Annotations on the Pentateuch, Psalms, Song of Songs, Biblical commentary 3 · Chapter 9
CHAP. IX.
1, The first offrings, of Aaron. for himselfe and the people. 8, The Sin-offring, 12, and the Burnt-offring for himselfe. 15, The offrings for the people▪ 23, M… ses and Aaron blesse the people. 24. Fire commeth from the Lord, upon the altar.
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AND it was, on the eight day Moses called A…ron and his sonnes; and the Elders of Israel. And hee said unto Aa… Take thee a calfe a yongling of the herd, for a Sin-offring; and a ram for a Burntoffring▪ both perfect▪ and offer, before Iehovah. And unto the sonnes of Israel, Ihou shale speake saying: Tak… a goat-bucke of the goats, for a Sin-offring, and a calfe, and a lambe, both of the first yeere, perfect, for a Burnt-offring. And a Bull and a Ram, for Peace-offrings; to sacrifice before Iehovah; and a Meat-offring, mingled with oile: for to day, Iehovah appeareth unto you. And they tooke, that which Moses commanded, before the Tent of the Congregation: and all the congregation drew-neere, and stood before Iehovah. And Moses said; this is the thing, which Iehovah hath commanded that yee should doe: and the glory of Iehovah, shall appeare unto you.
And Moses said unto Aaron; goe neere unto the Altar, and make thy Sin-offring; and thy Burnt-offring; and make-atonement for thy selfe, and for the people: and make the oblation of the people, and make-atonement for them, as Iehovah commanded. And Aaron went-neere, unto the Altar: and killed the calfe of the Sin offring, which was for him selfe. And the sonnes of Aaron brought neere the blood unto him; and hee dipt his finger, in the blood; and put it upon the hornes of the Altar: and poured out the blood, at the bottome of the Altar. And the fat, and the kidneyes, and the caule of the liver of the Sin-offring, he burnt upon the Altar: as I… commanded Moses. And the fl…sh, and the skin: he burnt with fire, without the campe. And hee killed, the Burntoffring: and Aarons sonnes, presented unto …, the blood; and he sprinkled it upon the Altar, round-about. And they presented unto him, the Burnt-offring, by the pieces thereof, and the head: and hee burnt them, upon the Altar. And he washed the inwards, and the legges: and burnt them upon the Burnt-offring, on the Altar.
And he brought-neere, the peoples oblation: and tooke the goat-bucke of Sinne, which was for the people; and killed it and offred-it-for-sinne, as the first. And hee brought-neere, the Burnt-offring: and made it, according to the manner. And hee brought-neere, the Meat-offring: and filled his hand out of it, and burnt it, upon the Altar; beside the Burnt-offring of the morning. And he killed the bull, and the ram; the sacrifice of Peace-offrings, which was for the people: and Aarons sonnes presented the blood, unto him; and hee sprinkled it upon the Altar, round-about. And the fat, of the bull; and of the ram; the rumpe & that which covereth the inwards, and the kidneyes; and the caule of the liver. And they put the fat, upon the breasts: and he burnt the fat, upon the Altar. And the breast, and the right shoulder; Aaron waved, for a wave-offring, before Iehovah: as Moses commanded. And Aaron lift-up his hand, towards the people, and blessed them: and came-downe, from making the Sin-offring, & the Burnt-offring, and the Peace-offrings. And Moses and Aaron, went into the Tent of the congregation, and came-out; and they blessed the people: and the glory of Iehovah appeared, unto all the people. And there came out a fire, from before Iehovah; and consumed upon the Altar, the Burnt-offring, and the fat: and all the people saw it, and showted; and they fell on their faces.
Annotations.
foreign Here beginneth the 26. section or lecture of the Law: see Gen. 6. 9.
THe eight day] which was the first day after the Priests consecration, Lev. 8. 33. All creatures for the most part, were in their uncleannesse and imperfection seven dayes, and perfected in the eight; as children, by circumcision, Levit. 12. 2. 3. yong beasts, for sacrifice, Levit. 22. 27. persons that were uncleane by leprosies, issues, and the like, Levit. 14. 8. 9. 10. and 15. 13. 14. Num. 6. 9. 10. so here the Priests untill the eight day, were not admitted to minister in their office. Whereby the day of Christ was foreshadowed, who by his resurrection the day after the Sabbath, hath sanctified his church and ministerie, and all their actions; and made us an holy Priesthood to offer up spirituall sacrifice, acceptable to God, 1 Pet. 2. 5. see the annotations on Gen. 17. 12. and Exod. 22. 30. So in Ezek. 43. 26. 27. it is said, Seven daies shall they purge the Altar, and purifie it; and they shall fill their hands: and when these daies are expired, it shall be, on the eight day and so forward, the Priests shall make your Burntoffrings upon the Altar, and your Peace-offrings, and I will accept you saith the Lord God. the Elders] in Greeke, the Senate: who together with the people (vers. 23. 24.) were now assembled; the Elders being in speciall to impose hands on the Sin-offring of the congregation, Levit. 4. 15.
