Matthew Poole and continuators on Leviticus 16

2 And the LORD said unto Moses, Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the holy place within the vail , before the mercy-seat, which is upon the ark that he die not : for I will appear in the cloud by the mercy-seat.

Not whensoever he pleaseth, but onely when I shall appoint him, to wit, to take down the parts and furniture of it upon every removal, and to minister unto me once in the year, Exod. 30. 10.

i. e. Into the Most Holy, or the Holy of Holies, as the following words demonstrate, which is sometimes called onely the holy place, as Heb. 9. 2, 3▪ the positive degree put for the comparative, which is not unusual in Scripture.

To wit, the second vail. See Levit. 4. 6.

For his irreverence and presumption.

Visibly and gloriously: That is as it were my presence-chamber, whither the Priest shall not dare to come but when I call him.

Either in that dark place, for there was no light came into it, and clouds and darkness go together and one may be put for the other: or in a bright and glorious cloud, which used to be over the mercy-seat, or rather in the cloud of incense mentioned afterward, ver. 13.

Marginal references: Exod. 30. 10. Heb. 9. 7.; Exod. 40. 35. 1 King. 8. 12.

3 Thus shall Aaron come into the holy place, with * a young bullock for a sin-offering , and a ram for a burnt-offering.

In this manner or upon these terms.

(i. e.) with the blood of it, as it is explained ver. 14. So it is a Synecdoche, the whole put for the part. For as for the body of it, that was to be killed and offered without upon the Altar of burnt▪offerings.

For his own and families sins, for a goat was offered for the sins of the people.

Marginal references: chap. 4. 3.

4 He shall put on the holy linen coat , and he shall have the linen breeches upon his flesh, and shall be girded with a linen girdle, and with the linen mitre shall he be attired. These are holy garments : therefore shall he wash his flesh in water, and so put them on.

It is observable that the High-priest did not now use his peculiar and glorious robes, but onely his linnen garments, which were common to him with the ordinary priests. The reason whereof was either because this was not a day of feasting and rejoycing, but of mourning and humiliation, at which times people were to lay aside their ornaments, Exod. 33. 5. Some conceive, that under the linen garments here named are comprehended his more glorious robes also by a Synecdoche. But that doth not appear neither from hence, nor from other places alledged. Had onely his holy garments been mentioned in general, all might have been understood, but when onely the linen apparel is mentioned here and after ver. 23. and when that is so particularly expressed in four several parts of it, and not a word of the other either here or in the rest of the chapter, it seems presumptuous to adde them here without any ground or evidence. Or because it was fit he should not exalt but abase himself, when he was to appear before the divine Majesty, and therefore he was to come in the meanest of his Priestly habits: Or that it might be an evidence of the imperfection of this Priesthood, and of the great difference between the Levitical, and the true, High-Priest Christ Jesus, whose prerogative alone it is to go into the true Holy of Holies with his glorious robes, when this must carry thither the characters of his meanness.

Because appropriated to an holy and religious use, for which reason other things are called holy. See Exod. 29. 31. and 30. 25. and 2 Chron. 5. 5.

Marginal references: Exod. 28. 39, 4[illegible: 1+ letters].; Exod▪ 30▪ [illegible: 1+ letters]0.

6 And Aaron shall offer his bullock of the sinoffering, which is for himself, and make an atonement for himself, and for his house .

(i. e.) His family, as Gen. 7. 1. to wit, the Priests and Levites. See Numb. 1. 49.

Marginal references: Heb. 9. 7.

8 And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats: one lot for the LORD , and the other lot for the scape-goat.

For the Lords use and service by way of sacrifice. Both this and the other Goat typified Christ, this in his death and passion for us, that in his Resurrection for our deliverance.

Marginal references: Heb. Azazel.

9 And Aaron shall bring the goat upon which the LORDS lot fell , and offer him fo[illegible: 1+ letters] a sinoffering.

So the lot is said to fall, Ionah 1. 7. Act. 1. [illegible: 1+ letters]6. Heb. went up, to wit, out of the vessel, into which the lots were put, and out of which they were brought up.

Marginal references: Heb. went up.

10 But the goat on which the lot fell to be the scape-goat, shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make an atonement with him , and to let him go for a scape-goat into the wilderness.

In manner hereafter expressed, ver. 21. 22.

11 And Aaron shall bring the bullock of the sin-offering, which is for himself, and shall make an atonement for himself, and for his house, and shall kill the bullock of the sin-offering which is for himself.

Mentioned in general ver. 6. The ceremonies whereof are here particularly described. This was a differing bullock or heifer from that Numb. 19. as appears by comparing the places.

