Month: March 2021

15 Man is humbled, and each one is brought low,

and the eyes of the haughty are brought low.

John Gill

Man is humbled—To hell, or the grave, as well as the rich and noble:

And each one is brought low—Laid low in the dust, and be equal to the poor; for, in the grave, princes and peasants are alike; or they shall be all alike, in the same low and miserable condition:

And the eyes of the haughty are brought low—When famine and distress, ruin and misery, come upon them, then shall the pride of those be abased, as it was; who boasted of their riches and honour, of their descent and parentage, as the children of Abraham, and as being free men, and never in bondage; of their righteousness and good works; not submitting to the righteousness of Christ; but despising it, and looking with disdain upon, and treating with contempt, such as they thought less holy than themselves. The scribes and Pharisees, the members of the council, and rulers of the people, together with the whole body of the nation, are meant; who were all of the same cast and complexion, being conceited of themselves, and proud boasters.

Rashi

Man is humbled . . . and the strong of men shall be weakened. after Jonathan. According to the Midrashic interpretation (Sotah 48a), this is the Holy One, blessed be he. They caused him to appear as a man who is stunned. The expression originates in Jer 14:9. And so Scripture states (Deu 32:18): “The Rock that begot you, you have weakened (תֶּשִׁי),” interpreting the word as originating from תָּשׁ, weak, and Scripture states further (Ecc 10:18): “Through slothfulness, the one who frames his upper chambers will become impoverished.”

Sotah 48a:21

After listing the sin of those who drink wine with musical accompaniment, the verse states their punishment: What is written afterward? “Therefore my people have gone into exile for lack of knowledge” (Isa 5:13), meaning that they cause exile to the world; “their honored men go hungry” (Isa 5:13), as they bring famine to the world; “and their multitude is parched with thirst” (Isa 5:13), that they cause the law, which is compared to water, to be forgotten by those who learn it. “Mankind is humbled, and each one is brought low” (Isa 5:15), that they cause the enemy of the Holy One, blessed be he, i.e., God himself, to be brought down, as “man” in the phrase “and man is brought low” means nothing other than the Holy One, blessed be he, as it is stated: “The Lord is a man of war” (Exo 15:3). The verse continues: “And the eyes of the haughty are brought low” (Isa 5:15), that they cause the Jewish people to be brought down. These are the five retributions.

9 Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation,

John Gill

Let the lowly brother—By “the brother” is meant, not one in a natural, but in a spiritual relation; one of Christ’s brethren, and who is of that family that is named of him; of the household of faith, and is in church communion: and whereas he is said to be “lowly,” or “humble,” this regards not the affection of his mind, or his conduct and deportment, he being meek and lowly, and clothed with humility, as every brother is, or ought to be; but his outward state and condition, being, as to the things of this world, poor, and mean in his outward circumstances, and so humbled and afflicted. This appears from the rich man, who, in the next verse, is opposed unto him, and distinguished from him; see Psa 62:9 such is advised to

Boast in his exaltation—Or to “glory in his exaltation;” in that high estate, to which he is advanced; for a person may be very low and mean, as to his worldly circumstances, and yet be very high, and greatly exalted in a spiritual sense: and this height of honour and grandeur, of which he may boast and glory, amidst his outward poverty, lies in his high birth and descent, being born from above, and of God, and belonging to his family; in being an adopted son of God, and so an heir of God, and a joint-heir with Christ, and of the heavenly inheritance and kingdom; in the present riches of grace he is possessed of, as justifying, pardoning, and sanctifying grace; and in the high titles he bears, as besides the new name, the name better than that of sons and daughters of the greatest potentate, even that of a son of the Lord God Almighty, his being a king, and a priest unto God, and for whom a kingdom, crown, and throne are prepared; and also in the company he daily keeps, and is admitted to, as of God, and Christ, and the holy angels: and this height of honour have all the saints, be they ever so poor in this world, who can vie with the greatest of princes for sublimity and grandeur.

10 and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away.

11 For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits. JAS 1:9-11

Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 1PE 5:5

16 But the Lord of hosts is exalted in justice,

and the Holy God shows himself holy in righteousness.

John Gill

But the Lord of hosts is exalted in justice—By the “Lord of hosts” is meant Christ, the Lord of the armies, and of the inhabitants of the earth, of angels, and of men; who, though in our nature, in his state of humiliation, was brought very low, yet is now highly exalted; and which exaltation of his is seen and known, as it is here foretold it should be, by his judgments inflicted on the Jewish nation, for their contempt and rejection of him; see Psa 9:16 so Kimchi interprets judgment of the judgment which the Lord would inflict on the ungodly of Israel: thus Christ’s exaltation is seen in their humiliation, and his kingdom and power in their destruction:

And the Holy God—Christ is truly and properly God, God over all, blessed for ever; and he is holy, both as God and man; as God he is essentially and perfectly holy; and, as man, without sin original or actual; he is the Holy One of God, and the Holy One of Israel; and of him it is said, he

Shows himself holy in righteousness—Or be declared to be holy; by the obedience and righteousness of his life, wrought out for his people, whereby he becomes their sanctification and righteousness; and by his justice, in punishing his and his people’s enemies. Were all this to be understood of Jehovah the Father, it might very well be interpreted, as it is by Cocceius, of his being exalted and honoured by the condemnation of sin in the flesh of Christ; and of his being “glorified,” as the Arabic version renders it, by the obedience and righteousness of his Son, whereby his justice is satisfied, and his law magnified, and made honourable; and by the faith of his people, laying hold on that righteousness, and receiving it to the glory of God; in all which the purity, holiness, and justice of God appears.

Rashi

But the Lord of hosts shall be exalted through justice—When he executes justice upon them, his name shall be exalted in the world.

Through justice—Jostise justice in O.F.

And the Holy God shows himself holy among the righteous remaining of you.

But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. ROM 2:5

17 Then shall the lambs graze as in their pasture,

and nomads shall eat among the ruins of the rich. ISA 5:15-17

John Gill

Then shall the lambs graze as in their pasture—That is, the people of God, the disciples of Christ, either apostles and ministers of the gospel, whom he sent forth as lambs among wolves (Luk 10:3), who fed the flock of Christ in their usual pasture, and as directed by him; even with knowledge and understanding, by the ministry of the word, and administration of ordinances; or the people of God fed by them, who are comparable to lambs for their harmlessness and innocence; and who feed in green pastures, “according as they are led;” as the word used may be rendered; or “according to their word;” the doctrine of the ministers of the gospel, by whom they are instructed and directed to feed on Christ, as he is held forth in the word and ordinances. The Targum is,

“and the righteous shall be fed as is said of them;”

and so Jarchi and Kimchi interpret it of the righteous:

And nomads shall eat among the ruins of the rich—That is, the Gentiles, who are aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise; the other sheep that were not of the Jewish fold (Joh 10:16; Eph 2:12), these shall come in the room of the rich of the land of Judea, the rulers, elders, scribes and Pharisees; and feed on those pastures which were despised and left desolate by them; enjoy the gospel they put away from them, and the ordinances of it, which they rejected. The Targum is,

“and they shall be multiplied, and the substance of the ungodly shall the righteous possess.”

Rashi

Then shall the lambs graze as in their pasture—The righteous who are compared to a flock of ewes.

As in their pasture—Heb. כדברם. According to their habit, with equity and with a measure, guiding their affairs with justice, like these lambs. Variant reading: According to their habit, with equity and of their own, for there will no longer be wicked people in the world, who will rob them. Our Rabbis expounded כְּדָבְרָם to mean: According to all that was spoken regarding them, i.e., the consolations spoken for them.

And . . . the ruins of the rich—The houses of the wicked, who are rich.

Nomads shall eat—The righteous, who are like nomads, shall eat them.

Rich—Heb. מֵחִים, meaning “fat,” as (Psa 66:15): “Burnt offerings of fatlings will I offer.”

God’s calling out of the arrogant and oppressive is intended to humble them. He shows his holiness through his righteousness and justice, which we can never have apart from him. His call to humility always has redemption and restoration in mind. We have a choice on how to respond: to harden our hearts and continue to exalt ourselves, or yield to him as God. Jas 4:6 says that God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. We will find ourselves going against him if we keep a disposition of arrogance. But when we choose the route of humility, we will experience his grace and even be channels of his grace to the world. Is God still first in your heart? What are some things that take first place in your heart?

But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” JAS 4:6

3 So Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh and said to him, “Thus says the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, ‘How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me? Let my people go, that they may serve me.

John Gill

So Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh—As the Lord commanded them, for what is before said to Moses was designed for Aaron also, his prophet and spokesman:

And said to him, “Thus says the Lord, the God of the Hebrews”—As the ambassadors of the God of Israel, and in his name said:

How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me?—To acknowledge his offence, lie low before God, and be subject to his will; he had humbled himself for a moment, but then this did not continue; what God expected of him, and complains of the want of, was such a continued humiliation before him, and such a subjection to him, as would issue in complying with what he had so often demanded of him, and is as follows:

Let my people go, that they may serve me—See Exo 9:1, 13.

Rashi

לֵעָנֹת Translate as the Targum: to humble yourself, and it is derived from עָנִי. You have refused to be humble and lowly before me.

4 For if you refuse to let my people go, behold, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your country,’ ” EXO 10:3-4

John Gill

For if you refuse to let my people go—He threatens him with the following plague, the plague of the locusts, which Pliny calls “denrum irae pestis;”

Behold, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your country—According to Bishop Usher this was about the seventh day of the month Abib, that this plague was threatened, and on the morrow, which was the eighth day, it was brought; but Aben Ezra relates it as an opinion of Japhet an Hebrew writer, that there were many days between the plague of the hail, and the plague of the locusts, that there might be time for the grass and plants to spring out of the field; but this seems not necessary, for these locusts only ate of what were left of the hail, as in the following verse.

1 Woe to those who decree iniquitous decrees,

and the writers who keep writing oppression,

Rashi

Iniquitous decrees—Notes of injustice, forged notes.

Letters—Heb. מְכַתְּבִים. This is Arabic, like מִכְתָּבִים in Hebrew.

2 to turn aside the needy from justice

and to rob the poor of my people of their right,

that widows may be their spoil,

and that they may make the fatherless their prey!

John Gill

To turn aside the needy from justice—Such laws being made as discouraged them from any application for justice; and, when they did, were harassed with such long, vexatious, and expensive suits, as obliged them to desist, and the cause being generally given against them, and for the rich:

And to rob the poor of my people of their right—For not to do justice to the poor is the same as to rob and plunder them, and take away by force what of right belongs to them; wherefore it follows:

That widows may be their spoil, and that they may make the fatherless their prey—Who have none to protect and defend them, and whose protectors judges ought to be, in imitation of God, whom civil magistrates represent, who is the judge of the widows and the fatherless; and therefore this is observed as an aggravation of their sin, which was very great indeed: it is very wicked in a judge to pervert the judgment of the poor and needy, the widow and the fatherless, contrary to laws that are made by God and men; but to make and prescribe wicked and unrighteous laws, that wickedness may be framed, and mischief committed by a law, that the poor and the needy, the widows and fatherless, may be injured under colour and pretence of law and justice, is the height of injustice. See Psa 94:20-21.

Rashi

To turn aside through the false notes, the poor from the legal rights due them.

3 What will you do on the day of punishment,

in the ruin that will come from afar?

To whom will you flee for help,

and where will you leave your wealth? ISA 10:1-3

Rashi

On the day of punishment when the Holy One, blessed be he, visits upon you your iniquities.

In the ruin—Heb. וּלְשׁוֹאָה, an expression of ruin.

To whom will you flee for help—The Holy One, blessed be he, will afford you no help.

And where will you leave all the wealth you are accumulating from robbery, when you go into exile?

