Leviticus 4:6

6 and shall dyppe his fynger in the bloude and sprinkle thereof .vij. tymes before the Lorde: euen before the hangynge of the holy place.

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 ) .


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 And he shall brynge the oxe vnto the dore of the tabernacle of wytnesse before the Lorde, and shall put his hande apon the oxes heade and kyll him before the Lorde.
5 And the preast that is anoynted shall take of the oxes bloude and brynge it in to the tabernacle of witnesse
6 and shall dyppe his fynger in the bloude and sprinkle thereof .vij. tymes before the Lorde: euen before the hangynge of the holy place.
7 And he shall put some of the bloude apon the hornes of the alter of swete cens before the Lorde which is in the tabernacle of witnesse, and shall poure all the bloude of the oxe apon the botome of the alter of burntofferynges which is by the dore of the tabernacle of witnesse.
8 And he shall take awaye all the fatt of the oxe that is the synneofferynge: the fatt that couereth the inwardes and all the fatt that is aboute them,
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