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CHAPTER XV

Directions concerning the different offerings they should bring unto the Lord when they should come to the land of Canaan, 1-3. Directions relative to the meat-offering, 4; to the drink-offering, 5. Of the burnt-offering, vow-offering, peace-offering, drink-offering, &c., 6-12.All born in the country must perform these rites, 13, and the strangers also, 14-16. They shall offer unto the Lord a heave-offering of the first-fruits of the land, 17-21. Concerning omissions through ignorance, and the sacrifices to be offered on such occasions, 22-29. He who sins presumptuously shall be cut off, 30, 31. History of the person who gathered sticks on the Sabbath, 32. He is brought to Moses and Aaron, 33. They put him in confinement till the mind of the Lord should be known on the case, 34. The Lord commands him to be stoned, 35. He is stoned to death, 36. The Israelites are commanded to make fringes to the borders of their garments, 37, 38. The end for which these fringes were to be made, that they might remember the commandments of the Lord, that they might be holy, 39-41.

NOTES ON CHAP. XV

Verse 2. "When ye be come into the land" - Some learned men are of opinion that several offerings prescribed by the law were not intended to be made in the wilderness, but in the promised land; the former not affording those conveniences which were necessary to the complete observance of the Divine worship in this and several other respects.

Verse 3. "And will make an offering" - For the different kinds of offerings, sacrifices, &c., see Lev. i. 2, 7.

Verse 5. "The fourth part of a hin" - The quantity of meal and flour was augmented in proportion to the size of the sacrifice with which it was offered. With a LAMB or a KID were offered one tenth deal of flour, (the tenth part of an ephah, see on "Exodus xxix. 40",) the fourth part of a hin of oil, and the fourth part of a hin of wine. With a RAM, two tenth deals of flour, a third part of a hin of oil, and a third part of a hin of wine. With a BULLOCK, three tenth deals of flour, half a hin of oil, and half a hin of wine. See ver. 4-11.

Verse 14. "If a stranger sojourn" - See the notes on Leviticus xix. 33;xxii. 9.

When the case of the Jewish people is fairly considered, and their situation with respect to the surrounding idolatrous nations, we shall see the absolute necessity of having but one form of worship in the land. That alone was genuine which was prescribed by the Almighty, and no others could be tolerated, because they were idolatrous. All strangers-all that came to sojourn in the land, were required to conform to it; and it was right that those who did conform to it should have equal rights and privileges with the Hebrews themselves, which we find was the case. But under the Christian dispensation, as no particular form of worship is prescribed, the types and ceremonies of the Mosaic institution being all fulfilled, unlimited toleration should be allowed; and while the sacred writings are made the basis of the worship offered to God, every man should be allowed to worship according to his own conscience, for in this respect every one is "Lord of himself, accountable to none But to his conscience and his God alone."

Verse 20. "Ye shall offer-the first of your dough" - Concerning the offerings of first-fruits, see the notes on "Exodus xxii. 29".

Verse 24. "If aught be committed by ignorance" - See the notes on Lev. iv. 2, and v. 17. The case here probably refers to the whole congregation; the cases above, to the sin of an individual.

Verse 25. "The priest shall make an atonement" - Even sins committed through ignorance required an atonement; and God in his mercy has provided one for them.

Verse 30. "But the soul that doeth aught presumptuously" - Bold daring acts of transgression against the fullest evidence, and in despite of the Divine authority, admitted of no atonement; the person was to be cut off-to be excluded from God's people, and from all their privileges and blessings.

Probably the presumption mentioned here implied an utter contempt of the word and authority of God, springing from an idolatrous or atheistical mind. In such a case all repentance was precluded, because of the denial of the word and being of God. It is probably a case similar to that mentioned Heb. vi. 4-8; x. 26-31; on which passages see the notes.

Verse 32. "They found a man that gathered sticks upon the Sabbath" - This was in all likelihood a case of that kind supposed above: the man despised the word of the Lord, and therefore broke his commandment; see ver. 31. On this ground he was punished with the utmost rigor of the law.

Verse 36. "Stoned him" - See the note on "Lev. xxiv. 23".