Leviticus 1:14

14 " 'But if his offering for Yahweh is a burnt offering from the birds, [then] he must present his offering from the turtledoves or from {the young doves}.^[a]

Leviticus 1:14 Meaning and Commentary

Leviticus 1:14

And if the burnt sacrifice for his offering to the Lord be
of fowls
As it might be for the poorer sort, who could not offer a bullock, nor a sheep, or a lamb, ( Leviticus 5:7 ) ( 12:8 ) :

then he shall bring his offering of turtledoves, or of young
pigeons;
the Jewish writers all agree, that the turtles should be old, and not young, as the pigeons young, and not old; so the Targum of Jonathan, Jarchi, Aben Ezra and Gersom ^F12; the latter gives two reasons for it, because then they are the choicest and easiest to be found and taken: no mention is made of their being male or female, either would do, or of their being perfect and unblemished, as in the other burnt offerings; but if any part was wanting, it was not fit for sacrifice, as Maimonides ^F13 observes. These creatures were proper emblems of Christ, and therefore used in sacrifice, whose voice is compared to the turtle's, and his eyes to the eyes of doves, ( Song of Solomon 2:12 ) ( 5:12 ) and who is fitly represented by them for his meekness and humility, for his chaste and strong affection to his church, as the turtledove to its mate, and for those dove like graces of the Spirit which are in him.

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FOOTNOTES:

F12 Vid. T. Bab. Cholin, fol. 22. 1, 2.
F13 Issure Mizbeach, c. 3. sect. 1, 2. Vid. Misn. Zebachim, c. 7. sect. 5. & Maimon. & Bartenora, in ib.

Leviticus 1:14 In-Context

12 Then he must cut it into pieces [along] with its head and its suet; and the priest will arrange them on the wood that [is] on the fire that [is] on the altar.

13 Then he must wash the inner parts and the lower leg bones with water and the priest shall present the whole [animal] and will turn [it] into smoke on the altar; it [is] a burnt offering [by] fire [as] an appeasing fragrance for Yahweh.

14 " 'But if his offering for Yahweh is a burnt offering from the birds, [then] he must present his offering from the turtledoves or from {the young doves}.

15 The priest will present it at the altar and must wring off its head and turn [it] into smoke on the altar, and its blood will be drained out on the wall of the altar.

16 He must remove its crop with its plumage and throw it to the east beside the altar on the place of the fatty ashes.

Footnotes

• [a]. Literally "the sons of the dove"