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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

12 If he offers it for a thanksgiving, then he shall offer with the thanksgiving sacrifice unleavened loaves mixed with oil, unleavened wafers smeared with oil, and loaves of fine flour well mixed with oil.

16 and he fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan.

John Gill

And he fell on his face at Jesus’ feet—For being cleansed, he might draw nigh unto Jesus; and which he did, with the most profound respect unto him, and reverence of him; and having a deep sense of the favour he had received from him, prostrated himself in this manner before him:

Giving him thanks—Who had shown compassion to him, had exerted his power on him, and had favoured him with such a singular mercy, as restoring him to health.

Now he was a Samaritan—This is particularly remarked by the evangelist, because the Samaritans were reckoned by the Jews, to be ignorant and irreligious persons, and no better than Gentiles; and yet this man behaved as a religious good man, who had a sense of his mercy, knew his duty, and his obligations, and performed them; when the other nine, who very likely were all Jews, acted a very stupid and ungrateful part.

18 Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner? LUK 17:16, 18

John Gill

Was no one found to return—Or it do not appear, that any have returned:

And give praise to God—For inasmuch as they did not return to give thanks to Christ, and acknowledge him the author of their cure and cleansing they did not give praise to God:

Except this foreigner—For so the Samaritans were reckoned by the Jews, even as the Gentile, aliens from the commonwealth, of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise. Christ speaks in the language and dialect of the nation, and yet we find sometimes, that, “a Cuthite,” or a Samaritan, is distinguished from, “a foreigner,” or a Gentile: they might set up their beasts in the inns of the Samaritans, but not in the inns of “strangers”; and a man might let out his bath to a Samaritan, but not to a “foreigner”; but this must be understood of them in times past, before they were found out to be idolaters; when, as Rabban Simeon ben Gamaliel says, they were as Israelites in all things, and kept the law and the precepts of it, and even more exactly than the Israelites themselves did; but afterwards a Samaritan was reckoned a Gentile, and so he was in the times of Christ; and therefore he calls a Samaritan a foreigner: that tradition of the Jews, requires some notice and consideration; all are defiled

“with leprosies, except, ‘strangers,’ and the proselyte of the gate.”

And yet here is a foreigner among the Jews, and reckoned unclean, on account of leprosy, and sent with them to show himself to the priest.

For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. ROM 1:21

John Gill

For although they knew God—Though they had such a knowledge of the being and perfections of God, yet

They did not honor him as God—They neither thought nor spoke honourably of him; nor did they ascribe those perfections to him, which belonged to him; they did not adhere to him as the one and only God, nor honour him as the Creator of all things out of nothing, and as the sole governor of the universe; they did not glorify him by the internal exercise of fear of him, love to him, or trust in him, nor by any external worship suitable to his nature, and their own notions of him, Seneca is an instance of this, of whom Austin says,

“that he worshiped what he found fault with, did what he reproved, and adored that which he blamed.”

Or give thanks to him—For the knowledge of things they had, which they ascribed to themselves; or for their mercies, which they imputed to second causes:

But they became futile in their thinking—The vanity or their minds was the spring and source of their evil conduct; which may design the wickedness of their hearts, and the thinking thereof, which were evil, and that continually; the pride of their natures the carnality and weakness of their reasonings, and the whole system of their futile philosophy; and hence they ran into polytheism, or the worshiping of many gods:

And their foolish hearts were darkened—Where they thought their great wisdom lay: darkness is natural to the hearts and understandings of all men, which is increased by personal iniquity; Satan is concerned in improving it, and God sometimes gives up the hearts of persons to judicial blindness, which was the case of these men.

15 And the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offerings for thanksgiving shall be eaten on the day of his offering. He shall not leave any of it until the morning.

Berakhot 2a:5

Rabban Gamliel cites several cases in support of his claim, such as the burning of fats and limbs on the altar. Due to the quantity of offerings each day, the priests were often unable to complete the burning of all of the fats and limbs, so they continued to be burned into the night, as it is written: “This is the law of the burnt offering. The burnt offering shall remain upon the pyre on the altar all night until the morning, and the fire of the altar burns it” (Lev 6:2). And, with regard to all sacrifices, such as the sin offerings and the guilt offerings that are eaten for one day and night; although the Sages state that they may be eaten only until midnight, by law they may be eaten until dawn. This is in accordance with the verse: “On the day on which it is offered must you eat. Do not leave it until the morning” (Lev 7:15). If so, why did the Sages say that they may be eaten only until midnight? This is in order to distance a person from transgression, as if one believes that he has until dawn to perform the commandment, he might be negligent and postpone it until the opportunity to perform the commandment has passed.

