods name was abused in it by perjury, ver. 3.

To wit, in trust,

Heb. or in putting of the hand. Which may be either 1. another expression of the same thing immediately going before, which is very frequent in Scripture; and so the sence is, when one man puts any thing into another mans hand to keep for him, and, when he requires it, to restore it to him. Or 2. a distinct branch, which seems more probable, and so it belongs to commerce or fellowship in trading, which is very usual, when one man puts any thing into anothers hand not to keep it, as in the foregoing word or member, but to use and improve it for the common benefit of them both in which cases of partnership it is [illegible: 1+ letters]e for one to deceive the other, and therefore provision is here made against it. And this is called a putting of the hand, because such agreements and associations used to be confirmed by giving or joyning their hands together, Ier. 50. 15. Gal. 2. 9. Compare Exod. 23. 1.

To wit, secretly; for he seems to speak here of such sins as could not be proved by witness.

Get any thing from him by calumny or fraud, or circumvention; for so the word signifies.

Marginal references: Or, in [illegible: 1 word] ▪; Heb. putti[illegible: 1+ letters] of the hand.

3 Or have found that which was lost, and lieth concerning it, and sweareth falsly : in any of all these that a man doeth, sinning therein:

His oath being required, seeing there was no other way of discovery left.

Marginal references: Numb. 5. 6.

4 Then it shall be, because he hath sinned, and is guilty , that he shall restore that which he took violently away, or the thing which he hath deceitfully gotten, or that which was delivered him to keep, or the lost thing which he found:

This guilt of his being manifested either by his refusing to swear when called to it, as in some of the cases alledged: or by his voluntary confession upon remorse, whereby he reapeth this benefit, that he onely restores the principal with the addition of a fifth part, whereas if he were convicted of his fault, he was to pay double, Exod. 22. 9.

5 Or all that about which he hath sworn falsly: he shall even restore it in the principal, and shall add the fifth part more thereto, and give it unto him to whom it appertaineth, in the day of his trespass-offering .

It must not be delaved, but restitution to man must accompany repentance towards God. Compare Mat. 5. 23.

Marginal references: chap. 5. 16.; Or, in the day [illegible: 1 word] [illegible: 1+ letters]ing sound [illegible: 1 word] ▪; [illegible: 1 span] ▪

9 Command Aaron and his sons , saying, This is the Law of the burnt-offering : (it is the burnt-offering, because of the burning upon the altar all night, unto the morning , and the fire of the altar shall be burning in it.)

Hitherto he hath prescribed the sacrifices themselves, now he comes to the manner of them

To wit, of the daily one, of which Exod▪ 29. 38. Numb. 28. 3. as the following words shew.

The meaning is the evening-burnt-offering was to be so managed and laid on piece after piece that the fire might be constantly maintained by it. It is to be understood, that the offerings were to be kept burning all the day from morning to night also but he mentions not that, because there was so great a [illegible: 1 word] and such a constant succession of sacrifices in the day time that there needed [illegible: 1 word] Law for seeding and keeping in the fire then, the onely danger was for the night, when other sacrifices were not [illegible: 1+ letters]red, but onely the evening-burnt-offering, which if it had been consumed quickly, as the morning burnt-offering was, there had been danger of the going out of that fire, which they were commanded diligently and constantly to keep in and maintain, here below, ver. 13.

Marginal references: Or, for the [illegible: 1+ letters]ing.

10 And the Priest shall put on his linen garment , and his linen breeches shall he put upon his flesh, and take up the ashes which the fire hath consumed with the burnt-offering on the altar, and he shall put them besides the altar.

(i. e.) His li[illegible: 1+ letters]n co[illegible: 1+ letters]: O[illegible: 1+ letters] which see Exod. 28. 39, 40.

The ashes are said to be consumed improperly, when the wood is confumed into ashes, as [illegible: 1 word] is said to be ground, Esa. 47. 2. when the [illegible: 1 word] is ground into m[illegible: 1+ letters]l; and the naked to be stripped of their [illegible: 1 word], Io[illegible: 1+ letters] 22. 6. when by being stripped they are made naked.

11 And he shall put off his garments, and put on other garments , and carry forth the ashes without the camp, unto a clean place .

Because this was no sacred, but a common work.

Where no dung or filth was [illegible: 1+ letters]aid, See Levit. 4. 12. and compare Levit. 14. 40, 41.

12 And the fire upon the altar shall be burning in it: it shall not be put out ; and the priest shall burn wood on it every morning , and lay the burnt-offering in order upon it, and he shall burn thereon the fat of the peace-offerings.

The fire coming down from Heaven, Levit. [illegible: 1+ letters]. 24. was to be perpetually preserved, and not suffered to go out, [illegible: 1+ letters]artly that there might be no occasion nor temptation to offer strange fire, nor to mingle their inventions with Gods appointments; and partly to teach them whence they were to expect the acceptance of all their sacrifices, even from the divine mercy and grace, signified by the fire which came down from Heaven which was an usual token of Gods favourable acceptance. See the notes on Gen. 4▪ 4, 5.

Though the evening also be doubtless intended as it appears from [illegible: 1+ letters]. 9 and from the nature of the thing, yet the morning onely is mentioned, because then the altar was cleansed and the ashes taken away, and a new fire made.

(i. e.) Upon the burnt-offering, which thereby would be sooner consumed, that so way might be made for other sacrifices, which were many.

Marginal references: chap. 3. [illegible: 1 word] 14.

14 And this is the law of the meat offering : the sons of Aaron shall offer it before the LORD, before the altar.

To wit, of that which was offered alone, and that by any of the people not by the Priest for then it must have been all burnt. This law delivered, Levit. 2. is here repeated for the sake of some additions here made to it as it is a common practise of Law makers▪ when they make additional Laws to recite such laws to which such additions belong.

Marginal references: chap. 2. [illegible: 1+ letters]. Numb. 1[illegible: 1+ letters]. [illegible: 1+ letters].

16 And the remainder thereof shall Aaron and his sons eat: with unleavened bread shall it be eaten in the holy place: in the court of the tabernacle of the congregation they shall eat it.

The males onely might eat these because they were most holy things, whereas the daughters of Aaron might eat other holy things, Numb. 18. 11.

Or rather, [illegible: 1 word], for with is not in the Hebrew, and it disturbs the sense: For since the meat-offering it self was fine flour, Levit. 2. 1. It is not likely that they eat it with [illegible: 1 word] bread.

In some special room appointed for that purpose. See Levit. 8. 31. 1 Sam 3. 3. Ezek. 42. 13. and 46. 19, 24▪ The reason why this was to be eaten onely by holy persons [illegible: 1+ letters]nd that in an holy place is given ver 17. because it is most holy, and therefore to be treated with greater reverence.

Marginal references: chap. 2. 3.; Heb. It shall be eaten unleavened, chap. 10. 12.; chap. 10. 12.

17 It shall not be baken with leaven: I have given it unto them for their portion of my offerings made by fire: it is most holy, as is the sin-offering, and as the trespass-offering.

That part which remains to the Priest: for the part here offered to God seems not to have been bake at all.

Marginal references: Num. 18. 9, 1[illegible: 1+ letters].; chap. 2. 3.

18 All the males among the children of Aaron shall eat of it: it shall be a statute for ever in your generations, concerning the offerings of the LORD made by fire: every one that toucheth them shall be holy .

It may be understood either 1. Of persons that none should touch, or eat them but consecrated persons, to wit, Priests. Or this may be an additional caution, that they w[illegible: 1+ letters]o eat them should be not onely Priests or their made-children, but also [illegible: 1 word], i. e. having no uncleanness upon them, [illegible: 1 word] in that case even the Priests themselves might not touch them Or [illegible: 1 word] 2. O[illegible: 1+ letters] things, as may be gathered by compari[illegible: 1+ letters] [illegible: 1 word] with ver. 2[illegible: 1+ letters]. 28. Whatsoever toucheth them, as [illegible: 1 word] the [illegible: 1 word] that receives them, the knife, or spoon, &c. which is used about them, those shall be taken for holy, and not employed [illegible: 1+ letters]or common uses. See Exod. 29. 37.

Marginal references: chap. 22. 4, 5, 6.

20 This is the offering of Aaron, and of his sons, which they shall offer unto the LORD, in the day when he is anointed : the tenth part of an Ephah of fine flour for a meat-offering perpetual , half of it in the morning, and half thereof at night .

When any of them are anointed for High-Priest, for he onely of all the Priests was to be anointed in future ages. This Law of his consecration was delivered before Exod. 29. 2, 24, 25. and is here repeared because of some additions made to it.

To wit, whensoever any of them shall be so anointed.

Or, In the evening: the one to be annexed to the morning sacrifice, the other to the evening sacrifice, over and besides that meatoffering which every day was to be added to the daily morning and evening sacrifices▪ Exod. 29. 40.

Marginal references: Exod. 16. 36▪

21 In a pan it shall be made with oyl, and when it is baken , thou shalt bring it in: and the baken pieces of the meat-offering shalt thou offer for a sweet savour unto the LORD.

Or, Fryed▪ so that it swells and bubbles up.

Who art so anointed and consecrated, verse 22.

23 For every meat-offering for the priest shall be wholly burnt: it shall not be eaten .

No part of it shall be eaten by the Priest, as it was when the offering was for the people. The reason of the difference is, partly because when he offered it for the people, he was to have some recompence for his pains, which he could not expect when he offered it for himself; partly to signifie the imperfection of the Levitical Priests, who could not bear their own iniquity; for the Priests eating part of the peoples sacrifices did signifie his typical bearing of the peoples iniquity, as appears from Levit. 10. 17. and partly to teach the Priests and Ministers of God, that it is their duty to serve God with singleness of heart, and to be content with Gods honour, though they have no present advantage by it.

