It

(11)

(12)

(13)

I. Name and Signification.-The name Leviticus, by which the third book is called, is taken from the Greek Version (LXX) of the Old Testament. properly denotes the Levitical book, or the volume treating on Levitical matters. In Hebrew it is called "the Book Vayikra," or simply " Vayikra," from the word with which it commences, and which denotes and he called. It is by this name that the Book is always quoted in Jewish writings. In the Hebrew manuscripts of the Old Testament, Leviticus is not only always a book by itself marked off from the rest both at the beginning and at the end by the space of four vacant lines, but like the other four books of the Pentateuch it begins a new column, whilst the other books of the Old Testament, though having the same vacant space to separate them from each other, do not begin at the top of a new column.

II. Division.-In accordance with the practice which obtained from time immemorial, the Book is divided, both in the most ancient MSS. and in the earliest printed editions of the Hebrew Scriptures, into the following ten sections:

These are ten of the fifty-four sections into which the whole Pentateuch is divided in order to furnish a lesson for each Sabbath of those years which, according to Jewish chronology, have fifty-four Sabbaths, so that the whole Law of Moses should be read through once every year. This division and the reading through of the Law in the manner here indicated are observed by the Jews to this day, and it is to these weekly lessons, in conjunction with portions from the Prophets, that reference is made in the New Testament (Acts xiii. 15, &c.). Besides this division, which is designed for the weekly lessons, the Book of Leviticus is also divided into twenty-three larger sections, which correspond more nearly to our modern chapters, and which are as follows:

(22) (23)

xix. 23-xx. 27.

xxv. 39-xxvi. 2.

xxvi. 3-46.

xxvii. 1-34.

These sections are called Sedarim, and are indicated in all the correct manuscripts of the Hebrew Scriptures.*

There is a third division, or rather subdivision, of this Book, which consists of 98 smaller sections or paragraphs, 52 of which are open sections and 46 closed sections. These minor sections are so minutely indicated by a vacant space, either at the beginning or end of the line, and are so sacredly guarded that a manuscript of the Pentateuch in which one of the open sections has, by mistake, been made into a closed section, or vice versa, is ritually illegal.t

III. Design and Contents.-The design of the Book has been aptly described as "the spiritual statutebook of Israel as the congregation of God." By the laws therein enacted, God designed to train Israel as His peculiar people, to keep them from defilements, and to sanctify them for holy fellowship with their covenant Jehovah, who has deigned to erect His sanctuary in their midst. To effect this purpose enactments are in the first place laid down to regulate the access of the Israelites to the Divine Being, as follows: The sacrifices which obtained from time immemorial are more minutely defined and systematised (chaps. i. 1vii. 38); the priesthood whose duty it is to offer up these sacrifices are consecrated and installed (chaps. viii. 1—x. 20); the uncleanness of animals (chap. xi. 33), which cause defilement and debar access to God, 1-47), and the impurities of men (chaps. xii. 1-xv. are described; and, finally, the Day of Atonement is instituted, which is to expiate at the end of every year the neglect of any of the above-named regulations (chap. xvi. 1-34), thus appropriately concluding the enactments which are designed to fit God's people for fellowship with Him. This group of laws is followed by sundry enactments which have for their object the holiness of the people in their See Ginsburg, The Massorah, Vol. ii., Letter Samech, § 77, p. 330. For a complete list of these sections see Ginsburg, The Massorah, Vol. ii., Letter Pè, § 407, p. 482.

every-day life, in their domestic relations, and in their intercourse with one another (chaps. xvii. 1-xx. 27); the holiness of the priesthood, and their purity in their sacred ministrations (chaps. xxi. 1–xxii. 33); the sanctification of the festivals (chaps. xxiii. 1-xxiv. 12) and of the whole land (chaps. xxv. 1-xxvi. 2); with directions about collateral questions arising from this part of legislation. The logical sequence of these different regulations, however, is not always apparent.

IV. Authorship.-As I do not believe that the Book of Leviticus, in its present form, was written by Moses, and as it is against the plan of this commentary to enter at this place into a discussion on this question, which has nothing whatever to do with the inspiration of the Book, I thought that I should best serve the student of Holy Writ by showing him how the laws here enacted were administered during the second Temple. I have therefore endeavoured to depict the Temple

service in the time of Christ as conducted according to the laws laid down in the Book before us.

V. Literature.-The most important aids are (1) the Septuagint, an English translation of which has been published by Bagster. (2) The two Chaldee versions of the Pentateuch, one under the name of Onkelos, and the other under the name of Jonathan b. Uzziel, both of which have been translated into English, but not altogether satisfactorily, by Etheridge (Longman, 1865). The latter of the two is especially important, since, though in its present form it is a late compilation, it embodies the ancient development of the Mosaic Law as administered during the second Temple. (3) The Midrach Rabboth, which is a traditional explanation of the Mosaic Law, containing many expositions which obtained in the time of Christ. A German translation of this work by Dr. Wünsche is now being published in parts at Leipzig. Modern commentaries are too well known to require description.

