Matthew Poole and continuators on Leviticus 17

3 What man soever there be of the house of Israel, that killeth an oxe, or lamb, or goat in the camp , or that killeth it, out of the camp ,

Not for common use or eating, for such beasts might be killed by any person or in any place, but for sacrifice, as manifestly appears both from ver. 4. where that is expressed, and from the reason of this law, which is peculiar to sacrifices, ver. 5. and from Deut. 12. 5, 15. 21.

In Canaan the city answered to the camp, and so it forbids any mans doing this either in the city or in the country.

In Canaan the city answered to the camp, and so it forbids any mans doing this either in the city or in the country.

4 And bringeth it not unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, to offer an offering unto the LORD before the tabernacle of the LORD, blood shall be imputed unto that man : he hath shed blood, and that man shall be cut off from among his people :

This was appointed, partly in opposition to the heathens, who sacrificed in all places; partly to cut off occasions of Idolatry; partly to prevent the peoples usurpation of the Priests office; and partly to signify, that God would accept of no sacrifices but through Christ and in the Church; (of both which the Tabernacle was a type. See Heb. 9. 11.) and according to his own prescript. But though men were tyed to this law, God was free to dispense with his own law, which he did sometimes to the Prophets, as 1 Sam. 7. 9. and 11. 15. &c. and afterwards more fully and generally in the days of the Messiah, Mal. 1. 11. Ioh. 4. 21, 24.

He shall be esteemed and punished as a murderer both by God and by men, See Isa. 66. 3. The reason is, because he sned that blood which though not mans blood, yet was as pretious, being sacred and appropriated to God, and typically the price by which mens lives were ransomed.

By death, either by the hand of God, in case men do not know it or neglect to punish it, or by men, if the fact was publick and evident.

5 To the end that the children of Israel may bring their sacrifices, which they offer in the open field, even that they may bring them unto the LORD, unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation unto the priest, and offer them for peace-offerings unto the LORD.

Either 1. the Egyptians and other idolatrous nations, which commonly sacrificed to Idols or Devils in fields or any places: who are not here named but may be designed by the particle they, in way of contempt, as if they were not worthy to be named, as that particle is used, Luk. 14. 24. and 19. 27. Ioh. 7. 11. and 8. 10. Or rather, 2. the Israelites now mentioned, and plainly understood in the following they, who before the building of the Tabernacle, took the same liberty herein which the Gentiles did▪ from which they are now restrained.

He nameth these not exclusively to others, as appears from the reason of the law, and from ver. 8, 9. but especially, because in these the temptation was more common in regard of their frequency, and more powerful, because part of these belonged to the offerer, and the pretence was more plausible, because their sanctity was something of a lower degree than others, these being onely called holy, and allowed in part to the people, when the other are called most holy, and were wholly appropriated either to God, or to the Priests.

6 And the priests shall sprinkle the blood upon the altar of the LORD, at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and burn the fat for a sweet savour unto the LORD.

This verse contains a reason of the foregoing law, because of Gods propriety in the blood and fat, wherewith also God was well pleased, and the people reconciled. And these two parts onely are mentioned, as the most eminent, and peculiar, though other parts also were reserved for God.

Marginal references: Exod. 29. 18. chap. 4. 31.

7 And they shall no more offer their sacrifices unto devils , after whom they have gone a whoring : This shall be a statute for ever unto them throughout their generations.

So they did not directly or intentionally, but by construction and consequence, because the Devil is the author of idolatry, and is eminently served, pleased and honoured by it. And as the Egyptians were notorious for their Idolatry, as appears by the testimony of Scripture, and of all antient writers, so the Israelites were infected with their leaven, Ios. 24. 14. Ezek. 20. 7. and 23. 2, 3. And the name of Devils is commonly given in Scripture to Idols, yea even to those which seemed most innocent▪ as to Ieroboams Calves, 2 Chron. 11. 15. by which he and the people designed and professed to worship the true God, as is manifest from the nature of the thing, and from many places of Scripture, and the worshippers of Idols are esteemed and called worshippers of Devils. See Deut. 32. 17. Psal. 106. 37. 1 Cor. 10. 20. Rev. 9. 20. The Hebrew word rendred Devils signifies goats, either because goats were eminently worshipped by the Egyptians, as Herodotus, Strabo, and others note, and diverse of the Idols of the Heathens were of that or a like form, or because the Devil did oft appear to the Heathens in that shape, as their own authours note.

