A Help for the Understanding of the Holy Scriptures, Leviticus · Chapter 17
CHAP. XVII.
Verſ. 3. WHat man ſoever there be of the houſe of Iſrael that kill…th ano…, &c.]
Namely with an intent of offering it as a ſacrifice to the Lord: It is not meant of oxen, lambes, or goats killed for their own private uſes, but onelyonly of killing theſe beaſts for an offering to the Lord, as is expreſſed in the following words, ver. 4. And bringeth it not unto the doore of the tabernacle, &c. For herein lay the ſinne, that they ſhould dare to kill a ſacrifice, and not bring it to the prieſt to be killed by him at the doore of the tabernacle; by forbidding whereof Iſrael was taught, 1. to ſerve God in Chriſt onelyonly, who is the true tabernacle, Heb. 9. 11. in whom God dwelleth among men, and through whom all our ſervices are made acceptable to God: John 14. 6. I am the way the truth and the life; no man cometh unto the Father but by me; and 2. that no ſervice is acceptable to him but what is performed in his Church and amongſt his people.
Verſ. 4. Bloud ſhall be imputed to that man, &c.]
That is, his ſacrifice ſhall be no more accepted of God then if he ſlew a man (according to that of the Prophet, Iſai. 66. 3. He that killeth an ox is as if he ſlew a man) or rather, he ſhall be reputed and proceeded againſt as a murtherer, he ſhall be eſteemed as one that hath ſhed bloud, & ſo ſhall be cut off from among his people. And this happely was the rather ordained, becauſe the bloud of their ſacrifices was, as I may ſay, the ranſom of their perſons that had ſinned, and ſo ſhedding of ſuch bloud otherwiſe then God had appointed ſhould be accounted as if they had ſhed the bloud of a man; ſo ſtrictly were they tied in thoſe times to one place for the killing and offering of all their ſacrifices. Indeed we reade of many of the Worthies of God that did after this offer up ſacrifices in other places, as Samuel in Miſpeh, 1. Sam. 7. 9. and in Gilgal, 1. Sam. 11. 15. and in Bethlem, 1. Sam. 11. 2. And David in the floore of Ornan, 2. Sam. 24. 18. and Elias in mount Carmel, 1. King. 18. 22. but that was by extraordinary diſpenſation from God; ordinarily they were tied to bring their ſacrifices to the tabernacle, whereas now again under the Goſpel we have liberty every where to offer up ſpirituall ſacrifices to God. John, 4. 21, 24. The houre cometh when ye ſhall neither in this mountain nor yet in Jeruſalem worship the Father. God is a ſpirit, and they that worship him must worship him in ſpirit and truth. So alſo Mal. 1. 11. From the riſing of the ſunne, even unto the going down of the ſame, my name shall be great among the Gentiles, and in every place incenſe shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering, &c.
Verſ. 5. To the end the children of Iſrael may bring their ſacrifices which they offer in the open field, &c.]
That is, which they have been accuſtomed to offer any where in the open fields. This is added to ſhew why the Lord had appointed the man to be ſo ſeverely puniſhed that ſhould kill or offer any ſacrifice any where but in the tabernacle, namely that by the ſeveritie of this law they might the better be reſtrained from the liberty of offering ſacrifices in all places, whereto they had heretofore been accuſtomed, and that without ſinne, and might be ſtrictly tied to bring all their ſacrifices, where ever they dwelt, to the doore of the tabernacle unto the prieſt; yea even their peace-offerings, which are particularly mentioned in the laſt clauſe of this verſe: 1. becauſe theſe were moſt uſuall, and were a kind of feaſt to the offerer, whence there was moſt danger leſt they ſhould take liberty to kill and make feaſts of theſe ſacrifices in their private dwellings; and 2. becauſe naming of the leſſe doth the more ſtrongly imply the greater: if they might not offer peace-offerings (which are onelyonly ſaid to be holy) where ever they pleaſ…, much leſſe burnt-offerings which are every where ſaid to be moſt holy, and therefore are ſet in the firſt place, Joſh. 22. 26, 27. Therefore we ſaid, Let us now prepare to build us an altar, not for burnt-offering, nor for ſacrifice, but that it may be a witneſſe between us and you, &c.
Verſ. 6. And the prieſt ſhall ſprinkle the bloud, &c.]
This which follows is added alſo to imply why the Lord tied them ſo ſtrictly to one place for their offering up of ſacrifices, namely, that by this means they might be kept in that one uniform way of Gods worſhip which he had appointed, and not bring in every one their own ſuperſtitious devices, which is the next ſtep to idolatry: for that is the meaning of theſe words, that by being bound to one place the prieſt would now order all things according to Gods direction; and ſo they ſhould be a ſweet …avour acceptable to the Lord, whereas otherwiſe being adulterated with mens inventions they would be an abomination unto him.
