Leviticus 8
DOYLYLeviticus 8:2
- — for a sin offering.] This sin offering was for himself, that is, for his own sins generally, ver. 8, to
show that the high priest was but a frail and sinful man like others; an imperfect intercessor, and but a type and resemblance of One, more perfect and complete, to come hereafter, Hebr. v. 5; vii. 27. Pyle. We here see the imperfection of the law of Moses: the high priest himself could not offer an acceptable sacrifice, until an atonement was made for him, whereas (to the praise of our Redeemer) we Christians have an High Priest without sin, and who is at God’s right hand, continually making intercession for all that come unto God by Him. Bp. Wilson.
— and offer them before the Lord.] It is observable, that no peace offering is ordered for the high priest, as there is afterwards for the people, ver. 4, because the offerer and the priest shared in this case the whole, after the fat was burnt; and it was not fitting that he should have all the sacrifice to himself. Bp. Patrick.
Leviticus 8:6
-
— washed them with water.] So Christ, our High Priest, as it were to consecrate that element for our baptism, was Himself baptized in the river Jordan. Biblioth. Bibl.
-
— the glory of the Lord shall appear unto you.] That is, a visible sign of the presence and favour of God: which was fulfilled, ver. 24, by His sending fire from heaven to consume the sacrifice. Any such token of God’s favour and more especial presence may be called “the glory of the Lord.” Compare 2 Peter i. 17, with Matt. xvii. 5; and Rom. ix. 4, with 1 Sam. iv. 22. Bp. Kidder.
Leviticus 8:8
- — the Urim and the Thummim.] See the note on Exod. xxviii. 30. It should be observed, that Moses here says nothing of the precious stones on the breastplate, as in Exod. xxxix. 10—13; but only mentions
the Urim and the Thummim; which seems to supply an additional proof that they were the same. Bp. Patrick.
Leviticus 8:14
- — for the sin offering:] The first part of the ceremony was an offering for sin; because, till their sins were expiated, they were not fit to offer any thing to God, much less to offer for the sins of others. Lewis.
Leviticus 8:15
- — and Moses took the blood, &c.] Moses had never been consecrated after the manner of Aaron, but he was made a priest for this peculiar purpose by an extraordinary commission. Lewis.
Leviticus 8:17
- But the bullock, &c.] We do not find that the blood of this sacrifice was carried into the holy place; whence it may be inferred, that no high priest, whether ordinary, or extraordinary, such as Moses now was, might eat of any sin offering, offered for the priests themselves, although the blood of it was not brought into the sanctuary. Hence we may infer, that although the sins of the people were taken away by the priests, who, by eating of their sin offering, plainly showed that they bare their iniquity, (as the phrase is, chap. x. 17;) yet the sins of the priests themselves could not be taken away by any sacrifice they could offer for sin, of which
The ram of consecration. Aaron and his sons sanctified. Before CHRIST 1400.
Leviticus 8:33
-
— and Moses took of the blood of it, &c.] This ceremony figured out our Christian privileges and duty. The blood represented that blood by which we are saved; the oil (ver. 12) our holy unction. The right ear is a symbol of our approved obedience, and the hand and foot, of our good actions. Biblioth. Bibl. They put the blood on the tip of their right ears, to signify, as the Jewish doctors discourse, that they should attend to the Divine prescriptions; and then upon their right thumbs and great toes, (in which lies the strength of the hands and feet,) to denote their strenuous and ready performance of their duty. As the right hand, &c. are mentioned, it may well be thought to signify the most exact and perfect obedience; the right hand, &c. being every where represented, as the most excellent, and the strongest to do execution. Lewis.
-
— ye shall not go out — for seven days] As Aaron Vol. I.
hands, and upon his sons’ hands, and waved them for a wave offering before the LORD.
Leviticus 8:35
- — day and night seven days.] This was to make their consecration more solemn, and to draw the observation of the people. By abiding “seven days,” a sabbath, as the Jews observe, passed over their heads, without which, they conceive, the consecration of Aaron and his sons could not have been completed. But the sabbath of the Lord did never so exactly pass over any high priest in his consecration, as it did over the great High Priest of the New Testament. For, however it was in Aaron’s consecration, it was to our blessed Saviour a day of rest indeed after six days of labour, watching, praying, and fasting, which concluded in His bloody death and passion. Bp. Patrick.
Leviticus 8:36
- — by the hand of Moses.] In this ordination of the priests, Moses performed the office of the consecrating priest. In after-times, on the death of the high priest, it is probable that the ceremony of consecrating his successor was performed by some of the inferior priests, the most venerable for rank and age. Calmet.
Chap. IX. ver. 1. — on the eighth day.] The eighth day from the beginning of the consecration of the priests. Bp. Patrick.