Leviticus 22:22

22 If it is blind, if it is broken, if it hath a wound or a scar, if it hath whelks, either (a) scab, either (a) dry scab, ye shall not offer those beasts to the Lord, neither ye shall burn (any) of those beasts upon the altar of the Lord.

Leviticus 22:22 Meaning and Commentary

Leviticus 22:22

Blind, or broken, or maimed
Which is "blind" of one eye, or both: and so the Egyptians, as they would not sacrifice any of their oxen that had any blemishes on them, and were of a different colour, or changed in their form, so likewise such that were deprived of either of their eyes F24. Some, as Aben Ezra observes, restrain that which is "broken" to its being broken in the head; but others interpret it of any fracture of the foot, as well as the head, and even of the tail, side, or rib; though others think, that such fractures as were not open and visible are excepted, as that of the rib; so Gersom; and with the Heathens, as Pliny F25 would have remarked, as they were not used to sacrifice calves, brought on men's shoulders, so neither anything that halted: that which is maimed some understand of that whose foot is broken, as Aben Ezra also remarks; but the word is by the Septuagint rendered, "cut in the tongue"; and the Targum of Jonathan, "whose eyebrows are smitten"; and Jarchi seems to take in both, interpreting it the eyebrow which is cut or broken, and so the lip, which is cut or broken: but it is rather to be understood more generally of its being maimed or mutilated in any part of it; so with the Heathens, as Porphyry F26 affirms, beasts that were mutilated were not to be sacrificed; and in the Comedian F1, a sacrifice is objected to, because it had no tail; upon which the Scholiast observes, that whatever was mutilated was not offered in sacred services, nor was any thing imperfect or unsound sacrificed to the gods; and particularly Servius F2 remarks, if their tongues were cut or slit; which illustrates the Septuagint version, which is observed by Grotius: or having a wen:
or full of warts, as others; the Targum of Jonathan is, whose eyes are smitten with a mixture of white and black; and so Gersom interprets it of a like defect in the eye, in the white of the eye; for he says, if it was in the black or pupil of the eye, the eye would be blind: or scurvy or scabbed:
the same of those in men; (See Gill on Leviticus 21:20): ye shall not offer these unto the Lord;
any creatures defective in any of these instances; three times this is said, as Jarchi observes, to make them careful concerning the sanctification of them, and concerning the slaying of them, and concerning the sprinkling of their blood: nor make an offering by fire of them upon the altar unto the Lord;
a burnt offering on the altar of burnt offering, or burn the fat of them upon it.


FOOTNOTES:

F24 Chaeremon. apud Porphyr. de Abstinentia, l. 4. sect. 7.
F25 Nat. Hist. l. 8. c. 45.
F26 De Abstinentia, l. 2. sect. 23.
F1 Aristoph. Acharnens. ver. 784.
F2 In Virgil. Aeneid. l. 6.

Leviticus 22:22 In-Context

20 if it hath a wem (but if it hath a blemish, or a fault), ye shall not offer it, neither it shall be acceptable.
21 A man that offereth a sacrifice of peaceable things to the Lord, and either payeth avows, either offereth by free will, as well of oxen as of sheep, he shall offer a beast without wem, that it be acceptable; no wem shall be therein. (A man who offereth a peace offering to the Lord, whether he payeth a vow, or offereth by free will, whether of oxen or of sheep, he shall offer a beast without blemish, so that it be acceptable; yea, no blemish shall be upon it.)
22 If it is blind, if it is broken, if it hath a wound or a scar, if it hath whelks, either (a) scab, either (a) dry scab, ye shall not offer those beasts to the Lord, neither ye shall burn (any) of those beasts upon the altar of the Lord.
23 A man may offer willfully a sheep and an ox (that hath anything) superfluous and diminished, that is, having a member superfluous, either failing a member; but a vow may not be paid of these beasts. (Someone may make a freewill offering of a sheep or of an ox that hath something superfluous, or something missing, that is, that hath an extra member, or is missing a member; but a vow cannot be satisfied with these beasts.)
24 Ye shall not offer to the Lord any beast, whose privy members be broken, either bruised, either cut, and taken away, and utterly ye shall not do these things in your land (yea, ye shall never offer such a beast in your land).
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.