Leviticus 1:1
וַיִּקְרָ֖א אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֑ה וַיְדַבֵּ֤ר יְהוָה֙ אֵלָ֔יו מֵאֹ֥הֶל מוֹעֵ֖ד לֵאמֹֽר׃
And YHWH called to Moses and spoke to him from the Tabernacle saying,
Paraphrase: Then YHWH spoke from between the Cherubim and summoned Moses to the courtyard of the tabernacle. (Exodus 29:42-43)
Comments:
Leviticus 1:2
דַּבֵּ֞ר אֶל־בְּנֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ אֲלֵהֶ֔ם אָדָ֗ם כִּֽי־יַקְרִ֥יב מִכֶּ֛ם קָרְבָּ֖ן לַֽיהוָ֑ה מִן־הַבְּהֵמָ֗ה מִן־הַבָּקָר֙ וּמִן־הַצֹּ֔אן תַּקְרִ֖יבוּ אֶת־קָרְבַּנְכֶֽם׃
Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, “A man from you, if he will cause an offering to draw near to YHWH, from the livestock, from the cattle, or from the flock, then you shall cause your offering to draw near.
Paraphrase: Teach the people of Israel the proper way to bring an offering to Me. If any Israelite would like to give an offering to Me, let him do it in this way. First, let his offering be an animal from his own livestock such as a cow or a sheep.
Comments:
Leviticus 1:3
אִם־עֹלָ֤ה קָרְבָּנוֹ֙ מִן־הַבָּקָ֔ר זָכָ֥ר תָּמִ֖ים יַקְרִ֑יבֶ֑נּוּ אֶל־פֶּ֝תַח אֹ֤הֶל מוֹעֵד֙ יַקְרִ֣יב אֹת֔וֹ לִרְצֹנ֖וֹ לִפְנֵ֥י יְהוָֽה׃
If a whole burnt offering, an offering from the cattle, a male, flawless, and they will cause it to draw near to the entrance of the Tabernacle. He will cause it to draw near for approval before YHWH.
Paraphrase: Now if the man’s offering is an Olah, he will bring the bull to the entrance of the Tabernacle. The bull must be without any blemish. (Leviticus 22:22-25; Malachi 1:8) In this way, it will be presented to God as an offering given as an act of worship and self-dedication to God. (Romans 12:1)
Comments:
Olah = a whole burnt offering; “The Emperor Augustus had a daily burnt-offering brought for him of two lambs and a bullock; and ever afterwards this sacrifice was regarded as indicating that the Jewish nation recognized the Roman emperor as their ruler.” (p100)
For תָּמִים, see “blemish” (p241).
Leviticus 1:4
וְסָמַ֣ךְ יָד֔וֹ עַ֖ל רֹ֣אשׁ הָעֹלָ֑ה וְנִרְצָ֥ה ל֖וֹ לְכַפֵּ֥ר עָלָֽיו׃
and he will lean his hand on the head of the offering, and it will be accepted for him to cover for him.
Paraphrase: Then the priest will step forward to secure the animal (Psalm 118:27) and kill it. At this time, the person who brought the offering will place his hand on the head of the animal and will lean on the animal. The life of this animal (Leviticus 17:11-14) is taken as an atonement for the sins of this person with the result that God’s wrath is taken away, and the person is received into His favor again.
Comments:
The central meaning of the Olah was self-dedication, but the idea of both expiation and propitiation were present. By expiation I mean the removal of the guilt of sin from the sinner. By propitiation, I mean the removal of God’s wrath against the sinner. The word atonement includes both of these ideas.
Leviticus 1:5
וְשָׁחַ֛ט אֶת־בֶּ֥ן הַבָּקָ֖ר לִפְנֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה וְ֠הִקְרִיבוּ בְּנֵ֨י אַהֲרֹ֤ן הַֽכֹּֽהֲנִים֙ אֶת־הַדָּ֔ם וְזָרְק֨וּ אֶת־הַדָּ֤ם עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּ֨חַ֙ סָבִ֔יב אֲשֶׁר־פֶּ֖תַח אֹ֥הֶל מוֹעֵֽד׃
And he killed the son of the cow before YHWH, and the sons of Aaron, the priests, caused the blood to be brought near, and they scattered the blood on the altar around, which is the entrance of the Tabernacle.
Paraphrase: At this point, the dreadful act will take place. The priest will strike the animal in such a way that the blood of the animal gushes out and, along with it, its life. Other of the sons of Aaron will then step forward and collect some of the blood, take it to the Olah Altar, and scatter it all around this altar. Recall that the Olah Altar of burnt offering is the altar which stands at the entrance of the Tabernacle. (Exodus 40:6, 29) diagram
Comments:
On the sprinkling of the blood, see Edersheim p89.
Leviticus 1:6
וְהִפְשִׁ֖יט אֶת־הָעֹלָ֑ה וְנִתַּ֥ח אֹתָ֖הּ לִנְתָחֶֽיהָ׃
And he must skin the Olah and divide her for her divisions.
Paraphrase: Then the presiding priest will strip off the skin from the animal. When this is complete, he will proceed to cut up the animal dividing it up into portions.
Comments:
See Maimonides’ instructions for this part of the Burnt Offering.
Leviticus 1:7
וְ֠נָתְנוּ בְּנֵ֨י אַהֲרֹ֧ן הַכֹּהֵ֛ן אֵ֖שׁ עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּ֑חַ וְעָרְכ֥וּ עֵצִ֖ים עַל־הָאֵֽשׁ׃
And the sons of Aaron, the priests, will give it fire on the altar and arrange the wood on the fire.
