Barnes' Notes And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Speak unto Aaron and to his sons, that they separate themselves from the holy things of the children of Israel, and that they profane not my holy name in those things which they hallow unto me: I am the LORD. "Speak ... that they so abstain from touching the holy things (i. e. the sacrificial food of all kinds) of the children of Israel which they consecrate unto me, that they profane not my holy name." This law related to the daily life and the ordinary food of the priests.
Say unto them, Whosoever he be of all your seed among your generations, that goeth unto the holy things, which the children of Israel hallow unto the LORD, having his uncleanness upon him, that soul shall be cut off from my presence: I am the LORD. Cut off from my presence - i. e. excluded from the sanctuary. See Leviticus 20:17.
What man soever of the seed of Aaron is a leper, or hath a running issue; he shall not eat of the holy things, until he be clean. And whoso toucheth any thing that is unclean by the dead, or a man whose seed goeth from him; See Leviticus 15:13-16.
Or whosoever toucheth any creeping thing, whereby he may be made unclean, or a man of whom he may take uncleanness, whatsoever uncleanness he hath; Creeping things - i. e. dead vermin. Compare Leviticus 11:29.
The soul which hath touched any such shall be unclean until even, and shall not eat of the holy things, unless he wash his flesh with water. The soul - Rather, the person. Compare the use of the word "body" in the Prayer Book version of Psalm 53:1, and in the compounds "somebody, nobody".
And when the sun is down, he shall be clean, and shall afterward eat of the holy things; because it is his food.
That which dieth of itself, or is torn with beasts, he shall not eat to defile himself therewith: I am the LORD. The pollution in the priests would be an aggravated one, inasmuch as they would have to forego their sacred functions. Compare Ezekiel 4:14; Ezekiel 44:31. The general prohibition occurs in Leviticus 11:39; Leviticus 17:15; Exodus 22:31.
They shall therefore keep mine ordinance, lest they bear sin for it, and die therefore, if they profane it: I the LORD do sanctify them.
There shall no stranger eat of the holy thing: a sojourner of the priest, or an hired servant, shall not eat of the holy thing. Stranger - One of another family. See Exodus 29:33 note.
But if the priest buy any soul with his money, he shall eat of it, and he that is born in his house: they shall eat of his meat. This shows how completely a purchased bondsman was incorporated into the household. See Exodus 21:2, note; Exodus 21:20-21, note.
If the priest's daughter also be married unto a stranger, she may not eat of an offering of the holy things. A stranger - One of another family.
But if the priest's daughter be a widow, or divorced, and have no child, and is returned unto her father's house, as in her youth, she shall eat of her father's meat: but there shall no stranger eat thereof.
And if a man eat of the holy thing unwittingly, then he shall put the fifth part thereof unto it, and shall give it unto the priest with the holy thing. Unwittingly - Inadvertently, or "through ignorance." Compare Leviticus 4:2 note.
And they shall not profane the holy things of the children of Israel, which they offer unto the LORD; These verses are rather difficult. Their meaning appears to be: "The holy things of the children of Israel which are heaved before Yahweh" (see Leviticus 7:30) "shall not be profaned; and they shall incur a sin of trespass who eat of their holy things (so as to profane them)."
Or suffer them to bear the iniquity of trespass, when they eat their holy things: for I the LORD do sanctify them.
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Speak unto Aaron, and to his sons, and unto all the children of Israel, and say unto them, Whatsoever he be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers in Israel, that will offer his oblation for all his vows, and for all his freewill offerings, which they will offer unto the LORD for a burnt offering;
Ye shall offer at your own will a male without blemish, of the beeves, of the sheep, or of the goats. Ye shall offer at your own will a male - Rather, That it may be accepted (so Leviticus 22:29) for you it shall be a male. See Leviticus 1:3. It is the same phrase as in Leviticus 22:20-21, Leviticus 22:27.
But whatsoever hath a blemish, that shall ye not offer: for it shall not be acceptable for you.
And whosoever offereth a sacrifice of peace offerings unto the LORD to accomplish his vow, or a freewill offering in beeves or sheep, it shall be perfect to be accepted; there shall be no blemish therein.
Blind, or broken, or maimed, or having a wen, or scurvy, or scabbed, ye shall not offer these unto the LORD, nor make an offering by fire of them upon the altar unto the LORD. Compare Leviticus 21:19; Deuteronomy 15:21.
Either a bullock or a lamb that hath any thing superfluous or lacking in his parts, that mayest thou offer for a freewill offering; but for a vow it shall not be accepted.
Ye shall not offer unto the LORD that which is bruised, or crushed, or broken, or cut; neither shall ye make any offering thereof in your land. The literal meaning of the passage in italics is, and this shall ye not do in your land. It appears to have been understood by the Jews as a prohibition of the mutilation of animals.
Neither from a stranger's hand shall ye offer the bread of your God of any of these; because their corruption is in them, and blemishes be in them: they shall not be accepted for you. A stranger's hand - The word here rendered "stranger", is not the same as that in Leviticus 22:10, Leviticus 22:18 : it means literally, "the son of the unknown", and probably refers to one dwelling in another land who desired to show respect to the God of Israel. See 1 Kings 8:41.
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
When a bullock, or a sheep, or a goat, is brought forth, then it shall be seven days under the dam; and from the eighth day and thenceforth it shall be accepted for an offering made by fire unto the LORD. No victim was to be offered in sacrifice until it was a week old. The meaning of this law appears to be that the animal should realise a distinct existence in becoming less dependent on its mother, and able to provide for its own wants.
And whether it be cow or ewe, ye shall not kill it and her young both in one day. A law intended to remind the Israelites of the sacredness of the relation between the parent and its offspring. Compare Exodus 23:19 note.
And when ye will offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving unto the LORD, offer it at your own will.
On the same day it shall be eaten up; ye shall leave none of it until the morrow: I am the LORD.
Therefore shall ye keep my commandments, and do them: I am the LORD.
Neither shall ye profane my holy name; but I will be hallowed among the children of Israel: I am the LORD which hallow you,
That brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the LORD. |
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