26 The priest that offereth it for sin , shall eat it: in the holy place shall it be eaten, in the court of the tabernacle of the congregation.

For the sins of the rulers, or of the people, or any of them, but not for the sins of the Priests; for then its blood was brought into the Tabernacle, and therefore it might not be eaten.

Marginal references: chap. 21. 22.

27 Whatsoever shall touch the flesh thereof, shall be holy: and when there is sprinkled of the blood thereof upon any garment ▪ thou shalt wash that whereon it was sprinkled in the holy place .

Of which see the note on verse 18.

Upon the Priests garment, for it was he onely that sprinkled it, and in so doing he might easily sprinkle his garments.

Partly out of reverence to the blood of sacrifices, which hereby was kept from a prophane or common touch: and partly that such garments might be decent and fit for sacred administrations.

Marginal references: Or, whosoever. ver. 18.

28 But the earthen vessel wherein it is sodden, shall be broken : and if it be sodden in a brazen pot, it shall be both scoured, and rinsed in water .

Because being full of pores, the liquor in which it was sodden might castly sink into it▪ whereby it was ceremonially holy and therefore was broken▪ least afterwards it should be abused to prophane or common uses.

And not broken▪ as being of considerable value which therefore God would not have unnecessarily wasted. And this being of a more solid substance than an earthen vessel was not so apt to drink in the humour.

Marginal references: chap. 11. 33.

30 And no sin-offering whereof any of the blood is brought into the tabernacle of the congregation to reconcile withal in the holy place shall be eaten, it shall be burnt in the fire.

Such were the sacrifices offered for the High-priest, or for the whole assembly, either severally, Levit. 4. 7, 18. or jointly for both in the yearly atonement, Levit. 16. 27, 33.

Marginal references: Heb. 13. 1[illegible: 1+ letters].

2. Special Instructions Concerning the Sacrifices for the Priests - Leviticus 6-7

The instructions contained in these two chapters were made known to “Aaron and his sons” (Lev 6:9, Lev 6:20, Lev 6:25), i.e., to the priests, and relate to the duties and rights which devolved upon, and pertained to, the priests in relation to the sacrifices. Although many of the instructions are necessarily repeated from the general regulations, as to the different kinds of sacrifice and the mode of presenting them; most of them are new, and of great importance in relation to the institution of sacrifice generally.

Lev 6:1-7 (Hebrew_Bible_5:14-6:7)In the original the division of verses in the Hebrew text is followed; but we have thought it better to keep to the arrangement adopted in our English version. - Tr.

Lev 6:8

(Hebrew_Bible_vv_1-6). The Law of the Burnt-Offering commences the series, and special reference is made to the daily burnt-offering (Exo 29:38-42).

“It, the burnt-offering, shall (burn) upon the hearth upon the altar the whole night till the morning, and the fire of the altar be kept burning with it.” The verb תּוּקד is wanting in the first clause, and only introduced in the second; but it belongs to the first clause as well. The pronoun הוא at the opening of the sentence cannot stand for the verb to be in the imperative. The passages, which Knobel adduces in support of this, are of a totally different kind. The instructions apply primarily to the burnt-offering, which was offered every evening, and furnished the basis for all the burnt-offerings (Exo 29:38-39; Num 33:3-4).

Lev 6:10-11

In the morning of every day the priest was to put on his linen dress (see Exo 28:42) and the white drawers, and lift off, i.e., clear away, the ashes to which the fire had consumed the burnt-offering upon the altar (אכל is construed with a double accusative, to consume the sacrifice to ashes), and pour them down beside the altar (see Lev 1:16). The ו in מדּו is not to be regarded as the old form of the connecting vowel, as in Gen 1:24 (Ewald, §211 b; see Ges. §90, 3 b), but as the suffix, as in 2Sa 20:8, although the use of the suffix with the governing noun in the construct state can only be found in other cases in the poetical writings (cf. Ges. §121 b; Ewald, 291 b). He was then to take off his official dress, and having put on other (ordinary) clothes, to take away the ashes from the court, and carry them out of the camp to a clean place. The priest was only allowed to approach the altar in his official dress; but he could not go out of the camp with this.

Lev 6:12

The fire of the altar was also to be kept burning “with it” (בּו, viz., the burnt-offering) the whole day through without going out. For this purpose the priest was to burn wood upon it (the altar-fire), and lay the burnt-offering in order upon it, and cause the fat portions of the peace-offerings to ascend in smoke, - that is to say, whenever peace-offerings were brought, for they were not prescribed for every day.

Lev 6:13

Fire was to be kept constantly burning upon the altar without going out, not in order that the heavenly fire, which proceeded from Jehovah when Aaron and his sons first entered upon the service of the altar after their consecration, and consumed the burnt-offerings and peace-offerings, might never be extinguished (see at Lev 9:24); but that the burnt-offering might never go out, because this was the divinely appointed symbol and visible sign of the uninterrupted worship of Jehovah, which the covenant nation could never suspend either day or night, without being unfaithful to its calling. For the same reason other nations also kept perpetual fire burning upon the altars of their principal gods. (For proofs, see Rosenmüller and Knobel ad h. l.)

Lev 6:14-18

The Law of the Meat-Offering. - The regulations in Lev 6:14, Lev 6:15, are merely a repetition of Lev 2:2 and Lev 2:3; but in Lev 6:16-18 the new instructions are introduced with regard to what was left and had not been burned upon the altar. The priests were to eat this as unleavened, i.e., to bake it without leaven, and to eat it in a holy place, viz., in the court of the tabernacle. תּאכל מצות in Lev 6:16 is explained by “it shall not be baken with leaven” in Lev 6:17. It was the priests’ share of the firings of Jehovah (see Lev 1:9), and as such it was most holy (see Lev 2:3), like the sin-offering and trespass-offering (Lev 6:25, Lev 6:26; Lev 7:6), and only to be eaten by the male members of the families of the priests. This was to be maintained as a statute for ever (see at Lev 3:17). Every one that touches them (the most holy offerings) becomes holy.” יקדּשׁ does not mean he shall be holy, or shall sanctify himself (lxx, Vulg., Luth., a Lap., etc.), nor he is consecrated to the sanctuary and is to perform service there (Theodor., Knobel, and others). In this provision, which was equally applicable to the sin-offering (Lev 6:27), to the altar of the burnt-offering (Exo 29:37), and to the most holy vessels of the tabernacle (Exo 30:29), the word is not to be interpreted by Num 17:2-3, or Deu 22:9, or by the expression “shall be holy” in Lev 27:10, Lev 27:21, and Num 18:10, but by Isa 65:5, “touch me not, for I am holy.” The idea is this, every layman who touched these most holy things became holy through the contact, so that henceforth he had to guard against defilement in the same manner as the sanctified priests (Lev 21:1-8), though without sharing the priestly rights and prerogatives. This necessarily placed him in a position which would involve many inconveniences in connection with ordinary life.

Lev 6:19-23

The Meat-Offering of the Priests is introduced, as a new law, with a special formula, and is inserted here in its proper place in the sacrificial instructions given for the priests, as it would have been altogether out of place among the general laws for the laity. In “the day of his anointing” (המּשׁח, construed as a passive with the accusative as in Gen 4:18), Aaron and his sons were to offer a corban as “a perpetual meat-offering” (minchah, in the absolute instead of the construct state: cf. Exo 29:42; Num 28:6; see Ges. §116, 6, Note b); and this was to be done in all future time by “the priest who was anointed of his sons in his stead,” that is to say, by every high priest at the time of his consecration. “In the day of his anointing:” when the anointing was finished, the seven were designated as “the day,” like the seven days of creation in Gen 2:4. This minchah was not offered during the seven days of the anointing itself, but after the consecration was finished, i.e., in all probability, as the Jewish tradition assumes, at the beginning of the eighth day, when the high priest entered upon his office, viz., along with the daily morning sacrifices (Exo 29:38-39), and before the offering described in Lev 9. It then continued to be offered, as “a perpetual minchah,” every morning and evening during the whole term of his office, according to the testimony of the book of Wis. Wis.(45:14, where we cannot suppose the daily burnt-offering to be intended) and also of Josephus (Ant. 3:10, 7).Vid., Lundius, jüd. Heiligthümer, B. 3, c 9, §17 and 19; Thalhofer ut supra, p. 139; and Delitzsch on the Epistle to the Hebrews. The text evidently enjoins the offering of this minchah upon Aaron alone; for though Aaron and his sons are mentioned in Lev 6:13, as they were consecrated together, in Lev 6:15 the priest anointed of his sons in Aaron’s stead, i.e., the successor of Aaron in the high-priesthood, is commanded to offer it. Consequently the view maintained by Maimonides, Abarbanel, and others, which did not become general even among the Rabbins, viz., that every ordinary priest was required to offer this meat-offering when entering upon his office, has no solid foundation in the law (see Selden de success. in pontif. ii. c. 9; L' Empereur ad Middoth 1, 4, Not. 8; and Thalhofer, p. 150).

It was to consist of the tenth of an ephah of fine flour, one half of which was to be presented in the morning, the other in the evening; - not as flour, however, but made in a pan with oil, “roasted” and פּתּים מנחת ני תּפי (“broken pieces of a minchah of crumbs”), i.e., in broken pieces, like a minchah composed of crumbs. מרבּכת (Lev 6:14 and 1Ch 23:29) is no doubt synonymous with מרבּכת סלת, and to be understood as denoting fine flour sufficiently burned or roasted in oil; the meaning mixed or mingled does not harmonise with Lev 7:12, where the mixing or kneading with oil is expressed by בּשּׁמן בּלוּלת. The hapax legomenon תּפיני signifies either broken or baked, according as we suppose the word to be derived from the Arabic 'afana diminuit, or, as Gesenius and the Rabbins do, from אפה to bake, a point which can hardly be decided with certainty. This minchah, which was also instituted as a perpetual ordinance, was to be burnt entirely upon the altar, like every meat-offering presented by a priest, because it belonged to the category of the burnt-offerings, and of these meat-offerings the offerer himself had no share (Lev 2:3, Lev 2:10). Origen observes in his homil. iv. in Levit.: In caeteris quidem praeceptis pontifex in offerendis sacrificiis populo praebet officium, in hoc vero mandato quae propria sunt curat et quod ad se spectat exequitur. It is also to be observed that the high priest was to offer only a bloodless minchah for himself, and not a bleeding sacrifice, which would have pointed to expiation. As the sanctified of the Lord, he was to draw near to the Lord every day with a sacrificial gift, which shadowed forth the fruits of sanctification.

