38 Verse 38.
In the wilderness of Sinai.] These laws were
probably given to Moses while he was on the mount with God; the
time was quite sufficient, as he was there with God not less than
fourscore days in all; forty days at the
giving, and forty days
at the
renewing of the law.
As in the course of this book the different kinds of sacrifices
commanded to be offered are repeatedly occurring, I think it
best, once for all, to give a general account of them, and a
definition of the original terms, as well as of all others
relative to this subject which are used in the Old Testament, and
the reference in which they all stood to the great sacrifice
offered by Christ.
1. ASHAM, TRESPASS-
offering, from
asham, to be
guilty, or
liable to punishment; for in this sacrifice the guilt
was considered as being transferred to the animal offered up to
God, and the offerer redeemed from the penalty of his sin,
Le 7:37.
Christ is said to have made his soul an offering for sin, (,)
Isa 53:10.
2. ISHSHEH, FIRE-
offering, probably from
ashash,
to be
grieved, angered, inflamed; either pointing out the
distressing nature of sin, or its property of incensing Divine
justice against the offender, who, in consequence, deserving
burning for his offence, made use of this sacrifice to be freed
from the punishment due to his transgression. It occurs
Ex 29:18,
and in many places of this book.
3. HABHABIM, ITERATED OR REPEATED
offerings, from
yahab, to
supply. The word occurs only in
Ho 8:13, and
probably means no more than the continual
repetition of the
accustomed offerings, or continuation of each part of the sacred
service.
4. ZEBACH, a SACRIFICE, (in Chaldee,
debach, the
zain being changed into
daleth,) a creature slain in
sacrifice, from
zabach, to
slay; hence the altar on which
such sacrifices were offered was termed
mizbeach, the place
of sacrifice.
See Clarke on Ge 8:20.
Zebach is a common name for sacrifices in general.
5. CHAG, a
festival, especially such as had a periodical
return, from
chagag, to
celebrate a festival, to
dance round and round in circles. See
Ex 5:1; 12:24. The circular
dance was probably intended to point out the revolution of the
heavenly bodies, and the exact return of the different seasons.
See
Parkhurst.
6. CHATTATH and CHATTAAH, SIN-
offering, from
chata, to
miss the mark; it also signifies
sin in general, and
is a very apt term to express its nature by. A sinner is
continually aiming at and seeking happiness; but as he does not
seek it in God, hence the Scripture represents him as
missing his aim, or
missing the mark. This is precisely the meaning of the
Greek word αμαπτια, translated
sin and
sin-offering in our
version; and this is the term by which the Hebrew word is
translated both by the Septuagint and the inspired writers of the
New Testament. The sin-offering was at once an acknowledgment of
guilt, in having forsaken the fountain of living waters, and
hewed out cisterns that could hold none; and also of the firm
purpose of the offerer to return to God, the true and pure
fountain of blessedness. This word often occurs.
See Clarke on Ge 4:7; and
"Ge 13:13".
7. COPHER, the EXPIATION or ATONEMENT, from
caphar, to
cover, to
smear over, or
obliterate, or annul a contract. Used
often to signify the atonement or expiation made for the pardon
or cancelling of iniquity.
See Clark's note on "Ex 25:17".
8. MOED, an APPOINTED
annual festival, from
yaad,
to
appoint or
constitute, signifying such feasts as were
instituted in commemoration of some great event or deliverance,
such as the deliverance from Egypt. See
Ex 13:10, and thus
differing from the
chag mentioned above.
See Clarke on Ge 1:14.
9. MILLUIM, CONSECRATIONS or
consecration-offerings, from
mala, to
fill; those offerings made in consecrations, of
which the priests
partook, or, in the Hebrew phrase, had their
hands filled, or which had filled the hands of them that offered
them.
See Clarke on Ex 29:19;
and see
2Ch 13:9.
10. MINCHAH, MEAT-
offering, from
nach, to
rest, settle after toil. It generally consisted of things without
life, such as green ears of corn, full ears of corn, flour, oil,
and frankincense; (see on
Le 2:1, &c.;) and may be considered
as having its name from that rest from labour and toil which a
man had when the fruits of the autumn were brought in, or when,
in consequence of obtaining any
rest, ease, &c., a significant
offering or sacrifice was made to God. It often occurs.
See Clarke on Ge 4:3.
The jealousy-offering (
Nu 5:15)
was a simple
minchah, consisting of
barley-meal only.
11. MESECH and MIMSACH, a MIXTURE-
offering, or MIXED
LIBATION, called a DRINK-
offering,
Isa 55:11, from
masach, to
mingle; it seems in general to mean
old wine mixed with the less, which made it extremely intoxicating. This
offering does not appear to have had any place in the worship of
the true God; but from
Isa 65:11, and
Pr 23:30, it seems to
have been used for idolatrous purposes, such as the Bacchanalia
among the Greeks and Romans, "when all got drunk in honour of the
god."