Menachot 81b:18

The Gemara relates: Rabbi Yirmeya was sitting before Rabbi Zeira, and he was sitting and saying: The mishna taught only that the loaves may not be brought from second-tithe wheat itself, but he may bring the loaves from wheat purchased from second-tithe money. Rabbi Zeira said to him: My teacher, do you say so? I say that he may not bring the loaves even from wheat purchased from second-tithe money. And I will say my reasoning and I will say your reasoning. I will say your reasoning first: From where do you derive that the loaves of a thanks offering may be brought from wheat purchased with second-tithe money? You derive it from the halakha of a peace offering. A thanks offering is a type of peace offering, as the verse states: “And the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offerings for thanks” (Lev 7:15), and a peace offering may be brought from second-tithe money.

Rashi

And the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offerings for thanksgiving—The verse could have said, “And its flesh.” Consequently, there are many apparently redundant words; they are intended to include in this law the sin offering, the guilt offering, the Nazirite’s ram and the חֲגִיגָה (the festive offering of the pilgrims) brought on the fourteenth of Nisan—that these should be eaten only during one day (the day of slaughtering) and the following night (Sifra, Tzav, Chapter 12 1; Zevachim 36a).

Shall be eaten on the day of his offering—And as the period prescribed for eating its flesh is the period during which its bread may be eaten (Sifra, Tzav, Chapter 12 1).

He shall not leave any of it until the morning, but during the whole night he may eat of it. But if this be so why have they (the Rabbis) say (Zevachim 55a) that it may only be eaten during the day and the following night till midnight? As a precaution to keep people far from the possibility of sinning (cf. Berakhot 2a).

Zevachim 4a:18

Rav Pinḥas, son of Rav Ami, says: The verse states with regard to a thanks offering: “And the meat of the sacrifice [zevaḥ] of his peace offerings for thanksgiving shall be eaten on the day of his offering” (Lev 7:15), apparently indicating that its slaughter [zeviḥa] must be performed for the sake of a thanks offering. And if this language is not needed for the matter of deviation with regard to the type of offering, and in fact it is not, as we already derived this halakha from there, i.e., the verse cited concerning peace offerings, apply it to the matter of deviation with regard to the owner. It is thereby derived that an offering must be slaughtered for the sake of its owner.

Zevachim 7a:7

Rabba said: From where do I say that it is fit? It is as it is taught in a baraita: The verse states: “And the meat of the sacrifice of his peace offerings for thanksgiving . . . on the day that he presents his offering it shall be eaten” (Lev 7:15-16). Abba Ḥanin said in the name of Rabbi Eliezer: The verse comes to teach that a thanks offering that one slaughtered for the sake of a peace offering is fit, whereas a peace offering that was slaughtered for the sake of a thanks offering is unfit. And what is the difference between this offering and that offering? A thanks offering is called a peace offering in the verse, but a peace offering is not called a thanks offering.

Zevachim 36a:3

GEMARA: The Gemara asks: What is the reasoning of Rabbi Yehuda, who deems the offering unfit if there was intent to leave it over until the next day or to take it out of its designated area? Rabbi Elazar said: There are two verses that are written with regard to notar. One verse states: “You shall let none of it remain until the morning; anything that remains until the morning you shall burn” (Exo 12:10), and one verse states: “He shall not leave any of it until the morning” (Lev 7:15). If the additional verse is not necessary for the matter of the prohibition against leaving it overnight, which is already mentioned by the first verse, apply it to the matter of intent of leaving it overnight, which would therefore be prohibited as well.

Zevachim 36a:4

The Gemara asks: But according to the opinion of Rabbi Yehuda, does this verse come to teach this idea? This verse is necessary for him to derive that which is taught in a baraita: The verse states: “And the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offerings for thanksgiving shall be eaten on the day of his offering. He shall not leave any of it until the morning” (Lev 7:15). From the words: “And the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offerings for thanksgiving,” we learned with regard to a thanks offering that it is eaten for a day and a night.

16 But if the sacrifice of his offering is a vow offering or a freewill offering, it shall be eaten on the day that he offers his sacrifice, and on the next day what remains of it shall be eaten.

Bekhorot 27b:7

The Gemara asks: And Rav, from where does he derive that a firstborn is eaten for two days and one night? The Gemara answers: He derives it from a verse in which Moses spoke to Aaron and his sons with regard to eating the firstborn: “But their flesh shall be yours, as the breast of waving and as the right thigh are yours” (Num 18:18). The verse thereby juxtaposed the halakha of the firstborn with the breast and thigh of a peace offering. Just as there, it may be eaten for two days and one night, as stated explicitly in a verse (see Lev 7:16), so too here, a firstborn may be eaten for two days and one night.