Lev 6:24-27

The Law of the Sin-Offering, which is introduced with a new introductory formula on account of the interpolation of Lev 6:19-23, gives more precise instructions, though chiefly with regard to the sin-offerings of the laity, first as to the place of slaughtering, as in Lev 4:24, and then as to the most holy character of the flesh and blood of the sacrifices. The flesh of these sin-offerings was to be eaten by the priest who officiated at a holy place, in the fore-court (see Lev 6:16). Whoever touched it became holy (see at Lev 6:18); and if any one sprinkled any of the blood upon his clothes, whatever the blood was sprinkled upon was to be washed in a holy place, in order that the most holy blood might not be carried out of the sanctuary into common life along with the sprinkled clothes, and thereby be profaned. The words “thou shalt wash” in Lev 6:20 are addressed to the priest.

Lev 6:28

The flesh was equally holy. The vessel, in which it was boiled for the priests to eat, was to be broken in pieces if it were of earthenware, and scoured (מרק Pual) and overflowed with water, i.e., thoroughly rinsed out, if it were of copper, lest any of the most holy flesh should adhere to the vessel, and be desecrated by its being used in the preparation of common food, or for other earthly purposes. It was possible to prevent this desecration in the case of copper vessels by a thorough cleansing; but not so with earthen vessels, which absorb the fat, so that it cannot be removed by washing. The latter therefore were to be broken in pieces, i.e., thoroughly destroyed. On the other hand, earthen vessels that had been defiled were also ordered to be broken to pieces, though for the very opposite reason (see Lev 11:33, Lev 11:35).

Lev 6:29-30

The flesh of the sin-offering was to be eaten after it had been boiled, like the meat-offering (Lev 6:16 and Lev 6:18), by the males among the priests alone. But this only applied to the sin-offerings the laity (Lev 4:22-5:13). The flesh of the sin-offerings for the high priest and the whole congregation (Lev 4:1-21), the blood of which was brought into the tabernacle “to make atonement in the sanctuary,” i.e., that the expiation with the blood might be completed there, was not to be eaten, but to be burned with fire (Lev 4:12, Lev 4:21). - On the signification of this act of eating the flesh of the sin-offering, see at Lev 10:17.

Law of the Trespass-Offering. (b. c. 1490.)

1 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 2 If a soul sin, and commit a trespass against the Lord , and lie unto his neighbour in that which was delivered him to keep, or in fellowship, or in a thing taken away by violence, or hath deceived his neighbour; 3 Or have found that which was lost, and lieth concerning it, and sweareth falsely; in any of all these that a man doeth, sinning therein: 4 Then it shall be, because he hath sinned, and is guilty, that he shall restore that which he took violently away, or the thing which he hath deceitfully gotten, or that which was delivered him to keep, or the lost thing which he found, 5 Or all that about which he hath sworn falsely; he shall even restore it in the principal, and shall add the fifth part more thereto, and give it unto him to whom it appertaineth, in the day of his trespass offering. 6 And he shall bring his trespass offering unto the Lord , a ram without blemish out of the flock, with thy estimation, for a trespass offering, unto the priest: 7 And the priest shall make an atonement for him before the Lord : and it shall be forgiven him for any thing of all that he hath done in trespassing therein.

This is the latter part of the law of the trespass-offering: the former part, which concerned trespasses about holy things, we had in the close of the foregoing chapter; this concerns trespasses in common things. Observe here,

I. The trespass supposed, v. 2, 3. Though all the instances relate to our neighbour, yet it is called a trespass against the Lord, because, though the injury be done immediately to our neighbour, yet an affront is thereby given to his Maker and our Master. He that speaks evil of his brother is said to speak evil of the law, and consequently of the Law-maker, Jam. iv. 11. Though the person injured be ever so mean and despicable, and every way our inferior, yet the injury reflects upon that God who has made the command of loving our neighbour second to that of loving himself. The trespasses specified are, 1. Denying a trust: If a man lie unto his neighbour in that which was delivered him to keep, or, which is worse, which was lent him for his use. If we claim that as our own which is only borrowed, left in our custody, or committed to our care, this is a trespass against the Lord, who, for the benefit of human society, will have property and truth maintained. 2. Defrauding a partner: If a man lie in fellowship, claiming a sole interest in that wherein he has but a joint-interest. 3. Disowning a manifest wrong: If a man has the front to lie in a thing taken away by violence, which ordinarily cannot be hid. 4. Deceiving in commerce, or, as some think, by false accusation; if a man have deceitfully oppressed his neighbour, as some read it, either withholding what is due or extorting what is not. 5. Detaining what is found, and denying it (v. 3); if a man have found that which was lost, he must not call it his own presently, but endeavour to find out the owner, to whom it must be returned; this is doing as we would be done by: but he that lies concerning it, that falsely says he knows nothing of it, especially if he back this lie with a false oath, trespasseth against the Lord, who to every thing that is said is a witness, but in an oath he is the party appealed to, and highly affronted when he is called to witness to a lie.

II. The trespass-offering appointed. 1. In the day of his trespass-offering he must make satisfaction to his brother. This must be first done if thy brother hath aught against thee: Because he hath sinned and is guilty, (v. 4, 5), that is, is convicted of his guilt by his own conscience, and is touched with remorse for it; seeing himself guilty before God, let him faithfully restore all that he has got by fraud or oppression, with a fifth part added, to make amends to the owner for the loss and trouble he had sustained in the mean time; let him account both for debt and damages. Note, Where wrong has been done restitution must be made; and till it is made to the utmost of our power, or an equivalent accepted by the person wronged, we cannot have the comfort of the forgiveness of the sin; for the keeping of what is unjustly got avows the taking, and both together make but one continued act of unrighteousness. To repent is to undo what we have done amiss, which (whatever we pretend) we cannot be said to do till we restore what has been got by it, as Zaccheus (Luke xix. 8), and make satisfaction for the wrong done. 2. He must then come and offer his gift, must bring his trespass-offering to the Lord whom he had offended; and the priest must make an atonement for him, v. 6, 7. This trespass-offering could not, of itself, make satisfaction for sin, nor reconciliation between God and the sinner, but as it signified the atonement that was to be made by our Lord Jesus, when he should make his soul an offering or sin, a trespass-offering; it is the same word that is here used, Isa. liii. 10. The trespasses here mentioned are trespasses still against the law of Christ, which insists as much upon justice and truth as ever the law of nature or the law of Moses did; and though now we may have them pardoned without a trespass-offering, yet not without true repentance, restitution, reformation, and a humble faith in the righteousness of Christ: and, if any make the more bold with these sins because they are not now put to the expense of a trespass-offering for them, they turn the grace of God into wantonness, and so bring upon themselves a swift destruction. The Lord is the avenger of all such, 1 Thess. iv. 6.

Law of the Burnt-Offering. (b. c. 1490.)

8 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 9 Command Aaron and his sons, saying, This is the law of the burnt offering: It is the burnt offering, because of the burning upon the altar all night unto the morning, and the fire of the altar shall be burning in it. 10 And the priest shall put on his linen garment, and his linen breeches shall he put upon his flesh, and take up the ashes which the fire hath consumed with the burnt offering on the altar, and he shall put them beside the altar. 11 And he shall put off his garments, and put on other garments, and carry forth the ashes without the camp unto a clean place. 12 And the fire upon the altar shall be burning in it; it shall not be put out: and the priest shall burn wood on it every morning, and lay the burnt offering in order upon it; and he shall burn thereon the fat of the peace offerings. 13 The fire shall ever be burning upon the altar; it shall never go out.

Hitherto we have had the instructions which Moses was directed to give to the people concerning the sacrifices; but here begin the instructions he was to give to the priests; he must command Aaron and his sons, v. 9. The priests were rulers in the house of God, but these rulers must be ruled; and those that had the command of others must themselves be commanded. Let ministers remember that not only commissions, but commands, were given to Aaron and his sons, who must be in subjection to them.

In these verses we have the law of the burnt-offering, as far as it was the peculiar care of the priests. The daily sacrifice of a lamb, which was offered morning and evening for the whole congregation, is here chiefly referred to.

I. The priest must take care of the ashes of the burnt-offering, that they be decently disposed of, v. 10, 11. He must clear the altar of them every morning, and put them on the east side of the altar, which was furthest from the sanctuary; this he must do in his linen garment, which he always wore when he did any service at the altar; and then he must shift himself, and put on other garments, either such as were his common wear, or (as some think) other priestly garments less honourable, and must carry the ashes into a clean place without the camp. Now, 1. God would have this done, for the honour of his altar and the sacrifices that were burnt upon it. Even the ashes of the sacrifices must be preserved, to testify the regard God had to it; by the burnt-offering he was honoured, and therefore thus it was honoured. And some think that this care which was taken of the ashes of the sacrifice typified the burial of our Saviour; his dead body (the ashes of his sacrifice) was carefully laid up in a garden, in a new sepulchre, which was a clean place. It was also requisite that the altar should be kept as clean as might be; the fire upon it would burn the better, and it is decent in a house to have a clean fire-side. 2. God would have the priests themselves to keep it so, to teach them and us to stoop to the meanest services for the honour of God and of his altar. The priest himself must not only kindle the fire, but clean the hearth, and carry out the ashes. God's servants must think nothing below them but sin.