12 And he shall take a censer full of burning coals of fire from off the altar before the LORD, and his hands full of sweet incense beaten small, and bring it within the vail .

To wit, of burnt-offering, where the fire was alwayes burning, and whence fire was taken for such uses as these.

Of which see Exod. 30. 34, 35, 38.

(i. e.) Into the Holy of holie[illegible: 1+ letters], ver. 2.

13 And he shall put the incense upon the fire before the LORD, that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy-seat that is upon the testimony, that he die not .

Which was in the censer, ver. 12.

For so gross an errour committed in the highest acts of worship, and that by an High-Priest, whose knowledge and function was a great aggravation to his sin.

14 And he shall take of the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it with his finger upon the mercy-seat eastward : and before the mercy-seat shall he sprinkle of the blood with his finger seven times.

To teach us, that God is mercifull to sinners onely through and for the blood of Christ.

(i. e.) With his face east-ward, or upon the eastern part of it, towards the people, who were in the court which lay east-ward from the Holy of holies, which was the most western part of the Tabernacle. This signified that the High-priest in this act represented the people, and that God accepted it on their behalf.

On the ground.

Marginal references: Heb. 9. 13. and 10. 4.; chap. 4. 6.

15 Then shall he kill the goat of the sinoffering that is for the people, and bring his blood within the vail, and do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it upon the mercy-seat, and before the mercy-seat.

Either this was done before he entred into the Holy of holies, though it be mentioned after, such trans-placings of passages being not unusual: or rather he went out of the Holy of holies, and killed it, and then returned thither again with its blood, and this agrees best with the text, nor are transpositions to be allowed without necessity. And whereas the Highpriest is said to be allowed to enter into that place but once in▪a year, that is to be understood, but one day in a year, though there seems to have been occasion of going in and coming out more than once upon that day.

16 And he shall make an atonement for the holy place , because of the uncleannesses of the children of Israel , and because of their transgressions in all their sins: and so shall he do for the tabernacle of the congregation that remaineth among them, in the midst of their uncleannesses .

Of which see below ver. 19, 20. and Exod. 29. 36. Lev. 8. 15. Heb. 9. 13.

For though the people did not enter into that place, yet their sins entred thither, and would hinder the effects of the High-priests mediation on their behalf, if God was not reconciled to them.

Encompassed with their sins▪ being in the midst of a sinfull people who defile not themselves onely, but also Gods Sanctuary, as God complains, Ezek. 23. 38, 39.

Marginal references: Heb. dwelleth.

17 And there shall be no man in the tabernacle of the congregation , when he goeth in to make an atonement in the holy place, untill he come out, and have made an atonement for himself, and for his houshold, and for all the congregation of Israel.

(i. e.) In the holy place, where the Priests and Levites were at other times. This was commanded for the greater reverence to the Divine Maiesty then in a more special manner appearing, and that none of them might cast an eye into the Holy of holies, as the High-priest went in or came out.

Marginal references: Luk. 1. 10.; Heb. of meeting Exod. 29. 42.

18 And he shall go out unto the altar that is before the LORD, and make an atonement for it, and shall take of the blood of the bullock, and of the blood of the goat, and put it upon the horns of the altar round about.

To wit, the altar of incense, where the blood of sacrifices was to be put, Levit. 4. 4. and particularly the blood of the sin-offerings offered upon this day of atonement, Exod. 30. 10. and which is most truly and properly said to be before the Lord, i. e▪ before the place where God in special manner dwelt, to wit, the Holy of holies. Some understand it of the altar of burnt-offerings, because he is said to go out to it. But that going out relates not to the Tabernacle, but to the Holy of holie[illegible: 1+ letters] into which he was said to go in, ver. 17. Add to this, that this [illegible: 1 word] which is atoned by the High-priest seems to be in that place where he onely might now come, and therefore in the Holy place, called here the Tabernacle, from which all other priests were for this day excluded, whereas the altar of burntofferings was without the Holy place or Tabernacle, to wit at the door of it and in the court of the Priests.

19 And he shall sprinkle of the blood upon it with his finger seven times , and cleanse it, and hallow it from the uncleannesses of the children of Israel.

To signify its perfect cleansing, seven being a number of perfection, and our perfect reconciliation by the blood of Christ here represented.

21 And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins , putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness .

See on Exod. 29. 10. and Lev. 1. 4.

Confession of sin being a duty to accompany the sacrifice offered for it, as we see Lev. 5. 5. Numb. 5. 7.

Or, with or according to all their sins: for so the Hebrew particle is oft used. He mentions iniquities, transgressions, and sins, to note sins of all sorts, and that a very free and full confession was to be made, and that the smallest sins needed, and the greatest sins were not excluded from, the benefit of Christs death here represented.

