Chapter commentary
Leviticus Chapter 9
1
Le 9:1-24.
English original
Le 9:1-24.
THE PRIESTS' ENTRY INTO OFFICE.
1-7. Moses called . . . Take thee a young calf for a sin offering--The directions in these sacred things were still given by Moses, the circumstances being extraordinary. But he was only the medium of communicating the divine will to the newly made priests. The first of their official acts was the sacrifice of another sin offering to atone for the defects of the inauguration services; and yet that sacrifice did not consist of a bullock--the sacrifice appointed for some particular transgression, but of a calf, perhaps not without a significant reference to Aaron's sin in the golden calf
[Ex 32:22-24].
Then followed a burnt offering, expressive of their voluntary and entire self-devotement to the divine service. The newly consecrated priests having done this on their own account, they were called to offer a sin offering and burnt offering for the people, ending the ceremonial by a peace offering, which was a sacred feast. This injunction, "to make atonement for himself and for the people" (Septuagint, "for thy family"), at the commencement of his sacred functions, furnishes a striking evidence of the divine origin of the Jewish system of worship. In all false or corrupt forms of religion, the studied policy has been to inspire the people with an idea of the sanctity of the priesthood as in point of purity and favor with the Divinity far above the level of other men. But among the Hebrews the priests were required to offer for the expiation of their own sins as well as the humblest of the people. This imperfection of Aaron's priesthood, however, does not extend to the gospel dispensation: for our great High Priest, who has entered for us into "the true tabernacle," "knew no sin"
(Heb 10:10, 11).
8
Untitled
8. 亞倫……就走到壇前，宰了作贖罪祭的牛犢——無論這是初次如此吩咐，還是因祭司的職務分工尚未完全安排好而不可避免，亞倫似乎在其兒子的協助下，親手宰殺了祭牲，並在壇前履行了一切所定的禮儀。
English original
8. Aaron . . . went unto the altar, and slew the calf of the sin offering--Whether it had been enjoined the first time, or was unavoidable from the divisions of the priestly labor not being as yet completely arranged, Aaron, assisted by his sons, appears to have slain the victims with his own hands, as well as gone through all the prescribed ritual at the altar.
17
Untitled
17-21. 素祭……搖祭——值得注意的是，祭司為自己獻的祭中並未提及這些。他們不能擔當自己的罪；因此他們不能像在百姓的祭中可以自由行的那樣，吃自己贖罪祭的任何部分，反倒要將整個屍體「帶到營外，用火焚燒」
[Ex 29:14; Le 4:12]。
English original
17-21. meat offering . . . wave offering--It is observable that there is no notice taken of these in the offerings the priests made for themselves. They could not bear their own sins: and therefore, instead of eating any part of their own sin offering, as they were at liberty to do in the case of the people's offering, they had to carry the whole carcasses "without the camp and burn them with fire"
[Ex 29:14; Le 4:12].
22
Untitled
22. 亞倫舉手……為百姓祝福——向聚集在院中的百姓宣佈祝福，是大祭司職責中不可少的一部分，所用的形式記在
(Nu 6:23-27)。
獻了祭就下來——壇高於地面，登壇要經由平緩的斜坡
(Ex 20:26)。
English original
22. Aaron lifted up his hand . . . and blessed them--The pronouncing of a benediction on the people assembled in the court was a necessary part of the high priest's duty, and the formula in which it was to be given is described
(Nu 6:23-27).
came down from offering--The altar was elevated above the level of the floor, and the ascent was by a gentle slope
(Ex 20:26).
23
Untitled
23. 摩西、亞倫進入會幕——摩西按照所領受的神聖指示，陪同亞倫和他的兒子，引導他們進入聖職。他們先前的事務使他們留在壇前，如今他們一同進入聖所，將祭物的血帶入其中。
耶和華的榮光向全體百姓顯現——也許是以會幕上方燦爛的光輝，作為神悅納那新設立的敬拜之所的新記號。
English original
23. Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle--Moses, according to the divine instructions he had received, accompanied Aaron and his sons to initiate them into their sacred duties. Their previous occupations had detained them at the altar, and they now entered in company into the sacred edifice to bear the blood of the offerings within the sanctuary.
the glory of the Lord appeared unto all the people--perhaps in a resplendent effulgence above the tabernacle as a fresh token of the divine acceptance of that newly established seat of His worship.
24
Untitled
24. 有火從……耶和華面前出來——從充滿聖所的燦爛光輝中發出的火焰，閃在銅壇上，點燃了祭物。這奇蹟的火——百姓可能已為它的降下作了準備，而祭司受命永不可讓它熄滅
(Le 6:13)
——是一個記號，不僅表明祭物蒙悅納、亞倫的權威被確立，更表明神實際居住在他所揀選的居所之中。這莊嚴而受歡迎的奇景一出現，聚集的會眾便同時發出喜樂和感恩的呼聲，並以最深的敬畏敬拜「那與他們同在的神」。
English original
24. there came a fire out from . . . the Lord--A flame emanating from that resplendent light that filled the holy place flashed upon the brazen altar and kindled the sacrifices. This miraculous fire--for the descent of which the people had probably been prepared, and which the priests were enjoined never to let go out
(Le 6:13)
--was a sign, not only of the acceptance of the offerings and of the establishment of Aaron's authority, but of God's actual residence in that chosen dwelling-place. The moment the solemn though welcome spectacle was seen, a simultaneous shout of joy and gratitude burst from the assembled congregation, and in the attitude of profoundest reverence they worshipped "a present Deity."
Le 9:1-24.
祭司就職
1-7. 摩西召了……取一隻公牛犢作贖罪祭——在這些聖事中，指示仍由摩西傳達，因情況特殊。然而他不過是將神聖的旨意傳達給新任之祭司的媒介而已。他們就職後的首要職務，就是再獻一次贖罪祭，以贖就職典禮中可能有的缺欠；但那祭牲並非公牛——那是為某項特定過犯而指定的祭牲——而是一隻牛犢，這或許不無對亞倫金牛犢之罪的有意指涉
[Ex 32:22-24]。
隨後獻上燔祭，表明他們自願並全然獻己於神聖的事奉。新近受膏的祭司既為自己行了這些事，便被召為百姓獻上贖罪祭和燔祭，最後以平安祭——即神聖之宴——結束整個典禮。這條吩咐，就是在他就任聖職之始要「為自己 and 為百姓贖罪」（七十士譯本作「為你的家屬」），為猶太人崇拜制度之神性來源提供了有力的明證。在一切虛假或敗壞的宗教形式中，刻意的政策總是要使百姓產生一種觀念：祭司在潔淨和蒙神喜悅方面，遠超常人之上。然而在希伯來人中，祭司必須為自己的罪獻祭贖罪，正如百姓中最卑微的人一樣。然而亞倫祭司職任的這種不完全，並不延伸至福音時代：因為我們的大祭司已為我們進入「真帳幕」，他「並不犯罪」
(Heb 10:10, 11)。