Leviticus 22

AND the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

Speak unto Aaron, and to his sons, that they separate themselves To wit, when any uncleanness is upon them, as it appears from ver. 3, 4. from the holy things (i. e.) from eating of those parts of the offerings, which belong to them. Only of the tithes they might eat in that case. of the children of Israel, and that they profane not my holy name in those things which they Either the children of Israel, or the Priests: For both of them did in their kinds hallow, consecrate or offer them to God. But the former seems more probable, both because they are mentioned here, and ver. 3. where they are said to hallow, &c. and because this makes the argument stronger, it ill became the Priests to profane or pollute what the people did hallow. hallow unto me: I am the LORD.

Say unto them, whosoever he be of all your seed among your generations that goeth unto the holy things To eat them, or to touch them, for if the touch of one of the people having his uncleanness upon him defiled the thing he touched, much more was it so in the Priest., which the children of Israel hallow unto the LORD, having his uncleanness upon him, that soul shall be cut off from my presence Either, from the place of my presence and from my ordinances by excommunication: He shall be excluded both from the administration and from the participation of them. Or, from the people among whom I am present, which commonly is expressed by cutting off from his people. Or, from the land of the living.: I am the LORD.

What man (i. e.) Or woman, of Aarons seed: for they were under the same law. soever of the seed of Aaron is a leper, or has a running issue, he shall not eat of the holy things untill he be clean. And whoso toucheth any thing that is unclean by the dead, or a man whose seed goeth from him.

Or whosoever toucheth any creeping thing, whereby he may be made unclean, or a man of whom he may take uncleanness, whatsoever uncleanness he has:

The soul which has touched any such, shall be unclean until the even, and shall not eat of the holy things, unless he wash his flesh with water.

And when the sun is down, he shall be clean, and shall afterward eat of the holy things, because it is his food (i. e.) His portion, the means of his subsistence. This may be added, to signifie why there was no greater nor longer a penalty put upon the Priests than upon the people in the same case, Levit. 11. and. 15. because his necessity craved some mitigation: Though otherwise the Priests being more sacred persons, and obliged to greater care and exemplariness deserved a greater punishment..

That which dieth of it self, or is torn with beasts, he shall not eat, to defile himself therewith: I am the LORD.

They shall therefore keep mine ordinance Either this ordinance here treated of concerning abstaining from holy things when they are unclean: Or more generally, that great ordinance whereby I have made them the Guardians of holy places and things to keep them from all defilement by themselves or others. Heb. my watch, (i. e.) the watch or guard which I have commanded them to keep., lest they bear sin (i. e.) Incur guilt and punishment. for it (i. e.) For the neglect or violation of it., and die therefore, if they profane it (i. e.) Their charge, or Gods ordinance about it.: I the LORD do sanctifie them.

There shall no stranger (i. e.) Of a strange family, who is not a priest, as ver. 12. compare Matth. 12. 4. But there is an exception to this rule ver. 11. eat of the holy thing; a sojourner One that comes to his house and abides there for a season, and eats at his table. of the priests, or an hired servant shall not eat of the holy thing Of these parts of the offerings, which fell to the priests share, as the breast and shoulder..

But if the priest buy any soul with his money, he shall eat of it, and he that is born in his house: they shall eat of his meat Because they were wholly his, and as such they were circumcised, Gen. 17. Exod. 12..

If the priests daughter also be married unto a stranger (i. e.) To one of another family, who is no priest. Yet the priests wife, though of another family, might eat. The reason of which difference is, because the wife passeth into the name, state and priviledges of her husband, from whom the family is denominated and esteemed., she may not eat of an offering of the holy things.

But if the priests daughter be a widow, or divorced, and have no child, and is returned unto her fathers house, as in her youth, she shall eat of her fathers meat, but there shall no stranger eat thereof.

And if a man eat of the holy thing unwittingly, then he shall put the fifth part thereof unto it Over and above the principal, and besides the ram to be offered to God, Levit. 5. 15., and shall give it unto the priest, with the holy thing Or, and shall give unto the Priest the holy thing, i. e. the worth of it, which the Priest was either to take to himself or to offer to God, as the nature of the thing was..

And they Either 1. The people shall not prophane them, by eating them: Or 2. The Priests shall not profane them, i. e. suffer the people to prophane them, without censure and punishment. Both come to the same thing: The people shall not do it, nor the Priests suffer it. shall not profane the holy things of the children of Israel, which they offer unto the LORD.

