LITERARY STRUCTURE.—The 27 chapters fall readily apart into four divisions which are suc- cessively discussed, 1.6. (1) the Law of Sacrifice, 1-7 ; (2) the Consecration of the Priesthood, 8-10; (3) the Law of Clean and Unclean, with appendix on the Day of Atonement, 11-16; (4) the Law of Holiness, with appendix, 17-27.
(N.B.—For explanation of abbreviations and signs see EXODUS).
§ 1. 1-7: The Law of Sacrifice.
A. Analytical Summary.
Pt denotes material consisting of priestly teaching or torah codified before Ps, and subsequently incorporated. Ps marks sections written after Ps.
LEVITICUS
LEVITICUS 105 |
af We any column shows supplements of the same school and period.
} Many similar titles or introductory clauses, added by the compiler, are left to the student to notice.
1-61 A Manuva FoR WORSHIPPERS. 11 Rp Title.t 12b-9 BURN?-OFFERING of the herd. 10-13 . . - . of the flock. 1 41617 5 = . of fowls. 213 MEAL-OFFERING Of fine flour. + +18 - © « «baked, etc. +1417 - + . «Οἱ firstfruits. 315 PRACE-OFFERING of the herd. 861: Cae OMe . of the flock : sheep. 12-16 . . . . 5 - goats. 1 Ρ Ἢ «ον eating fator blood forbidden. 41-12 SIN-OFFERING for anointed priest. wm |. ὺς . for whole congregation. ae . . . for a ruler. Ἂ + «+. forany person (a goa’ + 8235 /. . 5 Ol = Δ Ὃ την). 514 Stn-orFERING for any person (lamb or goat, +710 eee Une eiten o- ((owlaforpoor 11.18 ci ste . . «(meal for poorer, + 1416 GUILT-OFFERING for trespass in holy things. 17-19 ἄτα ἀρ ὩΣ . for unknown sins. +617 - « . .for trespass against a neighbour. 68-788 A ManvAL For PRIESTS. 659» Rp Title. 69d-13 Ritual of Burnt-orrERine. 14:18 - « MEAL-OFFERING. + 19-23 eae > Ε : . of the priest. 624-25b Rp Title. 350-29 Ritual of Sin-OrFERING. 630 Supplement to above. re Ritual of Guitt-oFFERING, 18 Priest to have skin of the burnt-offering. +9 Priest to have meal-offering. 110 Sons of Aaron to have all meal-offerings. nn Ritual of PEACE-OFFERING, + 2227 Eating fat or blood forbidden. + 358 Wave breast and heave thigh for priests. 185. Anointing portion of priests. 571. Colophon. 1
B. Critical Notes.
With regard to this division there are two ques- tions to answer. (1) Does it form part of the great Priestly writing (P*) which contains Ex 25- 297 (2) If not, what is its relation to it? Is it, like Ex 35-40, later, or is it in the main earlier? Let the facts decide. The process of exhibiting them will bring out other points requiring special attention in these chapters.
a. The directions in Ex 29 for Aaron’s conse- eration ordered burnt-, sin-, and peace-offerings. Now the ritual there prescribed precisely accords with the requirements of Ly 1-7, which are there- fore already assumed in a passage which precedes.
b. Altes x 35-40 (or the shorter account of the erection of the Tabernacle which it has replaced) we expect to hear of the fulfilment of the other command, in Ex 29, to consecrate Aaron. But Ly 1-7 comes in before Ly 8, the account of the consecration. It appears, that is, as an inter- ruption.
c. At the same time, Lv 1-7 is linked with P* hy a practical identity of sacrificial terminology.
ἃ. dertain elements, however, which are often mentioned and constantly de era in P* and P*, are either absent from these chapters, or appear in clauses which can be readily removed as inter- polations, or find place in passages otherwise marked as exceptional. Such are the presupposi- tions that the people are living in a camp, that their sanctuary is the Tent of Meeting, and that the only priests are Aaron and his sons.
For instance, the Tent of Meeting is unmentioned from 11° to 216; in 18 its occurrence is plainly an interpolation, for it interrupts the connexion (for the acceptance of the victim
depends, according to 221925, on the absence of blemish) Again, in 1-3 the priest occurs 11 times, and Aaron’s sons the priests (or an equivalent phrase) 11 times. The facts, that each paragraph reverts to the singular, that sing. verbs follow plural subjects 15f Uf etc., that LXX twice, and Sam. once correct to pl., all go to prove that the priest was the origi al perig and that the uliar phrase Aaron’s sons the priests, 15.8. 11 22 32, is an adaptation of the simple term the priest by prefixing Aaron’s sons and altering sing. to pl. Contrast the uniform formula of Ps Aaron and his sons.
e. Moreover, the conspectus A, given above, on the face of it suggests that 1-7 is not itself homogeneous. It falls apart into two codes, each of which treats the whole round of offerings, but without reference to the other, and with a different aim and plan. Again, the two codes 1-6’ and 68-78 have been themselves subject to revision and enlargement. The nucleus of 1-67 is 1-3, a little code which perhaps never dealt with sin- and ruilt-offerings. In any case 5-6’ are distinct in orm, and much more so 4 (P*).
A few instances of the clues which have been followed may be given as illustrations of method. 2¢16 is marked as sup- lementary, for (1) it repeats 1-3, and (2) it uses thou and ye instead of he as in the rest of 1-3.—4 distinguishes the altar of sweet incense from the altar of burnt-offering (see art. Exopus, IV.), and elaborates ceremonial ; it is therefore given to P* (perhaps better to P). In Ex 29 Pg and Lv 8 P* even at the consecration of Aaron the blood of the sin-offering was not as here (46f, cf. 17f) brought into the holy place.—5!-6 is older 4, because of the variety of cases in view, and the absence of ritual direction. It has features that connect it with Ph,—61¢16 and 61-7 are not by author of 51-4, for the guilt- offering, which in 8 is confused with the sin-offering, is here clearly assigned to cases of damage done to the interests of Jahweh or a neighbour.—5!7-19 interrupts the connexion, and completes 1-6, not 1416. In 14 atonement is provided for unconscious offences after discovery; but what if calamity vaguely convicts of unknown guilt? Here is the remedy.