Verſ. 7. And they ſhall no more offer their ſacrifices unto devils.]
That is, by the means above named this evil ſhall be prevented, They shall no more offer to devils. The Hebrew word ſignifies rough and rugged as hairy goats, becauſe in ſuch ſhapes the devils ſometimes appeared like Satyrs, Eſay 34. 14. And indeed to devils did all thoſe Jews and Gentiles ſacrifice that ſacrificed not by faith in Chriſt, and in ſuch ſort and place as God approved of, Deut. 32▪ 17. They ſacrificed to devils not to God, to gods whom they knew not, new gods, &c. 1. Cor. 10. 20. But I ſay that the things which the Gentiles ſacrifice, they ſacrifice to devils, not to God, &c. Now ſo the Iſraelites had done both in Egypt, Ezek. 23. 8. Neither left she her whoredomes brought from Egypt, &c. and alſo now lately in the wilderneſſe, Exod. 32. when they ſacrificed to that idol the golden calf, and in other their ſecret idolatries, Act. 7. 41. And they made a calf in thoſe day…s and offered ſacrifice unto the idol, and rejoyced in the work of their own hands: Then God turned and gave them up to worship the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the Prophets; O ye houſe of Iſrael, have ye offered to me ſlain beaſts and ſacrifices by the ſpace of fourty years in the wilderneſſe? and therefore are they ſaid to ſacrifice to devils, as Jeroboams idols are alſo called devils, 2. … 11. 15. And he appointed him prieſts for the high places, and for the devils, &c. and Antichriſts likewiſe, Revel. 9. 20. And the rest of the men which were not killed by thoſe plagues, yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, &c.
Verſ. 8. And thou ſhalt ſay unto them, Whatſoever man there be of the houſe of Iſrael or of the ſtrangers, &c.]
Here the former law is extended to ſtranger…s alſo, namely, ſuch as were turned to the religion and church of the Iſraelites; and withall this alſo is expreſſed, that as the ſacrifice might not be killed, ver. 3. ſo neither might it be offered without the Sanctuary though it were killed therein.
Verſ. 10. I will ſet my face againct that ſoul that eateth bloud, and will cut him off from among his people,]
To wit, though by partiality or other means he eſcape the hand of the magiſtrate. See the notes upon Gen. 9. 4.
Verſ. 11. For the life of the fleſh is in the bloud, and I have given it to you upon the altar, &c.]
That is, I have ſet it apart for a better imployment then for food, and therefore in reference to that ſpirituall imployment it muſt not be eaten at all.
Verſ. 13. Whatſoever man there be of the children of Iſrael, or of the ſtranger that ſojourneth among you which hunteth & catcheth, &c.
It is particularly preſſed in this place, that even when by hunting or otherwiſe they did catch any beaſt or fowl that might be eaten, that is, that might lawfully be eaten, though at ſuch times men uſed to be in great haſte and to take great liberty to themſelves, they muſt let out the bloud thereof, and cover it with duſt, before they eat the fleſh thereof, and much more when at more leiſure they killed any beaſt at home for their own particular uſe. Now this covering of the bloud with duſt was injoyned, not onelyonly to make ſure that it might not be eaten, but alſo happely, firſt, to ſhew a reverent regard of the life of the beaſt, by burying the bloud, which was the ſeat of the life, with a kind of …onour (for bu…iall is honourable, Eccleſ. 6. 3. An untimely birth is better then he that lives many years, and wen he dyeth hath no buriall) and ſecondly, to imply the lawfulneſſe of killing the creatures in this manner for the covering of t…eir bloud might ſignifie that it ſhould not be imputed unto them, as appears by thoſe places where the not covering of the bloud implyes the contrary, as Job 16. 18. O earth cover thou not my bloud! and Ezek. 24. 7. 8. For her bloud is in the midst of her, ſhe ſet it upon the top of a rock, ſhe pour…d it not upon the gr…und to cover it with duſt, that it might cauſe fury to come up to take vengeance, &c.
Verſ. 15. And every ſoul that eateth that which dyed of it ſelf, &c.]
This muſt be underſtood of him that did eat any ſuch thing ignorantly, in which caſe he was alſo to bring thoſe ſacrifices appointed Levit. 5. For he that willingly offended herein was liable to a greater puniſhment, &c. And the ſtrangers here mentioned are ſuch as were converted to the faith, and joyned to the Church of Iſrael, for other ſtrangers in Iſrael might eat theſe things. See that place Deut. 14. 21. Ye ſhall not eat of any thing that dyeth of it ſelf; thou ſhalt give it unto the ſtranger, &c.