Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary · Leviticus 第22章

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Leviticus 第 22 章

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本章我们有许多关于祭司和献祭的律例,都是为了维护圣所的尊荣。I. 祭司不可在不洁之中吃圣物,利22:1-9。II. 凡不属于祭司家族的外人,都不可吃圣物(利22:10-13);若是误吃,必须加以偿还,利22:14-16。III. 所献的祭牲必须没有瑕疵,利22:17-25。IV. 祭牲必须出生满八天以上(利22:26-28),且感谢祭必须在献的当日吃完,利22:29-33等。

英文原文

In this chapter we have divers laws concerning the priests and sacrifices all for the preserving of the honour of the sanctuary. I. That the priests should not eat the holy things in their uncleanness, Le 22:1-9. II. That no stranger who did not belong to some family of the priests should eat of the holy things (Le 22:10-13), and, if he did it unwittingly, he must make restitution, Le 22:14-16. III. That the sacrifices which were offered must be without blemish, Le 22:17-25. IV. That they must be more than eight days old (Le 22:26-28), and that the sacrifices of thanksgiving must be eaten the same day they were offered, Le 22:29-33, etc.

1-16

Laws Concerning the Priests (1490 BC)

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论祭司的律法(主前1490年)

¹ 耶和华对摩西说:
² 你告诉亚伦和他儿子们,叫他们与以色列人所分别为圣的圣物分开,免得他们在那归我为圣的事上亵渎我的圣名:我是耶和华。
³ 你对他们说:你们世世代代的后裔中,凡带着不洁近前来,要就近以色列人归耶和华为圣之圣物的,那人必从我面前被剪除:我是耶和华。
⁴ 亚伦的后裔中,凡是长大麻风的,或是有漏症的,不可吃圣物,直等他洁净了。无论谁摸了因死尸而不洁的物,或是有遗精的人,
⁵ 或是摸了任何使他成为不洁的爬物,或是摸了那使他沾染不洁的人,无论那人不洁是为何;
⁶ 摸了这些物的人,必不洁到晚上,若不用水洗身,就不可吃圣物。
⁷ 日落的时候,他就洁净了,然后可以吃圣物,因为这是他的食物。
⁸ 自死的或被野兽撕裂的,他不可吃,以致因此自染污秽:我是耶和华。
⁹ 所以他们当守我的律例,免得因亵渎这律例而担当罪孽,以致死亡:我耶和华是使他们分别为圣的。

那些有天然残疾的人,虽被禁止作祭司的事工,却仍被允许吃圣物:犹太的作者们说,"为使他们不至闲懒,他们被派在柴房工作,挑选被虫蛀过的木料,使之不用在坛上的火中;他们也可被派在判断大麻风的事上效力"。但是,

I. 那些处在任何礼仪不洁之中的人——这可能是因他们自己的过失而招致的——在污秽期间,连圣物也不可吃。1. 有些污秽是长久的,如大麻风或漏症(利22:4)。这些使人与圣所隔绝,神要表明这些情形在祭司身上不但不能因此更得宽宥,反而更可憎。2. 另一些更为短暂,如摸了死尸或其他不洁之物,过一定时间后,人沐浴就可得洁净(利22:6)。但凡这样沾染的人,都不可吃圣物,违者必受神最重的忿怒——祂说,并且以此话为定:那人必从我面前被剪除(利22:3)。我们若在不洁之中仍敢亲近神,那么我们在神面前、事奉神,非但不能保我们平安,反而更使我们暴露在神的怒气之下。毁灭必从主面前而来(帖后1:9),正如拿答和亚比户被火烧死,那火是从耶和华面前出来的。这样,那些亵渎神圣言之人在末日必被他们所轻忽的这道剪除;这道必定他们的罪。这里又警告他们,若在不洁之中吃圣物(利22:9)的危险:免得他们担当罪孽,因此死亡。注意,(1.)那些以未分别为圣的手触摸圣物的人,招致大罪愆。吃圣物表明与赎罪之恩有分;但他们若在不洁中吃,非但不能减轻罪愆,反而加重了它:他们必担当罪孽。(2.)罪是重担,若非无限的怜悯阻止,必使担当的人沉沦:他们必因此死亡。祭司也必因自己的污秽和僭妄而败亡。

