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The Third Book of MOSES,

CALLED,

LEVITICUS.

TH

INTRODUCTION.

HIS Book being chiefly employed in describing the sacrifices and services of the tabernacle, to be performed by AARON the Levite, as he is called, Exod. iv. 14. and by his sons, who alone had the office of priesthood, in the tribe of Levi, it is therefore termed, both by the Greek and Latin translators, LEVITICUS : and that part of the Jewish religion which is ceremonial, is fitly denominated the Levitical Law,*

CHAP. I.

Contains an account of the burnt offerings of the herd, of the flocks, and of the fowls.

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ND the LORD called unto Moses, and spake unto him out of the tabernacle of the congregation, saying, 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.

These ceremonial services are reducible to the following heads:

1. Sacrifices of several kinds. These, though but external ordinances of positive insti tution, yet had a relation to spiritual worship, and pointed out several moral duties; while the whole was a typical scheme, and a fit introduction to the more perfect dispensa tion of the Messiah, by whom both they and we were to receive our full atonement and acceptance with God.

2. Purifications from various kinds of legal uncleanness. Which, though they cannot be denied to have been a troublesome branch of the Jewish religion, and one of those circumstances which denominated it an elementary piety, and a yoke which neither they nor their fathers were well able to bear, they were not however intended to terminate in mere ritual observance, they were most apt significations of inward and substantial holl ness; such as reverence toward God, and purity of heart and life.

3. The solemn festivals. The observance whereof was so far from being a needless in stitution, that they appear to have been exceeding proper for preserving the whole nation in the practice of true, and from the corruptions of false, religion. They were thankful commemorations of signal national mercies, and by their constant attendance on these joyful solemnities, at so many stated times of the year, and at the one fixed place of na tional worship, they went through those courses of divine service, and such acts of kindness, generosity, and charity to each other, as tended to confirm them in the true relig jon, and in the love of that happy constitution.

As to the civil and judicial laws here prescribed, they cannot but seem, to any resona ble man, to be far the best body of rules that are to be found on the records of any nation; as making the surest provision for the honour of magistracy and government, and for se curing the rights and properties of the people, and not only so, but for advancing that be nevolence and mutual love, as well as common justice to each other, which are the strongest cements of society.

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 4 before the LORD. And he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering; and it shall be accepted for him to 5 make atonement for him. And he shall kill the bullock before the LORD, by the hands of the priests or Levites; and the priests, Aaron's sons, shall bring the blood, and sprinkle the blood round about upon the altar, that [is by] the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

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And he shall flay the burnt offering, and cut it into his 7 pieces. And the sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire upon 8 the altar, and lay the wood in order upon the fire. And the

priests, Aaron's sons, shall lay the parts, the head, and the fat, in order upon the wood that [is] on the fire which [is] 9 upon the altar. But his inwards and his legs shall he wash in water and the priest shall burn all on the altar, [to be] a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD.

And if his offering [be] of the flocks, [namely,] of the sheep, or of the goats, for a burnt sacrifice; he shall bring it 11 a male without blemish. And he shall kill it on the side of

the altar northward before the LORD: and the priests, Aaron's sons, shall sprinkle his blood round about upon the altar 42 And he shall cut it into his pieces, with his head and his fat: and the priest shall lay them in order on the wood that [is] 13 on the fire which [is] upon the altar: But he shall wash the inwards and the legs with water and the priest shall bring [it] all, and burn [it] upon the altar: it [is] a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD.

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And if the burnt sacrifice for his offering to the LORD [be] of fowls, then he shall bring his offering of turtledoves, 15 or of young pigeons. And the priest shall bring it unto the altar, and wring off his head, and burn [it] on the altar; and the blood thereof shall be wrung out at the side of the altar 16 And he shall pluck away his crop with his feathers, and cast it beside the altar on the east part, by the place of the ashes:

The historical parts of this Book are few, but very instructive; chiefly for creating in men a just veneration for all persons and things consecrated to the service of God.

This introduction, which is continued in the above note, is taken from a Critical and Practical Exposition of the Pentateuch, by Jameson; a work but little known, though exceeding valuable. The Editor could easily have enriched this volume with a variety of useful and curious notes from this excellent writer, but was fearful of swelling the publication, and defeating the end designed, which was a Short and Plain Exposition for the use of Families.

* There were five sorts of sacrifices; burnt offerings, ch. 1. meat offerings, ch. 2. peace offerings, ch. 3. sin offerings, ch 4. and trespass offerings, ch. v. 15. &c. The burnt offering was the first and principal, wherewith God was served every day by the children of Israel, (Num. xxviii. 3.) so called, because it was all burnt, t. 8, 9, 13. except the skin, (ch. vii. 8.) whereas of all other sacrifices only part was burnt.

17 And he shall cleave it with the wings thereof, [but] shall not divide [it] asunder: and the priest shall burn it upon the altar, upon the wood that [is] upon the fire: it [is] a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD.

CHAP. II.

Contains an account of the meat offering of flour with oil and incense; of the first fruits in the ear; and the salt of the meat offering.

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ND when any will offer a meat offering unto the LORD, a distinct offering of itself, and not joined with others, as some meat offerings were, (Num. xv. 4.) his offering shall be [of] fine flour; and he shall pour oil upon it, and put frank2 incense thereon: And he shall bring it to Aaron's sons, the priests and he, the priest to whom he brings it, shall take thereout his handful of the flour thereof, and of the oil thereof, with all the frankincense thereof; and the priest shall burn the memorial of it upon the altar, [to be] an offering 3 made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD: And the remnant of the meat offering [shall be] Aaron's and his sons, for their maintenance, (Num. xviii. 9, 10.) to be eaten in the sanctuary, (ch. vi. 16.) [it is] a thing most holy of the offerings of the LORD made by fire.