God sits in judgment on those who intentionally design decrees and writings for their gain, but who oppress the poor and vulnerable. Because of those actions, God says on the day of punishment, there will be no one who extends help, and nowhere to keep their wealth (Isa 10:3). How should your decisions consider the needs of the poor and vulnerable? Why is this an important consideration for us as God’s people?

And the two worthless men came in and sat opposite him. And the worthless men brought a charge against Naboth in the presence of the people, saying, “Naboth cursed God and the king.” So they took him outside the city and stoned him to death with stones. 1KI 21:13

Sanhedrin 48b:10

The Gemara raises a difficulty: Granted, according to the one who says that the property of those executed by the king belongs to the king, that is the reason that it is written that Jezebel arranged for witnesses to falsely testify that “Naboth cursed God and the king” (1Ki 21:13). Since Naboth cursed the king, Ahab could execute him and seize his property. But according to the one who says that the property of those executed by the king belongs to their heirs, why do I need the testimony that Naboth cursed the king? It would have sufficed for the witnesses to testify that he cursed God, in which case he would have been executed by the court, and Ahab would have taken possession of the vineyard as his heir.

Your princes are rebels

and companions of thieves.

Everyone loves a bribe

and runs after gifts.

They do not bring justice to the fatherless,

and the widow’s cause does not come to them. ISA 1:23

Rashi

Rebels—Deviating from the straight path.

And runs after gifts—This word is similar to the Talmudic תַּשְׁלוּמִין. Jonathan paraphrases: One man says to another, Do me a favor in my case, and I will repay you in your case. This refers to a judge who was a robber, and the robbery victim complains about him before another judge. This one says to him, Declare me innocent today, and I will repay you when they complain about you before me. This is the meaning of running after gifts.

And the widow’s cause does not come to them—The widow comes to complain, and the fatherless is coming out, when this one meets him and asks him, What did you accomplish in your case? He replies, All day long I toiled at work, but I did not accomplish anything. And this one turns around and says, If this one, who is a man, did not accomplish anything, surely I will not. This is the meaning of, “they do not bring justice to the fatherless, and the widow’s cause does not come to them” at all.

3 Then Isaiah the prophet came to King Hezekiah, and said to him, “What did these men say? And from where did they come to you?” Hezekiah said, “They have come to me from a far country, from Babylon.”

Rashi

They have come to me from a far country—This is one of three people whom the Holy One, blessed be he, tested and found to be a chamber pot: Cain, Hezekiah, and Balaam. Hezekiah should have replied, “You are a prophet of the Omnipresent. Yet you ask me?” Instead, he commenced to become haughty, and said, “They have come to me from a far country.” Therefore, he was punished, and because he rejoiced over them and fed them on his table. Similarly, Balaam, to whom he said, “Who are these men with you?” (Num 22:9) And he replied and said, “Balak the son of Zippor sent them to me.” Similarly, Cain, to whom he said, “Where is your brother Abel?” (Gen 4:9) He should have replied, “Lord of the Universe, are not all hidden things revealed to you?” As it is stated in Tanhuma.

6 Behold, the days are coming, when all that is in your house, and that which your fathers have stored up till this day, shall be carried to Babylon. Nothing shall be left, says the Lord.

Rashi

Nothing shall be left—You shall be paid in kind, corresponding to “There is nothing (v. 4).” (I.e., 

Hezekiah would be punished for showing off all his treasures, by having all those treasures carried off to Babylon.)

7 And some of your own sons, who will come from you, whom you will father, shall be taken away, and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon. ISA 39:3, 6-7

Rashi

And some of your own sons—Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.

When the chief priests and the officers saw him, they cried out, “Crucify him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and crucify him, for I find no guilt in him.” JOH 19:6

John Gill

When the chief priests and the officers saw him—In this piteous condition, in his mock dress, and having on him all the marks of cruel usage, enough to have moved an heart of stone: and though they were the principal men of the priesthood, and who made great pretensions to religion and piety, and the officers were their servants and attendants, and all of them used to sacred employments; which might have been thought would have at least influenced them to the exercise of humanity and compassion to fellow creatures; yet instead of being affected with this sight, and wrought upon by it, to have agreed to his release, as Pilate hoped,

They cried out, “Crucify him, crucify him!”—Which was done in a very noisy and clamorous way; and the repetition of their request shows their malignity, vehemence, and impatience; and remarkable it is, that they should call for, and desire that kind of death the Scriptures had pointed out, that the Messiah should die, and which was predicted by Christ himself.

Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and crucify him, for I find no guilt in him”—This was not leave to do it, as appears from the reason he gives, in which the innocence of Christ is again asserted; nor did the Jews take it in this light, as is evident from their reply; and it is clear, that after this Pilate thought he had a power either to release or crucify him; and he did afterwards seek to release him; and the Jews made a fresh request to crucify him; upon which he was delivered to be crucified: but this was said in a way of indignation, and as abhorring the action; and is an ironical concession, and a bitter sarcasm upon them, that men that professed so much religion and sanctity, could be guilty of such iniquity, as to desire the death of one that no fault could be found in; and therefore, if such were their consciences, for his part, he desired to have no concern in so unrighteous an action; but if they would, they must even do it themselves.

Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation. 1PE 2:12

John Gill

Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable—To have the conduct honorable, is to provide things honorable in the sight of God, and among men; to order the conduct aright, according to the law of God, which is a rule of walk and conduct, and as becomes the gospel of Christ; and which was the more, and rather to be attended to, because these converted Jews were “among the Gentiles,” that knew not God; idolaters, and unbelievers, profane sinners, who were watching for their halting, and that they might take an advantage against them, and the gospel, and the religion they professed, from their conversations:

So that when they speak against you as evildoers—Charging them with the grossest immoralities, as the Gentiles did the Christians in the first ages; which appears evidently from the apologies of Tertullian, Jnstin Martyr, and others; though it seems that the Jewish converts are here intended, who were accused by the Gentiles of seditious principles and practices, and of acting contrary to the laws of civil government, refusing to yield subjection to Gentile magistrates, and obedience to Gentile masters; and hence the apostle, in some following verses, enlarges on those duties, and which he exhorts them to attend unto, that they might put to silence the ignorance of such foolish accusers: and

That they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation—Or “trial,” or “examination,” as the Syriac version renders it; which may be understood either of human or divine visitation, which seems most likely, this must either design a visitation by way of judgment, or of mercy; for as the Jews say, there is “a visitation,” for good, and a visitation for evil: God sometimes visits in a way of punishment for sin, and sometimes in away of grace, for the good and welfare of men; and then the sense is, that when wicked men take notice of and observe the good works of the saints, their civil, honest, and orderly conversation, they shall glorify God on that account, who has enabled them to perform them; and acknowledge the goodness of them, and the wrong judgment they have passed upon them, and the ill measure they have measured out to them; and this will be, either when God visits them in a way of wrath, as at the day of judgment, or at the time of some temporal calamity before, or when he visits them in a way of mercy, calls them by his grace, and effectually works upon them by his Spirit: the same argument for the performance of good works is used by Christ, in Mat 5:16.

13 The Lord has taken his place to contend;

he stands to judge peoples.

John Gill

The Lord has taken his place to contend—His own cause, or the cause of his Son against the Jews that rejected him, and the scribes and Pharisees that led them to an ill opinion of him:

He stands to judge peoples—Both expressions show indignation and resentment; he rises up out of his place, and stands up in defence of his cause, and avenges himself on a wicked and ungrateful people: it seems to have reference to the judgments of God on the people of the Jews, the tribes of Israel.

14 The Lord will enter into judgment

with the elders and princes of his people:

“It is you who have devoured the vineyard,

the spoil of the poor is in your houses.

John Gill

The Lord will enter into judgment with the elders and princes of his people—Both civil and ecclesiastical; the princes, chief priests, and elders of the people, who set themselves and took counsel together against the Lord and his Christ; would not suffer the people to be gathered to him; sought his life, and at last took it away.

It is you who have devoured the vineyard—Or burnt it; the house of Israel, and of Judah compared to a vineyard, in a following chapter; and so the Targum, “you have oppressed my people;” these are the husbandmen our Lord speaks of, that beat the servants that were sent for the fruits of the vineyard, and at last killed the heir (Mat 21:34-41).

The spoil of the poor is in your houses—The Pharisees devoured widows’ houses, and filled their own, with the spoil of them (Mat 23:14).

15 What do you mean by crushing my people,

by grinding the face of the poor?”

declares the Lord God of hosts. ISA 3:13-15

John Gill

What do you mean by crushing my people—Reduce them to the utmost poverty; so the Targum,

“wherefore do you impoverish my people?”

as they did by exacting tithes of all that they possessed; by requiring large sums for their long prayers; and by various traditions they enjoined them to observe:

By grinding the face of the poor?—Either by smiting them on the cheek, as Christ, who became poor for our sakes, was smitten by them; or by bringing them into such low circumstances, by their exorbitant demands, that they had not sufficiency of food to eat; by which means their faces became pale, thin, and meagre:

Declares the Lord God of hosts—Who saw all their actions, and was able to plead his people’s cause, and take vengeance on their oppressors.

God sits in judgment on those who are proud and whose wealth comes from oppressing the poor. Because of their actions, God says he would take away all their accessories and fine clothing, leaving them empty. While we may think that having more finery and accumulating wealth and property is a good goal in life, God actually calls his people out on extravagance and neglecting the poor. How is this also happening today? What is an area of extravagance or pride that God is asking you to examine?

And the foremen of the people of Israel, whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over them, were beaten and were asked, “Why have you not done all your task of making bricks today and yesterday, as in the past?” EXO 5:14

John Gill

And the foremen of the people of Israel, whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over them—This makes it clear, not only that the taskmasters and officers were different persons, but that the one were Egyptians appointed by Pharaoh, and the other were Israelites, of the better sort of them, who were set over the poorer sort by the taskmasters, to look after them, and take an account of their work, and the tale of their bricks, and give it in to the taskmasters; now these

Were beaten—By the taskmasters, either with a cane, stick, or cudgel, or with whips and scourges, because there was a deficiency in their accounts, and the full tale of bricks was not given in:

And were asked, “Why have you not done all your task of making bricks today and yesterday, as in the past?”—The first day they were deficient they took no notice of it, did not call them to an account for it, but this being the case the second day, they not only expostulated with them about it, but beat them for it, which was hard usage. They had no need to ask them the reason of it, which they knew very well, and must be sensible that the men could not do the same work, and be obliged to spend part of their time in going about for straw or stubble; or the same number of men make the same tale of bricks, when some of them were employed to get straw for the rest, and to beat those officers for a deficiency through such means was cruel.