II. The priest must take care of the fire upon the altar, that it be kept always burning. This is much insisted on here (v. 9, 12), and this express law is given: The fire shall ever be burning upon the altar, it shall never go out, v. 13. We may suppose that no day passed without some extraordinary sacrifices, which were always offered between the morning and evening lamb; so that from morning to night the fire on the altar was kept up of course. But to preserve it all night unto the morning (v. 9) required some care. Those that keep good houses never let their kitchen fire go out; therefore God would thus give an instance of his good house-keeping. The first fire upon the altar came from heaven (ch. ix. 24), so that by keeping that up continually with a constant supply of fuel all their sacrifices throughout all their generations might be said to be consumed with that fire from heaven, in token of God's acceptance. If, through carelessness, they should ever let it go out, they could not expect to have it so kindled again. Accordingly the Jews tell us that the fire never did go out upon the altar, till the captivity in Babylon. This is referred to Isa. xxxi. 9, where God is said to have his fire in Zion, and his furnace in Jerusalem. By this law we are taught to keep up in our minds a constant disposition to all acts of piety and devotion, an habitual affection to divine things, so as to be always ready to every good word and work. We must not only not quench the Spirit, but we must stir up the gift that is in us. Though we be not always sacrificing, yet we must keep the fire of holy love always burning; and thus we must pray always.

Law of the Meat-Offering. (b. c. 1490.)

14 And this is the law of the meat offering: the sons of Aaron shall offer it before the Lord , before the altar. 15 And he shall take of it his handful, of the flour of the meat offering, and of the oil thereof, and all the frankincense which is upon the meat offering, and shall burn it upon the altar for a sweet savour, even the memorial of it, unto the Lord . 16 And the remainder thereof shall Aaron and his sons eat: with unleavened bread shall it be eaten in the holy place; in the court of the tabernacle of the congregation they shall eat it. 17 It shall not be baken with leaven. I have given it unto them for their portion of my offerings made by fire; it is most holy, as is the sin offering, and as the trespass offering. 18 All the males among the children of Aaron shall eat of it. It shall be a statute for ever in your generations concerning the offerings of the Lord made by fire: every one that toucheth them shall be holy. 19 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 20 This is the offering of Aaron and of his sons, which they shall offer unto the Lord in the day when he is anointed; the tenth part of an ephah of fine flour for a meat offering perpetual, half of it in the morning, and half thereof at night. 21 In a pan it shall be made with oil; and when it is baken, thou shalt bring it in: and the baken pieces of the meat offering shalt thou offer for a sweet savour unto the Lord . 22 And the priest of his sons that is anointed in his stead shall offer it: it is a statute for ever unto the Lord ; it shall be wholly burnt. 23 For every meat offering for the priest shall be wholly burnt: it shall not be eaten.

The meat-offering was either that which was offered by the people or that by the priests at their consecration. Now,

I. As to the common meat-offering,

1. Only a handful of it was to be burnt upon the altar; all the rest was allowed to the priests for their food. The law of the burnt-offerings was such as imposed upon the priests a great deal of care and work, but allowed them little profit; for the flesh was wholly burnt, and the priests had nothing but the skin. But to make them amends the greatest part of the meat-offering was their own. The burning of a handful of it upon the altar (v. 15) was ordered before, ch. ii. 2, 9. Here the remainder of it is consigned to the priests, the servants of God's house: I have given it unto them for their portion of my offerings, v. 17. Note, (1.) It is the will of God that his ministers should be well provided for with food convenient; and what is given to them he accepts as offered to himself, if it be done with a single eye. (2.) All Christians, being spiritual priests, do themselves share in the spiritual sacrifices they offer. It is not God that is the gainer by them; the handful burnt upon the altar was not worth speaking of, in comparison with the priests' share; we ourselves are the gainers by our religious services. Let God have all the frankincense, and the priests shall have the flour and the oil; what we give to God the praise and glory of we may take to ourselves the comfort and benefit of.

2. The laws concerning the eating of it were, (1.) That it must be eaten unleavened, v. 16. What was offered to God must have no leaven in it, and the priests must have it as the altar had it, and no otherwise. Thus must we keep the feasts of the Lord with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. (2.) It must be eaten in the court of the tabernacle (here called the holy place), in some room prepared by the side of the court for this purpose. It was a great crime to carry any of it out of the court. The very eating of it was a sacred rite, by which they were to honour God, and therefore it must be done in a religious manner, and with a holy reverence, which was preserved by confining it to the holy place. (3.) The males only must eat of it, v. 18. Of the less holy things, as the first-fruits and tithes, and the shoulder and breasts of the peace-offerings, the daughters of the priests might eat, for they might be carried out of the court; but this was of the most holy things, which being to be eaten only in the tabernacle, the sons of Aaron only might eat of it. (4.) The priests only that were clean might eat of it: Every one that toucheth them shall be holy, v. 18. Holy things for holy persons. Some read it, Every thing that toucheth it shall be holy: Al the furniture of the table on which these holy things were eaten must be appropriated to that use only, and never after used as common things.

II. As to the consecration meat-offering, which was offered for the priests themselves, it was to be wholly burnt, and none of it eaten, v. 23. It comes in here as an exception to the foregoing law. It should seem that this law concerning the meat-offering of initiation did not only oblige the high priest to offer it, and on that day only that he was anointed, and so for his successors in the day they were anointed; but the Jewish writers say that by this law every priest, on the day he first entered upon his ministry, was bound to offer this meat-offering,—that the high priest was bound to offer it every day of his life, from the day in which he was anointed,—and that it was to be offered besides the meat-offering that attended the morning and evening sacrifice, because it is said here to be a meat-offering perpetual, v. 20. Josephus says, "The high priest sacrificed twice every day at his own charges, and this was his sacrifice." Note, Those whom God has advanced above others in dignity and power ought to consider that he expects more from them than from others, and should attend to every intimation of service to be done for him. The meat-offering of the priest was to be baked as if it were to be eaten, and yet it must be wholly burnt. Though the priest that ministered was to be paid for serving the people, yet there was no reason that he should be paid for serving the high priest, who was the father of the family of the priests, and whom therefore any priest should take a pleasure in serving gratis. Nor was it fit that the priests should eat of the offerings of a priest; for as the sins of the people were typically transferred to the priests, which was signified by their eating of their offerings (Hos. iv. 8), so the sins of the priests must be typically transferred to the altar, which therefore must eat up all their offerings. We are all undone, both ministers and people, if we must bear our own iniquity; nor could we have had any comfort or hope if God had not laid on his dear Son the iniquity of us all, and he is both the priest and the altar.

Law of the Sin-Offering. (b. c. 1490.)

24 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 25 Speak unto Aaron and to his sons, saying, This is the law of the sin offering: In the place where the burnt offering is killed shall the sin offering be killed before the Lord : it is most holy. 26 The priest that offereth it for sin shall eat it: in the holy place shall it be eaten, in the court of the tabernacle of the congregation. 27 Whatsoever shall touch the flesh thereof shall be holy: and when there is sprinkled of the blood thereof upon any garment, thou shalt wash that whereon it was sprinkled in the holy place. 28 But the earthen vessel wherein it is sodden shall be broken: and if it be sodden in a brazen pot, it shall be both scoured, and rinsed in water. 29 All the males among the priests shall eat thereof: it is most holy. 30 And no sin offering, whereof any of the blood is brought into the tabernacle of the congregation to reconcile withal in the holy place, shall be eaten: it shall be burnt in the fire.

We have here so much of the law of the sin-offering as did peculiarly concern the priests that offered it. As, 1. That it must be killed in the place where the burnt-offering was killed (v. 25), that is, on the north side of the altar (ch. i. 11), which, some think typified the crucifying of Christ on mount Calvary, which was on the north side of Jerusalem. 2. That the priest who offered it for the sinner was (with his sons, or other priests, v. 29) to eat the flesh of it, after the blood and fat had been offered to God, in the court of the tabernacle, v. 26. Hereby they were to bear the iniquity of the congregation, as it is explained, ch. x. 17. 3. The blood of the sin-offering was with great reverence to be washed out of the clothes on which it happened to light (v. 27), which signified the awful regard we ought to have to the blood of Christ, not counting it a common thing; that blood must be sprinkled on the conscience, not on the raiment. 4. The vessel in which the flesh of the sin-offering was boiled must be broken if it were an earthen one, and, if a brazen one, well washed, v. 28. This intimated that the defilement was not wholly taken away by the offering, but did rather cleave to it, such was the weakness and deficiency of those sacrifices; but the blood of Christ thoroughly cleanses from all sin, and after it there needs no cleansing. 5. That all this must be understood of the common sin-offerings, not of those for the priest, or the body of the congregation, either occasional, or stated upon the day of atonement; for it had been before ordained, and was now ratified, that if the blood of the offering was brought into the holy place, as it was in those extraordinary cases, the flesh was not to be eaten, but burnt without the camp, v. 30. Hence the apostle infers the advantage we have under the gospel above what they had under the law; for though the blood of Christ was brought into the tabernacle, to reconcile within the holy place, yet we have a right by faith to eat of the altar (Heb. xiii. 10-12), and so to take the comfort of the great propitiation.

CHAP. VI.