12. MASSEETH, an OBLATION, things
carried to the temple to
be presented to God, from
nasa, to
bear or
carry, to
bear sin;
typically,
Ex 28:38;
Le 10:17; 16:21;
really,
Isa 53:4,12. The sufferings and death of Christ
were the true
masseeth or
vicarious bearing of the sins of
mankind, as the passage in Isaiah above referred to sufficiently
proves. See this alluded to by the Evangelist John,
Joh 1:29;
and see the root in
Parkhurst.
13. NEDABAH, FREE-WILL, or
voluntary offering; from
nadab, to be
free, liberal, princely. An offering not commanded,
but given as a particular proof of extraordinary gratitude to God
for especial mercies, or on account of some vow or engagement
voluntarily taken,
Le 7:16.
14. NESECH, LIBATION, OR DRINK-
offering, from
nasach, to
diffuse or
pour out. Water or wine poured out at the
conclusion or confirmation of a treaty or covenant. To this kind
of offering there is frequent allusion and reference in the New
Testament, as it typified the blood of Christ poured out for the
sin of the world; and to this our Lord himself alludes in the
institution of the holy eucharist. The whole Gospel economy is
represented as a covenant or treaty between God and man, Jesus
Christ being not only the
mediator, but the
covenant sacrifice,
whose blood was poured out for the ratification and confirmation
of this covenant or agreement between God and man.
15. and OLAH, BURNT-
offering, from
alah,
to
ascend, because this offering, as being wholly consumed,
ascended as it were to God in
smoke and
vapour. It was a very
expressive type of the sacrifice of Christ, as nothing less than
his complete and full sacrifice could make atonement for the sin
of the world. In most other offerings the priest, and often the
offerer, had a
share, but in the whole burnt-offering
all was
given to God.
16. KETORETH, INCENSE or PERFUME-
offering, from
katar, to
burn, i. e., the
frankincense, and other aromatics
used as a perfume in different parts of the Divine service. To
this St. Paul compares the agreeableness of the sacrifice of
Christ to God,
Eph 5:2:
Christ hath given himself for us, an offering-to God for a SWEET-SMELLING
savour. From
Re 5:8 we learn that it was
intended also to represent the
prayers of the saints, which,
offered up on the altar, Christ Jesus, that sanctifies every
gift, are highly pleasing in the sight of God.
17. KORBAN, the GIFT-
offering, from
karab to
draw nigh or
approach. See this explained on
Le 1:2.
Korban was a general name for
any kind of offering, because
through these it was supposed a man had
access to his Maker.
18. SHELAMIM, PEACE-
offering, from
shalam, to
complete, make whole; for by these offerings that which was
lacking was considered as being now
made up, and that which was
broken, viz., the covenant of God, by his creatures'
transgression, was supposed to be
made whole; so that after such
an offering, the sincere and conscientious mind had a right to
consider that the breach was made up between God and it, and that
it might lay confident hold on this covenant of peace. To this
the apostle evidently alludes,
Eph 2:14-19:
He is our peace, (i. e. our
shalam or peace-offering,)
who has made both one, and broken down the middle wall; having abolished in his flesh the enmity, &c. See the whole passage, and
See Clarke on Ge 14:18.
19. TODAH, THANK-
offering, from
yadah, to confess; offerings made to God with public confession of his power,
goodness, mercy, &c.
20. TENUPHAH, WAVE-
offering, from
naph, to
stretch out; an offering of the first-fruits
stretched out before God, in acknowledgment of his providential goodness. This
offering was moved from the right hand to the left.
See Clarke on Ex 29:27.
21. TERUMAH, HEAVE-
offering, from
ram, to
lift up, because the offering was
lifted up towards heaven, as the
wave-offering, in token of the kindness of God in granting rain
and fruitful seasons, and filling the heart with food and
gladness. As the wave-offering was moved from
right to
left, so
the heave-offering was moved
up and
down; and in both cases this
was done several times. These offerings had a blessed tendency
to keep alive in the breasts of the people a due sense of their
dependence on the Divine providence and bounty, and of their
obligation to God for his continual and liberal supply of all
their wants.
See Clarke on Ex 29:27.
In the above collection are comprised, as far as I can
recollect, an explanation of all the terms used in the Hebrew
Scriptures which signify sacrifice, oblation, atonement,
offering, &c., &c., as well as the reference they bear to the
great and only sufficient atonement, sacrifice, oblation, and
satisfaction made by Christ Jesus for the sins of mankind. Larger
accounts must be sought in authors who treat professedly on these
subjects.