Leviticus chapter 16
16:1-34 This chapter comprises the ceremonial and theological pivot on which the entire Book of Leviticus turns.
Even though today the temple and sacrificial systems have disappeared, the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur)
remains the holiest day in the Jewish year. The introduction to the chapter is given in verse 1 and 2,with an
emphasis on safeguarding the sanctity of the Most Holy Place, as Aaron was forbidden that he come not at all times
into the holy place...before the mercy seat. The Hebrew phrase translated here "come not at all times" could imply a
total prohibition against entry, but the context makes it clear that with proper precautions the high priest may enter
the Holy Place once a year. The translation "not to come whenever he chooses" gives the meaning clearly. The
reason Aaron could not enter the Holy Place is that it housed the ark on which the mercy seat was found. This was
where God came to His people, in the heart of the tabernacle, hidden in a cloud (Exodus 40:34, 35). The mercy
seat likely means "lid" or "cover." The notion of a seat was derived presumably from Psalm 99:1, which speaks of
God sitting between the cherubim as on the throne. The lid with its surmounting cherubim served as a cover for the
ark. (See discussion for the "mercy seat," Exodus 25:17.) If Aaron did not enter only when God prescribed, he
would die. First, Aaron made atonement for himself, and for his house. The Hebrew word (kiper) has at least three
possible meanings that are held among conservative scholars. The first, coming from the Akkadian verb kuppuru, is
"to cleanse" or "wipe." This fits those contexts where the altar or the sanctuary is the direct object of the verb and
the action involved smearing the altar with blood (verse 33). The second meaning is "to make atonement" and
would be derived from the Hebrew koper meaning "ransom price." A koper is the money a man condemned to death
could pay to escape the death penalty (Exodus 21:30; Proverbs 6:35). The third possibility is that it means "to
cover," so as to "appease" (Genesis 32:20). The verb appears 16 times in the 34 verses. Aaron is said to "make an
atonement for himself, and for his house" (verse 6); and also for the holy sanctuary...the tabernacle of the
congregation...for the altar...the priests...and for all the people of the congregation.
The meaning and significance of the word scapegoat (used in verses 8, 10, 26) has caused much speculation. The
Hebrew is la'aza'zel, which is "to, for Azazel." While some scholars have viewed Azazel as a desert demon, following
non biblical Jewish literature, others have taken it to mean "Complete Destruction" or "Rocky Precipice." However,
its common meaning, "Goat of Departure," best fits the context. Just as the two birds represent death and
cleansing, so the two goats have the same symbolism here. One represents substitutionary death and the other
('aza'zel) represents the carrying away of sins. Thus, man is justified and his sins are expiated. This principle of
vicarious atonement and newness of life finds its fullest expression in Christ, the divine Lamb, who takes away
human sin by His death (John 1:29). From Levitical usage, the term scapegoat is still employed to describe a
person who takes the blame for some misdemeanor committed by another individual or group.
Leviticus chapter 17
17:1-9 The laws in the chapter deal with various problems connected with sacrifice and eating meat (7:26, 27 and
11:39, 40). In particular, they explain the special significance of blood in the sacrifices (especially verses 11-14).
This situation involves the prohibition of killing animals without offering them to the Lord as the words bringeth it not
unto the door of the tabernacle...to offer it unto the Lord clearly show. The penalty for such an offense was for that
man to be cut off from among the people. The phrase to be cut off seems to indicate he will be punished by God
directly (Exodus 30:33; Leviticus 7:20-27; 20:17, 18). The motive underlying this severe law is given in verses 5-7;
to prevent sacrifices to the devils (demons). The Hebrew term se'irim is problematic, but usually means "goats." The
word referred to demons that were supposed to haunt areas of the wilderness (Isaiah 13:21; 34:14). The allusion
here is to the kind of goat worship practiced in Lower Egypt, a form of idolatry with which the Israelites had evidently
had some contact (Joshua 24:14). The cult had flourished in the eastern delta region, and part of its abhorrent
rituals involved goats copulating with women devotees. No offerings were to be offered outside of the tabernacle
either (verses 8, 9).
17:10-16 As a direct consequence of limiting the slaughter of animals to the tabernacle, the blood of these animals
could not be "eaten," that is, drunk or eaten in meat which had not been drained of blood. This principle results in
what the Jews called kosher meat. The importance is underscored emphatically, the prohibition occurring six times
in five verses (verses 10-14). Noah was to avoid the blood in Genesis 9:4. Violation of this law involved the guilty of
being cut...off from among his people, presumably by a divinely initiated act (verse 4). For the life of the flesh is in
the blood: Most transactions and commentators regard the preposition in in this phrase as expressing essence and
therefore they omit it in translation. Thus, "the life of the flesh is the blood." So construed, verse 11 virtually
identifies the life of an animal with its blood.