CHAPTER I.-(1) And the LORD called unto Moses, and spake unto him out of the tabernacle of the congregation, saying, (2) Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, If any man of you bring an offering unto the LORD, ye shall bring your offering of the cattle, even of the herd, and of the flock.

THE name Leviticus, that is, the Levitical book, as this portion of the Pentateuch is called in our Bibles, is taken from the Greek (LXX.) Version of the Old Testament, where it is so called because it treats of the sacrificial ordinances and the services performed by the Levites.

66

(1) And the Lord called .. and spake.— Rather, And he called unto Moses, and the Lord spake, &c. (See chap. viii. 15.) At the end of the previous book we are told that when the tent of meeting was completed, the Lord showed His approbation of it by covering the outside of the edifice with a heaven-sent cloud, and by filling the inside with His glory (Exod. xl. 34-38). He therefore, who had filled the sanctuary with his glory now called unto Moses," thus indicating by And he called," which are one word in the original, the intimate connection between the two books. The ancient Jewish synagogue already pointed out the fact that this unusual phrase," And he called unto Moses," is used as an introductory formula on the three different occasions when the Lord made a special communication to this great law-giver. Thus when the Lord first communicated to Moses that He was about to deliver the Israelites from Egypt, "He called unto him" from the burning bush (Exod. iii. 4). When the Lord was about to give to Moses the Ten Commandments for the people of Israel, "He called unto him" from the top of Sinai (Exod. xix. 3, 20); and now when the Lord is about to give to His chosen people, through His servant Moses, the laws by which their Divine worship is to be regulated, "He called unto him" from the tent of meeting (Lev. i. 1). (2) Speak unto the children of Israel.-The directions for the different sacrifices specified in chaps. i. 2; iii. 17, are not in the first instance communicated to the priests who should teach them to the people, but are directly addressed to the people themselves.

Ye shall bring your offering . . .-Or, from the cattle ye shall bring your offering, from the oxen and from the flock, that is, if the offering be of quadrupeds in contradistinction to the "fowl" mentioned in verse 14, they are to be of oxen and small cattle (tzōn), i.e., sheep and goats.

(3) If his offering be a burnt sacrifice.-Having stated what is meant by animals, the directions now treat upon the different kinds of the offerings them

(3) If his offering be a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish: he shall offer it of his own voluntary will at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD. (4)And he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering; and it shall be accepted for him to make

selves. First in order comes the burnt offering, which is divided into burnt offering from the beeves (verses 3-9), and burnt offering from the flock (verses 10-13). The ox takes precedence because it is the more costly and more important sacrifice. It had to be without disease or blemish of any kind. To offer a defective sacrifice was an insult and a deception. Hence the exclamation of the prophet," cursed be the deceiver which hath in his flock a male and voweth and sacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing" (i.e., an animal with a blemish), Mal. i. 14. The offerer is to bring the animal to the entrance of the tent of meeting, as it should be rendered, that is, to the front of the Tabernacle where the brazen altar stood (Exod. xl. 6).

Of his own voluntary will.-The whole passage is better rendered, at the entrance of the tent of meeting shall he offer it, that he may be accepted before the Lord. (Comp. Exod. xxviii. 38; Lev. xix. 5, xxii. 19, 20, 29; xxiii. 11.) This meaning is unmistakably set forth in Lev. xxii. 19, 20, 21, where it is explicitly declared, "ye shall offer for your acceptance a male without blemish of the beeves, of the sheep or of the goats, but whatsoever hath a blemish that ye shall not offer, for it shall not be acceptable for you." It is to be remarked that the phrase for your acceptance," or "acceptable for you, ,"is only used in connection with burnt offerings and peace offerings, but never with sin offerings.

66

(4) And he shall put his hand.-Or, lay his hand, as the same phrase is rendered in chap. iii. 2, 3, 17, &c. The laying on of hands by the offerer on the victim was enjoined not only in the case of burnt offerings, but also in peace offerings (Lev. iii. 2, 7, 13; viii. 22, &c.) and in sin offerings (chap. iv. 4, 15, 24, 29, 33; viii. 14, &c.). The offerer indicated thereby both the surrender of his ownership of the victim, and the transfer to it of the feelings by which he was influenced in performing this act of dedication to the Lord. From the practice which obtained during the second Temple, we know that the offerer himself laid both his hands between the two horns of the animal whilst alive, and that no proxy could do it. If several offered one sacrifice, each one laid his hand separately on the victim, confessing his sins and saying, "I have sinned, I have committed iniquity, I have transgressed and I have done this and this, but I repent before Thee, and this is my atonement."