“Because the poor are plundered, because the needy groan,

I will now arise,” says the Lord;

“I will place him in the safety for which he longs.” PSA 12:6

John Gill

Because the poor are plundered—The servants and people of God, who, for the most part, are poor in a temporal sense, and are all of them, and always, so in a spiritual sense, standing continually in need of fresh supplies of grace; and being often afflicted, as the word signifies, are mean and despicable in the eyes of the men of this world, and so oppressed by them, as the poor generally are by the rich; and as the people of Israel were oppressed by the Egyptians, so are the people of God by antichrist, and by his tyrannical laws and edicts, and by such haughty and insolent persons as before described;

Because the needy groan—Who groan under their oppressions; being stripped of all good things, their friends, and worldly substance, they sigh inwardly, and cry unto the Lord, who sees their oppressions, hears their groans; and though he cannot be moved, as men are, by anything without himself, yet, according to his abundant mercy and sovereign will, he appears and exerts himself on the behalf of his people, and for their relief and assistance;

“I will now arise,” says the Lord—To have mercy on the poor and needy, and to avenge them on their oppressors, and free them from them. And this the Lord promises to do “now,” speedily, immediately; God arises in the most seasonable time, when his people are in the greatest straits, and in the utmost distress and herein displays his wisdom, power, and goodness. This is an answer to the petition of the psalmist in (Psa 12:1);

I will place him in the safety for which he longs—Or “in salvation;” in Christ the Saviour. All God’s people are put into the hands of Christ, and are preserved in him; there they are in safety, for out of his hands none can pluck them; and being built on him, the Rock, they are safe, notwithstanding the waves and winds of temptation, persecution come with ever so much force upon them. Here it seems to signify, that God would deliver his poor and needy from their oppressions, and put them into a comfortable, prosperous, safe, and happy situation, in which they will be out of the reach of their enemies; as will be the witnesses, when they shall ascend to heaven (Rev 11:11-12); “in the safety for which he longs,” even out of the reach of him that despises them, and treats them with the utmost scorn and contempt; see Psa 10:5. Or that “breathes,” or “let him breathe” threatenings and slaughters; as Saul did against the disciples of Christ (Act 9:1); or that “lays snares for him,” as the wicked do for the righteous; or that “speaks unto him” in such haughty and insolent language as before expressed. Some make this clause a proposition of itself, “for which he longs;” meaning either that he that is secure, safety puffs at his enemy, despises him, as he has been despised by him; or God, who breathes upon him, and whose breath is as a stream of brimstone, which kindles in him a fire of divine wrath, which is unquenchable; or else the sense is, God will “speak to himself,” or “to him;” in which sense the word is used (Hab 2:4); that is, good and comfortable words to the poor; or “he will give him refreshment,” or “rest:” which he will determine in himself to speak to him: or “he shall have breathing,” or “let him breathe:” he shall have times of refreshing from the Lord, and rest from adversity, from the oppositions and persecutions of his enemies.

22 Do not rob the poor, because he is poor,

or crush the afflicted at the gate,

23 for the Lord will plead their cause

and rob of life those who rob them. PRO 22:22-23

10 Do not move an ancient landmark

or enter the fields of the fatherless,

11 for their Redeemer is strong;

he will plead their cause against you. PRO 23:10-11

For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts

is the house of Israel,

and the men of Judah

are his pleasant planting;

and he looked for justice,

but behold, bloodshed;

for righteousness,

but behold, an outcry! ISA 5:7

John Gill

For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel—This is the explication of the parable, or the accommodation and application of it to the people of Israel, by whom are meant the ten tribes; they are signified by the vineyard, which belonged to the Lord of hosts, who had chosen them to be a peculiar people to him, and had separated them from all others:

And the men of Judah are his pleasant planting—They were so when first planted by the Lord; they were plants of delight, in whom he took great delight and pleasure (Deu 10:15), these design the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin, in distinction from Israel:

And he looked for justice—That the poor, and the fatherless, and the widow, would have their causes judged in a righteous manner, and that justice and judgment would be executed in the land in all respects; for which such provision was made by the good and righteous laws that were given them:

But behold, bloodshed—Or a “scab,” such as was in the plague of leprosy; corruption, perverting of justice, and oppressing of the poor: Jarchi interprets it a gathering of sin to sin, a heaping up iniquities:

For righteousness, but behold, an outcry—Of the poor and oppressed, for want of justice done, and by reason of their oppressions. Here ends the song; what has been parabolically said is literally expressed in the following part of the chapter.

6 Thus says the Lord:

“For three transgressions of Israel,

and for four, I will not revoke the punishment,

because they sell the righteous for silver,

and the needy for a pair of sandals—

7 those who trample the head of the poor into the dust of the earth

and turn aside the way of the afflicted;

a man and his father go in to the same girl,

so that my holy name is profaned; AMO 2:6-7

Hear this word, you cows of Bashan,

who are on the mountain of Samaria,

who oppress the poor, who crush the needy,

who say to your husbands, “Bring, that we may drink!” AMO 4:1

4 Hear this, you who trample on the needy

and bring the poor of the land to an end,

5 saying, “When will the new moon be over,

that we may sell grain?

And the Sabbath,

that we may offer wheat for sale,

that we may make the ephah small and the shekel great

and deal deceitfully with false balances,

6 that we may buy the poor for silver

and the needy for a pair of sandals

and sell the chaff of the wheat?” AMO 8:4-6

They covet fields and seize them,

and houses, and take them away;

they oppress a man and his house,

a man and his inheritance. MIC 2:2

Ah, sinful nation,

a people laden with iniquity,

offspring of evildoers,

children who deal corruptly!

They have forsaken the Lord,

they have despised the Holy One of Israel,

they are utterly estranged. ISA 1:4

Rashi

Ah—Every instance of הוֹי in Scripture is an expression of complaining and lamenting, like a person who sighs from his heart and cries, “Alas!” There are, however, several, which are an expression of a cry, the vocative voice, e.g., “Up! Up! Flee from the land of the north” (Zec 2:10), which the Targum renders, אַכְלוּ, an expression of announcing.

Ah—There is a reason to cry about a holy nation that turned into a sinful nation, and a people referred to by the expression, “for you are a people holy” (Deu 7:6), turned into a people with iniquity.

A people laden with iniquity—The heaviness of iniquity. The word denotes a person who is laden, pesant in French, ponderous. The word כֶבֶד is a substantive of heaviness, pesantoma in French, and is in the construct state, and is connected with the word עָוֹן, iniquity.

Offspring of evildoers—And they were offspring whom the Lord blessed (Isa 61:9). Similarly, they were children of the Holy One, blessed be he, and they became corrupt.

They have despised—Heb. נִאֲצוּ, they angered.

They are utterly estranged—The root נְזִירָה, wherever it appears, is only an expression of separation. Similarly, Scripture states: “And they abstain (וְיִנָּזְרוּ) from the holy things of the people of Israel” (Lev 22:2), “him set apart (נְזִיר) from his brothers” (Gen 49:26). Here too, they drew away from being near the Omnipresent.

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. MAT 11:28

John Gill

Come to me—Christ having signified, that the knowledge of God, and the mysteries of grace, are only to be come at through him; and that he has all things relating to the peace, comfort, happiness, and salvation of men in his hands, kindly invites and encourages souls to come to him for the same: by which is meant, not a local coming, or a coming to hear him preach; for so his hearers, to whom he more immediately directed his speech, were come already; and many of them did, as multitudes may, and do, in this sense, come to Christ, who never knew him, nor receive any spiritual benefit by him: nor is it a bare coming under the ordinances of Christ, submission to baptism, or an attendance at the Lord’s supper, the latter of which was not yet instituted; and both may be performed by men, who are not yet come to Christ: but it is to be understood of believing in Christ, the going of the soul to him, in the exercise of grace on him, of desire after him, love to him, faith and hope in him: believing in Christ, and coming to him, are terms synonymous (Joh 6:35). Those who come to Christ aright, come as sinners, to a full, suitable, able, and willing Saviour; venture their souls upon him, and trust in him for righteousness, life, and salvation, which they are encouraged to do, by this kind invitation; which shows his willingness to save, and his readiness to give relief to distressed minds. The persons invited, are not “all” the individuals of mankind, but with a restriction,

All who labor and are heavy laden—Meaning, not these who are labouring in the service of sin and Satan, are laden with iniquity, and insensible of it: these are not weary of sin, nor burdened with it; not do they want or desire any rest for their souls; but such who groan, being burdened with the guilt of sin upon their consciences, and are pressed down with the unsupportable yoke of the law, and the load of human traditions; and have been labouring till they are weary, in order to obtain peace of conscience, and rest for their souls, by the observance of these things, but in vain. These are encouraged to come to him, lay down their burdens at his feet, look to, and lay hold by faith on his person, blood, righteousness, and sacrifice; when they should enjoy that true spiritual consolation, which could never be attained to by the works of the law.

And I will give you rest—Spiritual rest here, peace of conscience, ease of mind, tranquillity of soul, through an application of pardoning grace, a view of free justification by the righteousness of Christ, and full atonement of sin by his sacrifice; and eternal rest hereafter, in Abraham’s bosom, in the arms of Jesus, in perfect and uninterrupted communion with Father, Son, and Spirit. The Jews say, that “the law is rest;” and so explain (Gen 49:15; Psa 23:2; Dan 12:13) of it: but a truly sensible sinner enjoys no rest, but in Christ; it is like Noah’s dove, which could find no rest for the soles of its feet, until it returned to the ark; and they themselves expect perfect rest in the days of the Messiah, and call his world, rest.

51 You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you.

John Gill

You stiff-necked—Or “hard necked,” which is a character frequently given of this people (Exo 32:9; 33:3, 5; 34:9), and elsewhere, and is expressive of their obstinacy, stubbornness and refractoriness; who would not submit their necks to the yoke of God’s law, and be obedient to his commands:

Uncircumcised in heart and ears—For though they had the mark of circumcision in their flesh, of which they boasted; yet they had not the true circumcision of the heart; their hearts were not circumcised to fear and love the Lord, nor their ears to hear the word of the Lord and the gospel of Christ; so that notwithstanding their confidence in carnal privileges, they were uncircumcised persons:

You always resist the Holy Spirit—The resistance made by these persons was not to the Spirit of God in them, of which they were destitute, but to the Spirit of God in his ministers, in his apostles, and particularly in Stephen; nor to any internal operation of his grace, but to the external ministry of the word, and to all that objective light, knowledge, evidence, and conviction that it gave of Jesus’ being the Messiah: and such who resist Christ’s ministers, resist him, and such who resist him, may be said to resist his Holy Spirit; and the word here used signifies a rushing against, and falling upon, in a rude and hostile way, and fitly expresses their ill treatment of Christ and his ministers, by falling upon them and putting them to death: which is the resistance here designed, as appears by the following verse: so that this passage is no proof of the resistance of the Holy Spirit, and the operations of his grace in conversion, when he is in men, and acts with a purpose and will to convert them; since it does not appear that he was in these persons, and was acting in them, with a design to convert them; and if he was, it wilt be difficult to prove that they so resisted, and continued to resist, as that they were not hereafter converted; since it is certain that one of them, Saul, was really and truly converted, and how many more we know not. Though it will be allowed, that the Holy Spirit in the operations of his grace upon the heart in conversion may be resisted, that is, opposed; but not so as to be overcome or be hindered in, or be obliged to cease from, the work of conversion, insomuch that may come to nothing:

As your fathers did, so do you—Or as “your fathers were, so are you;” as they were stiff-necked, self-willed, obstinate, and inflexible, so are you; as they were uncircumcised in heart and ears, so are you; and as they resisted the Spirit of God in his prophets, so do you resist him in the apostles and ministers of the gospel.

52 Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered, ACT 7:51-52

God described the people of Israel as those who have forsaken the Lord (Isa 1:4). However, he did not just want them to come back and follow him mindlessly. God wanted a real relationship with them, and invited them to accept his offer to make their sins white as snow—as if they had never sinned. He is extending the same invitation to us today. Instead of a relationship of face-value service and faithfulness, God is seeking out a true, vibrant relationship with each of us so we can be transformed to be more and more like him. What is one time you did something you felt was unforgivable, but experienced God’s grace and forgiveness anyway?

Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord:

though your sins are like scarlet,

they shall be as white as snow;

though they are red like crimson,

they shall become like wool. ISA 1:18

Rashi

Come now, let us reason together, I and you, and we will know who offended whom, and if you offended me, I still give you hope to repent.

Says the Lord—The verb is in the future form to denote that he always says this to you, like: (Num 9:20) “By the word of the Lord they would camp (יַחֲנוּ),” also a future form. Another explanation is: Come now, let us reason together. What is written above this? “Cease to do evil, learn to do good.” And after you return to me, come now, and let us reason together, to notify me, “We have done what is incumbent upon us; you do what is incumbent upon you;” and I say, “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow . . .”

