Leviticus 1

Chap. I. ver. 1.—the Lord called unto Moses.] The repetition, frequent as it is, of this form of promulgation is truly solemn and majestic, “The Lord called,” that is, He declared and published His pleasure distinctly and aloud, as princes on their thrones, and generals in their camps, are wont to do. Yet He did this, as the rabbies observe, with expressions of tenderness and love; for it was not for His own sake that He imposed on them these rites of worship, but for their’s; and that they might continually have in remembrance how much their whole dependence was upon Him. Biblioth. Bibl.

—of the herd, and of the flock] God limits the kinds, whether animate or inanimate, which His people were to sacrifice or offer unto Him; whereas the Gentiles took their own liberty, and offered a strange variety of species; and almost something of every kind which was valuable or serviceable to themselves; because, in the same proportion, they supposed it would be acceptable to their deities. Dean Spencer.

Leviticus 1:2

2.—If any man of you bring an offering] It is observable, that in this beginning of the laws respecting sacrifices, God does not command the Israelites to offer these rites; but, appearing to suppose that they would offer them in compliance with the customs in which they had been brought up, and the usages of the world at that time, directs them to Himself, as the right object, and limits them to such things as are most agreeable to human nature. They were to offer them, of the herd as bullocks, or of the flock as sheep and goats. Bp. Patrick. One great end of the Levitical sacrifices was the prevention of idolatry. God needed them not: the sacrifice of a pure and humble mind was more agreeable to Him who is an intellectual Spirit. But the Israelites doisted on such gross manner of expressing their devotion; and seeing they must needs offer sacrifice, it pleased God to give them a law which might indulge them in their inclinations, and restrain them from sacrificing unto idols. Abp. Timison. Sacrifices had been appointed from the fall of man, but the design of them had been perverted or forgotten. The sacrifices in the Levitical law are to be considered, first, in a carnal worldly view, as freeing the Jew from all contracted uncleanness, and rendering him worthy to continue a member of that church, and an inheritor of the land of Canaan. Idly, In a spiritual sense, with regard to the sacrifice of Christ, which was to cleanse them from sin, and fit them for an inheritance in the heavenly Canaan. Bp. Wilson. The institution of animal sacrifice had continued until the giving of the law, no other offering but that of an animal being recorded in Scripture, down to this period, except in the case of Cain, when the offering was rejected. But when we come to the promulgation of the law, we find the connexion between animal sacrifice and atonement or reconciliation with God, clearly and distinctly announced. It is here declared, that sacrifices for sin should, on conforming to certain prescribed modes of offering, be accepted as the means of deliverance from the penal consequences of transgression. Dr. Magee.

It is on the whole most probable that sacrifices were first instituted by God Himself, and enjoined to our first parents, presently after the fall: from whom, and afterwards from Noah, all nations received them by tradition. However, in process of time, these, as well as many other branches of religious faith and worship, were miserably corrupted: instead of brute animals, which God had appointed, human sacrifices grew into

shall bring your offering of the cattle, even of the herd, and of the flock.

Leviticus 1:3

3.—a burnt sacrifice] Burnt sacrifices were so called, because wholly burnt on the altar. These are the first and most ancient sort of sacrifices. They are mentioned by the Heathens, as well as the Jews; particularly by Xenophon, who speaks of offering burnt sacrifices of oxen to Jupiter, and of horses to the Sun. The Jews accounted these the most excellent of all their sacrifices. Some Christian writers make the burnt offering to be offered to God, as an acknowledgment of His being the Creator, Lord, and Preserver of all, worthy of all honour and worship. Others suppose that they were either to expiate the evil thoughts of the heart, as sin offerings and trespass offerings were to do for evil actions; or to atone for the breach of affirmative precepts, as those did for negative. But doubtless there was a further use and intention in these sacrifices, even to typify, and to direct the faith of the Old Testament believers to that only true atoning sacrifice, which the Son of God was to offer in due time. Hence Christ is said to have “offered up His body once for all,” Heb. x. 10; that is, His whole Self, His entire human nature. Dr. Jennings, Lewis.

—at the door of the tabernacle] Here the priest was carefully to inspect and examine the animal brought to be offered, to ascertain whether it was every way such as God required. In saying “the door of the tabernacle,” which was in some sense His proper house, and the abode of His divine Majesty, He admonished them to sacrifice to Himself alone, and not to any strange gods; which was the reason of His commanding all sacrifices to be brought to this place. Dr. Outram.

Leviticus 1:4

4.—put his hand upon the head] Thereby, as it were, transferring the punishment, which was due to himself, upon the sacrifice that was to be slain and offered up. Abp. Tillotson. This ceremony of putting the hand on the head denoted the entire devotion of things or persons to the special service of God. Dr. Outram. He who brought the victim was commanded to lay his hand upon the head of the animal: which action was esteemed an acknowledgment of his own guilt, and a prayer that it

Q 2 The burnt offerings of the flocks, and of the fowls- Before CHRIST 1490. it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him.

Leviticus 1:7

7. — shall put fire upon the altar.] Shall prepare the fire, and kindle the coals; for the original fire, as we read afterwards, came down from heaven. Biblioth. Bibl.

Leviticus 1:9

9. — a sweet savour] Acceptable to God as the testimony of the sincere devotion of the offerer. Bp. Kidder. It is a form of speech taken from men, who are delighted with the good scent and taste of meat and drink: none can reasonably imagine that the mere sacrifice was pleasing to God, but the devotion, faith, obedience, and sincerity of their minds who made the oblation. Bp. Patrick. See the note on Gen. viii. 21.

Leviticus 1:14

14. — turtledoves, or of young pigeons.] They were not to be birds of prey, or of the coarser kind, but of the more harmless and wholesome nature. Pyle. There was vast plenty of doves and pigeons in the land of Canaan, so that the poorest people could make this oblation without being put to any great charge. Pigeons were most esteemed when young, and on this account young pigeons are to be offered. Bp. Patrick. By means of this provision, the poor as well as the rich had it in their power to perform their religious duty, and make their offerings to God, who receives the services of the poor no less graciously than those of the rich, if they proceed from a sincere and willing mind. Ostervald. Chap. II. ver. 1. And when any will offer a meat offering] Here again is a merciful provision for those who were too poor to offer the sacrifice mentioned in the last chapter. The term “meat offering” should rather be translated bread offering, as use has now restrained the word meat to signify flesh. Dr. Wells. It was to be made of fine wheat flour, mixed with oil to give it a grateful flavour to the priests, ver. 3, and with frankincense, for the purpose, perhaps, of preventing an unpleasant smell in the court of the tabernacle. Bp. Patrick. The Hebrew word here for a meat offering is mincka, which denotes generally an oblation of the nature of a sacrifice, being consumed upon the altar;