H² e¹ 1-4-. Command. f¹ -4. Appearing of Yehovah promised. e² 5,6-. Obedience. f² -6. Appearing of glory promised. e³ 7-23-. Command and obedience. f³ -23,24. Appearing of the glory of Yehovah.
28-29th March, 1490 B.C.
for to day the Lord (Yehovah) will appear to you.’ ” (i.e. manifest Himself in a special manner.)
5: And they brought that which Moses commanded before the tent of the assembly: and all the congregation drew near and stood before the Lord (Yehovah).
6: And Moses said, “This is the thing which the Lord (Yehovah)
commanded that you all should do:
and the glory of the Lord (Yehovah) shall appear to you.”
7: And Moses said to Aaron (showing that Aaron did not take this honor upon himself. Heb.5:4,5), "Go to the altar, and prepare (Heb. ‘åsåh, to make ready a victim for sacrifice: to make a victim a specific offering. Hence, to offer. First occ. in Ex.10:25, sacrifice. Then Ex.29:36,38,39, offer &c.) your sin offering (ancient Jewish interpretation refers this "calf" v.8 to the sin of the golden calf. The People's share in that sin is referred to in v.15. Cp. Ex.32:35: "they made the calf whch Aaron made" Ex.32:14), and your burnt offering, and make an atonement for yourself (
see Ex.28:33. Cp. Ex.28:14), and for the People: and prepare the offering of the People, and make an atonement for them; accrding as the Lord (Yehovah) commanded.
and the glory of the Lord (Yehovah) appeared to all the People.
(According to the promise in v.4)
24: And there came a fire out from before the Lord
(Yehovah) (see 10:2, and cp. 1 Chron.21:26 and Gen.4:4. Judg.6:20,21. 1 Kings 18:38. 2 Chron.7:1,2. See Lev.6:13), and consumed upon the altar the burnt offering and the fat: which when all the People saw, they shouted, and fell on their faces. (Cp. 2 Chron.7:3.)
H³ g 1-7. Disobedience (positive sin). h 8-11. Command (as to holy and unclean). h 12-15. Command (as to meal offering). g 16-20. Disobedience (negative failure).
28-29th March, 1490 B.C.
2: And there went out fire from before the Lord (Yehovah), and
slew them (for they were not consumed, as shown in vv.4 & 5), and they died before the Lord (Yehovah). (i.e. in the court of the sanctuary, where their sin had been committed.)
3: Then Moses said to Aaron, "This is it that the Lord
(Yehovah) spoke (in contrast with v.1. The positive apposed to the negative. Note the emphasis on "This" = this and nothing else: this very thing.
Disobedience here is vital; this is why "judgement must begin at the house of God": 1 Pet.4:17, yes "the time is come"), saying, 'I will be
sanctified in them that come near Me (note this double "I will": and compare it with the "must" of John 4:24. Cp.John 3:7,14. All worship which has not Christ for its object, the glory of Yehovah for its end, and the Holy Spirit for its power, will be
rejected and judged), and before all the people I will be glorified.' " And Aaron held his peace. (in
solemn submission to God's judgement on his two sons, just struck so soon after their anointing, installation, and investiture. Cp. 8:13.)
4: And Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Uzziel the uncle of Aaron (Izhar and Hebron, the older uncles, were passed over because of their probable sympathy with their nephews Nadab and Abihu,
Num.16:5,78), and said to them, "Come near, carry your brethren from before the sanctuary outside of
the camp." (Burials took place in the open fields. Cp. Gen.23:9,17. Matt.27:52,53. Luke 7:12.)
5: So they went near, and carried them in their coats out of the camp; according as Moses had said.
6: And Moses said to Aaron, and to Eleazar and to Ithamar, his sons, "Uncover not your heads, neither tear your clothes; and so you all will not die, and wrath will not come upon all the assembly: but your brethren, the whole house of Israel (see Ex.16:31), bewail the burning (down) which the Lord (Yehovah) has kindled.
7: And you all shall not go out from the entrance of the tent of the assembly, lest you all die: for the anointing oil of the Lord (Yehovah) is upon you." And they did according to the word of Moses.
8: And the Lord (Yehovah) spoke to Aaron (the only time to Aaron alone, see 5:14), saying,
9: "Do not drink wine (Heb. yayin from the root yayan, to ferment, used of every sort of wine, and included fermented wine of all kids. It was
intoxicating. Also used for sacred puposes and for
blessing) nor strong drink (Heb. shêkår from shåkar, to get drunk, a very intoxicating drink made from barely, honey and dates. Does this law follow here, because it was intoxication which led to the sin of Nadab and Abihu?), you, nor your sons with you, when you all go into the tent of the assembly, lest you all die (Cp. Ezek.44:21. The exception implies the rule. Nothing may be done to excite or stimulate the flesh in the sanctuary: neither drink within, nor music without; nor sensuous surroundings. The old nature must not be stimulated by moving scenes or mere human eloquence. All "must" be of the Spirit. John 4:24): it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations:
10: And that you all may put difference between
holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean; (See Ex.3:5)
11: And that you all may teach the sons of Israel all the statutes which the Lord (Yehovah) has spoken to them by the hand of Moses." (This was a special
part of the priest's work. See Deut.33:10)
12: And Moses spoke to Aaron, and to Eleazar and to
Ithamar, his sons that were left, "Take the meal offering that remains of the admittance offerings by fire to the Lord (Yehovah), and eat it without leaven (see Ex.12:15) beside the altar (in the outer court, cp. v.2 and 6:20): for it is most holy:
13: And you all shall eat it in the holy place, because it is your due (=your statute, not
withstanding the failure in vv.1-7), and your
sons' statute, of the slain sacrifices made by fire
to the Lord (Yehovah): for so I am commanded.
14: And the wave breast and heave shoulder (see Ex.29:27) shall you all eat in a clean place; you, and your sons, and your
daughters with you (note this: as well as sons. We must distinguish the priveleges confined to males; others are common to all alike. The daughters
could not eat of the "sin offering" v.17, but could
eat of the "meal offering" here): for they are
your statute, and your sons' statute, which are given
out of the sacrifices of peace offerings of the sons
of Israel.
15: The heave shoulder and the wave breast shall they bring with the offerings made by fire of the fat, to wave it for a wave offering before Yehovah; and it shall be yours, and your sons' with you, by a statute for ever; according as Yehovah has commanded.'
16: And Moses diligently sought the goat of the sin
offering, and, behold, it was burnt (down): and he was angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, the sons of Aaron which were left alive, saying,
17: "Why have you all not eaten the sin offering in the holy place (calling attention to
6:26), seeing it is most holy, and God (Elohim) has
given it you to bear the perverseness of the congregation, to make atonement for them before the Lord (Yehovah)? (See Ex. 29:33)
18: Behold (to emphasise the distinction laid down in 6:26,30; 10:17. Cp. 4:5,16;
6:23,30), the blood of it was not brought in
within the holy place: you all should indeed have eaten it in the holy place, as I commanded."
19: And Aaron said to Moses, "Behold, this day have they offered their sin offering and their burnt offering before Yehovah; and such things have befallen me: and if I had eaten the sin offering to day, should it have been accepted in the sight of the Lord (Yehovah)?
20: And when Moses heard that, he was content.
E J¹ 11:1-47. Food and defilement. J² 12:1-8. Child-bearing. J³ 13:1-14:57. Leprosy. J4 15:1-33. Issues.
J¹ K¹ 1-23. Food. K² 24-47. Defilement.
K¹ i¹ 1-8. Beasts. i² 9-12. Water animals. i³ 13-19. Flying animals. i4 20-23. Creeping or swarming animals.
9: These shall you all eat of all that are in the waters: whatsoever has fins and scales in the waters, in the seas, and in the rivers, them shall you all eat.
10: And all that have not fins and scales in the seas, and in the rivers, of all that move in the waters, and of any living thing (=soul, Heb. nephesh) which is in the waters, they shall be an abomination to you:
11: They shall be even an abomination to you; you all shall not eat of their flesh, but you all shall have their carcases in abomination.
12: Whatsoever has no fins nor scales in the waters, that shall be an abomination to you.
13: And these are they which you all shall have in
abomination among the fowls (=flying things; very difficult to identify the English names); they shall not be eaten, they are an abomination: the eagle (or vulture), and the ossifrage (a rendering of the Heb. "bone-breaker", from taking their prey up in the air and dropping it on a rock to break it), and the ospray (or sea eagle),
14: And the vulture (or kite), and the kite (=falcon) after his kind;
15: Every raven (or blackbirds of all kinds) after his kind;
16: And the owl, and the night hawk, and the cuckow,
(or seagull) and the hawk after his kind,
17: And the little owl (or simply "owl". Only here, Deut.14:16, Ps.102:6), and the cormorant (or the "darter"), and the great owl (Heb. "night-owl"),
18: And the swan (not our swan: it is variously rendered "ibis", "bat", "heron", and "pelican"), and the pelican (or vomiting pelican), and the
gier eagle, (or little vulture. Heb. "the merciful.")
19: And the stork (Heb. chasîdah, "the pious", rendered "stork" in Job 39:13. Ps.104:17. Jer.8:7. Zech.5:9), the heron (Heb. ’anåphåh, "the cruel") after her kind, and the lapwing (or
better, the hoopee, a dirty bird), and the bat.
(A vile creature and symbol of evil Isa.2:20; comes last as a link between two classes, quadrupeds and birds.)
20: All flying things that creep, going upon all four, shall be an abomination to you.
21: Yet these may you all eat of every flying creeping thing that goes upon all four, which have legs above their feet, to leap withal upon the earth;
22: Even these of them you all may eat; the swarming
locust after his kind, and the devouring locust after his kind, and the wingless locust after his kind, and the locust after his kind. (Cp. Num.13:33. 2 Chron.7:13. Ecc.12:5. Isa.40:22)
23: But all other flying creeping things, which have four feet, shall be an abomination to you.
K² j 24,25. Command. k 26-43. Clean and unclean. j 44,45. Command. k 46,47. Clean and unclean.
24: And for these you all shall be unclean: whosoever touches the carcase of them shall be unclean until the evening.
25: And whosoever bears anything of the carcase of them shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the evening.
26: The carcases of every animal which divides the hoof, and is not clovenfooted, nor chewes the cud, are unclean to you: every one that touches them shall be unclean.
27: And whatsoever goes upon his paws, among all manner of living creatures that go on all four, those are unclean to you: whoso touches their carcase shall be unclean until the evening.
28: And he that bears the carcase of them shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the evening: they are unclean to you.
29: These also shall be unclean to you among the creeping things that creep upon the earth; the weasel (Heb. choled = glider or slipper, occ. only
here), and the mouse (Heb. ‘akbår = the corn destroyer. 1 Sam.6:4,5,11,18. Isa.66:17), and the tortoise (Heb. zåb = the inflated, Num.5:27; probably = toad) after his kind,
30: And the ferret (=hedgehog, Heb. ’anåkåh, only here), and the chameleon, and the lizard (or wall-lizard), and the snail (Heb. chomet, Ps.58:8 =
shabbel), and the mole.
31: These are most unclean (so also in v.29) to you among all that creep: whosoever does touch them, when they be dead (see and cp. v.24), shall be unclean until the evening.
32: And upon whatsoever any of them, when they are dead, does fall, it shall be unclean; whether it be any vessel of wood, or clothing, or skin, or sack, whatsoever vessel it be, wherein any work is done, it must be put into water, and it shall be unclean until the evening; so it shall be cleansed.
33: And every earthen vessel, whereinto any of them falls, whatsoever is in it shall be unclean; and you all shall break it.
34: Of all meat (=food of all kinds) which may be eaten, that on which such water comes shall be unclean: and all drink that may be drunk in every such vessel shall be unclean.
35: And every thing whereupon any part of their carcase falls shall be unclean; whether it be oven, or ranges for pots, they shall be broken down: for they are unclean, and shall be unclean to you.
36: Nevertheless a fountain or pit, wherein there is
plenty (Heb. "a gathering together") of water, shall be clean: but he who touches their carcase shall be unclean.
37: And if any part of their carcase fall upon any sowing seed which is to be sown, it shall be clean.
38: But if any water be put upon the seed, and any part of their carcase fall thereon, it shall be unclean to you.
39: And if any living creature, of which you all may eat,
die; he that touches the carcase thereof shall be unclean
until the evening.
40: And he that eats (ignorantly, otherwise wilfully, it was the death penalty. Num.15:30. Deut.14:21) of the carcase of it shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the evening: he also that bears the carcase of it shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the evening.
41: And every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth shall be an abomination; it shall not be eaten.
42: Whatsoever goes upon the belly, and whatsoever goes upon all four, or whatsoever has many feet among all creeping things that creep upon the earth, them you all shall not eat; for they are an abomination.
43: You all shall not make your souls abominable
(only here and 7:21; 11:10-13,20,23,41,42, and Isa.66:17. Ezek.8:10. The phrase occurs only once more, in 20:25, where it is used of souls) with any creeping thing that creeps, neither shall you all make yourselves unclean with them, that you all should be defiled thereby.
44: For I am the Lord (Yehovah) your God (Elohim): you all shall therefore
sanctify your souls, and you all shall be holy; for I am holy (cp. 1 Pet.1:15,15; and see 20:7,8. Also see Ex.3:5): neither shall you all defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.
45: For I am the Lord (Yehovah) that brings you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God (Elohim) (this wondrous redemption is repeatedly appealed to, to magnify Yehovah's grace and Israel's ingratitude. Cp. Deut.8:14; 13:10; 20:1. Josh.24:17. Judg.2:12 &c.): you all shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.
46: This is the law of the living creatures (a recapitulation of the 4 classes. Cp, the summary of the sacrificial law 7:37,38), and of the flying animals, and of every living creature (soul) that moves in the waters, and of every creature (soul) that creeps upon the
earth:
47: To make a difference between the unclean and the
clean, and between the living creatures that may be eaten
and the living creatures that may not be eaten.' " (See 20:25, and cp. Acts 10:11-16.)
J² L¹ 1-5. Ordinances. L² 6-8. Offerings.
L¹ l 1,2-. Man child. m -2,3. Seperation (7 days). n 4. Continuance (33 days). l 5-. Maid child. m -5-. Seperation (14 days). n -5. Continuance (66 days).
then she shall be unclean seven days (see v.5); according to the days (cp. 15:19) of the separation for her infirmity shall she be unclean.
3: And in the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall
be circumcised. (See note on "leprosy" 13:2.)
4: And she shall then continue in the blood of her purifying thirty three days (half the period of a maidchild. See v.5. 7 + [3 x 11] = 40 = spiritual perfection plus Divine pefecton times disorganization = Divine order applied to earthly things. Hence the number of probation.); she shall touch no hallowed thing (see Ex.3:5), nor come into the sanctuary, until the days of her purifying be fulfilled.
5: But if she bear a maid child,
then she shall be unclean two weeks, as in her separation:
and she shall continue in the blood of her purification (i.e. pure blood as didtinct from the other) sixty six days. (Double that of a man child. See v.4. 14 + 66 = 80. This ordinance was not on account of any disparity between the sexes, but was in order to regulate them, so that birth-rate of females might not be too great in excess, as it otherwise would have been, and is, where this ordinance is not known or observed.)