Though your sins are like scarlet—Stained before me like crimson red, I will make them as white as snow.

Like crimson—Heb. תּוֹלָע, lit. a worm. Dye with which they dye fabrics red. They are kernels, each one of which has a worm inside it. Hence the name תּוֹלָע.

Shabbat 89b:2

We learned in the mishna: From where is it derived that one ties a scarlet strip of wool to the scapegoat? As it says: “If your sins are like scarlet [kashanim], they will become white like snow” (Isa 1:18). The Gemara wonders at this: Why does the verse use the plural form: Kashanim? It should have used the singular form: Kashani. Rabbi Yitzḥak said that the Holy One, blessed be he, said to the Jewish people: Even if your sins are as numerous as those years [kashanim] that have proceeded continuously from the six days of creation until now, they will become white like snow. Rava taught: What is the meaning of that which is written: “Go please, let us reason together, the Lord will say” (Isa 1:18)? Why does the verse say: Go please? It should have said: Come please. And why does the verse say: The Lord will say? The prophet’s message is based on something that God already said. Therefore, the verse should have said: God said. Rather, the explanation of this verse is that in the future that will surely come, the Holy One, blessed be he, will say to the Jewish people: Go please to your patriarchs, and they will rebuke you.

And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, ACT 17:2

John Gill

And Paul went in, as was his custom—To the Jews in their synagogue; for though the Jews had put away the gospel from them, and the apostle had turned to the Gentiles; yet he still retained a great affection for his countrymen the Jews, and as often as he had opportunity, attended their synagogues, in order to preach the gospel to them;

And on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures—That is, out of the Old Testament, concerning the Messiah, the characters of him, the work that he was to do, and how he was to suffer and die for the sins of men; and this he did three weeks running, going to their synagogue every Sabbath day, when and where the Jews met for worship; and made use of books, which they allowed of, and of arguments they could not disprove.

. . . learn to do good;

seek justice,

correct oppression;

bring justice to the fatherless,

plead the widow’s cause. ISA 1:17

John Gill

Learn to do good—Which men are naturally ignorant of; to do good they have no knowledge; nor can they that are accustomed to do evil learn to do good of themselves; but the Lord can teach them to profit, and of him they should ask wisdom, and desire, under the influence of his grace, to learn to maintain good works for necessary uses, and particularly to do acts of beneficence to all men, and especially to the household of faith; and also, the following ones,

Seek justice—Seek to do justice between man and man in any cause depending, without respect of persons:

Correct oppression—The poor that are oppressed by their neighbours that are richer and mightier than they, right their wrongs, and deliver them out of the hands of their oppressors:

Bring justice to the fatherless—Do justice to them who have none to take care of them, and defend them:

Plead the widow’s cause—That is desolate, and has none to plead her cause.

Rashi

Learn—It is punctuated “raphe,” weak, without a dagesh. This is from the form לָמֹד, learn to do good. One who teaches himself is of the “kal” form. Therefore, its imperative plural is voweled with a “chirik” like שִׁמְעוּ, אִמְרוּ, but one who teaches others is of the form of the “heavy conjugation” (pi’el) with a “dagesh,” and if one comes to command a number of people, the word is voweled לַמְּדוּ. And so, דִּרְשׁוּ, from the form דְרשׁ, but אַשְּׁרוּ in which the “shin” has a “dagesh,” is from the “heavy conjugation,” and from the form אַשֵּׁר; therefore, the imperative plural is voweled with a “patach” like בַּשְּׂרוּ, סַפְּרוּ, דַּבְּרוּ.

Strengthen the robbed—This is a Mishnaic term, אֲשַׁרְנוּהִי, “we have verified it” (Ketubot 21a); “if I had strength (אֲיַשֵּׁר)” (Gittin 30b); “May your strength be strengthened (יִישַׁר)” (Shabbat 87a). Another explanation is: Lead him in the path of truth to acquire what rightfully belongs to him. An expression of: (Job 23:11) “My foot held its steps (בֲּאֲשׁוּרוֹ)”; (Pro 23:19) “And go (וְאַשֵׁר) in the way of your heart.”

The robbed—Heb. חָמוֹץ, similar to (Psa 71:4) “from the hand of the unrighteous and the robber (וּמְחַמֵּץ).”

Bring justice—So-and-so is innocent and so-and-so is guilty.

Plead the widow’s cause—Endeavor in their quarrel to plead for her, for she cannot go out to pursue her opponents.

God wants us to learn to do good and seek justice, which takes changing from the inside out. Not only this, we are to keep away from injustice as well, which takes repentance. Furthermore, we are to speak up and take personal involvement when we see injustice being done to others. God tells us that we are the salt and light of the earth (Mat 5:13-14). How did meeting Christ spur you toward acts of righteousness or justice? What act of righteousness or justice do you believe God is asking you to become personally involved in?

3 Give justice to the weak and the fatherless;

maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute.

John Gill

Give justice to the weak and the fatherless—Or, judge them; such as have no money to enter and carry on a suit, and have no friends to assist and advise them, and abide by them; these should be taken under the care and wing of judges; their cause should be attended to, and justice done them; their persons should be protected, and their property defended and secured for, since they are called gods, they ought to imitate him whose name they bear, who is the Father of the fatherless, the judge of the widows, and the helper of the poor that commit themselves to him (Psa 10:14; 68:5), such a righteous judge and good magistrate was Job; see Job 29:12,

Maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute—Or “justify” them, pronounce them righteous, give the cause for them, not right or wrong, nor because they are poor and needy, but because they are in the right; for, if wicked, they are not to be justified, this is an abomination to the Lord; see Lev 19:15; Deu 25:1; Pro 17:15.

Rashi

Maintain the right—If the poor man is right in his cause, do not reverse the verdict to condemn him in order to favor the wicked.

4 Rescue the weak and the needy;

deliver them from the hand of the wicked. PSA 82:3-4

John Gill

Rescue the weak and the needy—From his adversary and oppressor, who is mightier than he, and draws him to the judgment seat; when it is not in his power to defend himself against him, and get out of his hands, unless a righteous judge will show a regard to him and his cause; and sometimes even an unjust judge, through importunity, will do this, as everyone ought, and every righteous one will:

Deliver them from the hand of the wicked—This was what the poor widow importuned the unjust judge for, and obtained (Luk 18:3-5).

3 Thus says the Lord: Do justice and righteousness, and deliver from the hand of the oppressor him who has been robbed. And do no wrong or violence to the resident alien, the fatherless, and the widow, nor shed innocent blood in this place.

15 Do you think you are a king

because you compete in cedar?

Did not your father eat and drink

and do justice and righteousness?

Then it was well with him.

16 He judged the cause of the poor and needy;

then it was well.

Is not this to know me?

declares the Lord. JER 22:3, 15-16

13 You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.

John Gill

You are the salt of the earth—This is to be understood of the disciples and apostles of Christ; who might be compared to “salt,” because of the savoury doctrines they preached; as all such are, which are agreeable to the Scriptures, and are of the evangelic kind, which are full of Christ, serve to exalt him, and to magnify the grace of God; and are suitable to the experiences of the saints, and are according to godliness, and tend to promote it: also because of their savoury lives and conversations; whereby they recommended, and gave sanction to the doctrines they preached, were examples to the saints, and checks upon wicked men. These were the salt “of the earth”; that is, of the inhabitants of the earth, not of the land of Judea only, where they first lived and preached, but of the whole world, into which they were afterwards sent to preach the gospel.

But if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored?—The “taste” here supposed that it may be lost, cannot mean the taste of grace, or true grace itself, which cannot be lost, being an incorruptible seed; but either gifts qualifying men for the ministry, which may cease; or the savoury doctrines of the gospel, which may be departed from; or a seeming savoury conversation, which may be neglected; or that seeming taste, zeal, and affection, with which the gospel is preached, which may be dropped: and particular respect seems to be had to Judas, whom Christ had chosen to the apostleship, and was a devil; and who he knew would lose his usefulness and place, and become an unprofitable wretch, and at last be rejected of God and men; and this case is proposed to them all, in order to engage them to take heed to themselves, their doctrine and ministry. Moreover, this is but a supposition;

If salt—And proves no matter of fact; and the Jews have a saying, that all that season lose their taste, “but salt does not lose its taste.” Should it do so,

It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet—Salt is no longer good for anything except to make things savoury, and preserve from putrefacation; and when it has lost its taste, it is of no use, neither to men nor beasts, as some things are when corrupted; nor is it of any use to the land, or dunghill, for it makes barren, and not fruitful: so ministers of the word, when they have dropped the savoury doctrines of the gospel, or have quitted their former seeming savoury and exemplary conversations; as their usefulness is gone, so, generally speaking, it is never retrieved; they are cast out of the churches of Christ, and are treated with contempt by everyone.

You shall season all your grain offerings with salt. You shall not let the salt of the covenant with your God be missing from your grain offering; with all your offerings you shall offer salt. LEV 2:13

Berakhot 5a:19

And that is the statement of Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish, as Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said: The word covenant is used with regard to salt, and the word covenant is used with regard to afflictions. The word covenant is used with regard to salt, as it is written: “The salt of the covenant with your God should not be excluded from your grain offering; with all your sacrifices you shall offer salt” (Lev 2:13). And the word covenant is used with regard to afflictions, as it is written: “These are the words of the covenant” (Deu 28:69). Just as, in the covenant mentioned with regard to salt, the salt sweetens the taste of the meat and renders it edible, so too in the covenant mentioned with regard to suffering, the suffering cleanses a person’s transgressions, purifying him for a more sublime existence.

John Gill

You shall season all your grain offerings with salt—Which makes food savoury, and preserves from putrefaction; denoting the savouriness and acceptableness of Christ as a grain offering to his people, he being savoury food, such as their souls love, as well as to God the Father, who is well pleased with his sacrifice; and also the perpetuity of his sacrifice, which always has the same virtue in it, and of him as a grain offering, who is that grain which endures to everlasting life (Joh 6:27) and also the grave and gracious conversation of those that by faith feed upon him (Mar 9:50; Col 4:6),

You shall not let the salt of the covenant with your God be missing from your grain offering—This seems to suggest the reason why salt was used in grain offerings, and in all others, because it was a symbol of the perpetuity of the covenant, which from thence is called a covenant of salt (Num 18:19), namely, the covenant of the priesthood, to which these sacrifices belonged (Num 25:13) hence the Targum of Jonathan,

“because the twenty four gifts of the priests are decreed by the covenant of salt, therefore upon all your offerings you shall offer salt.”

With all your offerings you shall offer salt—Even those that were not to be eaten, as well as those that were; as the burnt offering of the herd, of the flock, and of fowls, and their several parts; all were obliged to be salted that were offered, excepting wine, blood, wood, and incense; hence there was a room in the temple where salt was laid up for this purpose, called “the salt room”; and which was provided by the congregation, and not by a private person; our Lord has reference to this law in Mar 9:49 the Gentiles always made use of salt in their sacrifices.

14 You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. MAT 5:13-14

Bring no more vain offerings;

incense is an abomination to me.

New moon and Sabbath and the calling of convocations—

I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly. ISA 1:13

God wants us to be faithful to Him, not to the rituals we connect to Him. The people of Israel did all the rituals properly—all the assemblies, offerings, and feasts. However, they openly sinned against God at the same time. We can’t say we follow God and “prove” it through empty rituals, while still doing what He hates. What are some present-day rituals or traditions we might be performing emptily?