II. 关于这条律法的用意,我们可以留意:1. 这律法促使祭司竭力保守自己的纯洁,畏惧一切能玷污他们的事。圣物是他们的生计所系;若不可吃,他们何以为生?我们因玷污所要丧失的安慰和尊荣越多,就越当谨慎保守我们的纯洁。2. 这使百姓对圣物生出敬畏,因为他们看见连祭司在不洁期间也被与圣物隔开(如利22:2所说)。神既对自己身边的侍从约束如此之严,祂无疑是一位无限圣洁的神。3. 这教导我们当谨慎防范一切道德上的污染,因为我们一旦被污染,就不配领受神圣所中的安慰。即便我们没有习惯性的败坏,实际的玷污也会夺去我们与神相交的甘甜;所以凡洗过澡的人,只需把脚一洗(约13:10),要洗手,如此才能环绕祭坛(诗26:6)。在这事上我们当严严自守,免得(正如这里措辞明显所指出的)我们在归祂为圣的事上亵渎神的圣名(利22:2)。我们若在那些假装尊荣神的举动中冒犯祂,不讨祂喜悦反倒惹祂发怒,不久必交出一份糟糕的账目;然而我们若在污秽中作那假装归神为圣的事,正是亵渎神的名。

¹⁰ 凡外人都不可吃圣物:寄居在祭司家的,或雇工,都不可吃圣物。
¹¹ 但祭司若用银子买了人,那人可以吃;在他家中生的,也可以吃:他们都可以吃他的食物。
¹² 祭司的女儿若嫁给外人,就不可吃举祭的圣物。
¹³ 但祭司的女儿若是寡妇,或是被休的,没有孩子,又归回父家,如同她青年的时候,她就可以吃她父亲的食物;只是外人不可吃。
¹⁴ 人若误吃了圣物,就要加五分之一的赎价,连同那圣物交给祭司。
¹⁵ 祭司不可亵渎以色列人所献给耶和华的圣物;
¹⁶ 也不可容他们因吃自己的圣物而担当罪孽的刑罚:因为我耶和华是使他们分别为圣的。

圣物当由祭司和他的家人吃。如今,

I. 这里有一条律法:外人不可吃,即除了祭司和与他们相关的人之外,任何人都不可吃(利22:10)。祭司被托付这责任,不可因容许外人吃而亵渎圣物(利22:15),也不可容他们担当罪孽的刑罚(利22:16);即不可容他们因干涉那无权干涉的事而招罪。这是通常的理解。注意,我们不仅当谨慎自己不担当罪孽,也当尽力防止别人担当。我们不仅不可容罪停留在弟兄身上,若能阻止,也不可容罪临到他身上。但这些话或许还有另一层意思:祭司吃赎罪祭,被说成是表明他们担当会众的罪孽,为他们赎罪(利10:17)。所以外人不可特别吃那圣物,以致妄图担当罪孽的刑罚;因为除了那受命担当的人,谁若如此行便是僭妄。那些在基督我们的大祭司之外另立中保、企图担当罪孽的刑罚的人,是亵渎地夺去基督的尊荣,侵夺祂的权利。我们警告人不要倚靠自己的义、不敢以此朝见神,而当唯独仰赖基督的义以得平安赦免——因为我们不敢容他们担当罪孽的刑罚,知道这担子对他们太重。

II. 这里是律法的解释,说明谁当算为属于祭司之家,谁不属。1. 寄居的和雇工并非永远住在家里;他们在家中,却不是家中的人;所以他们不可吃圣物(利22:10):但在家中生的、或用银子买的仆人,既是家中的产业,虽是仆人,却可以吃圣物(利22:11)。注意,唯有那些将神家作为自己永远的安息、决心一生住在其中的人,才有分于神家的安慰。至于那些只是暂时信、为眼前利益而事奉的人,只被看作客旅和雇工,在这事上无分无关。2. 至于家中的儿女:儿子是无可争辩的,他们本身就是祭司;但女儿之间有所区分。她们在父家时可以吃圣物;但若嫁给非祭司,就丧失了这权利(利22:12),因为她们已被从祭司的家中断绝。然而祭司的女儿若作了寡妇,又没有儿女可使她成立独立的家,回到父家——既不是妻子也不是母亲——她就当再次被看作女儿,可以吃圣物。凡蒙护理成为忧伤寡妇、被逐出在丈夫家中所得安息的人,若在父家中重新寻得,就当感谢作寡妇之神,祂并不撇下她们没有安慰。3. 这里要求那无权吃圣物却误吃了的人作出赔偿(利22:14)。他若僭妄而行、藐视神的典章,就当被神的手剪除、被官长责罚;但他若因软弱疏忽而误犯,就当归还原值,另加五分之一,此外还要献祭赎愆;见利5:15,16。

