19-25,28-31,37,38
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Calvin's Commentaries, Vol. 4: Harmony of the Law, Part II, tr. by John King, [1847-50], at sacred-texts.com
Leviticus 7:19-25, 28-31, 37, 38
19. And the flesh that toucheth any unclean thing shall not be eaten; it shall be burnt with fire: and as for the flesh, all that be clean shall eat thereof.
19. Et caro quae contigerit ullum immundum, non comedetur, sed igni comburetur: at cames illas omnis mundus comedet.
20. But the soul that eateth of the flesh of the sacrifice of peace offerings, that pertain unto the LORD, having his uncleanness upon him, even that soul shall be cut off from his people.
20. Nam anima quae comederit carnes de sacrificio prosperitatum quod est Jehovae, et immunditia ejus fuerit super ipsum, tunc excidetur anima illa e populis suis.
21. Moreover the soul that shall touch any unclean thing, as the uncleanness of man, or any unclean beast, or any abominable unclean thing, and eat of the flesh of the sacrifice of peace offerings which pertain unto the LORD, even that soul shall be cut off from his people.
21. Anima item quum tetigerit quicquam immundum, nempe de immunditia hominis, aut animal immundum, aut onme reptile immundum, comederitque de carnibus sacrificii prosperitatum, quod est Jehovae, tunc excidetur anima illa e populis suis.
22. And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
22. Loquutus est autem Jehova ad Mosen, dicendo:
23. Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, Ye shall eat no manner of fat, of ox, or of sheep, or of goat.
23. Alloquere fllios Israel dicendo: Omnem adipem boris, et agni, et caprae, non comedetis.
24. And the fat of the beast that dieth of itself, and the fat of that which is torn with beasts, may be used in any other use: but ye shall in no wise eat of it.
24. Adeps quidem cadaveris, et adeps rapti parabitur in omne opus, sed comedendo non comedetis illum.
25. For whosoever eateth the fat of the beast, of which men offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD, even the soul that eateth it shall be cut off from his people.
25. Nam quicunque comederit adipem animalis ex quo offeret oblationem ignitam Jehovae: tunc anima quae comederit excidetur e populis suis.
28. And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
28. Loquutus est insuper Jehova ad Mosen, dicendo:
29. Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, He that offereth the sacrifice of his peace offerings unto the LORD shall bring his oblation unto the LORD of the sacrifice of his peace offerings.
29. Loquere ad rilles Israel, dicendo, Offerens sacrificium prosperitatum sunrum Jehovae, afferes oblationem suam Jehovae de hostia prosperitatum suarum.
30. His own hands shall bring the offerings of the LORD made by fire, the fat with the breast, it shall he bring, that the breast may be waved for a wave offering before the LORD.
30. Manus ejus afferent oblationes ignitas Jehovae, adipem cum pectusculo afferet, pectusculum quidem ad agitandum illud agitatione coram Jehova.
31. And the priest shall burn the fat upon the altar: ...
31. Adolebit vero sacerdos adipem super altare.
37. This is the law of the burnt offering, of the meat offering, and of the sin offering, and of the trespass offering, and of the consecrations, and of the sacrifice of the peace offerings;
37. Haec est lex holocausti minhae, et sacrificii pro peccato, et sacrificii pro delicto, et consecrationum, et sacrificii prosperitatum:
38. Which the LORD commanded Moses in Mount Sinai, in the day that he commanded the children of Israel to offer their oblations unto the LORD, in the wilderness of Sinai.
38. Quam praecepit Jehova Mosi in monte Sinai, die quo praecepit filiis Israel ut offerrent oblationes suas Jehovae in deserto Sinai.
19. And the flesh that toucheth. It was not indeed lawful to eat of any polluted flesh, but in the sacrifices there was a special reason for this, i.e., because the uncleanness involved sacrilege. On this account he commands it to be burnt, just like that which had not been consumed within the legitimate time; and the punishment is, 288 that if any unclean person shall have touched the consecrated meat, he should be cut off from the people. The cruelty or immoderate severity of this has induced some to think that to be “cut off” is nothing more than to be cast out of the camp. But it is not wonderful that God should have thus severely dealt with those who knowingly and wilfully contaminated what was holy; for if any one had sinned in error, he was not to receive this sentence, but only he who had betrayed his open contempt of God by impious profanation of sacred things.
23. Speak unto the children of Israel. Since in all sacrifices the fat was consecrated to God, and was burnt on the altar, God forbade His people to eat fat even in their ordinary meals, in order that they might cultivate piety even in their homes. For unquestionably this was an exercise of piety, that they who were far away from the temple should still accustom themselves in their daily meals to the service of God. Nor am I ignorant of the allegories 289 in which some interpreters indulge, but I willingly acquiesce in the reason which God reveals, viz., that the people was prohibited from eating fat, because He had assigned it to Himself. Nevertheless, the Law permits the fat of a carcase, 290 or of an animal torn (by beasts) to be applied to any use, provided they abstain from the fat of those animals which might be legally offered.
37. This is the law of the burnt-offering. In this conclusion Moses indicates that full provision had been made lest any addition should insinuate itself from man’s inventions to vitiate the sacrifices. In the day, he says, that God appointed the sacrifices to be offered to Him on Mount Sinai, He omitted nothing which was to be observed, lest men should dare to introduce anything except what He prescribed. And surely, when He had thus carefully embraced all the ceremonies, we may easily infer from hence how earnestly we should avoid all temerity and audacity in invention. The design, therefore, of Moses was in this brief admonition to exhort the people to soberness, lest they should transgress the limits placed by God.
Footnotes
“La punition est raise bien grieve;” the punishment awarded is very heavy. — Fr.
Vide on Leviticus 3:16, ante, p. 334.
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