Rashi

Bring no more vain offerings—I warn you, you shall not bring me your vain offerings, for the smoke that rises from it is smoke of abomination to me, and not for my satisfaction.

New moon and Sabbath and the calling of convocations—I cannot . . .—And sic, does not appear in Parshandatha to call convocations, i.e., New moon and Sabbath when you gather to call a convocation and an assembly on them, I cannot endure the iniquity in your hearts that is inclined to paganism, and the convocation with it, for these two things are incompatible: to call a convocation to gather before me, and the iniquity that is in your hearts for paganism, and you do not take it out of your hearts.

The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination;

how much more when he brings it with evil intent. PRO 21:27

John Gill

The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination—That is, to the Lord, as in Pro 15:8; and as it is here added in the Septuagint and Arabic versions;

How much more when he brings it with evil intent—The Arabic version is, “with a mind alien from the law”; or when it is not brought according to law; when it is a corrupt thing, that which is torn, lame, or sick, or robbery for burnt sacrifice; when it is done with an evil intention, to cover sin, to atone for without repenting of it or forsaking it; that they may go on in sin with impunity, and be allowed to commit it; for which cause Balak and Balaam offered sacrifices, which is the instance Jarchi produces; and indeed every religious action not done in faith, and love, and sincerity, and with a view to the glory of God, but in hypocrisy and with selfish views, in order to procure acceptance with God and justification in his sight; setting aside the righteousness, sacrifice, and satisfaction of the Son of God, is done with evil intent, and is an abomination to the Lord. Some render it, “even though he brings it diligently,” or “with great art and skill”; is constant at his devotion, and carries it so artfully, and with such a show of religion, as to deceive men, yet he cannot deceive the Lord.

Rashi

How much more when he brings it with evil intent—How much more when he brings it to be wicked and with evil counsel, such as the sacrifices of Balaam and Balak, who brought them only to curse Israel.

Shevuot 12b:11

The Gemara asks: What are the circumstances of this positive commandment in the mishna? If it is a case where he did not repent, the offering cannot atone for him, as the verse states: “The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination” (Pro 21:27). If he did repent, then why is the mishna referring to the Day of Atonement? He will achieve atonement on any other day as well, as it is taught in a baraita: If one transgressed a positive commandment and repented, he does not move from there until he is forgiven.

Zevachim 7b:7

And Rava says: A burnt offering is a gift to God; its essential purpose is not atonement. Rava supports his assertion: What are the circumstances under which a burnt offering atones for violating a positive commandment? If one brings a burnt offering without repentance for his transgression, he may not sacrifice it at all, as “the sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination” (Pro 21:27). And if there is repentance, isn’t it taught in a baraita that if one violates a positive commandment and repents, God forgives him before he even moves from his place? If so, why is he required to bring an offering? Rather, conclude from it that a burnt offering is a gift that one brings in order to appease God even after he is forgiven.

He has laid waste his booth like a garden,

laid in ruins his meeting place;

the Lord has made Zion forget

festival and Sabbath,

and in his fierce indignation has spurned king and priest. LAM 2:6

John Gill

He has laid waste his booth like a garden—The house of the sanctuary or temple, as the Targum; which was demolished at once with great force and violence, and as easily done as a tent or tabernacle is taken down; and no more account made of it than of a cottage or lodge in a vineyard or garden, set up while the fruit was, gathering; either to shelter from the heat of the sun in the day, or to lodge in at night; see Isa 1:8;

Laid in ruins his meeting place—The courts where the people used to assemble for worship in the temple; or the synagogues in Jerusalem, and other parts of the land:

The Lord has made Zion forget festival and Sabbath—There being neither places to keep them in, nor people to observe them:

And in his fierce indignation has spurned king and priest—Whose persons and offices were sacred, and ought to be treated by men with honour and respect; but, for the sins of both, the Lord despised them himself, and made them the object of his wrath and indignation, and suffered them to be despised and ill used by others, by the Chaldeans; Zedekiah had his children slain before his eyes, and then they were put out, and he was carried in chains to Babylon, and there detained a captive all his days; and Seraiah the chief priest, or, as the Targum here has it, the high priest, was put to death by the king of Babylon; though not only the persons of the king and priest are meant, but their offices also; the kingdom and priesthood ceased from being exercised for many years.

Rashi

He has laid waste—An expression of cutting, and so (Job 15:33): “He will shake off like the vine”; (Jer 13:22): “your steps were cut off.”

His booth—His habitation. It is written שֻׂכּוֹ to indicate that he lightened his anger against his children with the destruction of his house. So it is expounded in the Midrash of Lamentations (Eichah Rabbah 2:10).

Like a garden—As they cut off the vegetables of a garden.

Laid in ruins his meeting place—The Holy of Holies, where he would meet with his children, as it is stated (Exo 25:22): “And I will meet you there.”

King and priest—King Zedekiah and Seraiah the high priest.

As for you, O house of Israel, thus says the Lord God: Go serve every one of you his idols, now and hereafter, if you will not listen to me; but my holy name you shall no more profane with your gifts and your idols. EZE 20:39

John Gill

As for you, O house of Israel—The then present house of Israel, and the elders of it, who were upon the spot with the prophet:

Go serve everyone of you his idols—Or dunghill gods; since they liked not to serve the true God: this is not giving them leave to serve idols, or approving their idolatrous practices; but is said “ironically,” as Kimchi and Ben Melech observe, who compare it with Ecc 11:9:

Now and hereafter, if you will not listen to me—Not only serve them now, but for the future; seeing you choose not to listen to my voice, to obey my laws, and to worship me, and me only; for it suggests, that it was better to attend to the service of the one, or of the other, and not halt between two opinions; but either, if the God of Israel was the true God, then serve him, and him only; but if Baal, or any other Gentile deity, was so, then serve them, and keep serving them:

But my holy name you shall no more profane with your gifts and your idols—To worship him along with them, and them along with him; to pretend they worshiped him in them, and offered their gifts and sacrifices to him through them; and so made use of his name as a cover to their idolatrous practices: this was a polluting his name, and was abominable to him.

Kiddushin 40a:16

Rabbi Abbahu says in the name of Rabbi Ḥanina: It is preferable for a person to transgress in secret and not to desecrate the name of heaven in public, as it is stated: “As for you, house of Israel, so says the Lord God: Go you, serve everyone his idols, now and hereafter, if you will not listen to me; but my sacred name you shall no more profane” (Eze 20:39).

But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and every herb, and neglect justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. LUK 11:42

John Gill

But woe to you Pharisees—Though these words, with several other passages in this chapter, are much alike with those in Mat 23 yet it is clear that they were spoken at different times, these in the house of a Pharisee, and they in the temple at Jerusalem:

For you tithe mint and rue—(See Gill on Mat 23:23) the Persic version here reads, “mint and anise,” as there; and the Ethiopic version only “hyssop”:

And every herb—That is, all sorts of herbs that grow in the garden, and were not common to all;

And neglect justice and the love of God—By “justice” may be meant doing that which is right between man and man, both publicly and privately, which was greatly neglected by these extortioners and unjust men: and by “the love of God” may be intended, both love to God, which shows itself in the observance of the first table of the law, and love to the neighbour, which God requires, and regards the second table:

These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others—(See Gill on Mat 23:23).

But in the following instructions I do not commend you, because when you come together it is not for the better but for the worse. 1CO 11:17

John Gill

But in the following instructions—The Syriac version reads, “this is what I command”; which some refer to what he had been discoursing of, adding to his arguments, and the examples of the church, his own orders and command, that men should worship God publicly, uncovered, and women covered; though it seems rather to respect what follows, what the apostle was about to declare unto them; concerning which he says,

I do not commend you—As he did in 1Co 11:2 that they were mindful of him, remembered his doctrines, and kept the ordinances in the manner he had delivered them to them: and it should seem by this, that the greater part of them were not to be blamed, though some few were, for their irregular and indecent appearance in public worship, men with a covering on their heads, and women without one; but in what he was about to say, he could not praise them at all:

Because when you come together—To the house of God, to pray unto him, to sing his praises, to hear his word, and attend his ordinances, particularly the Lord’s supper:

Not for the better—For edification and instruction, for the quickening and comforting of your souls; that you may grow in grace and knowledge, become more holy, zealous, fruitful, and useful:

But for the worse—To indulge luxury and intemperance, to encourage heresies, schisms, and divisions, and so grow more carnal, scandalous, and useless.

22 Then he presented the other ram, the ram of ordination, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram.

Rashi

The ram of ordination—This means the same as “the completion ram”; this term is used to describe the ram because by means of it they set the priest fully and completely in their priestly office (cf. Sifra, Tzav, Mechilta d’Miluim 1 20).

And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth. JOH 17:19

And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 1CO 1:30

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2CO 5:21

25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,

27 so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. EPH 5:25, 27

5 and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth.

To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood

6 and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. REV 1:5-6

23 And he killed it, and Moses took some of its blood and put it on the lobe of Aaron’s right ear and on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot.

13 Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness.

19 I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification. ROM 6:13, 19

1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. ROM 12:1

John Gill

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God—The apostle having finished the doctrinal part of this epistle, proceeds to that which is more practical; and enforces the several duties of religion, upon the principles he had before laid down, a method generally observed by him in all his epistles. The illative particle “therefore,” shows that the following exhortations are so many conclusions, consequences, and inferences, deduced from what had been said in the latter part of the preceding chapter; that since all things are of God, and by him and to him, then the saints ought to present their bodies to him, and to know, approve, and do his will; and since they have nothing but what they have received from him, they ought not to think too highly of, or glory in their attainments. The introduction to these exhortations, is in a very kind and affectionate manner; the saints are addressed as “brothers,” and very appropriately; since this expresses the relation they stood in to the apostle, for whom he had an hearty love and concern; and therefore what he pressed them to was out of a sincere regard to their good, as well as to the glory of God; also their relation to each other, and which several of the duties he urges had a connection with; likewise their relation to God, being of his family, having one and the same Father, and so under obligation to regard his will, honour and reverence him: moreover, these things are moved, not in an imperious way, in an authoritative manner, but by way of entreaty, “I appeal to you”; as an ambassador of Christ, and as though in his stead: nor are they enforced by terrors, threats, and menaces, but “by the mercies of God”; that is, the abundant mercy of God, displayed in their election, regeneration, and calling; than which, nothing can have a greater influence on a believer, to engage him to holiness of life and conversation; and shows, that the doctrines of grace are no licentious ones, nor do they render useless precepts, exhortations, entreaties, cautions, and advice.

To present your bodies—Not barely that part of them commonly so called, for this is not to be understood of a mere presentation of the body in public worship: for though this ought to be, yet not without the heart engaged therein, otherwise bodily exercise will be of no avail; nor of a bare abstinence from grosser sins done in the body, and against it, and which defile and dishonour it; much less of a maceration, and keeping under the body, by watchings, fasting, &c. and still less of an offering of the body at death in a way of martyrdom, though this ought to be cheerfully complied with when called for: but by their bodies are meant, themselves, their whole souls and bodies, all the powers and faculties of their souls, and members of their bodies; and the presenting of them, designs a devoting of them, with all readiness and willingness, to the service of God for his honour and glory, without putting any confidence in, or placing any dependence upon them; which would be sacrificing to their own net, and burning incense to their drag; it includes the whole of their service, conversation, and religion, internal and external. So the Jews say,

“Worthy is the portion of the righteous, who offer every day this offering before the Lord; and what is it? ‘Their bodies and their souls,’ which they offer before him.”

The allusion is to the rite of sacrificing, to the bringing of the slain beast, and laying it on the altar, and there presenting and offering it to the Lord. Under the gospel dispensation all believers are priests; and the sacrifices they bring are not the bodies of slain beasts, but their own bodies, their whole selves.