Vers. 2. a calfe] a beast of the first yeere, as is observed on Exod. 29. 1. In the former chapter, the sacrifices and rites for the Priests consecration to their office; in this, their first administration for themselves and the people; are declared. This Calfe for Aarons Sin-offring, is by Thargum Ionathan, the Zohar, and other Hebrewes said to be in respect of his sinne which hee had committed in making the golden calfe, Exod. 32. But whether it were for that or for other sinnes, God teacheth that without remission of sinnes (by Christ who was made sinne for us, 2 Cor. 5. 21.) there can bee no acceptation of any mans person, or service. yongling] Hebr. sonne of the herd; that is, a yong bull: see Gen. 18. 7. Levit. 1. 5. aram] a beast of the second yeere: see the notes on Levit. 8. 2. perfect] in Greeke, unblemished: see Levit. 1. 3. offer] in Greeke, offer them: these were, to make atonement for himselfe and for the people, vers 7.
Vers. 3. the sonnes of Israel] in Greeke, the Senate (the Elders) of Israel; as verse 1. a goat-bucke] a goat of the second yeere; for the Hebrew Seghnir so signifieth alwaies, as Maimony sheweth in treat. of Offring the sacrif. chap. 1. Sect. 14. where also he saith (in S. 15.) that All the oblations of the congregation were males, and the Sin-offrings of the congregation, were of goats, or bulls, and none of lambs. of the first yeere] Heb. sonnes of a yeere: of which phrase, see Exod. 12. 5. Gen. 5. 32. And hence the Hebrewes gather, that Ghnegel (a Calfe) and Chebes (a Lambe) wheresoever they are spoken of in the Law, meane yonglings of the first yeere.
Vers. 4. a Meat-offring] of fine flowre of wheat, as Exod. 29. 2. Levit. 2. 1. with oile] and frankincense upon it, according to the Law, Lev. 2. 1. Iehovah appeareth] that is, the glory of Iehovah will appeare, as in vers. 6. 23. and so the Chaldee translateth it. The glory of the LORD is revealed. And because of this appearance, the people were to prepare and sanctifie themselves with all kindes of sacrifice, that they might with joy be made partakers of his grace and blessing: which was a shadow of a more glorious appearance, whereof it is said, Wee know that when he shall appeare, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him, purifieth himselfe, even as he is pure; 1 Ioh. 3. 2. 3. The presence and assistance of God in Christ, is alwayes necessary unto his Church, and therefore promised here and other, where, both unto it and all the ministers thereof, Ezek. 48. 35. Revel. 22. 3. 4. 5. Matth. 28. 20. And of this it is prophesied, When Iehovah shall build up Sion, shall appeare in his glory shall turne unto the prayer of the lowly, and not despise their prayer. This shall be written for the generation after; and the people created, shall praise Iah. Psal. 10. 17. 18. 19.
Vers. 5. they tooke] all they forementioned; as in Thargum Ionathan it is explained, Aaron and his sonnes, and all the sonnes of Israel tooke. before Iehovah] before the sanctuary, in the courtyard.
Vers. 7. Goe neere] before this time, Aaron offred not, but Moses for him, Levit. 8. 14. 15. now Moses from the Lord authorizeth him to goe neer himselfe and offer; for no man taketh this honour is himselfe, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron so also Christ glorified not himselfe, to bee made an high Priest, &c. Heb. 5. 4. 5. make] or doe; that is, make-ready, and offer: see the notes on Exod. 10. 25. Thus the legall priests were to offer for themselves and their owne sinnes first, otherwise then Christ needed: for such an high Priest became us, who is holy, harmelesse, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher then the heavens: Heb. 5. 3. and 7. 26. 27. 28.