III. 这律法在必要时可以例外,正如大卫和跟随他的人吃了陈设饼(撒上21:6)。我们的救主为他们辩护,并说明理由,由此为我们提供了一切此类情形下恒久的准则——神要怜恤,不要祭祀(太12:3,4,7)。礼仪之规当为道德之律让路。

IV. 这也是对福音使者的教导:他们既是神奥秘的管家,就不可不分皂白地容众人吃圣物,而当将宝贵的从下贱的分别出来。那些因无知或亵渎而声名狼藉的人,在主祭司的家中是外人、是客旅;不可拿儿女的饼丢给这样的人。圣物当归于圣洁的人——至少在信仰表白上是圣洁的人(太7:6)。

英文原文

Laws Concerning the Priests (1490 BC)

¹ And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
² Speak unto Aaron and to his sons, that they separate themselves from the holy things of the children of Israel, and that they profane not my holy name in those things which they hallow unto me: I am the LORD.
³ Say unto them, Whosoever he be of all your seed among your generations, that goeth unto the holy things, which the children of Israel hallow unto the LORD, having his uncleanness upon him, that soul shall be cut off from my presence: I am the LORD.
⁴ What man soever of the seed of Aaron is a leper, or hath a running issue; he shall not eat of the holy things, until he be clean. And whoso toucheth any thing that is unclean by the dead, or a man whose seed goeth from him;
⁵ Or whosoever toucheth any creeping thing, whereby he may be made unclean, or a man of whom he may take uncleanness, whatsoever uncleanness he hath;
⁶ The soul which hath touched any such shall be unclean until even, and shall not eat of the holy things, unless he wash his flesh with water.
⁷ And when the sun is down, he shall be clean, and shall afterward eat of the holy things; because it is his food.
⁸ That which dieth of itself, or is torn with beasts, he shall not eat to defile himself therewith: I am the LORD.
⁹ They shall therefore keep mine ordinance, lest they bear sin for it, and die therefore, if they profane it: I the LORD do sanctify them.

Those that had a natural blemish, though they were forbidden to do the priests' work, were yet allowed to eat of the holy things: and the Jewish writers say that "to keep them from idleness they were employed in the wood-room, to pick out that which was worm-eaten, that it might not be used in the fire upon the altar; they might also be employed in the judgment of leprosy:" but,

I. Those that were under any ceremonial uncleanness, which possibly they contracted by their own fault, might no so much as eat of the holy things while they continued in their pollution. 1. Some pollutions were permanent, as a leprosy or a running issue, Le 22:4. These separated the people from the sanctuary, and God would show that they were so far from being more excusable that really they were more abominable in a priest. 2. Others were more transient, as the touching of a dead body, or any thing else that was unclean, from which, after a certain time, a man was cleansed by bathing his flesh in water, Le 22:6. But whoever was thus defiled might not eat of the holy things, under pain of God's highest displeasure, who said, and ratified the saying, That soul shall be cut off from my presence, Le 22:3. Our being in the presence of God, and attending upon him, will be so far from securing us that it will but the more expose us to God's wrath, if we dare to draw nigh to him in our uncleanness. The destruction shall come from the presence of the Lord (2Th 1:9), as the fire by which Nadab and Abihu died came from before the Lord. Thus those who profane the holy word of God will be cut off by that word which they make so light of; it shall condemn them. They are again warned of their danger if they eat the holy thing in their uncleanness (Le 22:9), lest they bear sin, and die therefore. Note, (1.) Those contract great guilt who profane sacred things, by touching them with unhallowed hands. Eating the holy things signified an interest in the atonement; but, if they ate of them in their uncleanness, they were so far from lessening their guilt that they increased it: They shall bear sin. (2.) Sin is a burden which, if infinite mercy prevent not, will certainly sink those that bear it: They shall die therefore. Even priests may be ruined by their pollutions and presumptions.

