Vayikra 1:3

3 If his korban be an olah (burnt sacrifice) of the herd, let him offer a zachar tamim (male without blemish); he shall offer it that he may be accepted at the entrance of the Ohel Mo’ed before Hashem.

Vayikra 1:3 Meaning and Commentary

Leviticus 1:3

If his offering [be] a burnt sacrifice of the herd
So called, because consumed by fire, see ( Leviticus 6:9 ) even all of it except the skin, and therefore its name with the Greeks is "a whole burnt offering", as in ( Mark 12:33 ) its name in Hebrew is (hlwe) , which comes from a word which signifies to "ascend" or "go up", because not only it was carried up to the altar by the priest, which was common to other sacrifices, but being burnt upon it, it ascended upwards in smoke and vapour; it was typical of Christ's dolorous sufferings and death, who therein sustained the fire of divine wrath, and his strength was dried up like a potsherd with it. Jarchi on ( Leviticus 1:1 ) says, there were in the burnt offerings mysteries of future things:

let him offer a male;
and not a female, pointing at the Messiah's sex, and his strength and excellency, the child that was to be born, and the Son to be given, whose name should be Immanuel:

without blemish;
or [perfect], having no part wanting, nor any part superfluous, nor any spot upon it, see ( Leviticus 22:19-24 ) denoting the perfection of Christ as man, being in all things made like unto his brethren, and his having not the least stain or blemish of sin upon him, either original or actual, and so could, as he did, offer up himself without spot to God, ( Hebrews 2:17 ) ( 9:14 ) ( 1 Peter 1:19 ) :

and he shall offer it of his own voluntary will;
not forced or compelled to it, or with any reluctancy, but as a pure freewill offering; so our Lord Jesus Christ laid down his life of himself, and freely gave himself an offering and a sacrifice, and became cheerfully and readily obedient unto death:

at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, before the Lord;
it was to be done openly and publicly, and in the presence of the Lord, to whom it was offered up; showing, that Christ's sacrifice would be offered up to God, against whom we have sinned, by which his law would be fulfilled, his justice satisfied, and wrath appeased, and that his death would be public and notorious; see ( Luke 24:18-20 ) .

Vayikra 1:3 In-Context

1 And Hashem spoke unto Moshe, and spoke unto him out of the Ohel Mo’ed (Tent of Meeting, i.e., Tabernacle) saying,
2 Speak unto the Bnei Yisroel, and say unto them, If any man of you bring a korban unto Hashem, ye shall bring your korban of the cattle, even of the herd, and of the flock.
3 If his korban be an olah (burnt sacrifice) of the herd, let him offer a zachar tamim (male without blemish); he shall offer it that he may be accepted at the entrance of the Ohel Mo’ed before Hashem.
4 And he shall lay his hand upon the head of the olah (burnt offering); and it shall be accepted for him to make kapparah for him.
5 And he shall slaughter (shachat) the young bull before Hashem; and the kohanim, Aharon’s banim, shall bring the dahm, and sprinkle the dahm around upon the Mizbe’ach that is by the entrance of the Ohel Mo’ed.
The Orthodox Jewish Bible fourth edition, OJB. Copyright 2002,2003,2008,2010, 2011 by Artists for Israel International. All rights reserved.