Vers. 9. the Altar] of Burnt-offring, at the beecome whereof the rest of the blood was poured. And herein this first sin-offring seemeth to dier from the rest that followed after, whose blood was to be caried into the sanctuary, Levit. 4. 4. 5. 6. 7. because Aaron as yet, had not accesse into the Holy place, till he had prepared a way by this first sacrifice in the Court. The like is to be observed, in the peoples sin-offring, v. 15. compared with Levit. 4. 13. 17. 18. Of this dipping his finger in the blood, see the notes on Levit. 4. 25.
Vers. 10. commanded] of these rites, see the annotations on Levit. 4. 8. 9. 10. They figured the purging away of all corruption, by the sufferings and spirit of Christ, likened unto fire: and the giving up of all our inward parts, to serve the Lord, 1 Pet. 3. 18. Esay. 4. 4. 1 Thes. 5. 23. Psal. 103. 1.
Vers. 11. skin] with all other parts, even the whole beast: see Levit. 4. 11. 12 Sol. Iarchi here observeth, that We finde no Sin-offring whose blood is sprinkled on the Altar without, to be burned without the campe, but this, and that for Consecration, (Levit. 8)
Vers. 12. the Burnt-offring] the ram, which was also for himselfe, vers. 2. presented] or, reached, brought, as the Greeke translateth, Heb. madeto-finde: so in verse 13. 18. The former oblation, was to purge from sinne: this Burnt-offring, was also to make the Priests acceptable to God in Christ, by communication of his grace. See the notes on Levit. 1. 3. &c.
Vers. 13. pieces] or, members, as the Greek translateth. See Levit. 1. 6. 8.
Vers. 14. washed] in water; see Levit. 1. 9. upon the Burnt-offring] that is, upon (or with) the other parts of the Burnt-offring. The Greeke translateth, and he put the Burnt-offring upon the Altar.
Vers. 15. of sinne] which was for the sinne of the people; saith the Greeke version. offred-it-for-sin] The Greeke translateth, purified it; so the word sometime meaneth: but it figured also a purifying of others from sinne thereby, as Levit. 6. 26. and so the Chaldee here expoundeth, and he made atonement by the blood thereof. as the first] spoken of in vers. 8. and so he burnt it without the campe, as the other was, in verse 11. for which he was reproved by Moses, Levit. 10. 16. 17.
Vers. 16. the manner] or, the ordinance; Hebr. the judgement; the Greeke saith, as was meet. It respecteth the Law, in Levit. 1.
Vers. 17. filled] that is, tooke his handfull out of it: see Levit. 2. 2. of the morne] that is, which was daily to be offred every morning, as God commanded, Exod. 29. 38. 39. 40. This therefore was extraordinary; that as the daily meat-offring, was to testifie their thankfulnesse, for Gods ordinary and daily mercies: so this, for his speciall grace now manifested. Chazkuni explaineth it thus, It teacheth that there were two Meat-offrings, one with the Burnt-offring, and one by it selfe. Sol. Iarchi saith, All this he did after the daily Burnt-offring.
Vers. 18. sprinkled] according to the law in Levit. 3. 2. The Greeke translateth, he poured it.
Vers. 19. fat] Hebr. fats: so in vers. 20. rumpe] or, tayle, to weet, of the ram: see Levit. 3. 9. that which covereth] in Greeke, the fat which covereth, the inwards; and so the text explaineth it, in Levit. 3. 9.
Vers. 20. they put the fat] Hebr. the fatts. Sol. Iarchi saith, After the waving, the Priest that waved gave them to another Priest to burne them.
Vers. 21. waved] as was commanded, Lev. 7. 30. &c. By these sacrifices the sanctification of the people was signified; by the Sin-offring and Burnt-offring they had remission and justification from their sinnes, and reconciliation unto God; by the Meat-offring, their renovation by the spirit; and by the Peace-offrings, their thankefulnesse unto God, whom they honour with the fruits of his owne graces: all these obtained by faith in Christ, and in his death; for he of God is made unto us, wisedome and righteousnesse, and sanctification, and redemption: 1 Cor. 1. 30.
