Leviticus 1:2

2 Speak to the people of Israel and say to them: When any of you bring an offering of livestock to the Lord, you shall bring your offering from the herd or from the flock.

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 summoned Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting, saying:
2 Speak to the people of Israel and say to them: When any of you bring an offering of livestock to the Lord, you shall bring your offering from the herd or from the flock.
3 If the offering is a burnt offering from the herd, you shall offer a male without blemish; you shall bring it to the entrance of the tent of meeting, for acceptance in your behalf before the Lord.
4 You shall lay your hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it shall be acceptable in your behalf as atonement for you.
5 The bull shall be slaughtered before the Lord; and Aaron's sons the priests shall offer the blood, dashing the blood against all sides of the altar that is at the entrance of the tent of meeting.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.