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To most of the above works I have had recourse in the preparation of the ensuing Notes, but to one of the number-The Pictorial Bible-I feel constrained on this, as on former occasions, to express my indebtedness in a more particular manner. The Notes of the Editor, Mr. Kitto, can scarcely be consulted on any point of which he treats without advantage, but it is more especially in the department of modern oriental manners and usages, that his work is so signally in advance of any other Biblical Commentary. From having himself spent several years as a traveler in the East, he has been enabled to make the existing institutions, laws, and customs of those ancient regions of the globe most happily tributary to the explanation of a multitude of passages which had never before the light of a satisfactory solution cast upon them. On all subjects of this nature, it will be perceived that I have drawn largely upon his pages, and so also in the natural history of the beasts, birds, and fishes mentioned in the eleventh chapter, in laying down the distinction between the clean and the unclean. For a very large part of the annotations on that chapter, requiring a species of knowledge to which a mere critical or practical expositor can seldom be expected to lay claim, I have been indebted to the results of his accurate inquiries. Being conscious of the necessity, in this province of my work, of ' entering into other men's labors,' I trust the reader, instead of objecting to my copious extracts, will rather be grateful that I have provided so liberally from this source for his information in a field of comment, into which he has probably often come 'seeking fruit, and finding none.'

In reference to the work now offered as a new korban on the altar of Biblical learning, a few words will be permitted. The book which I have here undertaken to illustrate on the plan of my previous volumes, constitutes a part of the sacred canon less read, and usually accounted less interesting and important, than almost any other. Although not omitted, of course, in any regular reading of the Scriptures entire from beginning to end, yet it is seldom returned to on any other occasion; and in Bible-class and Sunday-school instruction is almost invariably passed by. May I be allowed to express the hope, that the present volume will be found, in no small measure, to have redeemed this book from the comparative disparagement which has fallen upon it? If the ensuing notes shall have the effect of transferring to the reader, in any good degree, the feeling of intense interest which has pervaded the mind of the author in the prosecution of his labors, the book will rise in his estimation with the perusal of every successive chapter, till at the close he shall acknowledge that revelation is rich even in its poorest parts, and that without the accurate knowledge of the Law which he here acquires, he never could so fully have understood the nature and value of the Gospel.

No apology will be required by the thorough student of the Bible for the very frequent citation of the original in its appropriate type. The sentences are always translated, and I doubt not they will in many instances verify to the reader's mind the remark, which has so often occurred to my own, that a strictly literal rendering of a passage of Scripture is, in multitudes of cases, the very best commentary that can be offered upon it. The Hebrew is given without points, not from any slight esteem of the value of that appendage to the language, but simply in order to preserve the symmetry of the page by preventing the lines from being thrown unduly asunder.

THE BOOK OF LEVITICUS.

CHAPTER I.

THE BURNT-OFFERING.

IN the system of Jewish sacrifices, the Burnt-offerings, treated of in this chapter, held the most conspicuous place. They were of all others the most ancient; as the acceptable offering of Abel was undoubtedly of this description, and the worship both of Noah and Abraham, long prior to the time of Moses, included them as an essential element. Indeed, the directions concerning offerings in the chapter before us, are introduced in such a way as to indicate that the Lawgiver was not propounding a new form of worship, but regulating the ritual of one already understood and used: 'When any man of you shall bring an offering to the Lord, ye shall bring your offering of the cattle, even of the herd and of the flock.' The earliest records of heathen antiquity show, moreover, that such sacrifices were in use among nearly all nations, and distinguished by accompanying rites and ceremonies very similar to those observed by the Hebrews, clearly indicating that they derived their origin from the same source, to wit, a divine institution ordained to the parents of the race, and kept up among the antediluvians, from whom, through Noah and his family, it was transmitted to all subsequent generations of men, wherever dispersed over the earth.

The original term for burnt-offering,

olah, comes from the root, âlâh, to ascend. It is so called, because it was laid whole on the altar, and then, with the exception of the skin, being consumed by fire, the greatest part

of it ascended towards heaven. Its equivalents in other languages are as follows; Chal. by altâ, ascension ; 33 kelil, entireness; gemira, ὁλοκάρπωσις, καρπωμα, όλα oblation. Gr. ólokαρжwσis, kaρпwμα, bdexavтwpa, all conveying the idea of a fire-offering wholly consumed, which is also clearly intimated by the Latin word 'holocaustum,' holocaust. The sacrifice consisted in the immolating of a male animal victim, which was sometimes a bull of three years old, some. times a sheep or goat of one year old, and sometimes, but more rarely, a turtle-dove, or young pigeon. But from whatever class of the animal kingdom it were taken, whether from the herd or the flock, whether it were bullock, ram, or goat, one thing was indispensableit was to be perfect in its kind, ' a male without blemish.' This rule was given to intimate to the people the reverence and respect with which they should regard God, and every part of his service. It would be highly unbecoming to offer to him any thing that was lame, or blind, or diseased, or in any other way of little value. He will be served with every creature's best. But this was not all. The animal was to be the most excellent of its kind, in order the more fitly to shadow forth the excellencies of Him who was to be the great substance of this type, the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, and who alone of all that ever partook of our nature was truly without sin. As he was to be a spotless Savior, so his representing type was to be a spotless victim. In addition to this it is to be observed, that the animal was to be selected from among those that were used for food, and were most eminently ser