Vers. 22. lift-up his hand] or, his hands, as the Hebrew vowel, and reading in the margine, both shew: so the Greeke translateth, hands. See Exod. 32. 19. R. Menachem giveth this reason, why it is written Hand; to signifie the right hand, because that was listed up higher then the left. The lifting up of the hand was a gesture used in speaking or signifying of any weighty thing, Esa. 49. 22. and particularly, in swearing, Gen. 14. 22. praying, Psal. 28. 2. and blessing, eyther of God, Psal. 134. 2. or of men, as in this place. So Paul, speaking of prayer, useth the phrase of lifting up holy hands, 1 Tim. 2. 8. and David; let the lifting up of my hands, be as the evening sacrifice, Psal. 141. 2. blessed them] This appertained to the Priests office, to blesse the people in the name of the Lord for ever, Deuter. 10. 8. 1 Chron. 23. 13. and was accomplished by our high Priest Christ Iesus, when having finished his ministery on earth, hee lift up his hands, and blessed his disciples, Luk. 24. 50. The forme of Aarons blessing is prescribed in Num. 6. 23.—27. see the annotations there. And this being done in the Lords name; by his Priests, (a figure of Christ whom God hath sent to blesse us. Act. 3. 26.) without all contradiction the lesse is blessed of the greater, Heb. 7. 7. came downe] from the banke or hilly place of the altar, which was higher then the other ground: see Exod. 20. 26. So in Thargum Ionathan it is explained, he came downe from the Altar with joy, after that he had finished the making of the Sin-offring, &c. On the contrary, Christ when hee had blessed, went up into heaven, Luke 24. 51. from making] or doing, that is, offring, as vers. 7. After that he had done; as before is shewed.
Vers. 23. went into the Tent] the Priest went in (according to the law, in Exod. 30. 7. 8.) to burne incense on the golden altar; Moses went in with him, in likelihood, to direct him how to doe the service: so Sol. Iarchi here explaineth it. But hee addeth withall, an other exposition thus; When Aaron saw that they had offred all the oblations, and done all the workes, and the Majestie of God came not downe to Israel; he was grieved, and said, I know that the holy blessed (God) is angry with me, and for my sake, the Majestie of God commeth not downe to Israel; &c. Immediately Moses went in with him, and prayed for merciemercy; and the divine Majestie came downe unto Israel. After this manner Thargum Ionathan also expoundeth it. they blessed. This was a second blessing by Moses and Aaron, when the people were dismissed. VntoUnto which (and the like at other times, especially on Atonement day, Levit. 16. David, prophesying of Christs dayes, seemeth to have reference, in Psal. 118. 26. Wee blesse you out of the house of Iehovah. glory] the visible signe of Gods glory, and favour, out of his holy place: either by the fire, mentioned in the next verse; or, by a clowd, as was in Exod. 16. 10. and 40. 34. or by them both. It was a token of his gracious acceptance of them and of their service, as after in 1 King. 8. 10. 11. 12.
Vers. 24. from before Iehovah] the Greeke translateth, from the Lord. And it was, either from heaven, as after in Solomons dayes, Fire came downe from heaven, and confirmed the Burnt-offring and sacrifices, 2 Chron. 7. 1. or, out of the Tabernacle. By this miracle God confirmed the people, touching the doctrine and ordinances given by Moses, and the priesthood now committed to Aaron and his sonnes, as appeareth by the prayer of Elias, (when the like miracle was shewed from heaven;) Let it be knowne this day day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word; 1 King. 18. 36. consumed] or, ate up: by which signe, the church was assured that their sacrifices were accepted: See Psal. 20. 4. The like was, at the dedicating of Solomons Temple, 2 Chro. 7. 1. 2. 3. and at Elias sacrifice, 1 King. 18. 38. 39. This Fire which now came from God, was nourished on the Altar, (as the Hebrewes say) unto Solomons time. Chazkuni here writeth thus; The fire which came-out (from the Lord) in the daies of Moses, went not up from the brazen Altar, untill he came into the eternall House [that is, into Solomons temple, so called because of that promise, in 2 Chron. 7. 16. that Gods name should be there for ever.] And that Fire which came▪ downe, in the dayes of Solomon, went not up from the Altar of Burntoffring, untill it went up in the dayes of Manasseh. Of the departing of that fire in Mana…ses dayes, wee finde no mention in the Scriptures. But after Solomons Temple was destroyed, and the second builded, the Hebrewes testifie (in Talmud Bab. in Ioma c. 1.) that they had not the Fire from heaven any more. See the annotations on Exod. 28. 30. shouted] with astonishment and joy, humbly thanking God for this signe of grace towards them: as the Greeke translateth, they were astonished; and the Chaldee, they gaue thankes. So in 2 Chron. 7. 3. when all the sonnes of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of Iehovah upon the house: they howed themselves with their faces to the ground, upon the pavement, and worshipped; and confessed to Ieh…v…h, (saying) For he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever.