Leviticus 1:11

11 immolabitque ad latus altaris quod respicit ad aquilonem coram Domino sanguinem vero illius fundent super altare filii Aaron per circuitum

Leviticus 1:11 Meaning and Commentary

Leviticus 1:11

And he shall kill it on the side of the altar northward
before the Lord
This is a circumstance not mentioned in the killing of the bullock: Maimonides F7 says, there was a square place from the wall of the altar northward, to the wall of the court, and it was sixty cubits, and all that was over against the breadth of this, from the wall of the porch to the eastern wall, and it is seventy six cubits; and this foursquare place is called the "north", for the slaying of the most holy things; so that it seems this being a large place, was fittest for this purpose. Aben Ezra intimates, as if some respect was had to the situation of Mount Zion; his note is, "on the side of the altar northward", i.e. without, and so "the sides of the north", ( Psalms 48:2 ) for so many mistake who say that the tower of Zion was in the midst of Jerusalem; and with this agrees Mr. Ainsworth's note on ( Leviticus 6:25 ) hereby was figured, that Christ our sin offering should be killed by the priests in Jerusalem, and Mount Sion, which was on "the sides of the north", ( Psalms 48:2 ) crucified on Mount Calvary, which was on the northwest side of Jerusalem; as by the Jews' tradition, the morning sacrifice was killed at the northwest horn of the altar F8:

and the priests, Aaron's sons, shall sprinkle the blood round about
upon the altar; (See Gill on Leviticus 1:5).


FOOTNOTES:

F7 In Misn. Zebachim, c. 5. sect. 1.
F8 Misn. Tamid, c. 4. sect. 1.

Leviticus 1:11 In-Context

9 intestinis et pedibus lotis aqua adolebitque ea sacerdos super altare in holocaustum et suavem odorem Domino
10 quod si de pecoribus oblatio est de ovibus sive de capris holocaustum anniculum et absque macula offeret
11 immolabitque ad latus altaris quod respicit ad aquilonem coram Domino sanguinem vero illius fundent super altare filii Aaron per circuitum
12 dividentque membra caput et omnia quae adherent iecori et inponent super ligna quibus subiciendus est ignis
13 intestina vero et pedes lavabunt aqua et oblata omnia adolebit sacerdos super altare in holocaustum et odorem suavissimum Domino
The Latin Vulgate is in the public domain.