II. As to the design of this law we may observe, 1. This obliged the priests carefully to preserve their purity, and to dread every thing that would defile them. The holy things were their livelihood; if they might not eat of them, how must they subsist? The more we have to lose of comfort and honour by our defilement, the more careful we should be to preserve our purity. 2. This impressed the people with a reverence for the holy things, when they saw the priests themselves separated from them (as the expression is, Le 22:2) so long as they were in their uncleanness. He is doubtless a God of infinite purity who kept his immediate attendants under so strict a discipline. 3. This teaches us carefully to watch against all moral pollutions, because by them we are unfitted to receive the comfort of God's sanctuary. Though we labour not under habitual deformities, yet actual defilements deprive us of the pleasure of communion with God; and therefore he that is washed needeth to wash his feet (Joh 13:10), to wash his hands, and so to compass the altar, Ps 26:6. Herein we have need to be jealous over ourselves, lest (as it is observably expressed here) we profane God's holy name in those things which we hallow unto him, Le 22:2. If we affront God in those very performances wherein we pretend to honour him, and provoke him instead of pleasing him, we shall make up but a bad account shortly; yet thus we do if we profane God's name, by doing that in our uncleanness which pretends to be hallowed to him.

¹⁰ There shall no stranger eat of the holy thing: a sojourner of the priest, or an hired servant, shall not eat of the holy thing.
¹¹ But if the priest buy any soul with his money, he shall eat of it, and he that is born in his house: they shall eat of his meat.
¹² If the priest's daughter also be married unto a stranger, she may not eat of an offering of the holy things.
¹³ But if the priest's daughter be a widow, or divorced, and have no child, and is returned unto her father's house, as in her youth, she shall eat of her father's meat: but there shall no stranger eat thereof.
¹⁴ And if a man eat of the holy thing unwittingly, then he shall put the fifth part thereof unto it, and shall give it unto the priest with the holy thing.
¹⁵ And they shall not profane the holy things of the children of Israel, which they offer unto the LORD;
¹⁶ Or suffer them to bear the iniquity of trespass, when they eat their holy things: for I the LORD do sanctify them.

The holy things were to be eaten by the priests and their families. Now,

I. Here is a law that no stranger should eat of them, that is, no person whatsoever but the priests only, and those that pertained to them, Le 22:10. The priests are charged with this care, not to profane the holy things by permitting the strangers to eat of them (Le 22:15) or suffer them to bear the iniquity of trespass (Le 22:16); that is, suffer them to bring guilt upon themselves, by meddling with that which they have no right to. Thus it is commonly understood. Note, We must not only be careful that we do not bear iniquity ourselves, but we must do what we can to prevent others bearing it. We must not only not suffer sin to lie upon our brother, but, if we can help it, we must not suffer it to come upon him. But perhaps there is another meaning of those words: the priests' eating the sin-offerings is said to signify their bearing the iniquity of the congregation, to make an atonement for them, Le 10:17. Let not a stranger therefore eat of that holy thing particularly, and so pretend to bear the iniquity of trespass; for it is daring presumption for any to do that, but such as are appointed to do it. Those that set up other mediators besides Christ our priest, to bear the iniquity of trespass, sacrilegiously rob Christ of his honour, and invade his rights. When we warn people not to trust to their own righteousness, nor dare to appear before God in it, but to rely on Christ's righteousness only for peace and pardon, it is because we dare not suffer them to bear the iniquity of trespass, for we know it is too heavy for them.

