The Pulpit Commentary — Leviticus — Section 277

of his 11ons, and prevented from coagulating the mercy seat eastward, that is, on the by being kept in motion. front of the ark beneath the Presence en- Vere. 12, 13.-This is the first entry or throned upon the mercy seat, and shrouded the high priest into the holy of holies. by the smoke of the incense ; and before He takes with him a oenser-literally, the the mercy aeat, that is, on the ground in censer, that is, the censer that he was to front of it, he sprinkled of the blood with hill use on the occasion-full of burnmg ooals of finger aeven times. In after times, when fire from oft' the altar; and his hands are full the ark was gone, the high priest sprinkled of sweet incense beaten small; his object npwards once and downwards seven times. being to fill the holy of holies with the Ver. 15.-The third entry was made as smoke of the incense which may serve as soon as he had killed the goat which formed at least a thin vail between himself and the a moiety of the sin offering of the congrega- Presence of the Lord, that he die not (cf. tion, when he brought his blood likewise Exod, :u:xiii. 20, " Thou canst not see my within the veil, and did with that blood as he face : for there shall no man see me, and did with the blood of the bullock, sprinkling live;" of. also Gen. xxxii. 30; Deut. v. 24; it the same number of times as before. "B:, Judg. vi. 22; xiii. 22). Here we see taught the entrance of the high priest into thl." the lesson of the vision of God, o.s he is, holy of holies is set forth that atonemenl being impossible to the human faculties. He could only be effected before the throne of must be v9.iled in one way or another. After Jehovah" (Clark). passing through the outer chamber of the Ver. 16.-The two sprinklings, first wit1,_ tabernacle, the high priest found himself the bullock's blood, then with the goat'■ in the smaller chamber where stood the blood, on the front of the ark and on the ark. Immediately he threw the incense on ground before it, effected the symbolical the coals of the censer, until the holy of atonement which was required annually even holies was filled with the smoke, after whioh, for the holy of holies because it was pitched according to later practice, he offered o. in the midst of sinful men. There remained prayer outside the vail. The following the outer chamber of the tabernacle and the form of prayer, breathing, however, the altar of burnt sncrifice to be atoned for. spirit of ages long subsequent to the taber- Accordingly, the high priest proceeds to do nacle, or even the first temple, is found in 10 for the tabernaole of the oongregation, the Talmud: - " May it please thee, 0 that is, to make a similar atonement by Lord OW' God, the God of OW' fathers, that similar means outside the vail as he had neither this day nor this year any captivity made inside it. He would therefore have come upon us. Yet if oapti vity befall us made one sprinkling with the blood upon this day or this year, let it be to a plaoe the vail, nnd seven sprinklings before it. where the Law is cultivated. May it please o.fter which he placed the blood upon the thee, 0 Lord our God, the God of our fathers, horns of the alto.r of incense, accor,ling to that want come not upon us this day or this the oommo.nd given in Exod. xxx. 10. In year. But if want visit us this day or this later times it became customary o.lso to year, let it be due to the liberality of our sprinkle the top of the altar of incense senn charitable deeds. May it please thee, 0 times. Lord, the God of our fathers, that this year Ver. 17.-There shall be no man in the may be a year of cheapness, of fulness, of tabemaole of the oongregation. From the interoourse and trade; a year with abun- first entry until the work of atonement was dance of rain, of sunshine, and of dew; one completed, both for the holy of holies and i•n whioh thy people Israel shall not require for the tabernacle, no one but the high assistanoe one from o.nother. And hsten priest was to be allowed within the door of not to the prayers of those who are o.hout the tabernacle, not only tho.t there might to sot out on a journey (against rain). And be no witness of the withdrawal of the o.wful 11s to thy people Israel, may no enemy exalt vail, but o.lso that the rite of purification himself against them. May it please thee, might not be interfered with by an impure 0 Lord OW' God, the God of our fathers, presence. Even on the Day of Atonement )ho.t the housos of the mon of Baron (exposed the d wolling-plnce of God, typionl of heaven, lo floods) may not becomo their graves" was closed to the eye and foot of man, " the (Edersheim, • 'femple Servioe '). way into the holiest of o.11 being not yet Ver. 14.-The seoond entry of the high made manifest" (Heb. ix. 8), until the priest into the holy of holies took plaoe very Divine High Priest opened the wo.y for his soon after the flrst entry. Immedhtely people by his own entro.nce. that he had returned after lighting the Vera. 18, 19.-The holy of holies and th& incense, and perhaps offering a prayer, he outer chamber of the to.bemaole hnving been took of the blood of the bullook, which he reoonoiled, the high priest shall go out unto had previousl7 killed, went back without the altar that is before the Lord-that is, delay, and aprinkled it witll bl,11 fluger upon tbe altar of burnt aaorUloe in th~ oaurt, f,EVlTIOll'B, a  242 THE BOOK OF LEVITICUS. [en. XVI, 1--34,