For Idolatry, especially in Gods people, is commonly called [illegible: 1 word] ▪ as Ezek. 16. 16, 26. & 23. 8, 19, 21, &c. and that justly, because it is a violation of that covenant by which they were peculiarly betrothed or married to God. See Hos. 2. 19, 18, 19.

10 And whatsoever man there be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn among you, that eateth any manner of blood, I will even set my face against that soul that eateth blood, and will cut him off from among his people.

(i. e.) I will be an enemy to him, and execute vengeance upon him immediately, because such persons probably would do this in private so as the Magistrate could not know nor punish it. See this or the like phrase, Lev. 20. 3. and 26. 17. Ier. 3. 12. Ezek. 14. 8.

Marginal references: Gen. 9. 4. chap. 7. 26. & 19. 26. Deut. 12. 16▪ & 15. 23. 1 Sam. 14. 33. Ezek. 44. 7.; Jer. 44. 11.

11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood , and I have given it to you upon the altar, to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul ▪

(i. e.) Of living creatures.

(i. e.) It depends upon the blood, is preserved and nourished by it, and is extinguished when the blood is gone. And this law was given to the Iews, an hard-hearted people, as they are oft said to be, that by this restraint from the blood of brute creatures they might be wrought to the greater abhorrency of taking away the life of a man.

Typically, and in respect of the blood of Christ which it represented, by which the atonement is really made, Heb. 9. 12. So the reason is double; 1 because this was the eating up of the price or ransom of their own lives, which in construction was the destroying of themselves. 2 because this was ingratitude and irreverence towards that sacred blood of Christ which they ought to have in continual venerution.

Marginal references: Heb. soul.

13 And whatsoever man there be of the children of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn among you, which hunteth and catcheth any beast or fowl that may be eaten, he shall even pour out the blood thereof, and cover it with dust ,

He instanceth in this kind, either because persons much given to that exercise are commonly too licentious, and being in haste might easily transgress, or because some might think the former prohibition did reach onely to the blood of such creatures as were offered to God in sacrifice.

Partly to beget an honourable respect unto the blood even of beasts, and much more of men; partly least the beasts should lick it up, and by tasting the sweetness of it be made more fierce and cruel to devour and destroy others; and partly as a license from God upon this condition giving them a right to kill and eat such creatures, without any fear of the blood being imputed to them; for as the not▪ covering of the blood portends the punishment which the sin of blood-shedding calls for, Iob 16. 18. Ezek. 24. [illegible: 1+ letters], 8. so covering it notes impunity.

Marginal references: Heb. that hunteth any hunting.; chap. 7. 26.

15 And every soul that eateth that which died of it self, or that which was torn with beasts, (whether it be one of your own country, or a stranger ) he shall both wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean untill the even: then shall he be clean.

To wit, through ignorance or inadverrency, as appears by the sleightness of the punishment, for if it was done knowingly, it was a presumptuous sin against an express law here and Deut. 14. 21. and therefore more severely punished.

Understand of the Proselytes, either of the Proselytes of the gate, who were obliged to observe the precepts of Noah, whereof this was one, or of the Proselytes of righteousness, or converts to the Jewish Religion: for other strangers were allowed to eat such things, Deut. 14. 21.

Marginal references: Exod. 22. 3[illegible: 1+ letters] Ezek. 44. 31.; Heb. a [illegible: 1 word] ▪; chap. 22. 8.

16 But if he wash them not, nor bathe his flesh, then he shall bear his iniquity .

(i. e.) The punishment of it, and therefore must offer a sacrifice for it. See Levit. 5. 1, 2, &c. and 7. 18.