LEVITICUS.

(The Structure of the Book as a whole). (Repeated Alternation and Introversion).

A¹  1:1-7:38. The Offerings and their laws.

  B¹  D  8:1-10:20. Priesthood.

       E  11:1-15:33. Ceremonial Laws (Promulgation).

        C  16:1-34. Israel's Fast (Day of Atonement).

A²  17:1-16. The Offerings and their requirements.

  B²   E  18:1-20:27. Ceremonial laws (Penalties).

      D  21:1-22:33. Priesthood.

        C  23:1-25:55. Yahaveh's Feasts.

A³  26:1-27:34. The offerers and the charge.

   LEVITICUS. From the Septuagint and Vulgar, because thought to be pertaining to the Levites.
   The Hebrew name = vayyikra, being the first word = "And He called".
   Leviticus therefore, is the Book relating to worship: for only those whom God thus "calls" does He seek to worship Him. John 4:23, and compare Ps.65:4 - "Blessed is the man whom You choose, and cause to approach to You, that he may dwell in Your courts."
   All its types relate to worship, as those of Exodus relate to Redemption.
   The Holy Spirit is not once named, though referred to in all other Books of the Pentateuch, because all here relates to Christ; and it is the Spirits's work to glorify Christ (John 16:14).
   The whole of Leviticus, and Num.1:1-10:10, come between the first day of the first month (March 21-22) and the twenteth day of the second month (May 9-10th. Compare Num.10:11), on the hypothesis that Israel would forthwith advance and enter the land.
   The Book is generally held to have been written by Moses.Those critics even hold a different opinion as to the other Books of the Pentateuch assign this Book in the main to him. One of the most notable features of the Book is what may be called its spirtual meaning. That so elaborate a ritual looked beyond itself we cannot doubt. It was a prophecy of things to come; a shadow wheeof the substance was Christ and His kingdom. We may not always be able to say what the exact relation is between the type and the anti-type; but we cannot read the Epistle to the Hebrews and not acknowledge that the Levitical priests "served the pattern and type of heavenly things"; that the sacrifices of the law pointed to and foud their interpretation in the Lamb of God; that the ordinances of outward purification signified the true inner cleansing of the heart and conscience from dead works to serve the living God. One idea - HOLINESS - moreover penetrates the whole of this vast and burdensome ceremonial, an gives it a real glory even apart from any prophetic significance.

---

The Third Book of Moses,

called

"And He called".

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1:1-7:38. The Offerings and Their Laws.

(Introversion and Extended Alternation).

A¹  D  1:1,2. Introduction (General).
     x  E  1:3-17. Burnt offerings.
         F  2:1-16. Meal offerings.
          G  a  3:1-17. Peace offerings.
              b  4:1-6:7. Sin offerings.
     x  E  6:8-13. Burnt offerings.
         F  6:14-23. Meal offerings.
          G   b  6:24-7:10. Sin offerings.
             a  7:11-34. Peace offerings.
    D  7:35-38. Conclusion (Particular).

21-22nd March 1490 B.C.

1)

 1: And (This connects Lev. very closely with Ex., as Ex. is linked to Gen.) The Lord Yahaveh (Whose glory filled the Tabernacle [or dwelling place], Ex.40:35. No other book contains so many words of Yahaveh: "Yahaveh spoke", 36 times [see 5:14]; "I am Yahaveh", 21 times' "I am Yahaveh your Elhim", 21 times; "I am", 3 times; "I, Yahaveh, do", twice) called (the last letter of this word in Heb. is minuscular, i.e. smaller than the others. This calling is in contast with the thunders of Sinai) to Moses, and spoke to him (see 5:14) out of the tent of the congregation (there are 4 such calls; 1 from the burning bush, Ex.3:4; 2 73 from Sinai, Ex.19:3,20; and here), saying,
 2: "Speak to the sons of Israel, and say to them (cp. note on Jer.7:22,23), 'If any man (heb. 'adam, i.e. a descendant of Adam, not the priest) of you bring an admittance offering (all the offerings were what God had first given to man; only such can be accepted by Him) to The Lord (Yahaveh), you all shall bring your admittance offering of the cattle, even of the herd, and of the flock.