Rashi

But if the sacrifice of his offering is a vow offering or a freewill offering—That he does not bring it as an acknowledgement of some miraculous deliverance (cf. Rashi v. 12), then it does not require the offering of bread and may be eaten during two days as is delineated in the section.

And on the next day what remains of it—On the first day, shall be eaten—This vav (that of וְהַנּוֹתָר) is redundant (the text being equivalent to הַנּוֹתָר); there are many similar examples in Scripture: “These are the sons of Zibeon: Aiah (וְאַיֶָּה) and Anah” (Gen 36:24); “giving over of the sanctuary (וְקֹדֶשׁ) and the host to be trampled” (Dan 8:13).

13 This is the offering that Aaron and his sons shall offer to the Lord on the day when he is anointed: a tenth of an ephah of fine flour as a regular grain offering, half of it in the morning and half in the evening.

Horayot 9a:4

It is taught in a baraita that Rabbi Akiva says: An anointed priest is exempt from bringing an offering in all the cases where one is liable to bring a sliding-scale offering. Rava said: What is the reason for the opinion of Rabbi Akiva? It is as the verse states: “This is the offering that Aaron and his sons shall offer to the Lord on the day when he is anointed: One-tenth of an ephah of fine flour as a . . . grain offering” (Lev 6:13). One can infer: It is this tenth of an ephah that comes as an obligation for him, and no other such offering comes as an obligation for him.

Menachot 8a:8

The Gemara discusses the matter itself: With regard to the griddle-cake offering of the high priest, Rabbi Yohanan says that it is not sanctified in halves, and Rabbi Elazar says: Since it is sacrificed in halves, as half of the meal offering is sacrificed in the morning and half in the afternoon, it may likewise be sanctified in halves. Rav Aha said: What is the reasoning of Rabbi Yohanan? The verse states: “A regular grain offering, half of it in the morning and half in the evening” (Lev 6:13). This means: First bring a whole grain offering, and only afterward divide it into halves.

Menachot 50b:6

The Gemara cites that which the Sages taught in a baraita, commenting on the verse: “This is the offering that Aaron and his sons shall offer to the Lord on the day when he is anointed: a tenth of an ephah of fine flour as a regular grain offering, half of it in the morning and half in the evening” (Lev 6:13). If the verse had stated: A regular grain offering, half in the morning and half in the evening; I would have said that the high priest brings half of a tenth of an ephah in the morning and sacrifices it, and then he brings half of a tenth of an ephah in the afternoon and sacrifices it.

Menachot 50b:7

Since the verse states: “Half of it in the morning and half in the evening” (Lev 6:13), it teaches that he sacrifices half of a complete tenth of an ephah. How so? The high priest brings from his house a complete tenth of an ephah of fine flour, and divides it in half, and sacrifices half in the morning and half in the afternoon.

Menachot 51a:10

The baraita continues its determination of how much oil is brought with the griddle-cake offering of the high priest. Rabbi Yishmael, son of Rabbi Yohanan ben Beroka, says: “This is the offering that Aaron . . . a tenth of an ephah of fine flour for a grain offering perpetually [tamid], half of it in the morning and half in the evening” (Lev 6:13). The fact that the verse makes reference to the griddle-cake offering of the high priest as tamid teaches that it is in the same category as the grain offering component of the daily offerings [temidin]. Just as the grain offering component of the daily offerings requires three log of oil for each tenth of an ephah of flour, so too this griddle-cake offering of the high priest requires three log of oil for each tenth of an ephah of flour.

Menachot 51b:7

That verse is needed for that which is taught in a baraita: “This is the offering that Aaron and his sons shall offer to the Lord on the day when he is anointed” (Lev 6:13). One might have thought that since the verse speaks of the offering in the singular, it means that Aaron and his sons should sacrifice one offering. Therefore the verse states: “That they shall offer to the Lord,” in plural, teaching that Aaron sacrifices an offering by himself as the high priest, and his sons sacrifice offerings by themselves as ordinary priests. When the verse refers to “his sons,” these are the ordinary priests. Each priest must bring a griddle-cake offering as an offering of initiation when he begins his service.

Rashi

This is the offering that Aaron and his sons—The ordinary priests, too, offer a grain offering, consisting of a tenth part of an ephah of flour on the day they are installed into the priestly service; the high priest, however, must bring this grain offering every day, as it is said, “a regular grain offering . . .” (verse 15), “The priest from among Aaron’s sons, who is anointed to succeed him . . . as decreed forever” (Menachot 51b; Sifra, Tzav, Section 3 1-4).

