Leviticus Chapter 7 · Matthew Poole

Leviticus 7:1 Likewise this is the law of the trespass offering: it is most holy. The law of the trespass-offering, and what fell to the priests, both of this and some other sacrifices,

Leviticus 7:1-10. The law of the sacrifices of peace-offerings; of thanksgiving,

Leviticus 7:11-15; of vows and free-will-offerings: the unclean person eating thereof to die,

Leviticus 7:16-21. Fat not to be eaten; what fat might be used for other things; he that eats of the fat of the offering to die; and no blood to be eat,

Leviticus 7:22-27. Another caution concerning peace-offerings,

Leviticus 7:28-34. The conclusion of the former laws, which are repeated,

Leviticus 7:35-38.

No text from Poole on this verse.

Leviticus 7:2 In the place where they kill the burnt offering shall they kill the trespass offering: and the blood thereof shall he sprinkle round about upon the altar. No text from Poole on this verse.

Leviticus 7:3 And he shall offer of it all the fat thereof; the rump, and the fat that covereth the inwards, No text from Poole on this verse.

Leviticus 7:4 And the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them, which is by the flanks, and the caul that is above the liver, with the kidneys, it shall he take away: Which is by the flanks;

or, and that

which is, &c. So this is another fat, as may seem probable from the mention of the several parts, the

kidneys

and the

flanks.

For it seems preposterous after a plain and exact description of the very particular place of the fat, the kidneys, to add another more dark and doubtful description of it from the

flanks. And the Hebrew writers, whose common practice of these things makes them the best interpreters of it, make these divers kinds or parts of fat. And so there is only an ellipsis of the conjunction copulative, which is

Psalm 133:3, and in many other places, as hath been already showed.

Leviticus 7:5 And the priest shall burn them upon the altar for an offering made by fire unto the LORD: it is a trespass offering. No text from Poole on this verse.

Leviticus 7:6 Every male among the priests shall eat thereof: it shall be eaten in the holy place: it is most holy. Every male

supposing him not to have any uncleanness upon him,

Leviticus 7:20, or other impediment.

Leviticus 7:7 As the sin offering is , so is the trespass offering: there is one law for them: the priest that maketh atonement therewith shall have it . So is the trespass-offering,

to wit, in the matter here following, for in other things they differed.

Shall have it,

i.e. by a synecdoche, that part of it which was by God allowed to the priest. See

Leviticus 6:26.

Leviticus 7:8 And the priest that offereth any man's burnt offering, even the priest shall have to himself the skin of the burnt offering which he hath offered. No text from Poole on this verse.

Leviticus 7:9 And all the meat offering that is baken in the oven, and all that is dressed in the fryingpan, and in the pan, shall be the priest's that offereth it. All the meat-offering,

except the part reserved by God,

Leviticus 2:2 ,9. Shall be the priest’s that offereth it, because these were ready drest and hot, and not to be presently eaten; and because the priest who offered it was in reason to expect and have something more than his brethren who laboured not about it; and that he had only in this offering, for the other were equally distributed.

Leviticus 7:10 And every meat offering, mingled with oil, and dry, shall all the sons of Aaron have, one as much as another. Dry,

without oil, or drink-offering, as those

Leviticus 5:1 Numbers 5:15.

One as much as another:

the sense may be either,

1. That every priest shall have equal right to this, when the course of his ministration comes. But then there was no reason to make so great an alteration of the phrase, nor to make any distinction of the differing kinds of meatofferings, if in both they were to be the

priest’s that offered them, as is expressed

Leviticus 7:9, and here, as they say, intended. Or rather,

2. That these were to be equally divided among all the priests. And there was manifest reason for this difference, because these were in greater quantity than the former; and being raw, might more easily and commodiously be divided and reserved for the several priests to dress it in that way which each of them best liked.

Leviticus 7:11 And this is the law of the sacrifice of peace offerings, which he shall offer unto the LORD. No text from Poole on this verse.

Leviticus 7:12 If he offer it for a thanksgiving, then he shall offer with the sacrifice of thanksgiving unleavened cakes mingled with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil, and cakes mingled with oil, of fine flour, fried. For a thanksgiving;

for mercies received. See

Leviticus 22:29 2 Chronicles 29:31 33:16.

Leviticus 7:13 Besides the cakes, he shall offer for his offering leavened bread with the sacrifice of thanksgiving of his peace offerings. Leavened bread;

partly, because this was a sacrifice of another kind than those in which leaven was forbidden, this being a sacrifice of thanksgiving for God’s blessings, among which leavened bread was one; partly, to show that leaven was not so strictly forbidden in other sacrifices, as if it were evil in itself, but to teach us wholly to rest in the will of God in all his appointments, without too scrupulous an inquiry into the particular reasons of them.