Or suffer them to bear the iniquity of trespass (i. e.) T... ey i. e. the Priests, shall not (the negative particle being understood out of the foregoing clause, as Psal. 1. 5. and 9. 18.) suffer them, i. e. the people, to bear the iniquity of trespass, i. e. the punishment of their sin, which they might expect from God, and for the prevention whereof the priest was to see restitution made, &c. The words may be rendred thus, But (so the Hebrew vau is oft translated) they i. e. the Priests, shall make them, i. e. the people, to bear the iniquity, or punishment of their trespass or sin, i. e. they shall require from them reparations in manner here expressed., when they eat their holy things: for I the LORD do sanctifie them.

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

Speak unto Aaron, and to his sons, and unto all the children of Israel, and say unto them, whosoever he be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers Such as were Proselytes. in Israel, that will offer his oblation for all his vows See on Levit. 7. 16. and for all his free-will-offerings, which they will offer unto the LORD for a burnt-offering:

Ye shall offer at your own will a male For a burnt-offering, which was always of that kind: but the females were accepted in peace-offerings, Levit. 3. 1. and sin-offerings, Levit. 4. 32. and 5. 6. without blemish of the beeves, of the sheep, or of the goats.

But whatsoever has a blemish, that shall ye not offer: for it shall not be acceptable for you.

And whosoever offereth a sacrifice of peace-offerings unto the LORD, to accomplish his vow, or a free-will-offering in beeves or sheep, it shall be perfect, to be accepted: there shall be no blemish To wit, none of the blemishes mentioned ver. 22, 24. for some blemishes did not hinder the acceptance of a free-willoffering, but only of a vow, ver. 23. therein.

Blind, or broken, or maimed, or having a wen, or scurvy, or scabbed, ye shall not offer these unto the LORD; nor make an offering by fire of them upon the altar unto the LORD.

Either a bullock, or a lamb that has any thing superfluous or lacking in his parts, that mayest thou offer Either 1. To the Priest, who might, according to the rules given by God, either convert it to his own use, or sell it, and lay out the price of it upon the Temple or Sacrifices. But in this sense any of the other kinds, as blind, or broken, &c. might be offered, which yet are forbidden to be offered, ver. 22. or rather 2. To the Lord, as is expressed, ver. 22. and 24. this being put down by way of opposition to those defects ver. 22. and by way of exception from the general rule, ver. 21. for a free-will-offering: but for a vow it shall not be accepted.

Ye shall not offer unto the LORD that which is bruised, or crushed, or broken, or cut, neither shall ye make any offering thereof in your land.

Neither from a strangers hand To wit, from Proselytes, from whom less might seem to be expected, and in whom God might bear with some things, which he would not bear with in his own people: Yet even from those such should not be accepted, much less from the Israelites., shall ye offer the bread (i. e.) The sacrifices. See on Levit. 21. 8. of your God of any of these (i. e.) So corrupted or defective. Which clause limits the sense and kinds of offerings, and cuts off another more general interpretation received by many, to wit, that he forbids the receiving of any offering, whether blemished or perfect, from the hands of a stranger remaining in Heathenism.; because their corruption is in them (i. e.) They are corrupt, vitious and unlawful sacrifices., and blemishes be in them: they shall not be accepted for you Or, from you, O Priest, to whom it belongs to offer. You shall bear the blame of it, for the strangers might do so through ignorance of Gods Law..

And the LORD said unto Moses, saying,

When a bullock, or a sheep, or a goat is brought forth, then it shall be seven days under the dam, and from the eighth day See on Exod. 22. 30. and 23. 19. and thenceforth, it shall be accepted for an offering made by fire unto the LORD.

And whether it be cow, or ewe, ye shall not kill it and her young both in one day Because it savoured of cruelty. See on Deut. 22. 6..

And when ye will offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving unto the LORD, offer it at your own will (i. e.) What and when you please, so the rules be observed: Or, for your acceptance, as Levit. 1. 3. i. e. in such manner that God may accept it, i. e. regularly, chearfully, &c..

On the same day it shall be eaten up, ye shall leave none of it until the morrow: I am the LORD.

Therefore shall ye keep my commandments, and do them: I am the LORD.

Neither shall ye profane my holy name Either by despising me and my commands your selves, or by giving others occasion to profane it., but I will be hallowed Or, sanctified, either by you in keeping my holy commands, or upon you in executing my holy and righteous judgments, Levit. 10. 3. Isa. 26. 15. I will manifest my self to be an holy God that will not bear the transgression of my laws. among the children of Israel: I am the LORD which hallow you By separating you from all the world unto my self and service, by giving you holy laws, and my holy spirit to enable and in... line... ou to keep them, and therefore you have the more reason to hallow me and keep my commands, and are the more inexcusable if you transgress them.,

That brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the LORD.