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And if thou bring an oblation of a meat offering baken in the oven, [it shall be] unleavened cakes of fine flour mingled with oil, or unleavened wafers anointed with oil.

5 And if thy oblation [be] a meat offering [baken] in a pan, 6 it shall be [of] fine flour unleavened, mingled with oil. Thou shalt part it in pieces, and pour oil thereon: it [is] a meat offering.

7 And if thy oblation [be] a meat offering [baken] in the 8 frying pan, it shall be made [of] fine flour with oil. And thou shalt bring the meat offering that is made of these things unto the LORD: and when it is presented unto the 9 priest, he shall bring it unto the altar. And the priest shall take from the meat offering a memorial thereof, and shall burn [it] upon the altar: [it is] an offering made by fire, of 10 a sweet savour unto the LORD. And that which is left of the meat offering [shall be] Aaron's and his sons': [it is] a thing most holy of the offerings of the LORD made by fire. No meat offering, which ye shall bring unto the LORD, which is offered of free will, shall be made with leaven; (in other offerings it might be used, ch. vii. 13. xxiii. 17.) for ye

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shall burn no leaven nor any honey, in any offering of the LORD made by fire.

As for the oblation of the first fruits, ye shall offer them unto the LORD: but they shall not be burnt on the altar for a sweet savour.

And every oblation of thy meat offering shalt thou season with salt; neither shalt thou suffer the salt of the covenant of thy God to be lacking from thy meat offering with all thine offerings thou shalt offer salt.

And if thou offer a meat offering of thy first fruits unto the LORD, a free will offering, beside what was enjoined, ch. xxii. 29. thou shalt offer for the meat offering of thy first fruits, green ears of corn dried by the fire, [even] corn beaten 15 out of full ears. And thou shalt put oil upon it, and lay 16 frankincense thereon; it [is] a meat offering. And the priest shall burn the memorial of it, [part] of the beaten corn thereof, and [part] of the oil thereof, with all the frankincense thereof: [it is] an offering made by fire unto the LORD.

CHAP. III.

Contains an account of the peace offering of the herd, and of the flock.

'Ahe one bit of the herd; whether [it be] a male ND if his oblation [be] a sacrifice of peace offering,"

or female, he shall offer it without blemish before the LORD. 2 And he shall lay his hand upon the head of his offering, and kill it [at] the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: the burnt offering was killed near the altar, (ch. i. 11.) but this was not so holy, part of it being eaten by the offerer, whereas the other was eaten by the priests only: And Aaron's sons, the priests, shall sprinkle the blood upon the altar round 3 about. And he shall offer of the sacrifice of the peace offering an offering made by fire unto the LORD; the fat that covereth the inwards, and all the fat that [is] upon the in4 wards. And the two kidneys, and the fat that [is] on them,

which [is] by the flanks, and the caul above the liver, with 5 the kidneys, it shall he take away. And Aaron's sons shall burn it on the altar upon the burnt sacrifice, which [is] upon the wood that [is] on the fire: [it is] an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD.

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And if his offering for a sacrifice of peace offering unto the LORD [be] of the flock; male or female, he shall offer it

Thes: were offered either to obtain some blessing which they wanted, or by way of thanksgiving for some mercy received; and sometimes when men in their troubles prayed to God for peace and deliverance. Judges xx. 26. xxi. 4. 1 Chron. xxi. 26.

7 without blemish. If he offer a lamb for his offering, then 8 shall he offer it before the LORD. And he shall lay his hand

upon the head of his offering, and kill it before the tabernacle of the congregation and Aaron's sons shall sprinkle the 9 blood thereof round about upon the altar. And he shall offer of the sacrifice of the peace offering an offering made by fire unto the LORD; the fat thereof, [and] the whole rump, it shall he take off hard by the back bone; and the fat that covereth the inwards, and all the fat that [is] upon the in10 wards, And the two kidneys, and the fat that [is] upon them, which [is] by the flanks, and the caul above the liver, with 11 the kidneys, it shall he take away. And the priest shall burn it upon the altar: [it is] the food of the offering made by fire unto the LORD, that which the fire was to eat up and

consume.

12 And if his offering [be] a goat, then he shall offer it before 13 the LORD. And he shall lay his hand upon the head of it,

and kill it before the tabernacle of the congregation and the sons of Aaron shall sprinkle the blood thereof upon the altar 14 round about. And he shall offer thereof his offering, [even] an offering made by fire unto the LORD; the fat that covereth 15 the inwards, and all the fat that [is] upon the inwards, And the two kidneys, and the fat that [is] upon them, which [is] by the flanks, and the caul above the liver, with the kidneys, it shall 16 he take away. And the priest shall burn them upon the altar [it is] the food of the offering made by fire for a sweet savour all the fat [is] the LORD's, reserved as God's portion to be burnt upon the altar, (ch. iv. 8—10. xvii. 6. Deut. xxxii. 38. and 1 Sam. ii. 15, 16.)

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[It shall be] a perpetual statute for your generations throughout all your dwellings, that ye eat neither fat nor blood.

CHAP. IV.

Contains an account of the sin offering of ignorance, for the priest, the congregation, the ruler, or for the people.

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1 ND the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a soul shall sin through ignorance against any of the commandments of the LORD [concerning things] which ought not to be done, and shall do against any of them :

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If the priest that is anointed do sin according to the sin of the people; then let him bring for his sin, which he hath sinned, a young bullock without blemish unto the LORD for ▲ a sin offering. And he shall bring the bullock unto the door VOL. I. Xx

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