Object.

Leaven was universally forbidden,

Leviticus 2:11.

Answ.

1. That prohibition concerned only things offered and burnt upon the altar, which this bread was not, but it was offered only towards the priest’s food.

2. That was another kind of sacrifice, and therefore it is no wonder if it had other rites.

3. That leaven was not universally forbidden appears from

Leviticus 23:17.

With the sacrifice of thanksgiving of his peace-offerings,

or,

with the sacrifice of thanksgiving for his peace or prosperity.

Leviticus 7:14 And of it he shall offer one out of the whole oblation for an heave offering unto the LORD, and it shall be the priest's that sprinkleth the blood of the peace offerings. Of it,

i.e. either of the loaves of leavened bread mentioned

Leviticus 7:13, or of the offering, one of each part of the

whole oblation, as it follows; it being most probable, and agreeable to the rules and laws laid down before and afterward that the priest should have a share in the unleavened cakes and wafers, as well as in the leavened bread.

Concerning the heave-offerings, see

Exodus 29:24 ,28.

Leviticus 7:15 And the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offerings for thanksgiving shall be eaten the same day that it is offered; he shall not leave any of it until the morning. By the priests and offerers this flesh was eaten,

Leviticus 22:30.

Leviticus 7:16 But if the sacrifice of his offering be a vow, or a voluntary offering, it shall be eaten the same day that he offereth his sacrifice: and on the morrow also the remainder of it shall be eaten: Be a vow;

offered in performance of a vow, the man having desired some special favour from God, and vowed the sacrifice to God if he would grant it. A

voluntary offering,

which a malt freely offered to God, in testimony of his faith and love to God, without any particular injunction from God, or design of his own special advantage thereby. See

Leviticus 22:23 Ezekiel 46:12.

On the morrow also the remainder of it shall be eaten,

which was not allowed for the thankoffering; the reason of which difference is to be fetched only from God’s good pleasure and will, to which he expects our obedience, though we discern not the reason of his appointments.

Leviticus 7:17 But the remainder of the flesh of the sacrifice on the third day shall be burnt with fire. That it might neither putrefy, and thereby be exposed to contempt; nor yet be reserved either for superstitious abuse, or for the priest’s domestic use, which would savour of covetousness, and of distrust of God’s care for their future provisions.

Leviticus 7:18 And if any of the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offerings be eaten at all on the third day, it shall not be accepted, neither shall it be imputed unto him that offereth it: it shall be an abomination, and the soul that eateth of it shall bear his iniquity. It shall not be imputed unto him

for an acceptable service to God.

Leviticus 7:19 And the flesh that toucheth any unclean thing shall not be eaten; it shall be burnt with fire: and as for the flesh, all that be clean shall eat thereof. The flesh,

to wit, of the holy offering, of which he is here treating; and therefore the general word is to be so limited; for other flesh one might eat in this case,

Deu 12:15 ,22.

That toucheth any unclean thing,

after its oblation; which might easily happen, as it was conveyed from the altar to the place where it was eaten; for it was not eaten in the holy place, as appears, because it was eaten by the priests, together with the offerers, who might not come thither.

As for the flesh,

i.e. the other flesh; that which shall not be polluted by any unclean touch.

All that be clean,

whether priests or offerers, or guests invited to the feast. See

1 Samuel 9:12 20:26. Both the flesh and the eaters of it must be clean.

Leviticus 7:20 But the soul that eateth of the flesh of the sacrifice of peace offerings, that pertain unto the LORD, having his uncleanness upon him, even that soul shall be cut off from his people. The soul that eateth knowingly;

for if it were done ignorantly, a sacrifice was accepted for it,

Leviticus 5:2.

Having his uncleanness upon him,

i.e. not being cleansed from his uncleanness according to the appointment,

Leviticus 11:24, &c. This verse speaks of uncleanness from an internal cause, as by an issue, &c., for what was from an external cause is spoken of in the next verse.

Leviticus 7:21 Moreover the soul that shall touch any unclean thing, as the uncleanness of man, or any unclean beast, or any abominable unclean thing , and eat of the flesh of the sacrifice of peace offerings, which pertain unto the LORD, even that soul shall be cut off from his people. The uncleanness of man,

or,

of women,

for the word signifies both; and that there were such things coming from men or women, the touch whereof did pollute men and things, may be seen

Le 15, and elsewhere. Others make it an hypallage

uncleanness of man, for

a man of uncleanness, or,

an unclean man. But that seems not necessary here.

Leviticus 7:22 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, No text from Poole on this verse.