3-17. The Burnt Offerings.

(Yahaveh begins with the burnt offering and ends with the sin offering: we in our approach, begin with the sin offering and end with the burnt offering.)

 3: If his offering be a burnt sacrifice of the herd (so called from the Hiphil of the verb 'alah, to cause to asced as the flame and smoke ascend by burning. In Greek holocausta, which conveys its meaning as wholly burnt), let him offer a male (a female permitted in some offerings but not here, because of the type. Christ not the sinbearer here, as in ch.4) without blemish(Heb. tamin, said of all sacrifices, and the same of Noah, Gen.6:9): he shall offer it of his own voluntary will(not the same as a freewill offering. This is not a freewill offering. Heb. here = "to be accepted for him", i.e. in his stead. Cp. v.4. Cp. Ex.28:38. Lev.19:5; 22:19,20,29; 23:11. There was a double transfer: the unwothyness of the offerer was transfered to the victim; and the acceptableness of the offering was transfered to the offerer. This is confined to the burnt offerings and peace offerings; never wih the sin offerings) at the entrance of the tent of the congregation before Yehovah.
 4: And he shall put (Heb. lean, place, press. It could not be done by proxy. This was all that the sinner could do. It was for God to accept) his hand upon the head of the burnt offering; and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him. (Heb. kaphar, to cover the sinner and the sin, so that neither is seen. See Ex.29:23. No suchthing as progress in justification)
 5: And he shall kill the bullock before The Lord (Yehovah) (the sacrificer himself killed the sacrifice: the priest recieved the blood): and the priests, Aaron's sons, shall bring the blood, and sprinkle (=dash, Heb. throw or jerk) the blood round about upon the altar that is by the entrance of the tent of the congregation.
 6: And he shall flay (=have it flayed, skin not offered with burnt offering, only with the sin offering) the burnt offering, and cut it into his pieces. (To show that all was without blemish)
 7: And the sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire upon the altar, and lay logs in order upon the fire: (no other fuel might be used)
 8: And the priests, Aaron's sons, shall lay the parts, the head, and the fat, in order upon the wood (because with the future Antitype all was to be in order) that is on the fire which is upon the altar:
 9: But his inwards and his legs shall he wash in water (to render the sacrifice like the Antitype. Cp. Eph.5:26, all in order of God's word): and the priest shall burn all on the altar, to be a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a savour of satisfaction to The Lord (Yehovah). (Cp. Gen.8:21)

 10: And if his admittance offering (Heb. korban from karab. It is the present brought, to this day in the East, in order to secure an audience, or see the face of the superior, and find an access to his presence. Hence today called "the face offering". When the admittance has been secured and entrance has been obtained, then the real offering or preesent was to be given. Hence Korban is essentially an admittance offering; securing the entree. Cp. the verb, Judg.3:18. Cp. its use i the New Testament, Matt.5:23; 8:4; 23:18. Mar 7:11. Heb.5:1) be of the flocks, namely, of the sheep, or of the goats, for a burnt sacrifice; he shall bring it a male without blemish.
 11: And he (individual) shall kill it on the side of the altar northward before Yahaveh: and the priests, Aaron's sons, shall sprinkle his blood round about upon the altar.
 12: And he shall cut it into his pieces, with his head and his fat: and the priest shall lay them in order on the wood that is on the fire which is upon the altar:
 13: But he shall wash the inwards and the legs with water: and the priest shall bring it all, and burn it upon the altar: it is a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a savour of satisfaction to The Lord (Yahaveh).

 14: And if the burnt sacrifice for his offering to Yahaveh be of fowls, then he shall bring his admittance offering of turtledoves, or of young pigeons.
 15: And the priest shall bring it to the altar (to make up for the humble offering, the priest did this instead of the offerer), and wring off his head, and burn it on the altar; and the blood thereof shall be wrung out at the side of the altar:
 16: And he shall pluck away his crop with his feathers (or filth), and cast it beside the altar on the east part, by the place of the ashes:
 17: And he shall cleave it with the wings thereof, but shall not divide it asunder: and the priest shall burn it upon the altar, upon the wood that is upon the fire: it is a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a savour of satisfaction to Yahaveh.

