Leviticus 1:2

2 for the Israelites to observe when they offer their sacrifices. When you offer an animal sacrifice, it may be one of your cattle or one of your sheep or goats.

Leviticus 1:2 Meaning and Commentary

Leviticus 1:2

Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them
For unto no other was the law of sacrifices given; not to the Gentiles, but to the children of Israel:

if any man;
or woman, for the word "man", as Ben Gersom observes, includes the whole species:

of you;
of you Israelites; the Targum of Jonathan adds,

``and not of the apostates who worship idols.''

Jarchi interprets it of yours, of your mammon or substance, what was their own property, and not what was stolen from another F4, see ( Isaiah 61:8 ) :

bring an offering unto the Lord;
called "Korban" of "Karab", to draw nigh, because it was not only brought nigh to God, to the door of the tabernacle where he dwelt, but because by it they drew nigh to God, and presented themselves to him, and that for them; typical of believers under the Gospel dispensation drawing nigh to God through Christ, by whom their spiritual sacrifices are presented and accepted in virtue of his:

ye shall bring your offering of the cattle, [even] of the herd, and
of the flock;
that is, of oxen, and of sheep or goats. The Targum of Jonathan is,

``of a clean beast, of oxen, and of sheep, but not of wild beasts shall ye bring your offerings.''

These were appointed, Ben Gersom says, for these two reasons, partly because the most excellent, and partly because most easy to be found and come at, as wild creatures are not: but the true reason is, because they were very fit to represent the great sacrifice Christ, which all sacrifices were typical of; the ox or bullock was a proper emblem of him for his strength and laboriousness, and the sheep for his harmlessness, innocence, and patience, and the goat, as he was not in himself, but as he was thought to be, a sinner, being sent in the likeness of sinful flesh, and being traduced as such, and having the sins of his people imputed to him.


FOOTNOTES:

F4 Vid. T. Bab. Succah, fol. 30. 1. & not. Abendana in Miclol Yophi in loc.

Leviticus 1:2 In-Context

1 The Lord called to Moses from the Tent of the Lord's presence and gave him the following rules
2 for the Israelites to observe when they offer their sacrifices. When you offer an animal sacrifice, it may be one of your cattle or one of your sheep or goats.
3 If you are offering one of your cattle as a burnt offering, you must bring a bull without any defects. You must present it at the entrance of the Tent of the Lord's presence so that the Lord will accept you.
4 You shall put your hand on its head, and it will be accepted as a sacrifice to take away your sins.
5 You shall kill the bull there, and the Aaronite priests shall present the blood to the Lord and then throw it against all four sides of the altar located at the entrance of the Tent.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.