For every high priest chosen from among men is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. HEB 5:1

John Gill

For every high priest chosen from among men—Every one that was a high priest under the law was a man, and not an angel; and it was proper he should be so, that he might be a priest for men, have compassion on them, and offer for them; and he was among the number of common men, and was taken out from them, and chosen and separated from the rest of men, as Aaron and his sons were from the children of Israel (Exo 28:1). And such a one

Is appointed to act on behalf of men—In their room and stead, and for their good; and above them, as the word sometimes signifies; he was exalted unto, and invested with a superior office, to which he was appointed to act according to the law of a carnal commandment, by anointing with oil, and without an oath.

In relation to God—In things in which God had to do with men; and so he presided over them in the name of God, and declared the will of God unto them, and blessed them; and in things in which men had to do with God; and so he appeared in their name, and represented their persons, and presented their sacrifices to God, as follows:

To offer gifts and sacrifices for sins—Freewill offerings, peace offerings, burnt offerings, sin and trespass offerings, all kind of sacrifice.

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. HEB 7:27

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.

3 For every high priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices; thus it is necessary for this priest also to have something to offer.

John Gill

For every high priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices (See Gill on Heb 5:1).

Thus it is necessary for this priest also to have something to offer—Or this person; for the word “priest” is not in the text, and seems not so proper a word to be supplied, since it was his human nature that it was necessary he should have to offer; he was a person, and existed as a divine person antecedent to his assumption of human nature: as God, he had nothing to offer, or that was capable of being offered; something to offer as a sacrifice was necessary to him as a priest, but not any thing was proper to him; Levitical sacrifices would not do, these could not take away sin; besides, the great high priest was not of the tribe of Levi, nor of the order of Aaron, and therefore could not offer these. An angelic nature would have been improper, that is not capable of dying; and the offering up of such a one would have been of no service to men, for whom priests are ordained; but a human nature is meant, and which it was necessary Christ should have, and offer, for it is for men that he became a high priest; it was human nature that had offended God, and satisfaction must be made in that nature; and this was capable of suffering and dying; yet not human nature under any consideration was necessary for him to have and offer; not merely as in a state of innocence, without any infirmity, nor as sinful, yet as perfect as to parts and qualities; and a nature, and not a person, was necessary to be had, and to be taken into close and inseparable union to his divine person; and of this there was a necessity, not absolute, or a necessity of coaction and force: Christ was not forced unto it; but on the foot of his suretyship engagements, and because of making satisfaction for the sin of man, it was necessary; otherwise Christ voluntarily engaged to be a priest, and willingly became man, and freely offered himself, soul and body, in the room and stead of his people.

4 Now if he were on earth, he would not be a priest at all, since there are priests who offer gifts according to the law. HEB 8:3-4

John Gill

Now if he were on earth, he would not be a priest at all—The Socinians from hence attempt to prove that Christ was not a priest, and did not offer sacrifice on earth; whereas his coming into the world, and his appearance in human nature, was in the character of a priest, and to qualify himself for one; his death was his sacrifice, which was on earth; and he never offered but one sacrifice; and it was after he had offered himself that he went to heaven; so the sacrifices under the law were first offered, before their blood was carried within: but the meaning is, either if “that” was on earth, namely, what it was necessary he should have to offer; if his human nature had been earthly, had been of men, had come by ordinary generation, he had not been properly, only typically a priest, at most; and had been no better than the typical ones; yea, he would have been needless, nay, might not have offered, not being of Levi’s tribe, and could not have existed as a priest with the sons of Aaron; but he had his human nature in another way, through the power of the Holy Spirit from above, and therefore is said to come from above, from heaven, and to be the Lord from heaven: or the sense is, if he was on earth, and had not died, he had not been a priest; and if he had died and remained under the power of death, he had been a priest of no account and use; and had he rose again and remained on earth, without going to heaven, with his blood and sacrifice, he had not been a perfect priest; if Christ had remained on earth, the Levitical priesthood had remained, and so he would have been no priest, since two priesthoods could not have subsisted together. The Levitical priesthood was in force while Christ was on earth; Christ’s priesthood was not perfected on earth; the Levitical priesthood remaining while he was on earth, proves he was not then a perfect priest, or had not completed his priesthood; had he been so, that would not have subsisted; it was necessary therefore that Christ should enter into the holy place, to put an end to the Levitical priesthood: moreover, if he had remained on earth, he had been needless;

Since there are priests who offer gifts according to the law—There were priests when Christ was upon earth; their work was to offer gifts the people brought, and sacrifices for sin, and that according to the law of Moses, which till the death of Christ was in full force.