A living sacrifice—In opposition to the bodies of slain beasts offered under the legal dispensation, and to the dead works of such as are destitute of faith in Christ, and to the lifeless performances of the saints themselves at certain times; and designs such a presentation of themselves in the performance of religious duties, as springs from a principle of life under the quickening influences of the Spirit of God, with faith and fervency; though without any view to obtain life hereby, for that is only by the offering up of the body of Christ once for all.

Holy—In allusion to the sacrifices under the law, which were separated from common use, and devoted to God, and were not to have the least spot and blemish in them; and regards men sanctified by the Spirit of God, and whose actions flow from a principle of holiness, and are performed under the influence of the Holy Spirit; and such sacrifices are both living and holy.

Acceptable to God—Through the mediation of his Son, by whom, as the persons, the souls and bodies of his people, so their spiritual sacrifices, whether of prayer or praise, are only acceptable to him.

Which is your spiritual worship—It is agreeably to reason, and especially as sanctified, that men who have their beings from God, and are upheld in them by him, and are followed with the bounties of Providence; and especially who are made new creatures, and are blessed by him with all spiritual blessings in Christ, that they should give up themselves to him, and cheerfully serve him in their day and generation; such service is also agreeably to the Scriptures of truth, the standard of filth and practice, and contain and enforce nothing but what is highly reasonable to be complied with; it is such service as lies not in the slaying of irrational creatures, but in the presenting of men endued with rational powers unto God; and is of a spiritual nature, performed by spiritual men, under the influence of the Spirit of God: and is suitable to the nature and perfections of God, and stands opposed to the corporeal and carnal service of the Jews.

25 Then he took the fat and the fat tail and all the fat that was on the entrails and the long lobe of the liver and the two kidneys with their fat and the right thigh,

Menachot 62a:2

The Gemara asks: Where is it stated that the loaves must be placed on the top? Rav Pappa says: This is stated explicitly with regard to the ram offered at the inauguration of the priests, as the verse states: “Then he took the fat and the tail and all the fat that was on the inward, and the lobe of the liver and the two kidneys with their fat and the right thigh, and out of the basket of unleavened cakes that was before the Lord he took one unleavened bread and one loaf of bread with oil and one wafer and placed them on the pieces of fat and on the right thigh. And he put it all in the hands of Aaron and in the hands of his sons and waved them as a wave offering before the Lord” (Lev 8:25–27).

26 and out of the basket of unleavened bread that was before the Lord he took one unleavened loaf and one loaf of bread with oil and one wafer and placed them on the pieces of fat and on the right thigh.

Menachot 78a:7

The mishna teaches that the loaves that accompanied the ram of the inauguration of the tabernacle consisted of the three types of unleavened bread brought with a thanks offering: Loaves, wafers, and loaves poached in water and made with oil. The Gemara asks: From where are these matters derived? Rav Ḥisda said that Rav Ḥama bar Gurya said: It is derived from that which the verse states: “And out of the basket of unleavened bread that was before the Lord he took one unleavened cake and one cake of bread with oil and one wafer” (Lev 8:26). Granted, “cakes” are cakes, and “wafer” is a wafer. But what is “bread with oil” referring to? Is this not referring to unleavened bread poached in water and made with oil?

Rashi

And one loaf of bread with oil—This was a scalded cake, and it is called “oiled bread” because he used a large quantity of oil for it, equal to that used for the loaves and wafers together. So is it explained in Treatise Menachot 78a (also Menachot 89a).

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. JOH 1:14

Now many signs and wonders were regularly done among the people by the hands of the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon’s Portico. ACT 5:12

For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 1TI 2:5

27 And he put all these in the hands of Aaron and in the hands of his sons and waved them as a wave offering before the Lord.

how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God. HEB 9:14

29 And Moses took the breast and waved it for a wave offering before the Lord. It was Moses’ portion of the ram of ordination, as the Lord commanded Moses.

Zevachim 101b:14

Rav says: Moses, our teacher, was a high priest and would receive a share of offerings consecrated to heaven, as it is stated: “And Moses took the breast and waved it for a wave offering before the Lord. It was Moses’ portion of the ram of inauguration, as the Lord commanded Moses” (Lev 8:29).

So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 1CO 10:31

whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. 1PE 4:11

14 If his offering to the Lord is a burnt offering of birds, then he shall bring his offering of turtledoves or young doves.

Chullin 22a:15

The Sages taught in a baraita with regard to the verse: “He shall bring his offering of doves or young doves” (Lev 1:14), that doves are older and not younger. As one might have thought: And couldn’t this be derived through an a fortiori inference:

Kiddushin 24b:20

The Gemara comments: One might have thought that if one brings a bird whose wing is dried, or whose leg is severed, or whose eye was removed, that it too is acceptable as an offering. Therefore, the verse states: “If his offering to the Lord is a burnt offering of birds” (Lev 1:14). This phrase indicates that only some birds can be sacrificed as offerings, but not all birds. This teaches that a bird can be disqualified due to a blemish. For example, if a significant part of the bird is missing, e.g., a limb, the bird is not acceptable as an offering. This indicates that the actual loss of an eye is considered a greater blemish than blindness. Consequently, if his master takes out the slave’s blind eye, he is emancipated.

Menachot 105a:3

Similarly, one who says: It is incumbent upon me to bring a burnt offering from a type of bird, must bring doves as his burnt offering, since the verse opens with it first in the passage discussing burnt offerings of birds, as it is stated: “If his offering to the Lord is a burnt offering of birds, then he shall bring his offering of doves or young pigeons” (Lev 1:14).

Rashi

Of birds—But not all birds. Since Scripture states (Lev 22:19), “a male without blemish, of the bulls or the sheep or the goats,” it is evident that perfection and maleness are required only in the case of animals, but perfection and maleness does not apply to birds. One might think that a bird may be brought as a sacrifice even if it lacks a limb! Scripture therefore states: “of birds”—but not all birds (Kiddushin 24b; Sifra, Emor, Section 7 2).

Of turtledoves or young doves—The word “of” is intended to exclude birds in the first stage of their plumage becoming golden-coloured in the case of the one as of the other, for this stage makes the bird unfit for sacrifice, since such a bird is a grown-up one in the case of “young doves,” and a young one in the case of “turtledoves” (Chullin 22b; Sifra, Vayikra Dibbura d’Nedavah, Chapter 8 5).

Turtledoves—Grown-up ones only may be offered but not young ones.

Young doves—Young ones only may be offered but not grown-up ones (Chullin 22a; Sifra, Vayikra Dibbura d’Nedavah, Chapter 8 4).

Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. MAT 11:29

and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.” LUK 2:24

John Gill

And to offer a sacrifice—That is, when the time of purification came, the parents of our Lord brought him from Bethlehem to Jerusalem, to present him in the temple to the Lord as his, and to redeem him; and not only so, but to offer the sacrifice required of child-bed women.

According to what is said in the Law of the Lord—(Lev 12:8).

A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons—If the person was able, she was to bring a lamb of the first year for a burnt offering; and a young pigeon, or a turtle dove, for a sin offering; but in case of poverty, then the above sufficed, and one of them was for a burnt offering, and the other for a sin offering; which shows not only that the virgin offered for herself a sin offering, being ceremonially unclean, but also her mean estate and poverty, in that she offered the offering of the poorer sort; see (Lev 12:6, 8).

For if the readiness is there, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have. 2CO 8:12

John Gill

For if the readiness is there—If what is done springs from a truly noble, generous spirit, a spirit of bountifulness and liberality; and is given cheerfully and freely, and according to a man’s ability; the quantity matters not, whether it be more or less.

It is acceptable—Both of God and man.

According to what a person has, not according to what he does not have—The widow’s mite was as acceptable, and more so, than all the rich men cast into the treasury; a cup of cold water given to a prophet, in the name of a prophet, is taken notice of by God, and shall have its reward. The present sent by the Philippians to the apostle Paul, and which perhaps was not very large, was “a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God” (Php 4:18).

For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. HEB 7:26

John Gill

For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest—Is suitable to us, answers to our cases and necessities, is every way such an one as is wanted.

Holy—By nature, originally and underivatively, perfectly and completely, internally as well as externally; he was typified by the high priest, who had holiness to the Lord written on his forehead, and far exceeds any of the priests in holiness; and such an one becomes us, for had he not been holy he could not have entered into the Holy Place for us, or have appeared there on our account, or have been our sanctification; so Philo the Jew speaks of the true priest as being not man, but the divine Word, and as free from all sin voluntary and involuntary.

Innocent—Without any vitiosity in his nature, without guile in his mouth, or malice in his heart; doing no injury to any man’s person or property: the character chiefly regards the innocence and holiness of his life and conversation; and in which he exceeded the priests under the law; and is a suitable one for us, for hereby he was fit to be made sin, and to take it away.

Unstained—With the sin of Adam, with which all mankind are defiled; with the blood of slain beasts, with which the priests under the law were sprinkled; with the filthy conversation of the wicked, which affects good men: hence he was more excellent than the priests under the law; and one that becomes us, since his blood is the blood of a lamb, without spot and blemish: the high priests under the law, according to the Jews, were to excel their brothers in knowledge, beauty, and riches; but the distinguishing character of our high priest is purity and holiness.

Separated from sinners—Not but that he took the nature of sinners, though not a sinful nature; and he was often in the company of sinners, when on earth, and was reckoned among them, and as one of them; but he was separated from them in Adam; he was not among the individuals of human nature that sinned in him; and he was brought into the world in a different manner from them, not descending from Adam by ordinary generation; and he had no communion with them in sin; nor did he encourage them to it in the days of his flesh; and now he is removed far from them; and herein he exceeds the priests under the law, and is suitable to us: the Syriac and Ethiopic versions read, “separated from sins”; the allusion seems to be, to the separating of the high priest from his own house to one of the courts of the temple seven days before the Day of Atonement, and so before the burning of the heifers.

And exalted above the heavens—Than the visible heavens, the airy and starry heavens, and than the angels in heaven; and so preferable to the high priests, and exceedingly agreeable to us (Heb 4:14), the allusion may be to the carrying of the high priest on the Day of Atonement to an upper chamber in the temple, called the chamber of Abtines: this may be understood either of Christ’s exaltation in heaven, where angels are subject to him, and his priesthood is completed; or of his excelling the angels in the holiness of his nature, which agrees with the other characters in the text, and stands opposed to the infirmities of the priests.

16 He shall remove its crop with its contents and cast it beside the altar on the east side, to the place of the ashes.

Meilah 12a:2

Rabbi Elazar said in response: It is derived from the fact that the verse states with regard to a bird sacrificed as a burnt offering: “He shall remove its crop with its contents and cast it beside the altar on the east side, to the place of the ashes (Lev 1:16), referring to the location for the placement of the removed ashes. If this verse is not needed for the matter of the external altar, as that halakha is already derived from the phrase: “And put them beside the altar” (Lev 6:3), apply it to the matter of the ashes of the inner altar, teaching that these ashes must also be placed there.

Rashi

Its crop—The word is connected in meaning with the word רְאִי in Rabbinical Hebrew; it thus denotes the place of the רְעִי, the digested food, i.e., the crop (Sifra, Vayikra Dibbura d’Nedavah, Section 7 9).

בְּנֹצָתָהּ means together with its entrails. The word נוֹצָה is really an expression for anything that is loathsome. Similar is (Lam 4:15) “for they are foul (נָצוּ), even slipping.” That is also what Onkelos means when he translates בְּאוּכְלֵיהּ, “with its digested food” found in its contents (excrement). This is the interpretation given by Abba Yose ben Hanan who states: he removes the stomach with it. But our Rabbis, of blessed memory, taking נוֹצָה; in its usual sense of “feathers,” say: with a knife he cuts out around the crop an opening like a flap and removes it together with the feathers on the skin (Sifra, Vayikra Dibbura d’Nedavah, Section 7 9; Zevachim 65a). In the case of the burnt offering of the cattle which eats only from the crib of its owner it is stated (v. 13), “But the entrails and the legs he shall wash with water. . . . and burn it on the altar.” However, regarding birds, which feed themselves on things stolen from other people’s property, it states, “He shall remove its crop . . . and cast” the contents, which ate from stolen property (Vayikra Rabbah 3:4).

Beside the altar on the east side—At the eastern side of the כֶּבֶשׁ the inclined ascent leading to the altar (Sifra, Vayikra Dibbura d’Nedavah, Chapter 9 3).

To the place of the ashes—I.e., that place where they deposited the ashes removed from the outer altar each morning (cf. Rashi on Lev 6:3-4) and the ashes removed from the inner altar and the lampstand (Meilah 12a; Sifra, Vayikra Dibbura d’Nedavah, Chapter 9 3). All these miraculously sunk there in their place (Yoma 21a).

Zevachim 65a:19

The mishna teaches that after the priest throws the bird’s head onto the fire on the altar, he arrives at the body and removes the crop and its feathers attached to it and its contents that emerge with them, and tosses them to the place of the ashes. The Sages taught in a baraita with regard to the verse pertaining to a bird burnt offering: “He shall remove murato with its contents” (Lev 1:16). This word, murato, is referring to the crop.

And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God.” LUK 1:35

according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood:

May grace and peace be multiplied to you. 1PE 1:2

17 He shall split it open by its wing feathers, but shall not tear it completely apart. And the priest shall burn it on the altar, on the wood that is on the fire. It is a burnt offering, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the Lord.

Menachot 110a:14

MISHNA: It is stated with regard to an animal burnt offering: “A food offering, an aroma pleasing to the Lord” (Lev 1:9), and with regard to a bird burnt offering: “A food offering, an aroma pleasing to the Lord” (Lev 1:17), and with regard to a meal offering: “A food offering, an aroma pleasing to the Lord” (Lev 2:2). The repetitive language employed concerning all of these different offerings is to say to you that one who brings a substantial offering and one who brings a meager offering have equal merit, provided that he directs his heart toward heaven.

Rashi

He shall split it open—The term שִׁסּוּעַ is is used only for splitting open with the hands. Similarly it states in the story of Samson (Jdg 14:6) “he rent him (וישסעהו) as he would have rent a young goat” (Zevachim 65b).

By its wing feathers means actually the feathers. But surely you will not find even a common sort of man who can smell the odour of burnt feathers without being disgusted with it! Why, then, does Scripture say that it shall be offered with the feathers? In order that the altar should appear full up and adorned with the sacrifice of the poor (Vayikra Rabbah 3:5).

By its wing feathers means: with its feathers he need not pluck out the feathers.

But shall not tear it completely apart—He must not tear it apart completely into two pieces. Rather, he must tear it along its back. It is stated here of a bird-offering “a pleasing aroma to the Lord” and it is stated (v. 9) of an animal-sacrifice “a pleasing aroma to the Lord,” to tell you: whether one offers much or little it is equally pleasing to God provided that he directs his heart to heaven (Menachot 110a; Sifra, Vayikra Dibbura d’Nedavah, Section 9 7).

14 Then he brought the bull of the sin offering, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the bull of the sin offering.

For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, ROM 8:3

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2CO 5:21

26 For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens.

John Gill

For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest—Is suitable to us, answers to our cases and necessities, is every way such an one as is wanted.

Holy—By nature, originally and underivatively, perfectly and completely, internally as well as externally; he was typified by the high priest, who had holiness to the Lord written on his forehead, and far exceeds any of the priests in holiness; and such an one becomes us, for had he not been holy he could not have entered into the Holy Place for us, or have appeared there on our account, or have been our sanctification; so Philo the Jew speaks of the true priest as being not man, but the divine Word, and as free from all sin voluntary and involuntary.

Innocent—Without any vitiosity in his nature, without guile in his mouth, or malice in his heart; doing no injury to any man’s person or property: the character chiefly regards the innocence and holiness of his life and conversation; and in which he exceeded the priests under the law; and is a suitable one for us, for hereby he was fit to be made sin, and to take it away.

Unstained—With the sin of Adam, with which all mankind are defiled; with the blood of slain beasts, with which the priests under the law were sprinkled; with the filthy conversation of the wicked, which affects good men: hence he was more excellent than the priests under the law; and one that becomes us, since his blood is the blood of a lamb, without spot and blemish: the high priests under the law, according to the Jews, were to excel their brothers in knowledge, beauty, and riches; but the distinguishing character of our high priest is purity and holiness.

Separated from sinners—Not but that he took the nature of sinners, though not a sinful nature; and he was often in the company of sinners, when on earth, and was reckoned among them, and as one of them; but he was separated from them in Adam; he was not among the individuals of human nature that sinned in him; and he was brought into the world in a different manner from them, not descending from Adam by ordinary generation; and he had no communion with them in sin; nor did he encourage them to it in the days of his flesh; and now he is removed far from them; and herein he exceeds the priests under the law, and is suitable to us: the Syriac and Ethiopic versions read, “separated from sins”; the allusion seems to be, to the separating of the high priest from his own house to one of the courts of the temple seven days before the Day of Atonement, and so before the burning of the heifers.

And exalted above the heavens—Than the visible heavens, the airy and starry heavens, and than the angels in heaven; and so preferable to the high priests, and exceedingly agreeable to us (Heb 4:14), the allusion may be to the carrying of the high priest on the Day of Atonement to an upper chamber in the temple, called the chamber of Abtines: this may be understood either of Christ’s exaltation in heaven, where angels are subject to him, and his priesthood is completed; or of his excelling the angels in the holiness of his nature, which agrees with the other characters in the text, and stands opposed to the infirmities of the priests.

27 He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself.

John Gill

He has no need, like those high priests—They being sinners, and he not.

To offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people—As they did on the Day of Atonement; see (Lev 16:6, 11, 15-16) upon which place the Jews make the same remark the apostle does here;

“he (the high priest, they say) offers sacrifices for the sins of the people, for his own, ‘first, and afterwards for the sins of the people’: ”

which was one reason of the imperfection and insufficiency of their sacrifices; but Christ needed not to offer for his own, nor could he, for he had none of his own; what he had was by imputation; wherefore he only needed to offer, and he only did offer, for the sins of the people; not of the Jews only, but of the Gentiles also, even of all God’s covenant people; nor did he need to do this daily, as they did; they offered sacrifice daily, the common priests every day, morning and evening, and the high priest on a stated day once a year, on the Day of Atonement.

Since he did this once for all when he offered up himself—And in this also he differed from them; they offered not themselves, but what was inferior to themselves, and what could not take away sin, and, therefore, was repeated; but Christ offered himself, his whole human nature, soul and body, and both as in union with his divine nature; and this being offered to God freely and voluntarily, in the room and stead of his people, was acceptable to God: hereby justice was satisfied; the law fulfilled; sin taken away, and complete salvation obtained; so that there never was since any need of his offering again, nor never will be; which shows the perfection and fulness of his priesthood, and the preference of it to the Levitical one.

28 For the law appoints men in their weakness as high priests, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect forever. HEB 7:26-28

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, 1PE 3:18

15 And he killed it, and Moses took the blood, and with his finger put it on the horns of the altar around it and purified the altar and poured out the blood at the base of the altar and consecrated it to make atonement for it.

Rashi

And purified the altar—He cleansed and purified it from anything “strange,” into holiness (cf. Rashi on Exo 19:36).

And consecrated it by this rite.

To make atonement for it—To make all atonements from now on.

Zevachim 53b:6

The baraita continues: Rabbi Yishmael says: It is stated here: “Shall bring the blood and sprinkle the blood around against the altar” (Lev 1:5), and it is stated there, with regard to the sin offering sacrificed at the inauguration of the tabernacle: “And he killed it, and Moses took the blood, and put it on the corners of the altar around with his finger” (Lev 8:15). Just as there, with regard to the sin offering, the blood was placed discretely and with four placements, one on each corner, so too here, with regard to a burnt offering, it must be placed discretely and with four placements. This opinion accords with the opinion of Rav.

For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. ROM 5:10

John Gill

For if while we were enemies—For the further illustration of the love of God expressed to sinners, by the death of his Son, the state and condition God’s elect were in when Christ died for them is taken notice of; they “were enemies”; to God, to his being, perfections, purposes, and providences; to Christ, to his person, offices, grace, and righteousness; to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit, and his divine operations and influences; to the people of God, and to the gospel and ordinances of Christ; which enmity is deeply rooted in their minds, is causeless, and undeserved, and is implacable, and irreconcileable without the power and grace of God; which grace of God is wonderfully displayed in the reconciliation of such persons,

We were reconciled to God—Not God to us; and this reconciliation is for their sins, an atonement for them, rather than of their persons; which being done, their persons are reconciled, not to the love, grace, and mercy of God, or to his affections, in which they always had a share, but to the justice of God injured and offended by their sins; and so both justice and holiness on one side, and love, grace, and mercy on the other, are reconciled together, in the business of their salvation; which is brought about by the sufferings and death of Christ: this expresses the wonderful love of God, since this reconciliation arises purely from himself; the scheme of it is of his own contriving; he, whose justice was affronted, and whose law was broken, took the first step towards it, and conducted the whole affair; and which was effected at the expense of the blood and life of his own Son, and that for persons who were enemies to them both. In consequence of this, another reconciliation of them is made by the Spirit of God in regenerations, of which notice is taken in this passage:

By the death of his Son—Reconciliation implies a former state of friendship, a breach of that friendship, and a making of it up again; which no ways contradicts the everlasting and unchangeable love of God to his people; for this is not a reconciliation of God to them, but of them to God:

Much more, now that we are reconciled—To God, as a sovereign God, in his decrees, in his providences, and in the method of salvation by his Son; to Christ, to the way of salvation by him, so as to submit both to his righteousness for justification, and to the scepter of his kingdom, to be ruled and governed by it; to the Spirit, so as to be led by him, to walk after him, and to depend upon him for the carrying on, and finishing the good work of grace begun in them; to the people of God, so as to love them, and delight in their company; and to the gospel and ordinances, so as highly to value them, long after them, and take pleasure in them. Now from both these reconciliations is inferred the sure and certain salvation of persons so reconciled:

Shall we be saved by his life—By the life of Christ, and which designs not so much his life as God; or his living in the hearts of his people by faith; though neither of them are to be excluded; but his life, as man, and that not either his private or public life, as man here on earth, though this has an influence upon, and a concern in the business of salvation; but more especially here is meant the interceding life of Christ in heaven, where he lives, and ever lives to make intercession for his people, and to see the salvation he has obtained by his death applied unto them, and they put into the possession of it.

and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. EPH 2:16

21 And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds,

22 he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, COL 1:21-22

Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. HEB 2:17

16 And he took all the fat that was on the entrails and the long lobe of the liver and the two kidneys with their fat, and Moses burned them on the altar.

Rashi

And the long lobe of the liver—Besides the liver—it means that he took a little of the liver with the long lobe.

21 He washed the entrails and the legs with water, and Moses burned the whole ram on the altar. It was a burnt offering with a pleasing aroma, a food offering for the Lord, as the Lord commanded Moses.

And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. EPH 5:2

Laws for Burnt Offerings

1 The Lord called Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting, saying,

Rashi

The Lord called Moses—All oral communications of the Lord to Moses whether they are introduced by וַיְדַבֵּר, “and he spoke” or by וַיֹּאמֶר, “and he said,” or by וַיְצַו, “and he commanded,” were preceded by a call (cf. Sifra, Vayikra Dibbura d’Nedavah, Chapter 1 1-2). It is a way of expressing affection, the mode used by the ministering angels when addressing each other, as it says, “And one called (וְקָרָא) to another . . .” (Isa 6:3). To the prophets of the nations of the world, however, God revealed himself in a manner which Scripture describes by an expression ordinarily used for denoting events of a casual character and of uncleanness, as it says, “and God happened to meet (וַיִּקָּר) Balaam” (Num 23:4). The term וַיִּקָּר has the meaning of a coincidental happening, and also alludes to uncleanness, by analogy with Deu 23:11 (cf. Bereishit Rabbah 52:5).

The Lord called Moses—This implies that the voice went on and reached Moses’ ears only but all the other Israelites did not hear it. One might think that for the subsections there was also such a call! It, however, states, “and spoke (וַיְדַבֵּר) to him,” thus intimating that a complete section had (was preceded by) a call, but not the subsections. And what purpose did these subsections serve? To give Moses an interval for reflection between one division and another and between one subject and another—something which is all the more necessary for an ordinary man receiving instruction from an ordinary man (Sifra, Vayikra Dibbura d’Nedavah, Chapter 1 9).

And spoke to him from the tent of meeting, saying—One might think from this that the Lord spoke to him from the entire house that is, from any part of the tent of meeting! Scripture, however, states (Num 7:89), “and he heard the voice speaking to him from above the ark cover.” From this, one might think that he heard the voice coming from off the entire ark cover. Scripture, however, continues, “from between the two cherubim” (Sifra, Vayikra Dibbura d’Nedavah, Chapter 2 12).

To him—This is intended to exclude Aaron. Rabbi Judah said, “Thirteen times in the law, God spoke to Moses and Aaron together; but corresponding to these there are thirteen which include expressions with a limitative force to teach you that they were spoken not to Aaron but to Moses only, with the view that he should communicate them to Aaron. The following are the thirteen limitations: (1) “to speak with the Lord . . . ,” (2) “. . . speaking to him . . . ,” (3) “. . . and it spoke to him” (Num 7:89); (4) “There I will meet with you at set times, etc. . . .” (Exo 25:22)—all the thirteen instances you will find in Torath Kohanim (Sifra, Vayikra Dibbura d’Nedavah, Chapter 2 1). I might, however, think that they (Aaron and all Israel) heard at least the sound of the divine utterance. Scripture therefore, says: not “he heard the voice speaking to him (לוֹ),” but “he heard the voice speaking right up to him (אֵלָיו)” (Num 7:89). This verse could have used the word לוֹ, “to him,” rather than such an exclusive expression as אֵלָיו, “right up to him.” However, it uses this expression in order to teach us that only Moses heard the utterance, and all Israel did not hear it (Sifra, Vayikra Dibbura d’Nedavah, Chapter 2 8).

From the tent of meeting—This teaches us that the voice broke off and did not issue beyond the tent of meeting. One might think that this was so because the voice was a very low one! Scripture, however, states (Num 7:89), “And when Moses came into the tent of meeting, he heard the voice.” What does it mean by the voice? It was the voice that is so minutely described in (Psa 29:4-5), “The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is full of majesty. The voice of the Lord breaks cedars.” But if this be so, why does Scripture state, “and spoke to him from the tent of meeting”? Because it intends to tell us that the voice stopped. A case similar to this where a powerful sound uttered within the temple was not heard outside, is: “And the sound of the cherubim’s wings was heard up to the outer courtyard . . .” (Eze 10:5). One might think then that the sound was a very low one! Scripture, however, continues “. . . as the voice of the Almighty God when he speaks!” Why then does Scripture state, “the sound . . . was heard up to the outer courtyard”? Because when it reached there it broke off (Sifra, Vayikra Dibbura d’Nedavah, Chapter 2 10-11).

Saying—God told Moses: Go and speak to them words that will bring them to a subdued frame of mind, namely: “It is for your sake that he communicates with me.” And indeed we find this was so; for all the thirty-eight years during which Israel in the wilderness were placed, as it were, under excommunication—from the time of the incident of the spies and onwards—there was no intimate conversation of God with Moses, for it is said (Deu 2:16-17), “So as soon as all the men of war had perished and were dead from among the people, the Lord said to me . . .”—only then was a divine communication again made to me (Sifra). Another explanation of לֵאמֹר is that God says to Moses: “Go and tell them my commands and bring me back word whether they will accept them,” as it is said (Exo 19:8), “and Moses reported the words of the people to the Lord” (Sifra, Vayikra Dibbura d’Nedavah, Chapter 2 13).

Sanhedrin 101a:4

The mishna teaches: And among those who have no share in the world-to-come is one who whispers invocations over a wound. Rabbi Yoḥanan says: And that is the case only where he spits into the wound while he whispers, as one does not mention the name of heaven over spittle, and doing so is an act of contempt for God. It was stated that Rav says: Even the verse: “When a leprous mark is in a man, then he shall be brought to the priest” (Lev 13:9), in which there is no mention of the name of God, may not be whispered as an invocation. Rabbi Ḥanina says: Even a verse that is unrelated to the specific illness in question, for example: “The Lord called Moses” (Lev 1:1), may not be whispered as an invocation.

Yoma 4b:11

The verse says: “The Lord called Moses and spoke to him from within the tent of meeting, saying” (Lev 1:1). Why does the verse mention calling before speaking, and God did not speak to him at the outset? The law is teaching etiquette: A person should not say anything to another unless he calls him first. This supports the opinion of Rabbi Ḥanina, as Rabbi Ḥanina said: A person should not say anything to another unless he calls him first. With regard to the term concluding the verse: “Saying,” Rabbi Musya, grandson of Rabbi Masya, said in the name of Rabbi Musya the Great: From where is it derived with regard to one who tells another some matter, that it is incumbent upon the latter not to say it to others until the former explicitly says to him: Go and tell others? As it is stated: “And spoke to him from within the tent of meeting, saying [lemor].” Lemor is a contraction of lo emor, meaning: Do not say. One must be given permission before transmitting information.

For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. JOH 1:17

2 “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When any one of you brings an offering to the Lord, you shall bring your offering of livestock from the herd or from the flock.”

Bava Kamma 40b:16

The Gemara raises an objection from a baraita that interprets the verse: “You shall bring your offering of livestock from the herd or from the flock” (Lev 1:2). The phrase “of livestock” is mentioned to exclude an animal that engaged in bestiality and an animal that was the object of bestiality from eligibility to be brought as an offering. The phrase “from the herd” is mentioned to exclude an animal that had been worshiped as a god. “From the flock” is mentioned to exclude an animal that had been set aside for idol worship. The additional conjunction “or,” in the phrase “or from the flock” is mentioned to exclude an animal that gores a person, killing him.

Bekhorot 41a:15

They are derived from a verse, as the Sages taught in a baraita that when the verse states: “You shall bring your offering from livestock from the herd or from the flock” (Lev 1:2), each mention of the word “from” is interpreted as a term of exclusion. The expression “from livestock” serves to exclude an animal that copulated with a person and an animal that was the object of bestiality. The expression “from the herd” serves to exclude an animal worshiped as a deity, and “from the flock” serves to exclude an animal set aside for idol worship. Finally, the word “or” in the expression “or from the flock” serves to exclude an animal that gored and killed a person.

1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

John Gill

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God—The apostle having finished the doctrinal part of this epistle, proceeds to that which is more practical; and enforces the several duties of religion, upon the principles he had before laid down, a method generally observed by him in all his epistles. The illative particle “therefore,” shows that the following exhortations are so many conclusions, consequences, and inferences, deduced from what had been said in the latter part of the preceding chapter; that since all things are of God, and by him and to him, then the saints ought to present their bodies to him, and to know, approve, and do his will; and since they have nothing but what they have received from him, they ought not to think too highly of, or glory in their attainments. The introduction to these exhortations, is in a very kind and affectionate manner; the saints are addressed as “brothers,” and very appropriately; since this expresses the relation they stood in to the apostle, for whom he had an hearty love and concern; and therefore what he pressed them to was out of a sincere regard to their good, as well as to the glory of God; also their relation to each other, and which several of the duties he urges had a connection with; likewise their relation to God, being of his family, having one and the same Father, and so under obligation to regard his will, honour and reverence him: moreover, these things are moved, not in an imperious way, in an authoritative manner, but by way of entreaty, “I appeal to you”; as an ambassador of Christ, and as though in his stead: nor are they enforced by terrors, threats, and menaces, but “by the mercies of God”; that is, the abundant mercy of God, displayed in their election, regeneration, and calling; than which, nothing can have a greater influence on a believer, to engage him to holiness of life and conversation; and shows, that the doctrines of grace are no licentious ones, nor do they render useless precepts, exhortations, entreaties, cautions, and advice.

To present your bodies—Not barely that part of them commonly so called, for this is not to be understood of a mere presentation of the body in public worship: for though this ought to be, yet not without the heart engaged therein, otherwise bodily exercise will be of no avail; nor of a bare abstinence from grosser sins done in the body, and against it, and which defile and dishonour it; much less of a maceration, and keeping under the body, by watchings, fasting, &c. and still less of an offering of the body at death in a way of martyrdom, though this ought to be cheerfully complied with when called for: but by their bodies are meant, themselves, their whole souls and bodies, all the powers and faculties of their souls, and members of their bodies; and the presenting of them, designs a devoting of them, with all readiness and willingness, to the service of God for his honour and glory, without putting any confidence in, or placing any dependence upon them; which would be sacrificing to their own net, and burning incense to their drag; it includes the whole of their service, conversation, and religion, internal and external. So the Jews say,

“Worthy is the portion of the righteous, who offer every day this offering before the Lord; and what is it? ‘Their bodies and their souls,’ which they offer before him.”

The allusion is to the rite of sacrificing, to the bringing of the slain beast, and laying it on the altar, and there presenting and offering it to the Lord. Under the gospel dispensation all believers are priests; and the sacrifices they bring are not the bodies of slain beasts, but their own bodies, their whole selves.

A living sacrifice—In opposition to the bodies of slain beasts offered under the legal dispensation, and to the dead works of such as are destitute of faith in Christ, and to the lifeless performances of the saints themselves at certain times; and designs such a presentation of themselves in the performance of religious duties, as springs from a principle of life under the quickening influences of the Spirit of God, with faith and fervency; though without any view to obtain life hereby, for that is only by the offering up of the body of Christ once for all.

Holy—In allusion to the sacrifices under the law, which were separated from common use, and devoted to God, and were not to have the least spot and blemish in them; and regards men sanctified by the Spirit of God, and whose actions flow from a principle of holiness, and are performed under the influence of the Holy Spirit; and such sacrifices are both living and holy.

Acceptable to God—Through the mediation of his Son, by whom, as the persons, the souls and bodies of his people, so their spiritual sacrifices, whether of prayer or praise, are only acceptable to him.

Which is your spiritual worship—It is agreeably to reason, and especially as sanctified, that men who have their beings from God, and are upheld in them by him, and are followed with the bounties of Providence; and especially who are made new creatures, and are blessed by him with all spiritual blessings in Christ, that they should give up themselves to him, and cheerfully serve him in their day and generation; such service is also agreeably to the Scriptures of truth, the standard of filth and practice, and contain and enforce nothing but what is highly reasonable to be complied with; it is such service as lies not in the slaying of irrational creatures, but in the presenting of men endued with rational powers unto God; and is of a spiritual nature, performed by spiritual men, under the influence of the Spirit of God: and is suitable to the nature and perfections of God, and stands opposed to the corporeal and carnal service of the Jews.

6 Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; ROM 12:1, 6