Leviticus 17:1
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No verse-level note here; see the section overviews below.
Section overviews (1)
Leviticus 17:1–26.46
This section explains how the people of Israel were to live in holiness. Holiness is not just one quality of God. It describes all that God is—his person, nature, and character (see study note on Exodus 3:5).
God's "glory" demonstrates his holiness (see Leviticus 9:6). God's covenant with Israel meant the people and the nation shared in God's holiness. This holiness relied on Israel's relationship with God. This relationship required Israel to meet certain ethical and ceremonial standards.
17:1-9
This statute obliged all the people of Israel to bring all their sacrifices to God's altar, to be offered there. And as to this matter we must consider,
I. How it stood before. 1. It was allowed to all people to build altars, and offer sacrifices to God, where they pleased. Wherever Abraham had a tent he built an altar, and every master of a family was a priest to his own family, as Job 1:5. 2. This liberty had been an occasion of idolatry. When every man was his own priest, and had an altar of his own, by degrees, as they became vain in their imaginations, they invented gods of their own, and offered their sacrifices unto demons, Lev 17:7. The word signifies rough or hairy goats, because it is probable that in the shape the evil spirits often appeared to them, to invite their sacrifices and to signify their acceptance of them. For the devil, ever since he became a revolter from God and a rebel against him, has set up for a rival with him, and coveted to have divine honours paid him: he had the impudence to solicit our blessed Saviour to fall down and worship him. The Israelites themselves had learned in Egypt to sacrifice to demons. And some of them, it should seem, practised it even since the God of Israel had so gloriously appeared for them, and with them. They are said to go a whoring after these demons; for it was such a breach of their covenant with God as adultery is of the marriage covenant: and they were as strongly addicted to their idolatrous worships, and as hard to be reclaimed from them, as those that have given themselves over to fornication, to work all uncleanness with greediness; and therefore it is with reference to this that God calls himself a jealous God.
II. How this law settled it. 1. Some think that the children of Israel were by this law forbidden, while they were in the wilderness, to kill any beef, or mutton, or veal, or lamb, or goat, even for their common eating, but at the door of the tabernacle, where the blood and the fat were to be offered to God upon the altar, and the flesh to be returned back to the offerer to be eaten as a peace-offering, according to the law. And the statute is so worded (Lev 17:3, Lev 17:4) as to favour this opinion, for it speaks generally of killing any ox, or lamb, or goat. The learned Dr. Cudworth puts this sense upon it, and thinks that while they had their tabernacle so near them in the midst of their camp they ate no flesh but what had first been offered to God, but that when they were entering Canaan this constitution was altered (Deu 12:21), and they were allowed to kill their beasts of the flock and herd at home, as well as the roebuck and the hart; only thrice a year they were to see God at his tabernacle, and to eat and drink before him there. And it is probable that in the wilderness they did not eat much flesh but that of their peace-offerings, preserving what cattle they had, for breed, against they came to Canaan; therefore they murmured for flesh, being weary of manna; and Moses on that occasion speaks as if they were very sparing of the flocks and the herds, Num 11:4, Num 11:22. Yet it is hard to construe this as a temporary law, when it is expressly said to be a statute for ever (Lev 17:7); and therefore, 2. It should seem rather to forbid only the killing of beasts for sacrifice any where but at God's altar. They must not offer sacrifice, as they had done, in the open field (Lev 17:5), no, not to the true God, but it must be brought to the priest, to be offered on the altar of the Lord: and the solemnity they had lately witnessed, of consecrating both the priests and the altar, would serve for a good reason why they should confine themselves to both these that God had so signally appointed and owned. This law obliged not only the Israelites themselves, but the proselytes or strangers that were circumcised and sojourned among them, who were in danger of retaining an affection to their old ways of worship. If any should transgress this law, and offer sacrifice any where but at the tabernacle, (1.) The guilt was great: Blood shall be imputed to that man; he hath shed blood, Lev 17:4. Though it was but a beast he had killed, yet, killing it otherwise than God had appointed, he was looked upon as a murderer. It is by the divine grant that we have the liberty to kill the inferior creatures, to the benefit of which we are not entitled, unless we submit to the limitations of it, which are that it be not done either with cruelty or with superstition, Gen 9:3, Gen 9:4. Nor was there ever any greater abuse done to the inferior creatures than when they were made either false gods or sacrifices to false gods, to which the apostle perhaps has special reference when he speaks of the vanity and bondage of corruption to which the creature was made subject, Rom 8:20, Rom 8:21, and compare Rom 1:23, Rom 1:25. Idolatrous sacrifices were looked upon, not only as adultery, but as murder: he that offereth them is as if he slew a man, Isa 66:3. (2.) The punishment should be severe: That man shall be cut off from among his people. Either the magistrate must do it if it were manifest and notorious, or, if not, God would take the work into his own hands, and the offender should be cut off by some immediate stroke of divine justice. The reasons why God thus strictly ordered all their sacrifices to be offered at one place were, [1.] For the preventing of idolatry and superstition. That sacrifices might be offered to God, and according to the rule, and without innovations, they must always be offered by the hands of the priests, who were servants in God's house, and under the eye of the high priest, who was ruler of the house, and took care to see every thing done according to God's ordinance. [2.] For the securing of the honour of God's temple and altar, the peculiar dignity of which would be endangered if they might offer their sacrifices any where else as well as there. [3.] For the preserving of unity and brotherly love among the Israelites, that meeting all at one altar, as all the children of the family meet daily at one table, they might live and love as brethren, and be as one man, of one mind in the Lord.