2)

 1: And when any (=soul) shall draw near to offer an admittance offering of an oblation of a meal offering to The Lord (Yahaveh) (Heb. Minchah = a present, as such. Hence a gift offering, not necessarily to secure admittance, but to secure favor. It might be sacrifice by bood, or more generally and later, without blood. It is used of the offerings of Cain and Able, Gen.4:3,4,5. Of Jacob's present to Eaau, Gen.32:13-21 &c. In Exodus and Leviticus it acquires a secial limitation, and is the only word rendered "meat", or better, with R.V., "meal offering", though it has a wider signification than literal "meal), his admittance offering shall be of fine flour (not merely ground, but perfect and ready, no uneveness. So with the life of the Antitype, "the Man Christ Jesus". Flour is to the wheat what blood is to the body; and pneuma is to the resurrection body); and he shall pour oil upon it (flour mixed with oil, and then oil poured on it. So Christ's life permeated and actuated by the Holy Spirit), and put frankincense thereon: (This ascended to God as a sweet savor)
 2: And he shall bring it to Aaron's sons the priests: and he shall take thereout his handful of the flour thereof, and of the oil thereof, with all the frankincense thereof; and the priest shall burn the memorial (i.e. to remind) of it upon the altar, to be an offering made by fire, of a sweet satisfaction to The Lord (Yahaveh):
 3: And the remnant of the meal offering shall be Aaron's and his sons': it is a thing most holy (2 classes of 7 holy things: 3 holy, 4 most holy. Holy = Thank offerings, 23:20. Num.6:20. Firstborn, Num.18:17. Firstfruits, 2:12; Most holy = The incence, Ex.30:36. Showbread, 24:9. Sin and trespass offering, here) of the offerings made by fire to The Lord (Yehovah).

 4: And if you bring an oblation (=present, the only word rendered oblation, except Isa.40:20. Ezek.44:30; 45:1,6,7,13,16; 48:9,10,12,18,20,21, where it is terumah = heave offering. And Dan.2:46; 9:21,27, where it is Heb. minchah = meal offering) of a meat offering baken in the oven (type of the sufferings and trials of the Antitype "tried as by fire"), it shall be unleavened cakes of fine flour mingled with oil, or unleavened wafers anointed with oil.

 5: And if your oblation be a meat offering baked in a pan (=flat plate, or griddle), it shall be of fine flour unleavened, mingled with oil.

 6: You shall part it in pieces, and pour oil thereon: it is a meat offering.

 7: And if your oblation be a meal offering baked in the fryingpan, it shall be made of fine flour with oil.
 8: And you shall bring the meat offering that is made of these things to The Lord (Yehovah): and when it is presented to the priest, he shall bring it to the altar.
 9: And the priest shall take from the meal offering a memorial thereof, and shall burn it upon the altar: it is an offering made by fire, of a sweet satisfacton to The Lord (Yahaveh).
 10: And that which is left of the meal offering shall be Aaron's and his sons': it is a thing most holy of the offerings made by fire to the Lord (Yahaveh).
 11: No meal offering, which you all shall bring to the Lord (Yahaveh), shall be made with leaven (see Ex.12:15): for you all shall burn no leaven, nor any honey (leaven is fermentation, and honey or any sweet liquor is the cause of it. These two things forbidden because there was no error or corruption in the Antitype. All was Divine perfection. Nothing therefore which answers to leaven may be in our sacrifices or praise now), in any offering made by fire to the Lord (Yahaveh).

 12: As for the present of the firstfruits, you all shall offer them to Yahaveh: but they shall not be burnt to ascend on the altar for a sweet satisfaction.
 13: And every present of your meal offering shalt you season with salt (first occ. Salt was, and is, the great antiseptic, preventing fermentation. As leaven and honey were forbidden in sacrifices, so salt is prescribed, because, when partaken of by the two parties, it made the covenant invioble); neither shall you suffer the salt of the covenant (see Nm.18:19. 2 Chron.13:5, Salt denotes an indissoluble alliance. In Ezra 4:14 = obligations of loyalty) of your gOD (Elohim) to be lacking from your meal offering: with all your offerings you shall offer salt.