II. Here is an explanation of the law, showing who were to be looked upon as belonging to the priest's family, and who not. 1. Sojourners and hired servants abode not in the house for ever; they were in the family, but not of it; and therefore they might not eat of the holy things (Le 22:10): but the servant that was born in the house or bought with money, being a heirloom to the family, though a servant, yet might eat of the holy things, Le 22:11. Note, Those only are entitled to the comforts of God's house who make it their rest for ever, and resolve to dwell in it all the days of their life. As for those who for a time only believe, to serve a present turn. They are looked upon but as sojourners and mercenaries, and have no part nor lot in the matter. 2. As to the children of the family, concerning the sons there could be no dispute, they were themselves priests, but concerning the daughters there was a distinction. While they continued in their father's house they might eat of the holy things; but, if they married such as were not priests, they lost their right (Le 22:12), for now they were cut off from the family of the priests. Yet if a priest's daughter became a widow, and had no children in whom she might preserve a distinct family, and returned to her father's house again, being neither wife nor mother, she should again be looked upon as a daughter, and might eat of the holy things. If those whom Providence has made sorrowful widows, and who are dislodged from the rest they had in the house of a husband, yet find it again in a father's house, they have reason to be thankful to the widows' God, who does not leave them comfortless. 3. Here is a demand of restitution to be made by him that had no right to the holy things, and yet should eat of them unwittingly, Le 22:14. If he did it presumptuously, and in contempt of the divine institution, he was liable to be cut off by the hand of God, and to be beaten by the magistrate; but, if he did it through weakness in inconsideration, he was to restore the value, adding a fifth part to it, besides which he was to bring an offering to atone for the trespass; see Le 5:15,16.

III. This law might be dispensed with in a case of necessity, as it was when David and his men ate of the show-bread, 1Sa 21:6. And our Saviour justifies them, and gives a reason for it, which furnishes us with a lasting rule in all such cases, that God will have mercy and not sacrifice, Mt 12:3,4,7. Rituals must give way to morals.

IV. It is an instruction to gospel ministers, who are stewards of the mysteries of God, not to admit all, without distinction, to eat of the holy things, but to take out the precious from the vile. Those that are scandalously ignorant or profane are strangers and aliens to the family of the Lord's priests; and it is not meet to take the children's bread and to cast it to such. Holy things are for holy persons, for those who are holy, at least, in profession, Mt 7:6.

17-33

Laws Concerning Sacrifices (1490 BC)

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关于献祭的律法(主前 1490 年)

¹⁷ 耶和华对摩西说:
¹⁸ "你晓谕亚伦和他儿子,并以色列众人说:以色列家中的人,或在以色列中寄居的外人,凡献供物,无论是还愿的、是甘心献的,就是献给耶和华作燔祭的;
¹⁹ 要献纯全无残疾的公牛、公羊、或公山羊,作为你们所献的。
²⁰ 凡有残疾的,你们不可献上;因为这不蒙悦纳。
²¹ 凡献给耶和华作平安祭的,为要还所许的愿,或是甘心献的,必献那纯全无残疾的公牛或公羊,才蒙悦纳;其中不可有残疾。
²² 瞎眼的、折伤的、残废的、有瘤子的、长癣的、长疥的,都不可献给耶和华,也不可在坛上作为火祭献给耶和华。
²³ 无论是公牛或绵羊羔,若肢体有余或缺乏的,只可作甘心祭献上;但还愿的祭不可蒙悦纳。
²⁴ 肾子损伤的、压碎的、破裂的、阉割的,都不可献给耶和华;在你们的地里也不可这样行。
²⁵ 这类的物,你们不可从外人手中收来,作你们神的供物献上;因为这些都有损坏,其中有残疾,所以在你们面前不蒙悦纳。
²⁶ 耶和华对摩西说:
²⁷ "才生的公牛、或绵羊、或山羊,七天当跟着母;从第八天以后,可以当火祭献给耶和华,蒙悦纳。
²⁸ 无论是母牛是母羊,不可当日宰母和子。
²⁹ 你们献感谢祭给耶和华的时候,要献得可蒙悦纳。
³⁰ 要当天吃,一点不可留到早晨。我是耶和华。
³¹ "所以你们要谨守遵行我的诫命。我是耶和华。
³² 你们不可亵渎我的圣名;我在以色列人中,要被尊为圣。我是使你们成圣的耶和华,
³³ 把你们从埃及地领出来,作你们的神。我是耶和华。"

本段可见四条关于献祭的律法:

I. 凡献给神为祭的,都当无残疾,否则不蒙悦纳。这一点在前面各样献祭的具体条例中已多次提及。此处他们被告知,什么当算为使牲畜不配作祭物的残疾:瞎眼的、瘸腿的、有瘤子的、长癞的(利 22:22)——肾子损伤的、压碎的、破裂的、阉割的(利 22:24),照犹太作者的解说,就是指凡以这些方式被阉割的,公牛和公绵羊若被变成阉牛和阉羊,便不可献上。此外,在甘心祭与还愿祭之间也有所分别(利 22:23)。虽然凡有上述任何残疾的牲畜,无论为还愿或甘心献都不可带至;但若牲畜的肢体有余或不足(照犹太人的解释,是指成对的肢体之间不成比例、不相等,例如一只眼、一只耳或一条腿比应有的更大或更小)——若除了这点之外再无别的残疾,则可作甘心祭蒙悦纳,因为人在甘心祭上既未自任、神的律法也未在此上加给他任何特别的义务;但作还愿祭则不蒙悦纳。这样,神要教训我们,在向他履行所许的愿上要十分精确地凭良心而行,不可在庄严地奉献给他之后,又在数量或价值上克扣。在许愿之前在我们权下的事(如甘心祭的情形),在许愿之后就不再如此了(徒 5:4)。律法又一再宣告,凡有残疾的祭牲都不可蒙悦纳(利 22:20,21)。照这律法,对一切带来要献的牲畜都要仔细查验,以确保确实无残疾。有残疾的祭物甚至不可从外人手中收下而蒙悦纳,尽管对这样的人当尽可能多方鼓励,使他们向以色列的神致敬(利 22:25)。由此可见,外人是被期待从远方来到神殿中的(王上 8:41,42),并且他们要受欢迎,他们的祭物要蒙悦纳,正如大列王时的情形(拉 6:9,10;赛 56:6,7)。外邦的祭司在许多事上并不如此严格,反肯接纳最不堪的祭物献给他们的神;但当让外人知道,以色列的神不愿这样被事奉。如今,1. 这条律法在当时是必要的,为要维护圣所及在其中受敬拜之神的尊荣。凡用来归荣于他的,理当是同类中最好的;因为他既为至大至荣,亦是至善之本;至善者当得至善之物。请看干犯这条律法在圣洁的神眼中是何等大不悦、何等公义地不悦(玛 1:8,13,14)。2. 这条律法使一切律法的祭更适合作基督的预表——基督是那伟大的祭物,这一切祭的功效都从他而来。依照此律法的暗示,圣经说他是无瑕疵、无玷污的羔羊(彼前 1:19)。这样的一位祭司、这样的一位祭物正合乎我们,他是无害的、未被玷污的。当彼拉多宣告我查不出这人有罪时,他实际上是宣告这祭物无瑕疵。犹太人说,查验祭物有无残疾,是副大祭司的工作;基督受难时,亚那正居此职;但那些先把基督解到亚那那里、再由他捆绑着送到该亚法那里、当作适于献上之祭的人(约 18:13,24),却少有人想到他们正应验了这律法的预表。3. 这是给我们的教导:在我们属灵的祭上,当把至好的献给神。若我们的灵修是愚昧、冷淡、轻浮、充满分心的,我们就是把瞎眼的、瘸腿的、有病的献为祭;但那行欺骗的人有祸了,因为他以为是在欺哄神,实际却把自己的灵魂欺骗到了灭亡之地。

II. 不到八天大的牲畜不可献为祭物(利 22:26,27)。前文已规定,当分别为圣归神的头生牲畜,要到第八日之后才可带到他面前(出 22:30)。此处又规定,任何牲畜必须满了八天才可献为祭。在此之前,它连人席上的食物也不配,何况神的坛。犹太人说:"这是因为安息日使万物成圣,至少要有一个安息日越过它,才可献给神。"这也是为了与割礼的律法相合——婴孩在第八日受割礼。基督为我们献上,不是在他的婴孩时期——尽管那时希律想要杀他,而是在他年富力强之时。

III. 母与子不可同日宰杀,无论是为献祭或日常之用(利 22:28)。论到飞鸟,也有这样的律法(申 22:6)。禁止这事,不是因为其本身为恶,而是因为这在牲畜看来显得野蛮残忍;正如巴比伦王的暴虐,在西底家眼前杀了他的众子,然后又剜了他的眼睛。一日之间杀两代,似乎是要灭尽这一类,对受造之物显得心怀恶意。