viceable to man; thus teaching him, that in serving God we are not to withhold from him even that which is most near and dear to us, which goes to sustain our being and constitute our comforts. As we received all from him, so we must render back all to him. Nor must we here fail to notice that peculiar feature of the law, by which the oblation was to be varied according to the ability of the offerer. While the rich man presented his bullock, the considerate and benignant spirit of the law made provision for the poor man also, who, as his circumstances would permit, might bring a lamb or a pigeon, with the assurance of its being equally acceptable with the costlier gift of his neighbor. No one was to be discouraged from approaching God, by the consideration that he was not able to present to him such an offering as he could wish. He would have no man, however humble, excluded from the pleasures and benefits, to say nothing of the duties, of such a religious observance. So legibly do we find the stamp of the divine beneficence impressed upon the smallest items of his institutions.

The various ceremonies connected with the rite of the Burnt-offering, will be considered in detail, as we proceed in our annotations; but we observe here, in regard to the occasions on which this species of offering was made, that they were both public and private. As their design was, in the main, expiatory, they were presented, partly, in the name of the whole nation, daily, every morning and evening, as also in connexion with a sin-offering on the great day of atonement, and on the three principal anniversary festivals ;-partly, on the solemnity of consecration to office-and partly by private persons, in order to be freed from the condition of Levitical uncleanness; namely, by women after child-bearing, at the end of the legally prescribed period for the purification,by lepers when cured,-by Nazarites,

when they had touched a dead body,and by those referred to in Lev. 15. 1-15.

We say that the design of these offerings was mainly expiatory; and such was undoubtedly the case. At the same time, it is to be observed, that in the early ages of the world, when no other sacrifices were offered but whole burnt-offerings, this one kind of sacrifice was also petitionary and eucharistic, and was in fact applied to every part of sacred worship, according to the circumstances and promptings of each individual. This is clearly deducible from the inspired history. Noah offered burnt-offerings as an expression of gra. titude to God for the preservation of himself and his family through the perils of the deluge. Job added burntofferings to prayers, when he interceded for forgiveness for his sons and his friends. Balaam, following, beyond doubt, the general custom, directed burnt-offerings to be prepared when he was about to pray for safety to Balak, and destruction to the Israelites. That burnt offerings used also to be presented as votive and voluntary oblations, may be inferred from the language of David, Ps. 63. 13-15, 'I will go into thine house with burnt-offerings; I will pay thee my vows, which my lips have uttered, and my mouth hath spoken, when I was in trouble. I will offer unto thee burnt-sacrifices of fatlings, with the incense of rams; I will offer bullocks with goats.' Ps. 61. 18, 19. Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion; build thou the walls of Jerusalem. Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burntofferings and whole burnt-offerings; then shall they offer bullocks upon thine altar. In the former of these passages is doubtless to be understood votive offerings; and in the latter, voluntary ones.

And it is voluntary offerings, unques. tionably, which are contemplated in the

sion.

CHAPTER I.

ND the Lorda called unto Moses, and spake unto himb out

for them.

a Ex. 19, 3.

of the tabernacle of the congregation, saying,

b Ex, 40, 34, 35. Num. 12, 4, 5.

intensity of his sufferings in undergoing that vicarious martyrdom is not inaptly denoted by the burning of the whole Burnt-offering which was so expressly enjoined. But without appearing to press the coincidences between the type and the antitype, when every thing is taken into consideration, we see not how a doubt can remain that the sacrifice of the Burnt-offering was designed as a piacular substitute for the individual in whose behalf it was brought to the altar. With thesc remarks we are prepared to enter upon the explication of the text.

1. And the Lord called unto Moses, and spake unto him, &c. Heb.

chapter before us. The burnt-offering about which directions are here given, was not the public offering of the lamb, morning and evening, nor one prescribed to the Israelites at any appointed time, or upon any particular occaIt had respect to an offering to be brought by any individual, whenever he felt himself so disposed. It was ordered in view of those seasons in the pious Israelite's experience, when he felt his mind under more than ordinary impressions; when he was sensible of his general sinfulness and deficiencies; and when he would humbly seek mercy for those manifold offences and failings which are not particularly specified, and had no express offering appointed | vayikra, and he called. The word 'Lord,' though inserted by our transla tors in the first clause, occurs in the original only in the second;—' And he called unto Moses, and the Lord said,' &c. A similar construction occurs in Lev. 8. 15: And he slew it, and Moses took the blood,' &c.—where it would seem, from the context, that it was Moses who slew the sacrifice. Still the note on that passage will show that there is some degree of doubt as to the true construction. Targ. in this place renders, And the Word of the Lord called,' &c. As the cloud of glory now filled the tabernacle, and prevented all access to its interior, Moses stood without while an audible voice from the mercy-seat addressed him in the words immediately following. The word' called,' in the original, has the last letter written in smaller character than the rest, intimating, according to the Jews, that God now spake, not with a loud thundering voice, as upon Mount Sinai, but in lower and gentler tones, as hefitted a milder and more permanent mode of communica.

