11 "'This is the law of the sacrifice of peace offerings, which one shall offer to Yahweh.
*Minor differences ignored. Grouped by changes, with first version listed as example.
And this is the law of the sacrifice. I have elsewhere [1] stated my reasons for calling this kind of sacrifice "the sacrifice of prosperities." That they were offered not only in token of gratitude, but when God's aid was implored, is plain both from this and other passages; yet in all cases the Jews thus testified that they acknowledged God as the author of all good things, whether they returned thanks for some notable blessing, or sought by His aid to be delivered from dangers, or whether they professed in general their piety, or paid the vows which they had made simply and without condition; for the payment of a conditional vow was an act of thanksgiving. At any rate, since in all they honored God with His due service, they gave proof of their gratitude. Hence this name was justly given to these sacrifices, because in them they either besought good success of Him, or acknowledged that what they had already obtained was owing to His grace, or asked for relief in adversity, or congratulated themselves on their welfare and safety. Moses, however, distinguishes one kind, as it were, from the others:, i.e., the sacrifice of thanksgiving, whereby they professedly returned thanks for some notable deliverance, which was not; always offered. [2] In this case he commands unleavened cakes fried in oil, wafers seasoned with oil, and fine flour fried to be offered, together with leavened bread; and also commands that the flesh of the sacrifice should be eaten on the day of the oblation, so that none should be left. In vows and free-will-offerings greater liberty is conceded, viz., that they might eat the residue on the next day, provided they kept nothing till the third day. In the passage which I have inserted from chapter 22, the words I have translated "unto your acceptance," might also be rendered "unto His good-will," (in beneplacitum,) for the gratuitous favor of God is called rtsvn, ratson. The meaning therefore is, if you would have your sacrifice accepted by God, take care that none of the flesh should remain to the following day. Others, however, understand it of man's good-will, as if it were said, "at your own will," or "as it shall please you." And I admit, indeed, that the word rtsvn, ratson, is sometimes used in this sense; but since in the same chapter [3] it can only be taken for God's favor or acceptance, I have preferred avoiding a variation; yet I make no objection if any one likes the other reading better. But if my readers weigh well the antithesis, when it is presently added, that if the flesh should remain beyond the proper time [4] the sacrifice would not be pleasing to God, they will agree with me. There is, indeed, an apparent discrepancy here, since in this way Moses would command the voluntary sacrifice to be eaten on the same day, which, however, he does not do. If we prefer understanding it of the liberal feelings of men, he will exhort the people cheerfully to offer their victims in thanksgiving. I have, however, shewn the meaning which I approve of, and thus it will be easy to reconcile these things, for God's goodwill does not require this similarity, [5] nor is it necessary to observe the same mode of offering that they may be grateful; but they are said to offer "unto their acceptance," when they intermix no corruption, but offer purely and duly. If the cause of this distinction is asked, it is no clearer to me than is the variety between the bread and wafers or cakes. It is certain, indeed, that God had a reason for dealing more strictly or more indulgently; but to inquire now-a-days as to things unknown, and which conduce not at all to piety, is neither right nor expedient.
1 - Vide, [24]p. 105.
2 - These words are omitted in Fr.
3 - Viz., at ver. 19, vide infra, [25]p. 380. In both cases it will be seen that A.V. is "at your own will," whilst Ainsworth renders both "for your favorable acceptation."
4 - That is, at Leviticus 22:20
5 - The Fr. throws some light on this rather obscure passage: "D'autant qu'il ne s'ensuit pas, que quarid ils offriront au bon plaisir de Dieu, il doyvent garder une facon pareille, et egale;" since it does not follow that when they shall offer at God's good pleasure, they must observe a precisely similar method.
See Leviticus. 3:1-17. What is here added, relates to the accompanying מנחה mı̂nchāh Leviticus 2:1, the classification of peace-offerings into:
(1) thank-offerings,
(2) vow-offerings and
(3) voluntary-offerings, and the conditions to be observed by the worshipper in eating the flesh.
And this is the law of the sacrifice of peace offerings, which ye shall offer unto the Lord. Some other laws and rules respecting the oblation of them: in Leviticus 3:1 an account is given of what they should be, both of the herd and flock, and of the burning of the fat of them; and here the several sorts of them are distinctly observed, what should be offered with them, and the part the priest should have of it, and when the flesh of them should be eaten.
As to the peace-offerings, in the expression of their sense of mercy, God left them more at liberty, than in the expression of their sense of sin; that their sacrifices, being free-will offerings, might be the more acceptable, while, by obliging them to bring the sacrifices of atonement, God shows the necessity of the great Propitiation. The main reason why blood was forbidden of old, was because the Lord had appointed blood for an atonement. This use, being figurative, had its end in Christ, who by his death and blood-shedding caused the sacrifices to cease. Therefore this law is not now in force on believers.
this is the law of the sacrifice of peace offerings--Besides the usual accompaniments of other sacrifices, leavened bread was offered with the peace offerings, as a thanksgiving, such bread being common at feasts.
The Law of the Peace-Offerings, "which he shall offer to Jehovah" (the subject is to be supplied from the verb), contains instructions, (1) as to the bloodless accompaniment to these sacrifices (Leviticus 7:12-14), (2) as to the eating of the flesh of the sacrifices (Leviticus 7:15-21), with the prohibition against eating fat and blood (Leviticus 7:22-27), and (3) as to Jehovah's share of these sacrifices (Leviticus 7:28-36). - In Leviticus 7:12 and Leviticus 7:16 three classes of shelamim are mentioned, which differ according to their occasion and design, viz., whether they were brought על־תּודה, upon the ground of praise, i.e., to praise God for blessings received or desired, or as vow-offerings, or thirdly, as freewill-offerings (Leviticus 7:16). To (lit., upon, in addition to) the sacrifice of thanksgiving (Leviticus 7:12, "sacrifice of thanksgiving of his peace-offerings," Leviticus 7:13 and Leviticus 7:15) they were to present "unleavened cakes kneaded with oil, and flat cakes anointed with oil (see at Leviticus 2:4), and roasted fine flour (see Leviticus 6:14) mixed as cakes with oil," i.e., cakes made of fine flour roasted with oil, and thoroughly kneaded with oil (on the construction, see Ges. 139, 2; Ewald 284 a). This last kind of cakes kneaded with oil is also called oil-bread-cake ("a cake of oiled bread," Leviticus 8:26; Exodus 29:23), or "cake unleavened, kneaded with oil" (Exodus 29:2), and probably differed from the former simply in the fact that it was more thoroughly saturated with oil, inasmuch as it was not only made of flour that had been mixed with oil in the kneading, but the flour itself was first of all roasted in oil, and then the dough was moistened still further with oil in the process of kneading.
*More commentary available at chapter level.