IV. 感恩祭的肉要在献祭的当日吃完(利 22:29,30)。这是重申我们前面已见过的条例(利 7:15,19:6,7)。本章以一个常见的总括性吩咐作结:谨守神的诫命,不亵渎他的圣名(利 22:31,32)。凡称神之名的人,若不凭良心遵守他的诫命,不过是亵渎他的名。这里又加上了总的理由:神对他们的权柄——我是耶和华;他在他们身上的权益——我是你们的神;他因救赎而得的特权——"我曾把你们从埃及地领出来,特要作你们的神";他恩典对他们的旨意——我是使你们成圣的耶和华;以及他公义的决定——他若不能从他们得着尊荣,就在自己身上得着尊荣——我在以色列人中,要被尊为圣。 神至终不会因任何人而亏损他的荣耀;或早或晚,他必收回他的权利,或在罪人的悔改中,或在他们的灭亡中。

英文原文

Laws Concerning Sacrifices (1490 BC)

¹⁷ And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
¹⁸ Speak unto Aaron, and to his sons, and unto all the children of Israel, and say unto them, Whatsoever he be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers in Israel, that will offer his oblation for all his vows, and for all his freewill offerings, which they will offer unto the LORD for a burnt offering;
¹⁹ Ye shall offer at your own will a male without blemish, of the beeves, of the sheep, or of the goats.
²⁰ But whatsoever hath a blemish, that shall ye not offer: for it shall not be acceptable for you.
²¹ And whosoever offereth a sacrifice of peace offerings unto the LORD to accomplish his vow, or a freewill offering in beeves or sheep, it shall be perfect to be accepted; there shall be no blemish therein.
²² Blind, or broken, or maimed, or having a wen, or scurvy, or scabbed, ye shall not offer these unto the LORD, nor make an offering by fire of them upon the altar unto the LORD.
²³ Either a bullock or a lamb that hath any thing superfluous or lacking in his parts, that mayest thou offer for a freewill offering; but for a vow it shall not be accepted.
²⁴ Ye shall not offer unto the LORD that which is bruised, or crushed, or broken, or cut; neither shall ye make any offering thereof in your land.
²⁵ Neither from a stranger's hand shall ye offer the bread of your God of any of these; because their corruption is in them, and blemishes be in them: they shall not be accepted for you.
²⁶ And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
²⁷ When a bullock, or a sheep, or a goat, is brought forth, then it shall be seven days under the dam; and from the eighth day and thenceforth it shall be accepted for an offering made by fire unto the LORD.
²⁸ And whether it be cow or ewe, ye shall not kill it and her young both in one day.
²⁹ And when ye will offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving unto the LORD, offer it at your own will.
³⁰ On the same day it shall be eaten up; ye shall leave none of it until the morrow: I am the LORD.
³¹ Therefore shall ye keep my commandments, and do them: I am the LORD.
³² Neither shall ye profane my holy name; but I will be hallowed among the children of Israel: I am the LORD which hallow you,
³³ That brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the LORD.