As to the leading typical design of the Burnt-offering, nothing can be clearer than that it had a special regard to the offering of Christ in a human body. It is so stated in the epistle to the Hebrews; 'When he cometh into the world he saith, sacrifice and offering thou wouldst not, but a body hast thou prepared me; in burnt-offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast no pleasure. Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the bock it is written of me), to do thy will, O God.' Here were the sins of a whole world to be atoned for; here were innumerable transgressions of innumerable persons, which needed mercy.

.

The time was come when the cattle upon a thousand hills would be no longer accepted, but the offering of the Son of God was to supersede them all. He was to be slain, who alone could present an oblation worthy to be accepted as an expiation for the sins of untold millions of human beings. Such an offering he did present in the sacrifice of himself on the cross, and the

The Jerus.

2 Speak unto the children of Is- | the LORD, ye shall bring your of rael, and say unto them,e If any fering of the cattle, even of the man of you bring an offering unto herd, and of the flock.

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tion.- —¶ Out of the tabernacle of the with each other in the following pascongregation. Heb. 7 a meo- sages:-1 Chron. 16. 1, And they 1972 brxa mëo-sages hel moëd, more correctly rendered ta- | offered (p yukribu,) burnt-sacribernacle of meeting, or convention-tent, fices and peace-offerings before God ;' i. e., the tent or tabernacle where God for which 2 Sam. 6. 17 has, And David and his people met at stated times. offered (3 yaal,) burnt-offerings and See Note on Ex. 27. 21, where it is peace-offerings before the Lord.' In shown that the term implies the meet- accordance with this, the noun ing of two parties by previous appoint- korban, Gr. dwpov gift, is used to denote ment. Gr. Ek Ts oкnvñs тov μaρrvpíov,' an offering,' or that which was brought ἐκ μαρτυρίου, from the tabernacle of the testimony. to the altar, and dedicated to God, wheCompare Num. 11. 53, Acts 7. 14. ther it was a thing animate or inaniBy the phrase 'out of the tabernacle,' is mate, a human being or a brute beast. meant, out of the most holy place, from (On the use of the word in the New over the mercy-seat, and between the Testament, Mark 7. 11, in reference to cherubim, where God was said pecu- a practice condemned by our Savior, liarly to reside. Hitherto he had spoken see Barnes' note, in loc.) Thus the to Moses out of heaven, or out of the bread or meat-offering, and the oblation cloud; but having taken possession of of the first fruits, Lev. 2. 1–12, have the the temple prepared for him, he makes appellation ‘korban' given them: 'And that his audience-chamber, and gives when any man will offer a meat-offerhis servant orders from thence. It ing (meal-offering,) unto the Lord, his does not appear that Moses was com- offering (korban,) shall be of fine flour,' manded to come into the tabernacle, &c. So also the silver vessels, cattle, as the precluding glory probably now sheep, &c., offered by the princes, Num. filled the sacred edifice, but we may 7. 10-17, et inf. are comprehended under suppose that he stood without, at or the general name of 'korban. Nay, near the entrance, and there reverently the very wood which was used to burn listened to the uttered voice of Jehovah. the sacrifices on the altar, Nehem. 10. 34, from its being brought for that pur

| אדם כי יקריב מכם קרבן .ing.

And

2. If any man of you bring an offering. Heb. ¬¬¬ pose, is denominated 'korban.' adam ki yakrib mikkem korban, a man what is still more worthy of notice, the when he shall bring of you an offering. same phraseology is employed in referThe original word here and elsewhere ence to the Levites as a consecrated rendered 'offering,' is korbûn, de- body of men, from their being brought rived from the verb kârab, signify-near and presented to the Lord for the ing radically to approach, to draw near service of the sanctuary: Num. 8. 10. to, and in what is termed the Hiphil, or ' And thou shalt bring (Daph hikrabcausative form, to cause to approach, ta,) the Levites before the Lord,' i. e. to bring near, to present; hence in the shalt offer them as holy persons dediHiphil, the verb is generally rendered cated to the service of Jehovah. As in our version to offer, a sense of the the verb kârab, however, in its term expressly confirmed by the fact Hiphil form, denotes principally the that the original words for 'bring near,' bare act of bringing any thing to a parand 'offer,' are used interchangeably ticular place or person, though rendered

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