 14: And if you offer a meal offering of thy firstfruits to Yahaveh, you shall offer for the meal offering of your firstfruits green ears of corn dried by the fire, even corn beaten (same as type as baked) out of full ears.
 15: And you shall put oil upon it, and lay frankincense thereon: it is a meal offering.
 16: And the priest shall burn the memorial of it, part of the beaten corn thereof, and part of the oil thereof, with all the frankincense thereof: it is an offering made by fire to the Lord (Yehovah).

3)

 1: And if his present (see 2:4) be a slain sacrifice (Heb. zebach = any offering slain, from the Heb. shelem.The proper word for a victim, slain and offered. The Hebrew name for altar, mizbeah, is derived from the same root, and denotes the place of slaughter. Cp. Gen.22) of the peace offering (Heb. shelem, from the root shalam, which conveys the idea of peace on the ground of perfection ofcompensation or recompnse. Hence connected with the thought of renderig payment of vows, or praises because of peace enjoyed. Sometimes combined with zebach. It is eucharistic rather than proptiatory), if he offer it of the herd (=kårab, means to draw near, but the Hiphl conjugation, to make to aproach, or draw near: hence to bring near); whether it be a male or female (the burnt offering must be male. 1:3,10), he shall offer it without blemish before Yehovah.
 2: And he shall lay his hand upon the head of his admittance offering, and kill it at the entrance of the tent of the congregation: and Aaron's sons the priests shall sprinkle the blood upon the altar round about.
 3: And he (the offerer, not the priest) shall offer of the slain sacrifice of the peace offering an offering made by fire to Yahaveh (see baked, 2:4); the fat that covers the inwards, and all the fat that is upon the inwards,
 4: And the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them, which is by the flanks, and the flap above the liver, with the kidneys, it shall he take away.
 5: And Aaron's sons shall burn (as incence, Heb. kåtar = to burn or turn into vapor. Used of the incence = kethoreth, but also the 'ohah, 1:3, and parts of minchah, 2:1, and the zebach, 3:1, because these ascend to Yahaveh) it on the altar upon the burnt sacrifice, which is upon the wood that is on the fire: it is an admittance offering made by fire, of a sweet satisfaction to the Lord (Yahaveh).
 6: And if his admittance offering for a slain sacrifice of the peace offering to the Lord (Yahaveh) be of the flock; male or female, he shall offer it without blemish.

 7: If he offer a lamb (or sheep, see 1:10; 7:23;22:19,27, &c.) for his admittance offering, then shall he offer it before the Lord (Yahaveh).
 8: And he shall lay his hand upon the head of his offering, and kill it before the tent of the assemby of the congregation: and Aaron's sons shall sprinkle the blood thereof round about upon the altar.
 9: And he shall offer of the sacrifice of the peace offering an offering made by fire to the Lord /9Yahaveh); the fat thereof, and the whole rump (the fat tail entire. 7:3; 8:25; 9:10. Ex.29:22), it shall he take off hard by the backbone; and the fat that covereth the inwards, and all the fat that is upon the inwards,
 10: And the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, which is by the flanks, and the flap above the liver, with the kidneys, it shall he take away.
 11: And the priest shall burn it upon the altar: it is the food (Heb. "bread", for all food in general, cp. 21:6,8,17,21,22. Num.28:2) of the offering made by fire to the Lord (Yehovah).

 12: And if his admittance offering be a goat, then he shall bring it before the Lord (Yahaveh).
 13: And he shall lay his hand upon the head of it, and kill it before the tent of assembly of the of the congregation: and the sons of Aaron shall sprinkle the blood thereof upon the altar round about.
 14: And he shall offer thereof his admittance offering, even an offering made by fire to the Lord (Yehovah); the fat that covers the inwards, and all the fat that is upon the inwards,
 15: And the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, which is by the flanks, and the flap above the liver, with the kidneys, it shall he take away.
 16: And the priest shall burn them upon the altar: it is the food of the offering made by fire for a sweet satisfaction: all the fat is the Lord's (Yehovah's).
 17: It shall be a statute for ever, throughout your generations, in all your dwellings (this important phrase occurs 4 times, here, 23:14,21 [inverted], 31), that you all eat neither fat nor blood.' "