Here are four laws concerning sacrifices:—

I. Whatever was offered in sacrifice to God should be without blemish, otherwise it should not be accepted. This had often been mentioned in the particular institutions of the several sorts of offerings. Now here they are told what was to be accounted a blemish which rendered a beast unfit for sacrifice: if it was blind, or lame, had a wen, or the mange (Le 22:22),—if it was bruised, or crushed, or broken, or cut (Le 22:24), that is, as the Jewish writers understand it, if it was, in any of these ways, castrated, if bulls and rams were made into oxen and weathers, they might not be offered. Moreover a difference is made between what was brought as a free-will offering and what was brought as a vow, Le 22:23. And, though none that had any of the forementioned blemishes might be brought for either, yet if a beast had any thing superfluous or lacking (that is, as the Jews understand it, if there was a disproportion or inequality between those parts that are pairs, when one eye, or ear, or leg, was bigger than it should be, or less than it should be)—if there was no other blemish than this, it might be accepted for a free-will offering, to which a man had not before laid himself, nor had the divine law laid him, under any particular obligation; but for a vow it might not be accepted. Thus God would teach us to make conscience of performing our promises to him very exactly, and not afterwards to abate in quantity or value of what we had solemnly engaged to devote to him. What was, before the vow, in our own power, as in the case of a free-will offering, afterwards is not, Ac 5:4. It is again and again declared that no sacrifice should be accepted if it was thus blemished, Le 22:20,21. According to this law great care was taken to search all the beasts that were brought to be sacrificed, that there might, to a certainty, be no blemish in them. A blemished sacrifice might not be accepted even from the hand of a stranger, though to such all possible encouragement should be given to do honour to the God of Israel, Le 22:25. By this it appears that strangers were expected to come to the house of God from a far country (1Ki 8:41,42), and that they should be welcome, and their offerings accepted, as those of Darius, Ezr 6:9,10, Isa 56:6,7. The heathen priests were many of them not so strict in this matter, but would receive sacrifices for their gods that were ever so scandalous; but let strangers know that the God of Israel would not be so served. Now, 1. This law was then necessary for the preserving of the honour of the sanctuary, and of the God that was there worshipped. It was fit that every thing that was employed for his honour should be the best of the kind; for, as he is the greatest and brightest, so he is the best of beings; and he that is the best must have the best. See how greatly and justly displeasing the breach of this law was to the holy God, Mal 1:8,13,14. 2. This law made all the legal sacrifices the fitter to be types of Christ, the great sacrifice from which all these derived their virtue. In allusion to this law, he is said to be a Lamb without blemish and without spot, 1Pe 1:19. As such a priest, so such a sacrifice, became us, who was harmless and undefiled. When Pilate declared, I find no fault in this man, he did thereby in effect pronounce the sacrifice without blemish. The Jews say it was the work of the sagan, or suffragan, high priest, to view the sacrifices, and see whether they were without blemish or no; when Christ suffered, Annas was in that office; but little did those who brought Christ to Annas first, by whom he was sent bound to Caiaphas, as a sacrifice fit to be offered (Joh 18:13,24), think that they were answering the type of this law. 3. It is an instruction to us to offer to God the best we have in our spiritual sacrifices. If our devotions are ignorant, and cold, and trifling, and full of distractions, we offer the blind, and the lame, and the sick, for sacrifice; but cursed be the deceiver that does so, for, while he thinks to put a cheat upon God, he puts a damning cheat upon his own soul.

II. That no beast should be offered in sacrifice before it was eight days old, Le 22:26,27. It was provided before that the firstlings of their cattle, which were to be dedicated to God, should not be brought to him till after the eighth day, Ex 22:30. Here it is provided that no creature should be offered in sacrifice till it was eight days old complete. Sooner than that it was not fit to be used at men's tables, and therefore not a God's altar. The Jews say, "It was because the sabbath sanctifies all things, and nothing should be offered to God till at least one sabbath had passed over it." It was in conformity to the law of circumcision, which children were to receive on the eighth day. Christ was sacrificed for us, not in his infancy, though then Herod sought to slay him, but in the prime of his time.

III. That the dam and her young should not both be killed in one day, whether in sacrifice or for common use, Le 22:28. There is such a law as this concerning birds, De 22:6. This was forbidden, not as evil in itself, but because it looked barbarous and cruel to the brute creatures; like the tyranny of the king of Babylon, that slew Zedekiah's sons before his eyes, and then put out his eyes. It looked ill-natured towards the species to kill two generations at once, as if one designed the ruin of the kind.

IV. That the flesh of their thank-offerings should be eaten on the same day that they were sacrificed, Le 22:29,30. This is a repetition of what we had before, Le 7:15,19:6,7. The chapter concludes with such a general charge as we have often met with, to keep God's commandments, and not to profane his holy name, Le 22:31,32. Those that profess God's name, if they do not make conscience of keeping his commandments, do but profane his name. The general reasons are added: God's authority over them—I am the Lord; his interest in them—I am your God; the title he had to them by redemption—"I brought you out of the land of Egypt, on purpose that I might be your God;" the designs of his grace concerning them—I am the Lord that hallow you; and the resolutions of his justice, if he had not honour from them, to get himself honour upon them—I will be hallowed among the children of Israel. God will be a loser in his glory by no man at last; but sooner or later will recover his right, either in the repentance of sinners or in their ruin.