Paraphrase: Then the sons of Aarons, who are serving as priests, will place dry wood on the Olah Altar and light it up.
Comments:
Leviticus 1:8
וְעָרְכ֗וּ בְּנֵ֤י אַהֲרֹן֙ הַכֹּ֣הֲנִ֔ים אֵ֚ת הַנְּתָחִ֔ים אֶת־הָרֹ֖אשׁ וְאֶת־הַפָּ֑דֶר עַל־הָעֵצִים֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עַל־הָאֵ֔שׁ אֲשֶׁ֖ר עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּֽחַ׃
And the sons of Aaron, the priests, will arrange the pieces, the head and the fat on the wood which is on the fire which is on the altar.
Paraphrase: As this fire is taking hold, the priests will take the head and all the fat pieces of the cut up animal, and place them on the fire which is burning on the altar.
Comments:
Anything burned on the altar was God’s portion; see Edersheim p91.
Leviticus 1:9
וְקִרְבּ֥וֹ וּכְרָעָ֖יו יִרְחַ֣ץ בַּמָּ֑יִם וְהִקְטִ֨יר הַכֹּהֵ֤ן אֶת־הַכֹּל֙ הַמִּזְבֵּ֔חָה עֹלָ֛ה אִשֵּׁ֥ה רֵֽיחַ־נִיח֖וֹחַ לַֽיהוָֽה׃ ס
And its inner part and its legs will be washed in water, and the priest will cause all to be burnt on the altar of Olah, an offering of smell of soothing to YHWH. (Ephesians 5:2)
Paraphrase: Then they will take the inner parts of the animal and its legs and will wash these with water. Then these remaining pieces will be placed on the fire which is on the Olah Altar, and the entire animal will be sent up to God by fire. It is sweet smelling fragrance to God because it represents an atonement for sin and a sincere offering up of a gift to God. (Philippians 4:18; Hebrews 13:16; 2 Corinthians 9:7)
Comments:
Leviticus 1:10
וְאִם־מִן־הַצֹּ֨אן קָרְבָּנ֧וֹ מִן־הַכְּשָׂבִ֛ים א֥וֹ מִן־הָעִזִּ֖ים לְעֹלָ֑ה זָכָ֥ר תָּמִ֖ים יַקְרִיבֶֽנּוּ׃
Leviticus 1:11
וְשָׁחַ֨ט אֹת֜וֹ עַ֣ל יֶ֧רֶךְ הַמִּזְבֵּ֛חַ צָפֹ֖נָה לִפְנֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה וְזָרְק֡וּ בְּנֵ֩י֩ אַהֲרֹ֨ן הַכֹּהֲנִ֧ים אֶת־דָּמ֛וֹ עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּ֖חַ סָבִֽיב׃
Leviticus 1:12
וְנִתַּ֤ח אֹתוֹ֙ לִנְתָחָ֔יו וְאֶת־רֹאשׁ֖וֹ וְאֶת־פִּדְר֑וֹ וְעָרַ֤ךְ הַכֹּהֵן֙ אֹתָ֔ם עַל־הָֽעֵצִים֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עַל־הָאֵ֔שׁ אֲשֶׁ֖ר עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּֽחַ׃
Leviticus 1:13
וְהַקֶּ֥רֶב וְהַכְּרָעַ֖יִם יִרְחַ֣ץ בַּמָּ֑יִם וְהִקְרִ֨יב הַכֹּהֵ֤ן אֶת־הַכֹּל֙ וְהִקְטִ֣יר הַמִּזְבֵּ֔חָה עֹלָ֣ה ה֗וּא אִשֵּׁ֛ה רֵ֥יחַ נִיחֹ֖חַ לַיהוָֽה׃ פ
Leviticus 1:14
וְאִ֧ם מִן־הָע֛וֹף עֹלָ֥ה קָרְבָּנ֖וֹ לַֽיהוָ֑ה וְהִקְרִ֣יב מִן־הַתֹּרִ֗ים א֛וֹ מִן־בְּנֵ֥י הַיּוֹנָ֖ה אֶת־קָרְבָּנֽוֹ׃
Leviticus 1:15
וְהִקְרִיב֤וֹ הַכֹּהֵן֙ אֶל־הַמִּזְבֵּ֔חַ וּמָלַק֙ אֶת־רֹאשׁ֔וֹ וְהִקְטִ֖יר הַמִּזְבֵּ֑חָה וְנִמְצָ֣ה דָמ֔וֹ עַ֖ל קִ֥יר הַמִּזְבֵּֽחַ׃
Leviticus 1:16
וְהֵסִ֥יר אֶת־מֻרְאָת֖וֹ בְּנֹצָתָ֑הּ וְהִשְׁלִ֨יךְ אֹתָ֜הּ אֵ֤צֶל הַמִּזְבֵּ֨חַ֙ קֵ֔דְמָה אֶל־מְק֖וֹם הַדָּֽשֶׁן׃
Leviticus 1:17
וְשִׁסַּ֨ע אֹת֣וֹ בִכְנָפָיו֮ לֹ֣א יַבְדִּיל֒ וְהִקְטִ֨יר אֹת֤וֹ הַכֹּהֵן֙ הַמִּזְבֵּ֔חָה עַל־הָעֵצִ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר עַל־הָאֵ֑שׁ עֹלָ֣ה ה֗וּא אִשֵּׁ֛ה רֵ֥יחַ נִיחֹ֖חַ לַיהוָֽה׃ ס