AND Iehovah spake unto Moses, saying. A soule, when it shall sin; & transgresse a transgression, against Iehovah: and falsly deny unto his neighbour in a thing-delivered-him to-keepe, or in the putting of the hand, or in a thing-taken-awayby-violence; or, hath deceitfully-oppressed his neighbour. Or have found a thing lost, and falsly-denieth concerning it, & sweareth with falsehood: for any-one, of all that a man shall doe, sinning in these. Then it shall be, when he hath sinned and is guiltie: that hee shall restore the thing-taken by-violence which he violently took away; or, the thingdeceitfully-gotten, which hee hath got-deceitfully; or, the thing-delivered him-to keep, which was delivered unto him to keep; or the lost thing, which he found. Or, all that about which he hath sworne, with falshood: and he shall pay it, in the principall thereof; and shall adde thereto, the fift-parts thereof: unto him to whom it appertaineth, shall hee give it, in the day of his Trespasse. And hee shall bring his Trespasse-offring, unto Iehovah: a ram perfect, out of the [illegible: 2 letters]ock, with thy estimation for a Trespasse-offring, unto the Priest. And the Priest shall make-atonement for him, before Iehovah, and it shall be mercifully-forgiven-him: for any-one, of all that he hath done, in trespassing therein. [non-Latin text not transcribed]

And Iehovah spake unto Moses, saying▪ Cō mand Aaron and his sons, saying; This is the law of the burnt-offring: it is the burnt-offring because of the burning, upon the altar al night, unto the morning; & the fire of the altar, shal beburning in it. And the Priest shal put-on, his linnen rayment; and linnen breeches, shall he put upon his flesh: and he shall take-up the ashes, which the fire hath consumed, with the Burnt-offring, on the altar: and he shall put them, besides the altar. And he shall put-off his garments, and put on other garments: and shall carie forth the ashes, to without the camp; unto a cleane place. And the fire upon the altar shall be burning in it, it shall not be put-out; and the Priest shall burne wood upon it, every morning; and shall lay-in-order upon it, the Burnt-offring; and shall burne upon it, the fats of the Peace-offrings. Fire, continually, shall be burning upon the altar, it shall not be put-out.

And this is the law, of the Meat-offring: the sonnes of Aaron shall offer it, before Iehovah; before the altar. And he shall take-up of it his handfull, of the flowre of the Meat-offring, and of the oile thereof; and all the frankincense, which is upon the Meatoffring: and he shall burne upon the altar, for a savour of rest, the memoriall of it, unto Iehovah. And the remainder thereof, shall Aaron and his sonnes eat: in unlevened-cakes shall it bee eaten, in the holy place; in the court of the Tent of the congregation, they shall eat it. It shall not be baken with leven; I have given it for their portion, of my Fireoffrings: it is holy of holies; as the Sin-offring and as the Trespasse-offring. Every male, among the sonnes of Aaron, shall eat of it; it shall be a statute for ever, in your generations; concerning Iehovahs Fire-offrings: all that toucheth them, shall be holy.

And Iehovah spake unto Moses, saying. This is the oblation of Aaron, and of his sonnes, which they shall offer unto Iehovah, in the day that he is anoynted; the tenth part of an Ephah of fine-flowre, for a continuall Meat-offring: halfe of it in the morning, and halfe of it in the evening. On a pan, it shall be made with oile, hastily-fryed shalt thou bring it: the baken pieces of the Meatoffring, thou shalt offer for a savour of rest, unto Iehovah. And the Priest that is anoynted in his stead, of his sonnes, shall doe it: it is a statute for ever, unto Iehovah, it shall be burnt for a Whole-burnt-offring. And every Meat-offring of the Priest, shall be Wholeburnt-offring: it shall not be eaten.

And Iehovah spake unto Moses, saying. Speake unto Aaron, and unto his sonnes, saying; This is the law, of the Sin-offring: in the place where the Burnt-offring is killed, shall the Sin-offring be killed, before Iehovah; it is holy of holies. The Priest that offreth-it-for-sin, shall eat it: in the holy place, shall it be eaten; in the court, of the Tent of the congregation. All that shall touch the flesh thereof, shall be holy: and when there is sprinkled of the blood thereof, upon a garment; that whereon it is sprinkled, thou shalt wash, in the holy place. And the earthen vessell, wherein it is sodden, shall be broken: and if it be sodden, in a brazen vessell; it shall be both scowred and rinsed, in water. Every male among the Priests, shall eat thereof, it is, holy of holies. And no Sin-offring, whereof any of the blood thereof, is brought into the Tent of the congregation, to make-atonement with in the holy-place, shall be eaten: it shall be burnt, in the fire.