Leviticus 7:23 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, Ye shall eat no manner of fat, of ox, or of sheep, or of goat. The general prohibition of eating fat,

Leviticus 3:17, is here explained of, and restrained to, those kinds of creatures which were sacrificed to God.

Leviticus 7:24 And the fat of the beast that dieth of itself, and the fat of that which is torn with beasts, may be used in any other use: but ye shall in no wise eat of it. He speaketh still of the same kinds of beasts, and showeth that this prohibition reacheth not only to the fat of those beasts which were offered to God, but also of those that died, or were killed at home. And if this seems a superfluous prohibition concerning the fat, since the lean as well as the fat of such beasts was forbidden,

Leviticus 22:8, it must be noted that that prohibition reached only to the priests,

Leviticus 7:4.

Leviticus 7:25 For whosoever eateth the fat of the beast, of which men offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD, even the soul that eateth it shall be cut off from his people. No text from Poole on this verse.

Leviticus 7:26 Moreover ye shall eat no manner of blood, whether it be of fowl or of beast, in any of your dwellings. No text from Poole on this verse.

Leviticus 7:27 Whatsoever soul it be that eateth any manner of blood, even that soul shall be cut off from his people. No text from Poole on this verse.

Leviticus 7:28 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, No text from Poole on this verse.

Leviticus 7:29 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, He that offereth the sacrifice of his peace offerings unto the LORD shall bring his oblation unto the LORD of the sacrifice of his peace offerings. Not by another, but by himself, as it is explained

Leviticus 7:30. His oblation, i.e. those parts of the peace-offering which are in a special manner offered to God, to wit, the fat, and breast, and shoulder, as it follows. Unto the Lord, i.e. to the tabernacle, where the Lord was present in a special manner. He shows, that though part of such offerings might be eaten in any clean place,

Leviticus 10:14, yet not till they had been killed, and part of them offered to the Lord in the place appointed by him for that purpose.

Leviticus 7:30 His own hands shall bring the offerings of the LORD made by fire, the fat with the breast, it shall he bring, that the breast may be waved for a wave offering before the LORD. After the beast was killed, and the parts of it divided, the priest was to put the parts mentioned into the hands of the offerer. See

Exodus 29:22-24.

Made by fire;

so called not strictly, as burnt-offerings are, because some parts of these were left for the priest,

Leviticus 7:31; but more largely, because even these peace-offerings were in part, though not wholly, burnt.

The breast may be waved

to and fro by his hands, which were supported and directed by the hands of the priest.

Leviticus 7:31 And the priest shall burn the fat upon the altar: but the breast shall be Aaron's and his sons'. i.e. The portion of every succeeding high priest and his family: compare

Exodus 29:26.

Leviticus 7:32 And the right shoulder shall ye give unto the priest for an heave offering of the sacrifices of your peace offerings. No text from Poole on this verse.

Leviticus 7:33 He among the sons of Aaron, that offereth the blood of the peace offerings, and the fat, shall have the right shoulder for his part. No text from Poole on this verse.

Leviticus 7:34 For the wave breast and the heave shoulder have I taken of the children of Israel from off the sacrifices of their peace offerings, and have given them unto Aaron the priest and unto his sons by a statute for ever from among the children of Israel. The

breast

or heart is the seat of wisdom, and the

shoulder

of strength for action, and these two may denote that wisdom and virtue or power which was in Christ our High Priest,

1 Corinthians 1:24, and which ought to be in every priest.

Leviticus 7:35 This is the portion of the anointing of Aaron, and of the anointing of his sons, out of the offerings of the LORD made by fire, in the day when he presented them to minister unto the LORD in the priest's office; Of the anointing,

i.e. of the priesthood; the sign put for the thing signified; and the

anointing

by a like figure is put for the right, or part of the sacrifices belonging to the priest by virtue of his anointing, as plainly appears from the words here following,

out of the offering,

& c.

In the day when he presented them:

this was their portion appointed them by God in that day, and therefore to be given to them in after-ages. Or,

from the day, &c., and thenceforward; the Hebrew preposition

beth

being put for

rain, as it is frequently.

Leviticus 7:36 Which the LORD commanded to be given them of the children of Israel, in the day that he anointed them, by a statute for ever throughout their generations. No text from Poole on this verse.

Leviticus 7:37 This is the law of the burnt offering, of the meat offering, and of the sin offering, and of the trespass offering, and of the consecrations, and of the sacrifice of the peace offerings; Of the consecration,

i.e. of the sacrifice offered at the consecration of the priests.

Leviticus 7:38 Which the LORD commanded Moses in mount Sinai, in the day that he commanded the children of Israel to offer their oblations unto the LORD, in the wilderness of Sinai. No text from Poole on this verse.