Matthew Poole and continuators on Leviticus 22

2 Speak unto Aaron, and to his sons, that they separate themselves from the holy things of the children of Israel, and that they profane not my holy name in those things which they hallow unto me: I am the LORD.

To wit, when any uncleanness is upon them, as it appears from ver. 3, 4.

(i. e.) from eating of those parts of the offerings, which belong to them. Onely of the tithes they might eat in that case.

Either the children of Israel, or the Priests: For both of them did in their kinds hallow, consecrate or offer them to God. But the former seems more probable, both because they are mentioned here, and ver. 3. where they are said to hallow, &c. and because this makes the argument stronger, it ill became the Priests to profane or pollute what the people did hallow.

3 Say unto them, whosoever he be of all your seed among your generations that goeth unto the holy things , which the children of Israel hallow unto the LORD, having his uncleanness upon him, that soul shall be cut off from my presence : I am the LORD.

To eat them, or to touch them, for if the touch of one of the people having his uncleanness upon him defiled the thing he touched, much more was it so in the Priest.

Either, from the place of my presence and from my ordinances by excommunication: He shall be excluded both from the administration and from the participation of them. Or, from the people among whom I am present, which commonly is expressed by cutting off from his people. Or, from the land of the living.

4 What man soever of the seed of Aaron is a leper, or hath a running issue, he shall not eat of the holy things untill he be clean. And whoso toucheth any thing that is unclean by the dead, or a man whose seed goeth from him.

(i. e.) Or woman, of Aarons seed: for they were under the same law.

Marginal references: chap. 15. 2.; Heb. [illegible: 1 word] of the reins.; chap. 14. 2. and 15. 13.; Num. 19. 11.; chap. 15. 1[illegible: 1+ letters]

7 And when the sun is down, he shall be clean, and shall afterward eat of the holy things, because it is his food .

(i. e.) His portion, the means of his subsistence. This may be added, to signifie why there was no greater nor longer a penalty put upon the Priests than upon the people in the same case, Levit. 11. and. 15. because his necessity craved some mitigation: Though otherwise the Priests being more sacred persons, and obliged to greater care and exemplariness deserved a greater punishment.

9 They shall therefore keep mine ordinance , lest they bear sin for it , and die therefore, if they profane it : I the LORD do sanctifie them.

Either this ordinance here treated of concerning abstaining from holy things when they are unclean: Or more generally, that great ordinance whereby I have made them the Guardians of holy places and things to keep them from all defilement by themselves or others. Heb. my watch, (i. e.) the watch or guard which I have commanded them to keep.

(i. e.) Incur guilt and punishment.

(i. e.) For the neglect or violation of it.

(i. e.) Their charge, or Gods ordinance about it.

10 There shall no stranger eat of the holy thing; a sojourner of the priests, or an hired servant shall not eat of the holy thing .

(i. e.) Of a strange family, who is not a priest, as ver. 12. compare Matth. 12. 4. But there is an exception to this rule ver. 11.

One that comes to his house and abides there for a season, and eats at his table.

Of these parts of the offerings, which fell to the priests share, as the breast and shoulder.

Marginal references: See I S[illegible: 1+ letters] 21. 6.

11 But if the priest buy any soul with his money, he shall eat of it, and he that is born in his house: they shall eat of his meat .

Because they were wholly his, and as such they were circumcised, Gen. 17. Exod. 12.

Marginal references: Heb. with the [illegible: 1 word] of his [illegible: 1 word].

12 If the priests daughter also be married unto a stranger , she may not eat of an offering of the holy things.

(i. e.) To one of another family, who is no priest. Yet the priests wife, though of another family, might eat. The reason of which difference is, because the wife passeth into the name, state and priviledges of her husband, from whom the family is denominated and esteemed.

Marginal references: Heb. a man a stranger.

14 And if a man eat of the holy thing unwittingly, then he shall put the fifth part thereof unto it , and shall give it unto the priest, with the holy thing .

Over and above the principal, and besides the ram to be offered to God, Levit. 5. 15.

Or, and shall give unto the Priest the holy thing, i. e. the worth of it, which the Priest was either to take to himself or to offer to God, as the nature of the thing was.

15 And they shall not profane the holy things of the children of Israel, which they offer unto the LORD.

Either 1. The people shall not prophane them, by eating them: Or 2. The Priests shall not profane them, i. e. suffer the people to prophane them, without censure and punishment. Both come to the same thing: The people shall not do it, nor the Priests suffer it.

