Leviticus 7

LIkewise this is the law of the trespass-offering: it is most holy.

In the place where they kill the burntoffering, shall they kill the trespass offering, and the blood thereof shall he sprinkle round about upon the altar.

And he shall offer of it all the fat thereof, the rump, and the fat that covereth the inwards,

And the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them which is Or, and that which is, &c. So this is another fat, as may seem probable from the mention of the several parts, the kidneys, and the flanks. For it seems preposterous after a plain and exact description of the very particular place of the fat, the kidneys, to adde another more dark and doubtful description of it from the flanks. And the Hebrew writers, whose common practise of these things makes them the best interpreters of it, make these divers kinds or parts of fat. And so there is only an Ellipsis of the conjunction copulative, which is Psal. 133. 3. and in many other places, as has been already showed. by the flanks, and the caul that is above the liver, with the kidneys, it shall he take away.

And the Priest shall burn them upon the altar, for an offering made by fire unto the LORD: it is a trespass-offering.

Every male Supposing him not to have any uncleannesse upon him, verse 20. or other impediment. among the priests shall eat thereof: it shall be eaten in the holy place: it is most holy.

As the sin offering is, so is the trespass-offering To wit, in the matter here following, for in other things they differed.: there is one law for them: the priest that maketh atonement therewith shall have it (i. e.) By a Synecdoche that part of it, which was by God allowed to the Priest. See Levit. 6. 26..

And the priest that offereth any mans burntoffering, even the priest shall have to himself the skin of the burnt-offering which he has offered.

And all the meat-offering Except the part reserved by God, Levit. 2. 2, 9. that is baken in the oven, and all that is dressed in the frying-pan, and in the pan, shall be the priests that offereth it Because these were ready drest and hot, and to be presently eaten, and because the priest who offered it was in reason to expect, and have something more than his brethren who laboured not about it, and that he had only in this offering, for the other were equally distributed..

And every meat-offering mingled with oyl, and dry Without oyl, or drink-offering, as those Levit. 5. 11. Numb. 5. 15. shall all the sons of Aaron have, one as much as another The sense may be either 1. That every priest shall have equal right to this, when the course of his ministration comes. But then there was no reason to make so great an alteration of the phrase, nor to make any distinction of the differing kinds of meat-offerings, if in both they were to be the Priest that offered them, as is expressed verse 9. and here, as they say, intended. Or rather 2. That these were to be equally divided among all the priests. And there was manifest reason for this difference, because these were in greater quantity than the former, and being raw might more easily and commodiously be divided and reserved for the several priests to dress it in that way which each of them best liked..

And this is the law of the sacrifice of peace offerings which he shall offer unto the LORD.

If he offer it for a thanksgiving For mercies received. See Levit. 22.... 2..... 31. and 33. 16., then he shall offer with the sacrifice of thanksgiving unleavened cakes mingled with oyl, and unleavened wafers anointed with oyl, and cakes mingled with oyl, of fine flour fryed.

Besides the cakes he shall offer for his offering, leavened bread Partly because this was a sacrifice of another kind than those in which leaven was forbidden, this being a sacrifice of thanksgiving for Gods blessings, among which leavened bread was one; partly to show that leaven was not so strictly forbidden in other sacrifices as if it were evil in it self, but to teach us wholly to rest in the will of God in all his appointments without too scrupulous an enquiry into the particular reasons of them. Obj. Leaven was universally forbidden, Lev. 2. 11. Ans. 1. That prohibition concerned only things offered and burnt upon the Altar, which this bread was not, but it was offered only towards the Priests food. 2. That was another kind of sacrifice, and therefore it is no wonder if it had other Rites. 3. That leaven was not universally forbidden appears from Levit. 23. 17. with the sacrifice of thanksgiving of his peace-offerings Or, With to... sacrifice of thanksgiving for his peace or prosperity..

And of it Of it, (i. e.) Either of the loaves of leavened bread mentioned verse 13. or of the offering, one of each part of the whole oblation, as it follows, it being most probable and agreeable to the rules and laws laid down before and afterward, that the Priest should have a share in the unleavened cakes and wafers as well as in the leavened bread. Concerning the heaveofferings. See Exod. 29. 24, 28. he shall offer one out of the whole oblation for an heave-offering n unto the LORD, and it shall be the priests that sprinkleth the blood of the peace-offerings.

And the flesh of the sacrifice of his peaceofferings for thanksgiving shall be eaten By the Priests and offerers, Levit. 22. 30. the same day that it is offered: he shall not leave any of it untill the morning.

But if the sacrifice of his peace-offering be a vow Offered in performance of a vow, the man having desired some special favour from God, and vowed the sacrifice to God if he would grant it,, or a voluntary offering Which a man freely offered to God, in testimony of his Faith and Love to God, without any particular injunction from God, or design of his own special advantage thereby. See Levit. 22. 23. Ezek. 46. 12., it shall be eaten the same day that he offereth his sacrifice: and on the morrow also the remainder of it shall be eaten Which was not allowed for the thank-offering. The reason of which difference is to be fetched only from Gods good pleasure and will, to which he expects our obedience, though we discern not the reason of his appointments..

But the remainder of the flesh of the sacrifice, on the third day, shall be burnt with fire That it might neither putrefie, and thereby be exposed to contempt; nor yet be reserved either for superstitious abuse, or for the Priests domestick use, which would savour of covetousness and of distrust of Gods care for their future provisions..

And if any of the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace-offerings be eaten at all on the third day, it shall not be accepted, neither shall it be imputed unto him For an acceptable service to God. that offereth it: it shall be an abomination, and the soul that eateth of it shall bear his iniquity.