4)

 1: And the Lord (Yahaveh) spoke to Moses (introducing new class: non savor offerings. the sweet savor [or satisfaction] offerings introduced by the word "called". See 5:14), saying,
 2: "Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, 'If a soul shall sin (Heb. chåt’å, to sin; to miss the ark, as in Judg.20:16. Also as the feet, to stumble and fall [Prov.19:2]. Hence, morally, a comig short, blamworthyness [not necessarily willful]. An act of thought, word, or dead, not a condition. Usually, but by no means always rendered sin, and other words also so rendered) through ignorance (if a person cannot know what sin is, how can he know how to put it away? If he knew not his own sin, how can he know or put away that of others?) against any of the commandments of the Lord (Yahaveh) concerning things which ought not to be done, and shall do against any of them:
 3: If the priest that is anointed (this phrase is confined to Lev.4:3,5,16; 6:22. In other portions of the Pentateuch it is “high priest” or “great priest” Lev.21:10. Num.35:25,28, and in Josh 20:6, after this it is “chief priest” 2 Kings 25:18. 2 Chron.19:11; 26:20; 31:10. Ezra 7:5. Hag. and Zech.) do sin according to the sin of the people (Heb. ’åshåm, trespass, to sin through error or ignorance. Cp. Lev.4:13; 5:2,3. Num.5:6,7. Judg.21:22. 1 Chron.21:3. 2 Chron.19:10; 28:10,13. ’Åshåm is a breach of commandment, done in ignorance, but, when the guilt is proved, requiring atonement); then let him bring for his sin, which he hath sinned, a young bullock without blemish to Yehovah for a sin offering. (Heb. chåt’å. “Offering” not in Heb., rightly supplied here, as it should be in Gen.4:7)
 4: And he shall bring the bullock unto the entrance of the tent of the assembly before the Lord (Yahaveh); and shall lay his hand upon the bullock's head, and kill the bullock before the Lord (Yahaveh).
 5: And the priest that is anointed shall take of the bullock's blood, and bring it to the tent of assembly:
 6: And the priest shall dip his finger in the blood, and splash of the blood seven times (#7 = spiritual perfection ) before the Lord (Yahaveh), on the vail of the sanctuary. (Type of the perfect humanity of Christ. No vail for purposes of atonement without blood. We are saved by His death, not by His life - Eph.2:13.)
 7: And the priest shall put some of the blood upon the horns of the altar of sweet incense before the Lord (Yahaveh), which is in the tent of assembly: and shall pour all the remaining blood of the bullock at the bottom of the altar of the burnt offering, which is at the entrance of the tent of the assembly.
 8: And he shall take off from it all the fat (=the best or choicest parts, see 3:3) of the bullock for the sin offering; the fat that covers the inwards, and all the fat that is upon the inwards,
 9: And the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, which is by the flanks, and the flap (or network) above the liver, with the kidneys, it shall he take away,
 10: As it was taken off from the bullock of the sacrifice of peace offerings: and the priest shall burn them upon the altar of the burnt offering.
 11: And the skin of the bullock, and all his flesh, with his head, and with his legs, and his inwards, and his dung,
 12: Even the whole bullock shall he carry forth outside the camp (cp. Heb.13:11,12. See Ex.29:14) to a clean place, where the ashes are poured out, and burn him on the logs with fire (any wood allowed, such as straw or stubble. Not so with the other offerings): where the ashes are poured out shall he be burnt.