Annotations. ASoule] that is, man or woman, as God explaineth it, in Num. 5. 6. so the Chaldee expoundeth it, a man. transgresse] it is the word before used, in Levit. 5. 15. The Greeke here translateth, despising despise the commendements of the Lord: (or, neglect them.) falsly deny] or, lye, as the Greeke translateth: but the word meaneth lying by denyall of a thing, as Gen. 18. 15. This sinne, God generally forbiddeth, Levit. 19. 11. And this law here, concerneth sinnes both against God, by swearing; and against our neighbour by injuring him. a thing-delivered him-to-keepe] a thingcommitted-to one; which shall againe be required; called in Hebrew Pikkadon, of encommending thing, and requiring it: in Greeke, Parathekee, or committing it to ones fidelitie, (which word Paul useth in 2 Tim. 1. 12. of God; I am perswaded that he is able to keepe that which I have committed unto him:) in Latine, a Depositum. So in 1 Tim. 6. 20. and 2 Tim. 1. 14. In Gen. 41. 36. the word is used for store or provision laid up. See the judiciall lawer for these cases, in Exod. 22. 7. 10. &c. the putting of the hand] This phrase (here onely used,) seemeth to meane fellowship, or partnership, when men deale, and put their hands as it were together in a matter: so the Greeke translateth it communion (or societie;) and the Chaldee, the communion (or fellowship) of the hand; that is, commerce. Or we may take it, for putting into the hand, that is, committing of a thing to ones care and fidelity to use or imploy for him. It may also imply, the lending of a thing, or borrowing. Thus Sol. Iarchi expoundeth it, that he hath put money into his hand to occupie: or hath lent it him. a thing-taken-by-violence] or, arobberie, rapine. It implieth force, as the next doth fraud. 2 Sam. 23. 21. Iudg. 9. 25. This God hateth, though it be for Burnt-offring: Esa. 61. 8. deceitfully oppressed] or, defrauded, by cavilation, calumniation, false accusation, or other like unjust meanes. Of this sinne, Zacheus cleared him-selfe by fowrfold restitution, Luk. 19. 8. The Hebrew doctors thus distinguish these. Who is a taker by violence, (or robber?) He that taketh a mans goods by force, as by plucking it out of his hand, &c. or, that forcibly-taketh ones servant or beast, and useth them for his owne worke; or goeth into ones field, and eateth the fruit thereof, and the like. Who is a deceitfull-opressour? He that hath his neighbours goods in his hand, with the owners consent; and when they are demanded againe, he keepes the goods in his hands by force, and restores them not; and the like. Maimony, treat. of Robbery and lost things, chap. 1. Sect. 3. 4. Vers. 3. a thing lost] Hebr. a losse: which the law bindeth him to restore unto the owner: See Deut. 22. 2. Exod. 23. 4. in the annotations. with falshood] that is, falsly; and as the Greeke translateth it, unjustly. Of this kinde of oath, the Hebrew canons say; Who so hath his neighbours goods in his hand, whether they bee delivered him to keeep, or lent him, or he hath taken them by violence, or by fraud; or hath found a thing lost, and restoreth it not, or the like; and the goods which he hath in his hand, hee demanded of him, and he denyeth them, loe he is a transgressor against this law, ye shall not fasly deny, (Levit. 19. 11.) And if he sweare unto him falsly, concerning the goods which he denyed; now hee transgresseth another law, ye shall not deale-falsly; Lev. 19. 11. And this oath is called, the oath concerning a thing delivered to keepe. And for this false oath, hee is bound to pay the principall, which he denyed, & to adde the fift part more thereto, and to offer a manifest Trespasse-offring; &c. Maim treat of Oathes, c. 1. s. 8. 9. sinning] or, as the Gr. translateth, so that he sinneth in these. Vers. 4. he shall restore] in Numb. 5. 7. God requireth also to confesse the sinne; which is to be understood here, and in all like sins and trespasses. About this restitution, the Hebrewes have these observations. Whether he be a violent robber, or a fraudulent-oppressor, or a stealer, or a borrower, or that hath by him a thing delivered to keepe, or hath found a thing lost, and falsly-denyeth it, or that there was partnership betweene him and his neighbor, and some of the goods remaine in his hand; or that hee hath done worke for him, and he hath not given him his wages. It is a gener all rule for every thing such as these, hee that consesseth, is bound to pay by sentence (of the Iudges:) and he that denyeth and sweareth, must pay the principal & the fift part, Lev. 6. 2. &c. This is meant, when a man is bound to pay for himselfe, but if he be bound to pay for his father, he payes not the fift part. As, when his father robbeth, or stealeth, or is indebted to others, and the son knoweth it, and denyeth it, and sweareth, and afterwards confesseth it; he payeth but the principall only; for it is written, (Lev. 6. 4.) which he violent tookeaway for his owne violent-taking away, hee addeth the fift part more, but not for his fathers. This is meant, when the thing violently-taken-away is not remaining then present; but if his father did violence, and dyed, and the thing-taken-away remaineth there and the heyre denyeth it, and sweareth, and afterwards confesseth it; hee payeth the principall and the fift part. If the father rob, and sweare, and confesse it, and afterward dye: now the heyre payeth the principall & the fift part. If he rob, and sweare, and so dye: and the heyre confesseth it, hee payeth but the principall onely, but in both these cases, the heyre is discharged of the Trespasse-offring. Maim. treat of Robbery, and lost things, c. 7. s. 2. 3. &c. V. 5. all] or of any thing: so implying other particulars besides these mentioned; as some are before noted. principall] or, summe; Hebr. head: which Sol. Iarchi expoundeth the principal (the thing it selfe.) Head sometime is used for beginning or first: & so Chazkuni here noteth that the meaning may be, before hee bring his Oblation he shall put out of his hand, the thing got by rapine, &c. the fist-parts] the Greek translateth, the fist part, as the Hebrew also was in Lev. 5. 16. And it may be put for every fift part, the fist part of every thing defrauded, as in Ezek. 16. 55. thy sisters, meaneth each of thy sisters. But the Hebrew Doctors insist upon the number thus; He that restoreth the principall to the owners, & denyeth at the second time the fist part, and sweareth about it; that fist part is made as the principall in every respect, and hee must pay for it another fist part, as it is written, hee shall adde thereto the fist parts thereof, teaching that he must adde a fist part for a fist part, untill the fist part which he denyeth and sweareth for, bee become lesse then the worth of a mite. Who so hath by him a thing delivered to keepe, and he pleadeth that it is lost, and sweareth, and returneth and confesseth that he hath it by him. And commeth againe, and pleadeth that it is lost, and sweareth, and againe returneth and confesseth that he hath it by him; he must pay a fist part for every oath, with that one principall; as it is written, He shall adde thereto the fist parts thereof, teaching that hee may pay many fifts for one principall. Maim. treat. of Robbery, &c. c. 7. s. 12 13. Now what the fist-part is, he there sheweth in s. 7. one of foure, with the principall: as if he robbed the value of 4. and sweareth; he payeth five. And if the stolne thing be remaining, hee must restore it, and give the price of the fourth part thereof. to whom it pertaineth] or, whose it is, by right, whether the owners, or the heyres, to him against whom he is guilty, Numb. 5 7. He that robboth his neighbor, if he that is robbed dyeth: must restore the robbery unto the heyres: and if it bee lost, or changed, he must give them the price of it. And if he sware unto him, and afterward he dyed; hee must give to the heires, the principall and the fist part. Hee that robbeth his father, and sweareth unto him, and the father dyeth; if the thing taken by robbery doe not remaine, or if it be changed, he must make an account with his brethren, for the principall and for the fist part. If the thing taken by robbery remaineth, hee is bound to bring forth the thing it selfe, from under his hand. Therfore he is to give the thing taken by robberie, and the fist part also to his brethren; and make an account with them, &c. Maim. treat. of Robbery, c. 2. s. 1. 2. &c. But if the man have no kinsman to recompense the trespasse unto, it must be recōpensed unto the Lord, even unto the Priest, Num. 5. 8. of his trespasse] or, of his guiltinesse, that is, the day wherin he is found a trespasser: which the Greeke interpreteth, the day wherein he is convicted: (or reprehended) Or we may understand it, the day wherein hee offreth for his trespasse: so Chazkuni explaineth it, The robber shal give the goods to him that is robbed, in the day that hee bringeth his Trespasse-offring: turning from his sin, that his oblation may be accepted with favour. Ver. 6. perfect] without blemish. This oblation was performed wth such rites, as the other before mentioned, in c. 5. see the notes there; and on Numb. 5. 8. in trespassing] or, by guilty-trespasse, or, with guiltinesse therein: The Greek translateth, and hath trespassed therein. These sacrifices, could not by thē selves make a[illegible: 1 letter]onement, or procure forgivenesse of sins: but they signified the atonement made by the sacrifice of Christ: Heb. 10. 14. 10. 14. and taught men mortification, and dying unto sinne, as David saith, Thou delightest not sacrifice, that I should give it &c. the sacrifices of God, are a broken spirit, as broken and a contrite hart, &c. Ps. 51. 18. 19. And where true repentance, faith in Christ, & amendement of life is found in the sinner; there is promise of grace, and of forgivenesse of sins; though they be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimsin, they shall be as wooll. Esay 1. 16. 18. [non-Latin text not transcribed] Here beginneth the 25. section of the law: fee Gen. 6. 9. Hitherto in this booke, God hath shewed what sacrifices men should offer: now he declareth the manner and rites about those sacrifices, more particularly. Vers. 9. because of the burning] or, it is that which ascendeth by the burning. Here is the reason of the name: for the Burnt-offring, is in Hebrew Gnolah, that is, an Ascension; because by burning all in fire, it went up in smoake and vapour. Therefore the Holy ghost translateth it in Greeke, Holocautoma, that is, a whole Burnt-offring: Hebr. 10. 6. from Psal. 40. The use of this sacrifice is shewed on Leviticus 1. Here the Thargum called Ionathans, saith, it was to make atonement for the imaginations of the heart. all night] though the time of the Evening sacrifice began about mid afternoone (as is shewed on Exod. 12. 6.) yet the burning might continue all night, till breake of the day. No sacrifices were offred, but by day: therefore they killed no sacrifice but by day, nor sprinkled any blood, but in the day that it was killed; for when the Sun was set, the blood became unlawfull (to be sprinkled.) Sacrifices whose blood was sprinkled by day, their fat was burned by night, till the pillar of the morning ascended, (that is, till breake of the day.) And so the pieces of the burnt-offrings, were burned by night, till breake of the day. But for to keepe men farre from trespassing, our wise men have said, that they should not burne the fattes, or pieces of the burnt-offring, but untill midnight. Although it was lawfull to burne them by night, yet they did not deferre them purposely, but endev[illegible: 1 letter]red to burne all by day. Gratefull is a commandement (done) in the houre of the same, Maimony, treat. of offring the sacrif. chap. 4. Sect. 1. 2. 3. This law here given, seemes specially to intend the daily Burnt-offring of the church, which was offred first in the morning, and last in the evening, as the Hebrew Doctors say, It is unlawfull to offer any sacrifice at all, before the daily sacrifice of the morning: neither kill they any sacrifice, (to weet, for particular persons,) after the daily evening sacrifice, except the sacrifice of the Passeover onely. Maimony, treat. of the daily sacrif. chap. 1. Sect. 3. shall be burning] or, shall be made to burne, that is, nourished continually: so verse 12. Vers. 10. his linnen raiment] or, the linnen robe; as the Greeke translateth, a sinnen coat. Such were made for the inferiour Priests to minister in, Exod. 28 40. 