Leviticus 17:4

4 instead of bringing it to the entrance of the Tabernacle to present it as an offering to the LORD, that person will be as guilty as a murderer. Such a person has shed blood and will be cut off from the community.

Leviticus 17:4 Meaning and Commentary

Leviticus 17:4

And bringeth it not unto the door of the tabernacle of the
congregation
Near to which stood the altar of burnt offering to offer it upon, and the priests ready for such service: now the Lord would have every sacrifice brought thither

to offer an offering to the Lord before the tabernacle of the Lord;
that it might be offered publicly, and be known to be offered to the Lord, and not to idols or devils, as in ( Leviticus 17:7 ) ; and so to prevent private idolatry, and private persons from intruding into the priest's office; and this was typical of the acceptance of all spiritual sacrifices in the church of God, through Christ the minister of the tabernacle, which God pitched, and not man; and who is the door into the house of God, where such sacrifices are publicly to be offered up:

blood shall be imputed unto that man, he hath shed blood;
which though it was only the blood of a beast, yet being shed as a sacrifice for man, and typical of the blood of Christ to be shed for man, was sacred and precious to God; and therefore he resented the shedding of it to any but himself, or by any person, or in any place but by his appointment; such a man was to be punished as a murderer, idolatry being equally heinous in the sight of God as murder, see ( Isaiah 66:3 ) ;

and that man shall be cut off from among his people;
not merely excommunicated from the church of God, deprived of the privileges of his house, but even put to death; for such a man was guilty of blood, that is, of death, and therefore to be put to death either by the hand of the civil magistrate, if his case was known and came under their cognizance, or by the immediate hand of God by a premature death, which seems to be chiefly intended; also see ( Leviticus 17:10 ) .

Leviticus 17:4 In-Context

2 “Give the following instructions to Aaron and his sons and all the people of Israel. This is what the LORD has commanded.
3 “If any native Israelite sacrifices a bull or a lamb or a goat anywhere inside or outside the camp
4 instead of bringing it to the entrance of the Tabernacle to present it as an offering to the LORD, that person will be as guilty as a murderer. Such a person has shed blood and will be cut off from the community.
5 The purpose of this rule is to stop the Israelites from sacrificing animals in the open fields. It will ensure that they bring their sacrifices to the priest at the entrance of the Tabernacle, so he can present them to the LORD as peace offerings.
6 Then the priest will be able to splatter the blood against the LORD ’s altar at the entrance of the Tabernacle, and he will burn the fat as a pleasing aroma to the LORD .

Footnotes 2

  • [a]. Hebrew Tent of Meeting; also in 17:5, 6, 9 .
  • [b]. Hebrew will be guilty of blood.
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