16 Or suffer them to bear the iniquity of trespass , when they eat their holy things: for I the LORD do sanctifie them.

(i. e.) T[illegible: 1+ letters]ey i. e. the Priests, shall not (the negative particle being understood out of the foregoing clause, as Psal. 1. 5. and 9. 18.) suffer them, i. e. the people, to bear the iniquity of trespass, i. e. the punishment of their sin, which they might expect from God, and for the prevention whereof the priest was to see restitution made, &c. The words may be rendred thus, But (so the Hebrew vau is oft translated) they i. e. the Priests, shall make them, i. e. the people, to bear the iniquity, or punishment of their trespass or sin, i. e. they shall require from them reparations in manner here expressed.

Marginal references: Or, lade themselves with the iniquity of trespass in their eating.

18 Speak unto Aaron, and to his sons, and unto all the children of Israel, and say unto them, whosoever he be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers in Israel, that will offer his oblation for all his vows and for all his free-will-offerings, which they will offer unto the LORD for a burnt-offering:

Such as were Proselytes.

See on Levit. 7. 16.

Marginal references: chap. 1. 2, 3. 10.

19 Ye shall offer at your own will a male without blemish of the beeves, of the sheep, or of the goats.

For a burnt-offering, which was always of that kind: but the females were accepted in peace-offerings, Levit. 3. 1. and sin-offerings, Levit. 4. 32. and 5. 6.

21 And whosoever offereth a sacrifice of peace-offerings unto the LORD, to accomplish his vow, or a free-will-offering in beeves or sheep, it shall be perfect, to be accepted: there shall be no blemish therein.

To wit, none of the blemishes mentioned ver. 22, 24. for some blemishes did not hinder the acceptance of a free-willoffering, but onely of a vow, ver. 23.

Marginal references: chap. 3. 1.; Or, goats.

23 Either a bullock, or a lamb that hath any thing superfluous or lacking in his parts, that mayest thou offer for a free-will-offering: but for a vow it shall not be accepted.

Either 1. To the Priest, who might, according to the rules given by God, either convert it to his own use, or sell it, and lay out the price of it upon the Temple or Sacrifices. But in this sense any of the other kinds, as blind, or broken, &c. might be offered, which yet are forbidden to be offered, ver. 22. or rather 2. To the Lord, as is expressed, ver. 22. and 24. this being put down by way of opposition to those defects ver. 22. and by way of exception from the general rule, ver. 21.

Marginal references: Or, kid.; chap. 21. 18.

25 Neither from a strangers hand , shall ye offer the bread of your God of any of these ; because their corruption is in them , and blemishes be in them: they shall not be accepted for you .

To wit, from Proselytes, from whom less might seem to be expected, and in whom God might bear with some things, which he would not bear with in his own people: Yet even from those such should not be accepted, much less from the Israelites.

(i. e.) The sacrifices. See on Levit. 21. 8.

(i. e.) So corrupted or defective. Which clause limits the sense and kinds of offerings, and cuts off another more general interpretation received by many, to wit, that he forbids the receiving of any offering, whether blemished or perfect, from the hands of a stranger remaining in Heathenism.

(i. e.) They are corrupt, vitious and unlawful sacrifices.

Or, from you, O Priest, to whom it belongs to offer. You shall bear the blame of it, for the strangers might do so through ignorance of Gods Law.

27 When a bullock, or a sheep, or a goat is brought forth, then it shall be seven dayes under the dam, and from the eighth day and thenceforth, it shall be accepted for an offering made by fire unto the LORD.

See on Exod. 22. 30. and 23. 19.

Marginal references: Exod. 34. 26. Deut. 14. 21.

28 And whether it be cow, or ewe, ye shall not kill it and her young both in one day .

Because it savoured of cruelty. See on Deut. 22. 6.

Marginal references: Or, she-goat.; Deut. 12. 6.

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

(i. e.) What and when you please, so the rules be observed: Or, for your acceptance, as Levit. 1. 3. i. e. in such manner that God may accept it, i. e. regularly, chearfully, &c.

32 Neither shall ye profane my holy name , but I will be hallowed among the children of Israel: I am the LORD which hallow you ,

Either by despising me and my commands your selves, or by giving others occasion to profane it.

Or, sanctified, either by you in keeping my holy commands, or upon you in executing my holy and righteous judgments, Levit. 10. 3. Isa. 26. 15. I will manifest my self to be an holy God that will not bear the transgression of my laws.

By separating you from all the world unto my self and service, by giving you holy laws, and my holy spirit to enable and in[illegible: 1+ letters]line [illegible: 1+ letters]ou to keep them, and therefore you have the more reason to hallow me and keep my commands, and are the more inexcusable if you transgress them.

Marginal references: chap. 10. 3.