41. The originall word Middo, signifieth a large garment, proportionable to the bodie. It is the Co[illegible: 1 letter] (as Sol. Iarchi observeth) and the scripture calleth it Middo, because it was like [Middatho] his measure that wore it. Hence the Greeks borrowed their word Ma[illegible: 1 letter]due, which is a coat, or mantle. And the Hebrew [illegible: 1 word] signifieth finer linnen then that of common flax, (which is called by another name,) therefore the Chaldee here translateth it garments of bysse: [illegible: 1 word] the notes on Exod. 25. 4. The [illegible: 2 words] ([illegible: 1 word] Ghazkuni on this place,) is the Coat, the Miter, and the Girdle, which all are of lin [illegible: 1 span] and the scripture speaketh of them as of one, because they all are as one garment, for he is not clothed with one without the other. his flesh] in Greeke his body; meaning, his secret parts; which for honestie and reverence of Gods sanctuarie, were to be covered with these breeches next the skinne. See the notes on Exod. 28. 43. and compare Ezek. 44. 17. 18. hath consumed] or, hath eaten: ashes are said to be consumed, when the wood and sacrifices are consumed and turned to ashes. So meale is said to be ground, Esay. 47. 2. when the corne by grinding is turned to meale. besides the altar] on the east-side, furthest from the sanctuarie: Lev[illegible: 1 letter]t. 1. 16. The taking-up of the ashes from on the altar, is commanded to be done, every day, and it is one of the Priests services, Leviticus 6. 10. They did it, when the pillar of the morning ascended [that is, at breake of the day.] And at the feasts, (they did it) at the beginning of the third part of the night; and on Reconciliation day, at midnight. He whose duty it was to take them up, washed himselfe and put on the clothes in which hee was to take them up, and sanctified (that is, washed) h[illegible: 1 letter]s hands and his feete. And tooke a fire-pan, and went up to the altar, &c. Maimony, treat, of the daily sacrif. chap. 2. Sect. 10. 11. &c. The taking up of the ashes, is the first of all the services in the day; and the meaning and mysterie of it is, to remove away the spirit of uncleannesse that remaineth after the digestion of the members and fat intrails, that lyeth on them. And therfore it is not done but in white garments only, because by mercy, iniquity is purged, (Pro. 16. 6.) R. Menachem, on Le. 6. Vers. 11. other garments] Vnto the Altar, no Priest might come but in the holy garments appointed of God; and those garments they used not but in the Sanctuarie. Hereupon it is written, when the Priests goe forth into the utter court to the people, they shall put off the garments wherein they ministred, and lay them in the holy chambers: and they shall put [illegible: 1 span] ther garments, and they shall not sanctifie the people with their garments; Ezek. 44. 19. Yet forasmuch as the carying away of the ashes, belonged to the Priests, by other garments the Hebrewes understand not common clothes, but other holy garments. The Priests garments wherein he tooke away the ashes, were lesser then those wherein he ministred in other services; as it is written (in Levit. 6.) hee shall put on other garments, and cary forth the ashes: he saith not other, for that they were common garments, but for that they were lesse then the former. Maimony in Tamidin (or treat. of the daily sacrif.) chap. 2. Sect. 10. without the campe] As the turning of the Burntoffring to ashes, was a signe of Gods acceptation thereof, Psal. 20. 4. so the carying out of the campe, into a cleane place, signified his regard of the very reliques of that holy thing: which had accomplishment in Christ his death and bu[illegible: 1 letter]iall, without the gates of Ierusalem, in Golgotha, and in a garden, Heb. 13. 11. 12. 13. Ioh. 19. 16▪ 17. 18. 41. 42. the memorie whereof is blessed. Of these ashes, the Hebrew canons say, they were to be left in a place, where the winde did not blow strongly. And it was not lawfull for strangers, to gather them up: neither might they be scattered there, but laid downe: and it was unlawfull for men to make profit (or use) of them. Maimony, treat. of the daily sacrif. chap. 2. Sect. 15. a cleane place] the contrary is said touching the stones and dust of a leprous house, that they should be poured out into an uncleane place, Lev. 14. 40 41▪ for they came f[illegible: 1 letter]ō a polluted house; but these ashes came from the Lords holy house, therefore were to be laid in a cleane place, where no dead ca[illegible: 1 letter]kasses, dung, or other filth was layd. Vers. 12. shall be burning] or, shall be kindled (or made burne) on it. From hence the Hebrews gather, that the fire might not bee kindled beneath, and then laid upon the altar, but was to be kindled on the altar it selfe: Maimony, treat of the daily sacrifice. c. 2. s. 9. And Baal Hatturim noteth how from hence they have said, Although fire came downe from heaven, yet they were commanded to bring of common fire. be put out] or, quenched. The Hebrew canons say, Hee that quencheth the fire of the Altar, is to bee beaten; for it is said, It shall not be put out, (Lev. 6. 12.) though it be but one coale, and though it be downe from upon the Altar, hee that putteth it out is to bee beaten. Maimony, ibid c. 2. s. 6. wood] no other fewell was allowable for the altar, and it was to bee the wood of the publike congregation, (as is observed on Lev. 1. 7.) And as all things about Gods service, were to be of the best: so of this the Hebrewes say, the wood was to be none but choise: such as had no wormes in it. And that, timber of buildings pulled downe, was ever vnlawfull: they might bring none but new wood. Maimo[illegible: 1 letter]y, in Issures Mizbeach, ch. 6. s. 2. every morning] Heb. in the morning in the morning. Of this service it is recorded; In the morning they laid the wood in order, and they made upon the top of the Altar a great fire &c: likewise towards evening. Three fires were orderly made upon the top of the Altar every day: the first was the great fire on which they offred the daily sacrifice with the other oblations; the second was a little fire in the side, from which they tooke fire in a censer to burne incense with every day; the third was not for other use but to confirme the commandement concerning the fire, which is written, FIRE CONTINVALLY SHALL BE BVRNING, Lev. 6. 13. Wee have beene taught that that which is said, BECAVSE OF THE BVRNING VPON. THE ALTAR, Lev. 6. 9▪ is [illegible: 1 letter]eant of the great fire: and this, THE FIRE OF THE ALTAR SHALL BE BVRNING IN IT, Lev. 6. 9. is the second (fire) for the [illegible: 1 word]: and this, THE FIRE VPON THE ALTAR SHALL BE BVRNING IN IT. Leviticus 6. 12. is the third, for keeping of the fire, Maimony, in treat▪ of daily sacris. ch. 2. s. 2. 4. 5. Vers. 13. Fire continually] This commandement [illegible: 1 span]ishing the fire alwaies, being so oft repeated▪ sheweth it to be of weight, and carefully to be observed: and signified, how by Christ our Altar, we should have continually through his Spirit, [illegible: 1 word] ready for the purging and [illegible: 1 letter]aking away of our sins, and accesse to offer unto God the sacrifice of praise, 1 Ioh▪ 1. 9. Heb▪ 13. 10. 15. likewise the [illegible: 1 word] of Gods ministers, by daily preaching of the word (which is likened unto fire, Ier. 23. 29.) to kindle and stirre up the graces of the spirit in men, which may never be quenched, Mat. 3. 11. 1 Thes. 5. 19. It foreshadowed also the w[illegible: 1 letter]rke of Christ, who came to send fire on the earth, and [illegible: 1 word] defined to have it kindled, Luke 12. 49▪ likewise the afflictions of Christ and his Church, which are continuall in this world, and through which we must enter into the Kingdome of God, Mark. 9. 49. Heb. 2. 10. 1 [illegible: 1 letter]e[illegible: 1 letter]. 4. 12. The Hebrewes say of the fire on the Al[illegible: 1 letter]ar, that it was as a làdder for the Angells to ascend by: as (in Iudg. 13. 20.) the Angel of the Lord ascended in the flame of the Altar; and in Ezek. 9. 2. six men stood beside the brazen altar: Baal Hatturim on Lev. 6. Vers. 14. Meat-offring] the Minchah, whereof see Lev. 2. and the annotations there. before the Altar] that is, saith Sol. Iarchi, the south, for that was the face (or forepart) of the altar; for the foot banke was set on that side. Ver. 15. of rest] of sweet smell: see Lev. 2. 2. The Ierusalemy Thargum translateth it, of favourable acceptation: and O[illegible: 1 letter]kelos, to be received with favorable acceptation. Ver. 16. unlevened cakes] that is, made into unlevened cakes; as the next verse sheweth. This, and the like that follow, shew, how they that wrought about the holy things of the sanctuarie; and they which waited at the altar, were partakers with the altar: so the Lord proportionably ordained also under the gospel, 1 Corinth. 9. 13. 14. Ezek. 44. 29. See Deut. 18. 1. 2. &c. What leve[illegible: 1 letter] and unlevened cakes signified, is noted on Exod. 12. holy place] meaning the Court of the sanctuarie, in Num. 18. 10. it is called the Holy of hol[illegible: 1 letter]es, that is, the most holy place; yet hereby was meant neither the most holy within the Tabernacle, (into which none went but the high Priest once a yeare, Levit. 16. 2. &c.) neither the holy place there: but the court of the sanctuary, where all the most holy things were boyled, baken, dressed and eaten, by holy persons: as is explained after, v. 26. and Lev. 8. 31. See the notes on Leviticus 24. 9. Vers. 17. with leven] or, levened; as the Greeke translateth it. holy [illegible: 1 letter]f holies] that is, most holy▪ Hebrew, holinesse of holinesses. The like is sayd after, touching the sin-offrings, &c. Levit. 6. 25. and 7. 1. 6. &c. Other things were called holy, as the passeover, tithes, firstfruits, &c. Such the Hebrewes call leight holy things, to distinguish them from the most holy: and the lawes concerning them differ. The sin-offring, trespass-offring, and remainder of the peace-offrings, were not eaten but by the males among the Priests, within the court. Other offerings, tithes, firstfruits, shoulder and brest of the peoples Peace-offrings and the like, were for the Priests, their sonnes, daughters, &c. that were cleane, Numb. 18. 9. 10. 11. 19. Againe, the most holy things are here limited to bee eaten within the court: the light holy things were to bee eaten in the place which the Lord should choose, &c. Dent. 12. 5. 6. 7. and 16. 5. 6. which after, was Ierusalem; whereupon the Hebrew canons say, who so eateth a bit of the flesh of the most holy things, without the court, is to bee beaten, &c. The same judgement is for him that eateth the light holy things, out of Ierusalem. For Ierusalem walls, are for the light holy things; as the walls of the court for the most holy. Flesh of the most holy things, that is caried out of the walls of the court; and flesh of the light holy things, caried out of the walls of Ierusalem, is polluted and unlawfull for ever. And though it be brought back againe to his place▪ yet is it vnlawful to be eaten. Maim. in treat of offring the sacrif. ch. 11. s. 5. 6. Hereupon Ierusalem is called the holy Citie: Nehem. 11. 1. Esay 48. 2. and 52. 1. Mat. 4. 5. Vers. 18. Every male] although he bee a ble[illegible: 1 letter]ished priest, saith Sol. Iarchi. all that toucheth] or, who-soever toucheth: whether person or thing, as any vessell of ministerie, and the like: meaning that no uncleane person, or common vessell, might touch them. The Greeke translateth, whosoever toucheth them, shall be sanctified: and so Chazkuni, adding this, and he shall purifie himselfe, before he touch them. See after, in v. 27. and Exod. 29. 37. Vers. 20. in the day] and so, from that day forward, every day. Chazkuni saith, that In here is in stead of From. And that it is used for After, is noted on Exod. 2. 