The Pulpit Commentary — Exodus — Volume 2 — Section 279

V<'r. 13.-Thou llhalt 1aln all the fa\, etc. indicated tbatself-aaerifice wuwbolly RCC4!pt- Amotlj/: ell natiow: "·ho have offored l!&Crifices, able to God; whereu in sin-offering& thf'm it h"" been very· wone.l to select certain part!; of was a taint of evil which rendered all but th<' victim only for burning upon the altar, certain parm of the victim unacceptable (ver. nnd to dillpOlle otherwit1e of the remainder. H). A IWNt awv. This is not to be Th<' Greeb oommonh· burnt on the altar the anderBtood in the coane sense in which heat.hen tbigh6 and the fat oniy. The Romans burnt writ.ers 1l8ed similar expressions, meaning by certAin partB of the int.est.inB6 only, and called them (as it would seem) that the gods were them Jl"lll9Cl,o. ~ . or abkymina. In really pleased with the odow of sacrifices. Egypt. according to Herodotus, the greater No canaid mind can ascribe to the Hebrews part of the body Wll5 burnt ; bnt the head, the such anthropomorphism. Evidently no more neck., the shoulders. and the lower part of the is meant than that the offering would be l8gll, ai; well as the paunch, were reserved and pleasing to God. See Gen. viii. 21 ; Lev. i. not burnt (Herod. ii. fO). The fat was 9, 18, 17, etc. generally regarded as the best part of the Ver. 19.-The other nm. Compare ver. offering, and most acceptable to the gods. 15; and see also vers. 1 and 8, where two This ....-as probably on account of im burning rams had been mentioned. This second ram with a bright flame and helping to comnime is called, "the ram of COll!ltt.lation " in Yer. the rest of the offering. The aul that ill 22, and aga.m in Lev. viii. 22. It was "by above the liver. Probably the membn.ne far the most peculiar part of the whole cere- which covers the upper part of the liver, B01De- mony" (S. Clark). It must be viewed as a tim"-S called "the small omentum." ( ~ "peace-offering" (Lev. iii. 1-17), but one of jeron,;, Vulg.) a peculiar character. The application of the ,·er. 14.-The a.Ji ... llbalt thou blll'll blood to the per110ns of the priesbl wns with fire wiihout the -P· Such was the rule altogether unique, and most significant. It with sin-offerings generally (Lev. iv. 11, 12). Wll6 the crowning act of consecration, and The curse of sin which was on them, made implied the complete dedication of their life them unfit for food and even unworthy of ana of all their powers to the service of the hurw..1 11·it.bin the camp. On the symbolism of Almighty. the burial. see Heb. xiii. 11-1S. Hill dmig. Ver. 20.-Tbe victim having been offered Th:lt which the bowels contained at the time and accepted, its blood had a sanctifying of death. power. Placed upon thB tip of the right ear Ver. 15.---0ne nm. Literally "u~ one of Aaron and hill llOllll, it sanctified that organ, ram '"--i.e .. " one of the two rams mentioned which was to be ever open to the Divine voice ; 111 verse l.'; Put their haD.d.a. Here, again, placed npon the thumb of their right hand, the object was to identify themselves with the it sanctified their mi.nist,erial actions ; placed victim, and make it their representati\"e ; upon the graat toe of their right foot, ·it though now. a.s the ram was to be a bunit sanrti.fied their whole walk in life, their offering, self-sacrifice, rather than expiation, "going out," and their "coming in." The was the leading thought. consecrated life of the victim which they ho.d Ver. 16.-Thau aha1t take hill blood a.n.d offered " W116 given back to them, in order sprinkle it. Bather, "and oaat it." The that it might be devoted to the service of blood was to be thrown from a ha.sin, not the Loni." sprin.k.led with the hand or with hyswp. Bab- Ver. 21.-Thou Bh&lt take of the blood . Lulical tradition sayi; that it was so cast at two . . . a.n.d of the anointing oil Appa- uf the comers, and thus moistened all the four rently, this is the only unction that the ordi- ;.ides. This was regarded as CIISting it " on nary priesti; were to receive. (Compare Lev. 11c alw round about." viii. 30.) The mixture of the blood with the , er. l'i.-'l'hou ahah oat the nm in pi-. oil is unusual, and presenm 60Ille difficulties; Literalk, " into w pieces," which Kalisch but perhaps it is hfst to view it as symbolising ,;uppose6 to mean "into ib; natural limbs." the intimate union which exists between Egyptian sculptures show us animah; thus cut j usillication and sanrtification-tbe atoning ui, . .w.d offered at sacrificial fea.sts to anceston;. blood, and the sanctifying grace of the Holy Waah ia iD.ward&--t.e., its "intestines"-pro- Spirit. A.nd lprinkle it. The verb is differ- l,'1bh- the stomach and bowels only. 11a legs. ent from the.t used in Yer. 16, and is rightly TLt ·1ower joinu; of the leg, with the loot, to rendered, " spri.n.kle. 11 He llhall be hallowed wluch it WMS likely that dust might attach. a.n.d hill garment& Ai; the garments shared Put 1ibaD umo hill pi.Na - i.e., "replace in the sprinkling, they shared also, so far as thclll aft.er wlishi.ng with the other pieces," W116 possible, in the collll8Cl'&tion. It was ur jui..uu;, inw which the animal had been hence especially that they became " holy gar- cut. ment.s." Ver. 18.-'l'hou llhal1 bam thB whole nm Ver. 22.-The rump. Bather, "the tail. 11 11.pon t.he altar. This Lec.ame the general law Oriental sheep ha,·e very commonly a broad 1.11 t.L, Lurnt-Llifcrwg (Lev i. 9, 18, 17) It fat tJw, wliich weigh!i frorn six to 1.w,nty CII, XXIX. 23-:J7.] TIIF. BOOK OF EXODUS. 2!17