Leviticus 1:3-17

3 “ ‘If the offering is a burnt offering from the herd, you are to offer a male without defect. You must present it at the entrance to the tent of meeting so that it will be acceptable to the LORD.
4 You are to lay your hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it will be accepted on your behalf to make atonement for you.
5 You are to slaughter the young bull before the LORD, and then Aaron’s sons the priests shall bring the blood and splash it against the sides of the altar at the entrance to the tent of meeting.
6 You are to skin the burnt offering and cut it into pieces.
7 The sons of Aaron the priest are to put fire on the altar and arrange wood on the fire.
8 Then Aaron’s sons the priests shall arrange the pieces, including the head and the fat, on the wood that is burning on the altar.
9 You are to wash the internal organs and the legs with water, and the priest is to burn all of it on the altar. It is a burnt offering, a food offering, an aroma pleasing to the LORD.
10 “ ‘If the offering is a burnt offering from the flock, from either the sheep or the goats, you are to offer a male without defect.
11 You are to slaughter it at the north side of the altar before the LORD, and Aaron’s sons the priests shall splash its blood against the sides of the altar.
12 You are to cut it into pieces, and the priest shall arrange them, including the head and the fat, on the wood that is burning on the altar.
13 You are to wash the internal organs and the legs with water, and the priest is to bring all of them and burn them on the altar. It is a burnt offering, a food offering, an aroma pleasing to the LORD.
14 “ ‘If the offering to the LORD is a burnt offering of birds, you are to offer a dove or a young pigeon.
15 The priest shall bring it to the altar, wring off the head and burn it on the altar; its blood shall be drained out on the side of the altar.
16 He is to remove the crop and the feathers[a] and throw them down east of the altar where the ashes are.
17 He shall tear it open by the wings, not dividing it completely, and then the priest shall burn it on the wood that is burning on the altar. It is a burnt offering, a food offering, an aroma pleasing to the LORD.

Leviticus 1:3-17 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO LEVITICUS

This book is commonly called by the Jews Vajikra, from the first word with which it begins, and sometimes Mynhk trwt, "the law of the priests" {a}; and this is its name in the Syriac and Arabic versions: by the Septuagint interpreters it is called leuitikon, and by the Latins, Leviticus, or the Levitical book, because it gives an account of the Levitical priesthood, as the apostle calls it, Heb 7:11. It treats of the sacrifices under the Levitical dispensation, and of the priests concerned in them, and of the times and seasons in which they were offered, and of many other rites and ceremonies. That it was wrote by Moses is not only generally believed by the Jews, but is affirmed in the New Testament; see Mt 8:4, Joh 8:5 compared with Le 14:2, 20:10 from whence, as well as from other citations out of it in other places, the authority of it may be concluded. The matter of it was delivered to Moses, and very likely by him then written upon the erection of the tabernacle, which was in the second year of the Israelites coming out of Egypt, in the first month, and the first day of the month, Ex 40:17 and it was on the same day that the Lord spake to Moses out of it, and delivered to him the laws concerning sacrifices, recorded in the first seven chapters; see Nu 1:1 compared with Le 1:1 and on the eighth day of the same month, and some following days, the remainder of it was given to him, and written by him, see \Le 8:1 12:1 16:1\ to which agrees the Targum of Jonathan on Le 1:1.

``when Moses had made an end of erecting the tabernacle, Moses thought and reasoned in his heart, and said, Mount Sinai, its excellency was the excellency of an hour, and its holiness the holiness of three days, it was not possible for me to ascend unto it, until the time that the Word was speaking with me; but this tabernacle of the congregation, its excellency is an excellency for ever, and its holiness an holiness for ever, it is fit that I should not enter into it, until the time that be speaks with me from before the Lord; and therefore the Word of the Lord called to Moses, and the Word of the Lord spake with him out of the tabernacle of the congregation, saying;''

and to the same purpose the Jerusalem Targum. It was written in the year from the creation of the world 2514, and about 1490 years before the coming of Christ. The various sacrifices, rites, and ceremonies made mention of in it, were typical of Christ, and shadows of good things to come by him: there are many things in it, which give great light to several passages in the New Testament, and it is worthy of diligent reading and consideration.

{a} T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 103. 2.

\\INTRODUCTION TO LEVITICUS 1\\

This chapter contains certain laws and rules concerning sacrifices, particularly burnt offerings, which were delivered by the Lord to Moses, Le 1:1,2 what those offerings should be of, Le 1:3,10,14 what rules should be observed, what actions should be done, first by the persons that brought them, Le 1:3,4 and then by the priest that offered them, with respect to the burnt offering of the herd, Le 1:5-9 and to the burnt offering of the sheep and goats, Le 1:11-13 and to the burnt offering of fowls, Le 1:15-17 all which, when offered aright, were of a sweet savour to the Lord, Le 1:9,13,17.

Cross References 39

  • 1. S Genesis 8:20
  • 2. ver 10; Leviticus 22:27; Ezra 8:35; Malachi 1:8
  • 3. S ver 5; S Exodus 12:5; S Leviticus 22:19,20; Deuteronomy 15:21; Hebrews 9:14; 1 Peter 1:19
  • 4. Leviticus 6:25; Leviticus 17:9; Numbers 6:16; Dt 12:5-6,11
  • 5. Isaiah 58:5
  • 6. S Exodus 29:10,15; Leviticus 3:2
  • 7. ver 3; Leviticus 4:29; Leviticus 6:25; Ezekiel 45:15
  • 8. S Genesis 32:20
  • 9. S Exodus 29:36; S Exodus 32:30; 2 Chronicles 29:23-24
  • 10. Exodus 29:11; Leviticus 3:2,8
  • 11. S ver 3; Exodus 29:1; Numbers 15:8; Deuteronomy 18:3; Psalms 50:9; Psalms 69:31
  • 12. Leviticus 8:2; Leviticus 10:6; Leviticus 21:1
  • 13. S Exodus 29:20; Hebrews 12:24; 1 Peter 1:2
  • 14. Leviticus 7:8
  • 15. Exodus 29:17
  • 16. ver 17; S Genesis 22:9; Leviticus 3:5; Leviticus 6:12
  • 17. ver 12; S Exodus 29:13; Leviticus 8:20
  • 18. Leviticus 9:13
  • 19. S Exodus 29:17
  • 20. Leviticus 6:22
  • 21. ver 13; Exodus 29:18; Leviticus 9:14
  • 22. ver 3
  • 23. Lev 23:8,25,36; Numbers 28:6,19
  • 24. ver 13; Genesis 8:21; Leviticus 2:2; Leviticus 3:5,16; Leviticus 17:6; Numbers 18:17; Numbers 28:11-13; Numbers 15:8-10; Ephesians 5:2
  • 25. S Genesis 22:7
  • 26. S ver 3; Exodus 12:5; Leviticus 3:12; Leviticus 4:23,28; Leviticus 5:6; Numbers 15:11
  • 27. S Exodus 29:11
  • 28. S Exodus 29:20; ver 5
  • 29. S ver 8
  • 30. S Exodus 29:17
  • 31. Leviticus 6:22
  • 32. S ver 9
  • 33. Deuteronomy 12:27
  • 34. S Genesis 15:9; Leviticus 5:7; Luke 2:24
  • 35. Leviticus 5:8
  • 36. Leviticus 5:9
  • 37. Leviticus 4:12; Leviticus 6:10; Numbers 4:13
  • 38. S Genesis 15:10
  • 39. S ver 7; Leviticus 5:8

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. Or "crop with its contents" ; the meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
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