23. the day that he] that is, Aaron him-selfe, (as Lev. 8.) or any of his sons after him. The Chaldee called Ionathans, saith, in the day that they anoint him to possesse the high priests office. The Priest-hood was by naturall succession to Aarons sonnes, such as were meet for the same, having no blemishes, or other impediments; which the Magistrates of the highest Court judged of, and put him in place. None doe constitute an high priest, but the Senate of 71. Iudges: and they doe not anoint him, but by day, as it is written (Lev. 6. 20.) In the day that he is anointed, &c. and they set not up two high Priests at once. The high Priest, he is the head of all the priests: and they doe anoint him with the anointing oile (Exod. 30.) and clothe him with the garments of the high Priesthood, (Exod. 28.) They clothe him with the 8. garments, and when he puts them off, they clothe him againe on the morrow, so 7. daies, day after day, as it is written (Exod. 29. 30.) the sonne that shall bee Priest in his stead, shall put them on 7. dayes. And as they aray him with the clothes, seven dayes, so they anoint him with [illegible: 1 letter]ile seven daies, one after another. Maimony, in treat. of the Implements of the sanctuarie. c. 4. s. 15. 12. 13. This high Priest was a figure of Christ, clothed with the garments of justice and salvation, offring himselfe to God for us, and us unto God through himselfe; making us, and our service acceptable unto his Father; Heb. 8. 1. and 7. 25. 28. and 10. 10. 22. and 13. 15. Ephah] or Bushel: the tenth part whereof, was an Omer: see Exod. 16. 36. continuall] or thus, a Meat-offring, continually. The ordinary priests offred their Minchah but at their Initiation, or entring upon their office: the high priest, continually, every day. See the notes on Lev. 2▪ 1. Vers. 21. a pan] to weet, a flat-pan, plate or slice: whereof see Lev. 2. 5. Such being baken dry, without li[illegible: 2 letters]ot, were the more subject to the heat and parching of the fire. And as the high Priest was in speciall manner a figure of Christ; so his dayly Meat-offring being of this kinde, figured out the suffrings of Christ, who was so parched with the site of afflictions for our sins. hastily fryed] or, [illegible: 2 letters]ken▪ with bubbles, that is, so fried, that it may bee hoven as with bubbles: so in Lev. 7. 12. The manner of making these cakes, is said to be thus. The high Priest brought a whole tenth-deale, (of st[illegible: 1 letter]wre;) and sanctified it, and divided it by the halfe tenth-deale measure which was in the sanctuarie: for although the oblation was halfe at once, yet was it not sanctified by the halfe. And he brought therewith, three logs of oile, as it is written, it shall bee made with oile, to adde oile thereunto, like the meat-offrings of the lamb. Then hee mingled the flowre with oile, and hastily-baked it with bubbles. And he kneaded of each halfe tenth part, six cakes. And they were made one by one thus, he divided the three logs (of oile) by the quarter measure that was in the sanctuary: a fourth part for every cake. And he baked the cake a little, and after that fried it upon the pan, with the other fourth part of oyle which belonged to it. And he did not bake it much, as it is written Tuphinei [i. Bakings▪ Lev. 6. 21,] between baken and raw. And afterwards hee divided every cake into two, by measure; that he might offer the halfe at morning, and the halfe at evening. And he tooke the halfes, and doubled them every one, into two; and brake them in in peeces, til he found every peece doubled into two. And he offred the one halfe, with halfe the handfull of frankincense, in the morning; and the other halfe, with halfe the handfull of frankincense at evening. And if it were the Meat-offring of Initiation, (or first entring upon his office,) he divided it not, but offred all at once, with the handfull of frankincense: and both of them were a whole Burnt-offring, for offrings made by fire. Maim. in treat. of offring the sacrifices, ch. 13. s. 2. 3. 4. baken peeces] Hebrew, bakings of the Meat offring of peeces, that is, which was broken into peeces. See the like phrase in Lev. 5. 15. thou shalt] meaning, thou priest, whosoever; as the next verse sheweth: therefore the Greeke explaineth it, hee shall offer. of rest] that is, of sweet smell, as the Greeke translateth: in Chaldee, to be accepted with favour before the Lord. Vers. 22. the Priest that is anointed] Thargum Ionathan explaineth it, the high Priest that is anointed with oile. a whole-burnt-offring.] Hebr. a Ca[illegible: 3 letters]: that is, whole, or altogether; in Greeke it is translated here Hapan, All; in the verse following, Holocautos, that is, wholly-burnt. The peoples Meat-offering was eaten by the Priests, that made a[illegible: 1 letter]onement for them, v. 15. 16. Lev. 7. 7. but because no Priest being a sinner, could make atonement for himselfe; therefore his Meat-offring might not be eaten, but all burnt on the Altar; to teach him to expect salvation not by himselfe, nor by his legall service or workes, but by Christ. For the eating of the sin-offring, figured the bearing of the sinners iniquitie, Lev. 10. 17. Vers. 25. be killed] that was, on the north side of the altar: see Lev. 1. 11. Hereby was figured that Christ ou[illegible: 1 letter] sinne-offring should bee killed by the priests in Ierusalem and mount Sion, wch was on the sides of the North, Ps. 48 2. crucified on mount Calvarie, which was on the North west side of Ierusalem: as by the Iewes tradition, the morning sacrifice was killed at the North west horne of the Altar. Verse 26. offreth] or, expiateth-sin-by-it; as the Chaldee translateth, that maketh atonement by the blood thereof: in Greek, that offreth it. The Priest did [illegible: 1 word] it, and so bare the iniquitie of the sinner: (Lev. 10. 17.) and in type abolished the same. It was also a part of their livelyhood, Ezek. 44. 28. 29. which coveto[illegible: 1 letter]s priests abused, eating the sinne of Gods people; and lifting up their soule, unto their iniquitie: Hos. 4. 8. It further figured our communion with Christ our sacrifice, eating his flesh by faith, Iohn 6. 56. as he hath made us an holy Priest-hood, even Kings and Priests unto God his father, 1 Pet. 2. 5. Rev. 1. 6. in the holy place] within the courtyard of the sanctuarie, not without the same. Seven other things were also to bee eaten there, noted on Lev. 24. 9. Vers. 27. blood thereof] of the sinne-offring; whether it were that which was to bee eaten, or that which was to be burnt. And this rite, was peculiar to the sinne-offring, above all the other most holy things: Maimony, treat. of offring the sacrif. ch. 8. s. 1. 2. As the sinne-offring in speciall sort figured Christ (who was made sinne for us, 2 Cor. 5. 21.) so this ordinance for all that touched the flesh of the sin-offring to bee holy; the garments sprinked with the blood, to be washed; the vessels wherein the flesh was boyled, to bee broken or scoured and rinsed: taught an holy use of this mysterie of our redēption, wherof they that are made partakers, ought to be washed, cleansed and sanctified, by the Spirit of God; that we possesse our vessels in holines and honor, and yeeld not our members as instruments of unrighteousnesse unto sinne any more. 1 Thes. 4. 4. Rom. 6. 13. wash] This washing was for casuall sprinkling, as when any blood sprung out of the bason, upon a garment: or the like. And as the Hebrew canons say, Nothing was charged to be washed, but the bloody place only: and that which was upon an instrument apt to receive uncleannes, and apt to be washed. But if it were sprinkled on an instrument of wood or of metall, it was not to bee washed, because they are things not fit to be washed, but they are onely s[illegible: 1 letter]raped. If it bee sprinkled on the skin of a fi[illegible: 1 span]it is not required to be washed; because that is not a thing [illegible: 1 word] t[illegible: 1 letter] receive uncleannesse. If on the skin of a [illegible: 1 letter]east before it be flayed, it is not charged to be washed: if it [illegible: 1 letter]ee after it is flayed, then must it bee washed: for though it receiveth no uncleannes now, yet loe it is apt to receive uncleannes, after it is dressed for use. If it spring[illegible: 1 span] of the necke, upon a garment▪ or from upon a [illegible: 1 word] of the alt[illegible: 2 letters], or after that it is shed on the ground, [illegible: 2 words] gathered up, and any of it put on a garment, they [illegible: 1 word] [illegible: 1 span]ged to wash it, for it is written, And when there is sprinkled of the blood &c. It is not meant, but of blood received in a ministring vessell, and fit for to spri[illegible: 1 span] and that there be inough for that use. If hee hath put the blood on the foure hornes of the altar, and afterward some of the blood left in the bason, bee put on a [illegible: 1 word], it is not required to be washed, &c. When [illegible: 1 word] the bl[illegible: 1 letter]ody place, they must wash it very faire, [illegible: 1 span] mark[illegible: 1 letter] of the blood, &c. Maimony, i[illegible: 1 span] [illegible: 1 word] sacrifice. ch. 8. s. 4. 10. These ordinances shadowed the con[illegible: 1 letter]agion of sin; (as did all the like in [illegible: 1 word] cases, Levit. 11. 32. 33. &c.) and the care that we should have to clense our selves by repentance and faith; 2 Cor. 7. 1. Heb. 10. 19. 22. The [illegible: 1 word] Hebrew Doctors had some knowledge of these mysteries; for speaking of this washing of garments, they give a reason, because it was necessary to doe-away-uncleannesse, by the waters that are on high: R. Menachem on Levit. 6. These are the spirituall waters, mentioned in Hebr. 10. 22. Iohn 7. 38. 39. Rev. 1. 5. and 22. 1. Zach. 13. 1. Esay 4. 4. Vers. 28. scowred] as the washing, was to be in the holy place, or Court; ver. 27. so it was required that the earthen vessell should be broken in the court, and the vessell of metal, should be scoured and rinsed with water in the court. The scowring, was with hot water, and the rinsing, with cold. With water, not with wine, or any mixture, or other liquor. Maim▪ ibidem. ch. 8. s. 11. 12. Of breaking the earthen vessells, see the notes on Lev. 11. 33. Ver. 29. holy of holyes] Hebr. holynes of holynesses, that is, most holy; and the Greeke addeth, unto the Lord. Ver. 30. into the Tent] as was the blood of the sin-offrings for the high Priest; & for the Church. See Lev. 4. 5. 16. The signification of this law, for the burning of such sacrifices, and that the Priests might not cate of them, was to shew the inability of that legall priesthood to reconcile men to God: and that men cleaving thereto, and not seeking for the better priesthood of Christ, could not bee saved. For such sinne-offrings as those Priests did eate, so typically bearing the peoples iniquitie, Lev. 10. 17. and taking it away, the blood of them came not into the sanctuary before God; which argued their unworthinesse. But Christ with his blood (shed for our sinnes,) entred into the holy place, (not that which was made with hands, but into very heaven) and hath obtained eternall redemption: Heb. 9. 11. 12. 24. And in that the legal priests, might not eate the flesh of that sinne-offring, whose blood was caried into the holy place, but the body was all burnt without the camp: the Apostle from hence saith; we have an Altar (meaning Christ,) wherof they have no right to eate, which serve the Tabernacle: (so excluding from Christ, all that cleaved to the rudiments of Moses. Which he proveth thus,) For the bodies of those beasts, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high Priest for sin, (wherein Christs sacrifice was most lively figured,) are burnt without the [illegible: 1 letter]ampe; (so that the Priest had no meat, or livelyhood thereby:) Wherfore Iesus also, that hee might sanctifie the people with his owne blood, suffred without the gate; (so accomplishing the type; and shewing withall, that such as would still serve the worldly sanctuary, had no right to eate of him, and live by him.) Let us goe forth therefore unto him, without the campe, bearing his reproach, &c. Heb. 13. 10.▪13. Teaching us hereby, to have communion with Christ, both by faith, in applying to our selves his death and sufferings, 1 Pet. 3. 18. Gal. 2. 20. and in partaking of his afflictions; going out from our earthly habitations, and seeking the things that are above, 1 Pet. 4. 1. Coloss. 2. 12. 13. and 3. 2. 1. Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sinne, Rom. 6. 6.