III. How this law was observed. 1. While the Israelites kept their integrity they had a tender and very jealous regard to this law, as appears by their zeal against the altar which was erected by the two tribes and a half, which they would by no means have left standing if they had not been satisfied that it was never designed, nor should ever be used, for sacrifice or offering, Jos 22:12, etc. 2. The breach of this law was for many ages the scandalous and incurable corruption of the Jewish church, witness that complaint which so often occurs in the history even of the good kings, Howbeit the high places were not taken away; and it was an inlet to the grossest idolatries. 3. Yet this law was, in extraordinary cases, dispensed with. Gideon's sacrifice (Jdg 6:26), Manoah's (Jdg 13:19), Samuel's (Sa1 7:9; Sa1 9:13; Sa1 11:15), David's (Sa2 24:18), and Elijah's (Kg1 18:23), were accepted, though not offered at the usual place: but these were all either ordered by angels or offered by prophets; and some think that after the desolation of Shiloh, and before the building of the temple, while the ark and altar were unsettled, it was more allowable to offer sacrifice elsewhere.
IV. How the matter stands now, and what use we are to make of this law. 1. It is certain that the spiritual sacrifices we are now to offer are not confined to any one place. Our Saviour has made this clear (Joh 4:21), and the apostle (Ti1 2:8), according to the prophecy, that in every place incense should be offered, Mal 1:11. We have now no temple nor altar that sanctifies the gift, nor does the gospel unity lie in one place, but in one heart, and the unity of the spirit. 2. Christ is our altar, and the true tabernacle (Heb 8:2; Heb 13:10); in him God dwells among us, and it is in him that our sacrifices are acceptable to God, and in him only, Pe1 2:5. To set up other mediators, or other altars, or other expiatory sacrifices, is, in effect, to set up other gods. He is the centre of unity, in whom all God's Israel meet. 3. Yet we are to have respect to the public worship of God, not forsaking the assemblies of his people, Heb 10:25. The Lord loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob, and so should we; see Eze 20:40. Though God will graciously accept our family offerings, we must not therefore neglect the door of the tabernacle.
17:1-9
Leviticus 17:1-9
1. And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
1. Loquutus est Jehova ad Mosen, dicendo:
2. Speak unto Aaron, and unto his sons, and unto all the children of Israel, and say unto them; This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded, saying,
2. Loquere ad Aharon, et ad filios ejus, et ad omnes filios Israel, et dic illis, Hoc est verbum quod praecepit Jehova, dicendo:
3. What man soever there be of the house of Israel, that killeth an ox, or lamb, or goat, in the camp, or that killeth it out of the camp,
3. Quicunque de domo Israel mactaverit bovem, ant agnum, aut capram in castris, aut qui mactaverit extra castra.
4. And bringeth it not unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, to offer an offering unto the LORD before the tabernacle of the LORD; blood shall be imputed unto that man; he hath shed blood; and that man shall be cut off from among his people:
4. Et ad ostium tabernaculi conventionis non adduxerit eum, ut offerat oblationem Jehovae coram tabernaculo Jehovae: sanguis imputabitur viro illi: ipse sanguinem fudit, excideturque vir ille e medio populi sui.
5. To the end that the children of Israel may bring their sacrifices, which they offer in the open field, even that they may bring them unto the LORD, unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, unto the priest, and offer them for peace offerings unto the LORD.
5. Ut afferant filii Israel sacrificia sua quae mactaturi sunt in superficie agri: ut afterant inquam illa Jehovae ad ostium tabernaculi conventionis ad sacerdotem, et sacrificent ilia sacrificia prosperitatum Jehovae.
6. And the priest shall sprinkle the blood upon the altar of the LORD at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and burn the fat for a sweet savour unto the LORD.
