Leviticus 9

Guar. IX. Ver. 1-24. Aaron enters upon his office with tokens of the divine approbation.—Here it may be proper to observe, that when Aaron and his sons were consecrated, according to the forms prescribed, they abode seven days in the tabernacle, till that consecration was completed; on the eighth day Aaron enters fully upon his office, by offering up the various kinds of sacrifices enjoined:—sin-offerings, burnt-offerings, peace-offerings; a meat-offering, and a wave-offering. He then blessed the people, himself first, and afterwards jointly with Moses. Now, we are told, the “glory of the Lord appeared to all the people; and there came a fire out from before the Lord in the most holy place, and consumed the burnt-offering upon the altar, which when the people saw they shouted, and fell upon their faces and worshipped.”

The fire from heaven was the well known token that all sacrifices were approved, their atonement accepted, and themselves pardoned. ((Genesis 4:4). (Judges 6:21). xiii. 19, 20. (1 Kings 18:38). (2 Chronicles 7:1), &c.) Well might the people then shout and it was, doubtless, a shout of religious joy, like that of their posterity, at the founding of the second temple; when the priests and the Levites sung together, “praising and giving thanks unto the Lord; because he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever toward Israel. And all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the Lord.” ((Ezra 2:11).) The prostration which immediately followed was, doubtless, an act of worship. The more we see of the glory of God in his Church, the louder will be our praises, and the humbler our adorations.

Notes on the verses

Ver. 36. Did all things.—This was necessary to be added to show the exact fulfilment of the commands delivered to Moses, and which are recorded in Exodus, ch. xxix.; and consequently the complete consecration and preparation of Aaron and his sons to fill the awfully important office of priests and mediators between God and the children of Israel, to offer sacrifices and make atonement for the sins of the people.—Bagster.

Chap. LX. Ver. 1. Eighth day.—Not on the eighth day of the month, but on the first day after their consecration, which was seven days, and before which they were deemed unfit to minister in holy things, being considered in a state of imperfection. All creatures, for the most part, were considered as in a state of uncleanness and imperfection seven days, and perfected on the eighth: see (Leviticus 12:2-3). xiv. 8, 10. xv. 13, 14, xxii. 27, (Numbers 6:9-10).—Bagster.

Ver. 8. Kid of the goats.—As the offering here is a kid, which was the sacrifice for the sin of the ruler, some think that the reading of the Samaritan and LXX. is to be preferred: “Speak unto the ELDERS of Israel.”—Bagster.

Ver. 21. As Moses commanded.—The Samaritan, LXX., Targum, Arabic, and thirty Hebrew MSS. read, “As the Lord commanded Moses.”—Booth.

Ver. 24. There came a fire out, &c.—Some of the Jewish writers say, that Abel’s offering was, in like manner, consumed by a stream of fire from the Shekinah. See the texts referred to in the Exposition. [These victims were consumed by a fire of no human kindling. Josephus says, that “a fire proceeded from the victims themselves, of its own accord, which had the appearance of a flash of lightning, and consumed all that was upon the altar.” It is not unlikely, that by the agency of the electric spark, sent immediately from the Divine Presence, the victims were consumed.

The heathens, in order to give credit to their worship, imitated this miracle, and said that Jupiter testified his approbation of the sacrifice by thunder and lightning.]—Bagster. The Persians, in Darius’ army, carried the sacred fire before them on silver altars followed by a procession of magi, singing hymns.—Oriental Lit. No. 19.