Charging all their sins and the punishment due to them upon the goat, which though onely a ceremony, yet being done according to Gods appointment and manifestly pointing at Christ upon whom their iniquities and punishments were laid Isa. 53. 5, 6. it was available for this end. And hence the heathens took their custom of selecting one beast or man, upon whom they laid all their imprecations and curses, and whom they killed as an expiatory sacrifice for their sins and to prevent their ruine.

One that knows the wilderness, and the way to it, and what places in it are most convenient for that use. Heb. a man of time, i. e. of years and discretion, who may be trusted with this work.

Which signified the removal of their sins far away both from the people, and out of Gods sight or from the place of his presence. And here the goat being neglected by all men, and exposed to many hardships and hazards from wild beasts, which were numerous there, might further signify Christs being forsaken both by God and by men▪ even by his own disciples, and the many dangers and sufferings he underwent. The Iews write, that this goat was carried to the mountain called Azazel, whence the goat is so called, ver. 10. and that there he was cast down headlong, and that the red string by which he was led turned white, when God was pleased with the Israelites, otherwise it remained red: and then they mourned all that year. And the antient Hebrews write that 40 years before the destruction of the Temple, which was about the time of Christs death, this red string turned no more white.

Marginal references: Heb. a [illegible: 1 word] opportunity.

23 And Aaron shall come into the tabernacle of the congregation, and shall put off the linnen garments which he put on, when he went into the holy place, and shall leave them there.

Forthwith, not expecting the return of the man who carried the goat away, but securely committing that to Gods providence he shall go on in his work.

24 And he shall wash his flesh with water in the holy place , and put on his garments , and come forth, and offer his burnt-offering, and the burnt-offering of the people, and make an atonement for himself, and for the people.

Either in the laver appointed for that purpose. Or, in some other vessel within the holy place, because after he had washed in it he is said to come forth.

Not his ordinary Priestly linnen garments, for he was to leave them in the Tabernacle, ver. 23. but the High-priestly garments, called his garments properly and peculiarly, and by way of distinction from the former garments, which are called holy garments, ver. 4. and the linnen garments, ver. 23. but never his garments, as these are. And this change of his garments was not without cause. For the common Priestly garments were more proper and fit for him in the former part of his ministration, both because he was to appear before the Lord in the most holy place to humble himself and make atonement for his own and for the peoples sins, and therefore his humblest and meanest attire was most fit▪ and because he was to lay his hands upon that goat on which all their sins were put, by which touch both he and his garments would be in some sort defiled, and therefore as we read here that he washed himself or his flesh▪ so we may well presume his linnen garments were laid by for the washing, as the cloaths [illegible: 1+ letters]f him who carried away the scape-goat were washed ver. 26. And the High-priestly garments were most proper for the latter part of his work, which was of another nature.

26 And he that let go the goat for a scape-goat, shall wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in water, and afterward come into the camp.

Because he had contracted some degree of ceremonial uncleanness by the touch of the goat.

29 And this shall be a statute for ever unto you: that * in the seventh moneth , on the tenth day of the month, ye shall afflict your souls , and do no work at all, whether it be one of your own countrey, or a stranger that sojourneth among you.

See on Exod. 12. 14.

Answering part to our September and part to our October; when they had gathered in all their fruits, and were most at leasure for Gods service: This time God chose for this and other feasts, herein graciously condescending to mens necessities and conveniencies, being contented with that time which men could best spare.

Obj. It was on the ninth day, Lev. 23. 32. Ans. It began in the evening of the ninth day and continued till the evening of the tenth day, as is there sufficiently implyed.

i. e. your selves, as the word soul is frequently used, both your bodies by abstinence from food and other delights, and your minds by anguish and grief for former sins, which though bitter, yet is voluntary in all true penitents, who are therefore here said not to be afflicted, but to afflict themselves, or to be active in the work.

Marginal references: chap. 23. 27. [illegible: 1 word] 29. 7.

31 It shall be a sabbath of rest unto you, and ye shall afflict your souls by a statute for ever.

Observed as a sabbath day by cessation from all worldly and servile works and diligent attendance upon Gods worship and service.

32 * And the priest whom he shall anoint , and whom he shall † consecrate to minister in the priests office in his fathers stead, shall make the atonement, and shall put on the linen clothes, even the holy garments.

He[illegible: 1+ letters] i. e. either God, who commanded him to be anointed, as men are oft said to do what others do by their command, or the High-priest, who was to anoint his successour. Or, the third person is here put indefinitely or impersonally, for, who shall be anointed.

Marginal references: chap. 4. 3, 5, 6.; Heb. fill his [illegible: 1+ letters]d.