Leviticus 16
DOYLY— by the hand of a fit man] According to the Jews, the appointment of the person rested with the high priest, who generally did not appoint an Israelite. Dr. Wells.
— into the wilderness.] The goat was sent into the most desert places of the wilderness, in token that the sins of the Israelites were quite carried away, to be found no more. Bp. Patrick.
It is not certainly known into what wilderness they used to send the goat, when they were settled in Canaan. The Hebrews call it the wilderness of Tsuk, which, they say, was ten miles from Jerusalem: they add that, at the end of each mile there was a booth erected, where men stood ready with meat and drink, which they offered to him that went with the goat, lest he should faint by the way; when they came to the end of the distance, the goat was led to the top of a rock, and then let loose, to carry the sins of the people out of sight. Lewis.
— ye shall afflict your souls.] By fasting and abstinence, not only from all meat and drink, but from all other pleasure whatsoever. Bp. Patrick.
They observed this solemnity so strictly, that on it they were not permitted to wash their faces, much less to anoint their heads, or to wear their shoes, or even (if their doctors say true) to read any portion of their Law, which gave them delight. They abstained, likewise, not only from pleasure, but from labour, nothing being to be done on this day, but confession of sins, and repentance. This was the only fast appointed by the law of Moses, although, in succeeding times, many others were appointed by the authority of the state. Lewis.
They were to afflict their souls on this day, because, as follows in the next verse, their sins were then expiated. Expiated, how? By “the blood of bulls and of goats!” That is impossible, as the Apostle teaches. Heb. x. 4; but they were expiated by the blood of Christ, then represented to them under types and shadows. Bp. Beveridge.
Leviticus 16:13
- — that he die not.] That the brightness of the glory might be so far clouded and intercepted as not to be insupportable to his gaze. Lamy.
Leviticus 16:15
- — and bring his blood within the vail, &c.] The Jews did all believe that the tabernacle signified this world; and the Holy of Hohes the highest heavens; wherefore, as the high priest did slay the sacrifice, and with the blood thereof did pass through the rest of the tabernacle, and with that blood enter into the Holy of Hohes; so was the Messiah to offer Himself up, and, being slain, to pass through all the courts of this world below, and with His blood to enter into the highest heavens, the most glorious seat of the Majesty of God. Bp. Pearson.
Leviticus 16:16
- — he shall make an atonement for the holy place.] He shall purify the Holy place, which, on account of the legal pollutions and transgressions of the people, was so defiled as to be unfit for the abode of the Divine Glory, without this yearly atonement. Dr. Wells.
Leviticus 16:17
- — there shall be no man in the tabernacle] This was commanded out of reverence to the Divine Majesty, then manifesting itself in a most special manner. Lamy.
Leviticus 16:18
- — he shall go out unto the altar] “He shall go out” of the tabernacle “unto the altar” of burnt offerings, which was in the court of the tabernacle, and for which it was as necessary to make atonement, as for the altar of incense. Dr. Wells.
Leviticus 16:21
- — putting them upon the head of the goat.] By the high priest putting his hands upon the head of the goat, and confessing the sins of the people over it, (with prayer to God to remit them,) those sins were all charged
Leviticus 16:22
- And the goat shall bear — all their iniquities] As S 2 Before CHRIST 1600. of opportunity. paration. The scapegoat. The yearly feast Before CHRIST 1490.
tabernacle of the congregation, and shall put off the linen garments, which he put on when he went into the holy place, and shall leave them there:
Leviticus 16:24
- And he shall wash his flesh] To purify himself, as it should seem, after he had touched the goat, which bare all their iniquities; though others understand that it was in token he had now finished the expiation. Bp. Patrick.
Leviticus 16:27
- — shall one carry forth without the camp.] To be a type and figure of the more perfect sacrifice of Christ the Messiah, who was to suffer “without the gate,” Hebr. xii. 11, 12. Pyle.
It is observable, that the bodies of those beasts, which were offered in the most solemn manner on these occasions, were burnt “without the camp” during the service of the tabernacle, and “without the gate” of Jerusalem after the building of the temple; and that every person who touched them, contracted a legal uncleanness, and was not suffered to mingle with his brethren, till the prescribed rites of purification had passed upon him. The reason of which ordinances is, that those sacrifices were charged with the sins of the people, from the instant that the people were discharged of them; and consequently the same blemish rested on the body of the beast now, which was upon the persons before the oblation was made. Deon Stanhope.
The Holy of Holies on earth represented the residence of the Deity in heaven. The service that was performed in it consequently represented the service that was to be performed in heaven. The high priest
under the Law, therefore, represented the person of our great High Priest and Intercessor on this occasion; and the blood which he sprinkled before the cherubim on the mercy seat, was the type of that blood, the merits of which our great High Priest, when “entered within the vali,” Heb. vi. 19, 20, was afterwards to plead before his Heavenly Father. “Christ (says the Apostle) is not entered into the holy places made with hands, (that is, into the Holy of Holies in the temple), which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, (the natural residence of the Deity,) now to appear in the presence of God for us,” Heb. ix. 24. And, as the high priest on earth was not permitted to enter into the Holy of Holies on the great day of atonement, “without blood of others;” so his great Antitype, Jesus Christ, “being come an High Priest of good things to come,” qualified His human nature for an entrance into the Holy place in heaven, by the offering of His own blood. Each high priest acted under a public character, each sustaining the persons of those whom he represented. The high priest under the Law “offered for himself and for the errors of the people.” Our great High Priest under the Gospel “appeared in the presence of God for us;” whilst the burning the sin offering “without the camp,” answers to Christ’s suffering “without the gate” of Jerusalem. On this great and solemn day of general humiliation, both priests and people were required, by an everlasting statute, to plead virtually guilty to the sentence that had been denounced against sin: the particular service of this day being expressly calculated to leave a stronger impression on the human mind, respecting the nature of sin and the manner in which its effect was, by Divine appointment, to be done away, than if such ideas had been conveyed only by words. For on that day, the appointed atonement, by sprinkling before the mercy seat the blood of the sin offering which had been slain, was accepted both for priests and people; “to cleanse them, that they might be clean from all their sins before the Lord.” Whilst, for the more complete satisfaction of the Jewish worshippers on this occasion, the high priest proceeded to confess over the head of one of the two goats, which had been brought by the congregation of the children of Israel, for the business of this day’s solemnity, all the iniquities of the children of Israel and all their transgressions in all their sins; and putting them on the head of the live goat, sent him away as the scapegoat for the children of Israel into an uninhabited land. A ceremony which carries with it so obvious an interpretation, as to render all comment on it unnecessary. Archdeacon Danbury.
Leviticus 16:29
- — in the seventh month, on the tenth day] Maimoof the expiations. The offering of the blood.
ye shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether it be one of your own country, or a stranger that so-journeth among you:
Leviticus 16:30
- that ye may be clean from all your sins] Not from sins committed against the eternal laws of God, but from sins against the ritual laws contained in this book, when committed through ignorance or error. In respect to these, they were to be esteemed clean before God, on atonement being thus made for them, and on their performing the duties required on this day. Dr. Wells.
Leviticus 16:31
- — a sabbath of rest] in the Hebrew, A sabbath of sabbaths; meaning a perfect and peculiar sabbath. Bp. Patrick.
Chap. XVII. ver. 3. — that killeth an ox, or lamb, &c.] Not for his own private use or occasion, but for publick
for all their sins once a year. And he did as the LORD commanded Moses.