Leviticus 4:6

6 He must dip his finger into the blood. He must sprinkle some of it seven times in the sight of the Lord. He must do it in front of the curtain of the Most Holy Room.

Leviticus 4:6 Meaning and Commentary

Leviticus 4:6

And the priest shall dip his finger in the blood
The finger of his right hand, as Gersom observes, and so Maimonides ^F18; for blood was always taken and sprinkled with the right hand, if done with the left it was wrong, according to the Jewish canons ^F19 and though it is only said the priest, and not that is anointed, as before, yet it seems to mean him and not another; though if a private priest did this, Gersom says, it would be right, and so Maimonides ^F20:

and sprinkle of the blood seven times before the Lord;
a figure of the blood of Christ, called, in allusion to this rite, the blood of sprinkling; which being presented before the Lord, calls for pardon from him, and sprinkled on the conscience, speaks peace there, and perfectly cleanses from all sin, which the seven times sprinkling is a symbol of:

before the vail of the sanctuary:
the words may be literally rendered, "the face of the vail of the sanctuary": as if the blood was sprinkled on the outside of the vail. Jarchi's note is,

``over against the place of its holiness, he directed (it) over against between the staves; the blood shall not touch the vail, but if it touches, it touches it;''

that is, it is no matter. And according to Maimonides ^F21 the blood of bullocks and goats burnt was sprinkled seven times upon the vail, which divided between the and the holy of holies. This typified the vail of flesh, whose blood gives boldness to enter into the holiest of all, ( Hebrews 10:19 ) .

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FOOTNOTES:

F18 Maaseh Hakorbanot, c. 5. sect. 7. Bartenora in Misn. Menachot, c. 3. sect. 4.
F19 Misn. Zebachim, c. 2. sect. 1. & Bartenora in ib.
F20 Maaseh Hakorbanot, c. 5. sect. 15.
F21 Ib. sect. 13.

Leviticus 4:6 In-Context

4 He must bring the bull to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting in the sight of the Lord. He must place his hand on its head. He must kill it there in the sight of the Lord.

5 " 'Then the priest must take some of the bull's blood. He must carry it into the Tent of Meeting.

6 He must dip his finger into the blood. He must sprinkle some of it seven times in the sight of the Lord. He must do it in front of the curtain of the Most Holy Room.

7 " 'Then the priest must put some of the blood on the horns that stick out from the upper four corners of the altar for burning incense. The incense has a sweet smell. The altar stands in front of the LORD in the Tent of Meeting. The priest must pour out the rest of the bull's blood at the bottom of the altar for burnt offerings. That altar stands at the entrance to the tent.

8 " 'He must remove all of the fat from the bull for the sin offering. It includes the fat that covers the inside parts or is connected to them.