Leviticus 22:21

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.)

Leviticus 22:21 Meaning and Commentary

Leviticus 22:21

And whosoever offereth a sacrifice of peace offering unto the
Lord
This, as Ben Gersom observes, is distinguished from a burnt offering; for though it was to be perfect, and without blemish, yet not obliged to be a male as that, ( Leviticus 3:1 ) . This was either by way of thanksgiving for mercies received, ( Leviticus 7:12 ) , or to accomplish [his] vow;
made in any distress, that if God would deliver him, then he would offer such a sacrifice: or a freewill offering;
either on account of favours received, or in order to obtain them: which sacrifice, whether in beeves or sheep;
whether in bullocks or sheep, under which are comprehended goats, both being of the flock, ( Leviticus 22:19 ) ; it shall be perfect to be accepted;
perfect in all its parts, not only in those that are without and obvious to view, but in those that are within: wherefore the Jewish writers say F23, if it had but one kidney, or the spleen was consumed, it was unfit for the altar; wherefore, in order to be an acceptable sacrifice to God, it was to be complete in all respects: there shall be no blemish therein;
which is repeated for the confirmation of it, and that it might be observed. Such sacrifices were typical of Christ, the immaculate Lamb of God, who offered himself without spot to him, ( 1 Peter 1:19 ) ( Hebrews 9:14 ) ; and shows that no sacrifice of man's can be so acceptable to God as to atone for him, since none of theirs are perfect, and without blemish.


FOOTNOTES:

F23 Maimon. Hilchot Issure Mizbeach, c. 2. sect. 11.

Leviticus 22:21 In-Context

19 that it be offered by you, it shall be a male without wem, of oxen, and of sheep, and of goats; (that it be acceptable, ye shall offer a male without blemish, or without fault, of the oxen, or the sheep, or the goats;)
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.)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.