Leviticus 1:2

2 “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When anyone among you brings an offering to the LORD, bring as your offering an animal from either the herd or the flock.

Leviticus 1:2 in Other Translations

KJV
2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, If any man of you bring an offering unto the LORD, ye shall bring your offering of the cattle, even of the herd, and of the flock.
ESV
2 "Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When any one of you brings an offering to the LORD, you shall bring your offering of livestock from the herd or from the flock.
NLT
2 “Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. When you present an animal as an offering to the LORD, you may take it from your herd of cattle or your flock of sheep and goats.
MSG
2 "Speak to the People of Israel. Tell them, When anyone presents an offering to God, present an animal from either the herd or the flock.
CSB
2 "Speak to the Israelites and tell them: When any of you brings an offering to the Lord from the livestock, you may bring your offering from the herd or 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 called to Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting. He said,
2 “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When anyone among you brings an offering to the LORD, bring as your offering an animal from either the herd or the flock.
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.

Cross References 2

  • 1. Leviticus 7:16,38; Leviticus 22:21; Leviticus 23:38; Leviticus 27:9
  • 2. Leviticus 22:18-19; Numbers 15:3
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