 13: And if the whole assembly (not the same word as v.14) of Israel sin through ignorance (Heb. shagag, erring from imprudence, rashness, being decieved, not wilfully; and shagah, erring wilfully through passion or wine, hence to go astray. As sin is to be distinguished from presumptuus of high-handedsin. Cp. Lev.4:13. Num.15:22 &c., with Num.15:30. Ps.119:21. See 1 Sam.14:32), and the thing be hid from the eyes of the assembly, and they have done somewhat against any of the commandments of the Lord (Yahaveh) concerning things which should not be done, and are guilty;
 14: When the sin, which they have sinned against it, is known, then the congregation shall cause to be offered (cp. v.12) a young bullock for the sin, and bring him before the tent of the assembly.
 15: And the elders of the congregation shall lay their hands upon the head of the bullock before Yahaveh: and the bullock shall be killed before the Lord (Yahaveh).
 16: And the priest that is anointed shall bring of the bullock's blood to the tent of the assembly:
 17: And the priest shall dip his finger in some of the blood, and splash it seven times before the Lord (Yahaveh), even which is before the vail.
 18: And he shall put some of the blood upon the horns of the altar which is before the Lord (Yahaveh), that is in the tent of the assembly, and shall pour out all the blood at the bottom of the altar of the burnt offering, which is at the entrance of the tent of the assembly.
 19: And he shall take all his fat from him, and burn it (as incence) upon the altar.
 20: And he shall do with the bullock as he did with the bullock for a sin offering, so shall he do with this: and the priest shall make an atonement for them (see 1:4 and Ex.29:33), and it shall be forgiven them.
 21: And he shall carry forth the bullock outside the camp, and burn him as he burned the first bullock: it is a sin offering for the congregation.

 22: When a ruler has sinned (Heb. word is used of a king [1 Kings 11:34. Ezek.34:24; 46:2], the head of a tribe [Num.1:16,46; 34:18], but as the words "his God" are used here, and are absent in vv.2,13,27, it denotes one whom God appoints and to whom the ruler is responsible), and done somewhat through ignorance against any of the commandments of the Lord (Yehovah) his God (Elohim) concerning things which should not be done, and is guilty (=should become aware of his inadvertences);
 23: Or if his sin, wherein he has sinned, come to his knowledge; he shall bring his offering, a kid of the goats, a male without blemish: (for uler, female for one of the people, v.28, cp. 5:13.)
 24: And he shall lay his hand upon the head of the goat, and kill it in the place where they kill the burnt offering before the Lord (Yehovah): it is a sin offering.
 25: And the priest shall take of the blood of the sin offering with his finger, and put it upon the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and shall pour out his blood at the bottom of the altar of burnt offering.
 26: And he shall burn all his fat upon the altar, as the fat of the sacrifice of peace offerings: and the priest shall make an atonement for him as concerning his sin, and it shall be forgiven him.

 27: And if any one (=soul) of the common People sin through ignorance, while he does somewhat against any of the commandments of Yahaveh concerning things which ought not to be done, and be guilty (see v.22);
 28: Or if his sin, which he has sinned, come to his knowledge: then he shall bring his offering, a kid of the goats, a female without blemish (see v.23, cp.5:13), for his sin which he has sinned.
 29: And he shall lay his hand upon the head of the sin offering, and slay the sin offering in the place of the burnt offering. (i.e. where the burnt offering is accustomed to be slain)
 30: And the priest shall take of the blood thereof with his finger, and put it upon the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and shall pour out all the blood thereof at the bottom of the altar.
 31: And he shall take away all the fat thereof, as the fat is taken away from off the sacrifice of peace offerings; and the priest shall burn it upon the altar for a sweet savour to Yehovah (this is added here because of the burning of the fat. It is not said of the sin offering of the high priest, the ruler, or the congregation, cp. vv.10,19,26, though used in the burnt offerings 1:9,13 and peace offerings 3:5,16. The sweet savor [or satisfaction] here, in this connection, exalts the offering of the humbled person); and the priest shall make an atonement for him, and it shall be forgiven him.
 32: And if he bring a lamb (=a sheep, cp. 3:7. Ritual same as the goat, but treated seperately because of the fat tail) for a sin offering, he shall bring it a female without blemish.
 33: And he shall lay his hand upon the head of the sin offering, and slay it for a sin offering in the place where they kill the burnt offering.
 34: And the priest shall take of the blood of the sin offering with his finger, and put it upon the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and shall pour out all the blood thereof at the bottom of the altar:
 35: And he shall take away all the fat thereof, as the fat of the lamb is taken away from the sacrifice of the peace offerings (see 3:11); and the priest shall burn them upon the altar, upon the offerings made by fire to Yahaveh: and the priest shall make an atonement for his sin that he has committed, and it shall be forgiven him.

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