And the flesh To wit, of the holy offerings, of which he is here treating, and therefore the general word is to be so limited; for other flesh one might eat in this case, Deut. 12. 15, 22., that toucheth any unclean thing After its oblation: which might easily happen, as it was conveyed from the Altar to the place where it was eaten: for it was not eaten in the holy place, as appears, because it was eaten by the priests together with the offerers, who might not come thither., shall not be eaten: it shall be burnt with fire, and as for the flesh i. e. The other flesh, that which shall not be polluted by any unclean touch., all that be clean Whether priests or offerers, or guests invited to the feast. See 1 Sam. 9. 12. and 20. 26. Both the flesh and the eaters of it must be clean. shall eat thereof.

But the soul that eateth Knowingly: for if it were done ignorantly, a sacrifice was accepted for it, Levit. 5. 2. of the flesh of the sacrifice of peace-offerings, that pertain unto the LORD, having his uncleanness upon him (i. e.) Not being cleansed from his uncleanness according to the appointment, Levit. 11. 24, &c. This verse speaks of uncleanness from an internal cause, us by an issue, &c. for what was from an external cause is spoken of in the next verse., even that soul shall be cut off from his people.

Moreover, the soul that shall touch any unclean thing, as the uncleanness of man Or, Of woman, for the word signifies both, and that there were such things coming from Men or Women, the touch whereof did pollute men and things may be seen Levit. 15. and elsewhere. Others make it an Hypallage,... anness, for a man of uncleanness, or, man. But that seems not necessary here., or any unclean beast, or any abominable unclean thing, and eat of the flesh of the sacrifice of peaceofferings, which pertain unto the LORD: even that soul shall be cut off from his people.

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, ye shall eat no manner fat of oxe, or of sheep, or of goat The general prohibition of eating sat, Lev. 3. 17. is here explained of and restrained to those kinds of creatures which were sacrificed to God..

And the fat of the beast that dieth of it self, and the fat of that which is torn with beasts He speaketh still of the same kinds of beasts, and shows that this prohibition reacheth not only to the fat of those beasts which were offered to God, but also of those that died or were killed at home. And if this seems a superfluous prohibition concerning the fat, since the lean as well as the fat of such beasts was forbidden, Levit. 22. 8. it must be noted that that prohibition reached only to the priests, verse 4., may be used in any other use: but ye shall in no wise eat of it.

For whosoever eateth the fat of the beast, of which men offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD, even the soul that eateth it, shall be cut off from his people.

Moreover, ye shall eat no manner of blood, whether it be of fowl or of beast in any of your dwellings.

Whatsoever soul it be that eateth any manner of blood, even that soul shall be cut off from his people.

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, He that offereth the sacrifice of his peace-offerings, unto the LORD, shall bring Not by another, but by himself, as it is explained ver. 30. his oblation (i. e.) Those parts of the peace-offering which are in a special manner offered to God, to wit, the fat, and breast and shoulder, as it follows. unto the LORD (i. e.) To the Tabernacle, where the Lord was present in a special manner. He shows, that though part of such offerings might be eaten in any clean place, Levit. 10. 14. yet not till they had been killed and part of them offered to the Lord in the place appointed by him for that purpose., of the sacrifice of his peace-offerings.

His own hands shall bring After the beast was killed and the parts of it divided, the Priest was to put the parts mentioned into the hands of the offerer. See Exod. 29. 22 23, 24. the offerings of the LORD made by fire So called not strictly, as burnt-offerings are because some parts of these were left for the Priest, ver. 31. but more largely, because even these peace-offerings were in part, though not wholly, burnt., the fat with the breast, it shall he bring, that the breast may be waved To and fro, by his hands, which were supported and directed by the hands of the Priest. for a wave-offering before the LORD.

And the priest shall burn the fat upon the altar: but the breast shall be Aarons and his sons (i. e.) The portion of every succeeding High-priest and his family, compare Exod. 29. 26..

And the right shoulder shall ye give unto the priest for an heave-offering of the sacrifices of your peace-offerings.

He among the sons of Aaron that offereth the blood of the peace-offerings, and the fat, shall have the right shoulder for his part.

For the wave-breast and heave-shoulder The breast or heart is the... eat of Wisdom, and the shoulder of strength for action, and these two may denote that Wisdom and Virtue or Power which was in Christ our High-priest, 1 Cor. 1. 24. and which ought to be in every priest. have I taken of the children of Israel, from off the sacrifices of their peace-offerings, and have given them unto Aaron the priest, and unto his sons, by a statute for ever, from among the children of Israel.

This is the portion of the anointing (i. e.) Of the Priesthood, the sign put for the thing signified, and the anointing by a like figure is put for the right, or part, of the sacrifices belonging to the Priest by virtue of his anointing, as plainly appears from the words here following, out of the offerings, &c. of Aaron, and of the anointing of his sons, out of the offerings of the LORD made by fire, in the day This was their portion appointed them by God in that day, and therefore to be given to them in after ages. Or, from the day, &c. and thence forward, the Hebrew preposition beth being put for min, as it is frequently. when he presented them, to minister unto the LORD in the priests office.

Which the LORD commanded to be given them of the children of Israel, in the day that he anointed them, by a statute for ever throughout their generations.

This is the law of the burnt-offering, of the meat-offering, and of the sin-offering, and of the trespass-offering, and of the consecrations (i. e.) Of the sacrifice offered at the consecration of the Priests., and of the sacrifice of the peace-offerings:

Which the LORD commanded Moses in mount Sinai in the day that he commanded the children of Israel to offer their oblations unto the LORD, in the wilderness of Sinai.