Leviticus 1:11

11 and he shall offer that at the side of the altar that beholdeth to the north, before the Lord. Soothly the sons of Aaron shall pour the blood thereof on the altar by compass (And the priests, the sons of Aaron, shall throw its blood against all the sides of the altar),

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 when the entrails and the feet be washed with water; and the priest shall burn those on the altar, into burnt sacrifice, and to sweet odour to the Lord. (and after the innards and the feet be washed in water, the priest shall burn all these things offered on the altar, for a burnt sacrifice, to make the sweetest aroma to the Lord.)
10 That if the offering is of little beasts, a burnt sacrifice of sheep, either of goats, he shall offer a male beast without wem, (And if the offering is of small beasts, that is, a burnt sacrifice of sheep, or of goats, he shall offer a male beast without blemish, or without fault,)
11 and he shall offer that at the side of the altar that beholdeth to the north, before the Lord. Soothly the sons of Aaron shall pour the blood thereof on the altar by compass (And the priests, the sons of Aaron, shall throw its blood against all the sides of the altar),
12 and they shall part the members, the head, and all things that cleave to the maw (and they shall cut the members, the head, and the suet, or the fat), and they shall put them on the wood, under which the fire shall be set;
13 soothly they shall wash in water the entrails and [the] feet; and the priest shall burn all things offered on the altar, into burnt sacrifice, and sweetest odour to the Lord. (and they shall wash the innards and the feet in water; and the priest shall burn all the things offered on the altar, for a burnt sacrifice, to make the sweetest aroma to the Lord.)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.