6. Spargetque sacerdos sanguinem ad altare Jehovae, ad ostium tabernaculi conventionis, et adolebit adipem in odorem quietis Jehovae.
7. And they shall no more offer their sacrifices unto devils, after whom they have gone a whoring. This shall be a statute for ever unto them throughout their generations.
7. Et non sacrificabunt ultra sacrificia sua daemonibus cum quibus fornicantur: statutum perpetuum erit hoc illis ill generationibus eorum.
8. And thou shalt say unto them, Whatsoever man there be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers which sojourn among you, that offereth a burnt offering or sacrifice,
8. Dices praeterea illis, Quicunque e domo Israel, aut de peregrinis qui peregrinantur in medio vestri, obtulerit holocaustum, aut sacrificium:
9. And bringeth it not unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, to offer it unto the LORD; even that man shall be cut off from among his people.
9. Et ad ostium tabernaculi conventionis non adduxerit illud Jehovae: tunc excidetur vir ille e populis suis.
1. And the Lord spake unto Moses. In this, and similar passages, God appoints the priests to offer the sacrifices; for although they were common to all the people, nevertheless He would have them offered to Him by the hand of one person, and in a particular place: first, because, if they had been allowed to build altars everywhere, His pure and genuine worship would have been corrupted by this variety; and secondly, that He might direct the people to the Mediator, because this principle was ever to be held fast by believers, that no offerings could be legitimate except by His grace. The same doctrine will often occur hereafter, where the sacrifices are treated of; but, since we are here discussing the priests' office, let it be sufficient to have said once for all that it was not lawful for private persons to offer anything to God, except by the hands of the priest, to whom this duty was enjoined. But, since in this point vain glory is marvelously apt to affect men's minds, He threatens His severe vengeance against whosoever shall have attempted it. It has already been explained why God chose a single sanctuary. He now declares that, unless the victims are brought thither, this profanation will be equivalent to the murder of a man. He therefore commands that all the victims should be brought before the altar, even although those who offer them may be far away; for "the surface of the field" [204] means a distant place, lest any one should excuse himself by the inconvenience of the journey. He expressly names the peace-offerings, because that was the kind of sacrifice whereby private individuals were accustomed to testify their piety. God declares, then, that their service would be acceptable to Him, if the priest should intervene to make the oblation in right of the charge committed to him. Finally, this law is ratified unto all generations, that its abrogation may never be attempted. The reason for this is stated, which has been elsewhere more fully explained, i.e., that a single place had been ordained at which they were to assemble; and again, that a priest was appointed who might observe the ceremonies enjoined by the Law, in order that they might worship God in purity; and pollute not nor adulterate His sacrifices by strange superstitions. For we have stated that the ancient people were tied to the sanctuary, lest religion should be twisted and altered according to men's fancies, and lest any inventions should creep in whereby they might easily decline into idolatry. The commandment which He gave, then, that the priest only should offer the victims, is recommended on the score of its great usefulness; viz., because it would restrain the people from prostituting themselves to devils. Hence a profitable doctrine is gathered, that men cannot be restrained from turning away to idolatry, except by seeking from God's mouth the one simple rule of piety.
8. And thou shalt say unto them. The law is now extended to strangers, not those who were heathens, but those who, springing originally from other nations, had devoted themselves to pure religion. For, if more had been allowed to them than to the genuine children of Abraham, the corruption would, according to their wont, have soon spread more widely. God, then, would not have His sanctuary defiled by foreigners, lest their liberty might make its way amongst the whole people. From this latter portion we may gather that the word "kill" [205] which is elsewhere taken in a sense, is here confined to the sacrifices; since permission is elsewhere given to the people to eat (meat) in all their cities and villages, provided they abstain from blood. We must remember, therefore, that the question is not here as to their ordinary food, but only as to the victims, which were never to be offered except at the tabernacle.
Footnotes:
[204] "The open field," A. V.
[205] In these verses (8, 9) the offering of a burnt-offering, or sacrifices, is only spoken of, from whence C. appears justly to conclude that the word "kill" in ver. 3, referred merely to animals killed in sacrifice.
17:1
And the Lord spake unto Moses,.... After he had given him the law about the day of atonement, and the rites belonging to it:
saying; as follows.
17:1-2
The directions are given to "Aaron and his sons, and all the children of Israel," because they were not only binding upon the nation generally, but upon the priesthood also; whereas the instructions in ch. 18-20 are addressed to "the children of Israel," or "the whole congregation" (Lev 18:2; Lev 19:2; Lev 20:2), just as special laws are laid down for the priests in ch. 20 and 21 with reference to the circumstances mentioned there.