At a basic level this is obvious: when an animal loses its blood, it dies. Its blood, therefore, gives it life. By refraining
from eating flesh with blood in it, man is honoring life. To eat blood is to despise life (Genesis 9:4-6). The sanctity of
human life is associated with not eating blood. Thus one purpose of this law is to teach respect for all life. Shed
blood constituted visible evidence that life had indeed been offered up in sacrifice. Only as atonement is linked with
death, represented by shed blood, and not life set free, would it appear to become efficacious in the covering of
human sin. Thus, the second reason for the ban is given as I have given it to you upon the altar to make an
atonement for your souls: for it is blood that maketh an atonement for the soul (verse 11).
Leviticus chapter 18
18:1-5 Attention now shifts from the matter of ceremonial defilement and its removal to the question of moral
impurity and its consequences. The literary structure is interesting in that it resembles the basic form of the vassal
or suzerainty treaties of the kings of the ancient Near East. The vassal treaties were made between a great king
and a people whom he wised to bring under his rule. He usually identified himself in the preamble; thus here, I am
the Lord your God (verses 2, 4, 5; and Exodus 3:15; 6:2-4). Then he stated his generosity to previous vassals in a
passage dealing with historical retrospect (verse 3). After the doings of the land of Egypt, wherein ye dwelt would
remind them that He had redeemed them from bondage. Then the basic stipulation(s) that comprised the
agreement would be cited as in do my judgments, and keep mine ordinances, to walk therein (verse 4), followed by
the detailed stipulations (verses 6-23). A section of blessings and cursings was then given. The blessings occur in
the shortened form in verse 5 (which if a man do, he shall live in them), while the curses appear in verses 24-30,
starting with defile not ye yourselves in any of these things...that the land spew not you out also...as it spewed out
the nations that were before you.
18:6-20 This section contains a warning against incestuous and illicit sexual unions. Shall approach is a euphemism
for sexual intercourse (Genesis 20:4; Isaiah 8:3). It is explained by "to lie with" (20:11) and "to take" as a wife
(20:21) and "to uncover the nakedness" (verse 14). All four phrases mean the same thing. Any that is near of kin to
him is literally, "to all [any] remainder of his flesh." Thus the parties were so close that one was the remainder of the
other. To uncover their nakedness is a phrase describing intercourse within marriage and outside of it. Because
the husband and wife are "one," (Genesis 2:24), to uncover the nakedness of one partner was equivalent to
exposing the other partner.
The following cases of incest are enumerated: sex with one's mother (verse 7), stepmother (Reuben with Bilhah,
Genesis 35:22; Absalom with David's wives, 2 Samuel 16:21) (verse 8), sister (verse 9), granddaughter (verse 10),
half sister on the father's side (verse 11), paternal aunt (verse 12), maternal aunt (verse 13), paternal uncle's wife
(verse 14), daughter-in-law (verse 15), brother's wife (verse 16), stepdaughter or step-granddaughter (verse 17),
or a wife's sister (verse 18). The last situation (verse 18) seems to forbid marriage to a second sister while the first
is alive.
To have sexual relations during the menstrual period (verse 19) was forbidden. Perhaps this was due to the
sacredness of the blood (chapter 17) and also that God is total Lord, so that no man can claim total rights to a
woman without limitations.
18:21-23 This section deals with a warning against Canaanite deviations. The Canaanites freely engaged in human
sacrifice, profanation, homosexuality, and bestiality. Child sacrifice was continually condemned (20:2-5; 1 Kings
11:7; 2 Kings 23:10; Jeremiah 32:35). Finally Josiah ordered the Molech installation razed, and the place was later
named Gehenna, the awful symbol of hell.
Homosexuality was known and practiced in the ancient Near East from very early times. It was condemned as "an
abomination" in 20:13. The punishment was death. The term dog appears to have been applied in Deuteronomy
23:18 to male cultic prostitutes or to homosexuality in general, and this may also be the sense of the allusion to
"dogs" in Revelation 22:15 (note the labeling in this chapter, 22, 26, 27, 29, 30). Bestiality was also practiced
intermittently among the Hittites, Babylonians, Egyptians, and Canaanites. For a man to indulge in such behavior
was defiling, but for a woman it was regarded as confusion, from the verb "to mix" (20:12). The penalty was death in
Exodus 22:19 and Leviticus 20:15, 16. See also Numbers 35:16-21; Deuteronomy 27:21.
18:24-30 To violate these prohibitions would entail being "vomited out" of the land, which happened when they
were led into their captivities.
Leviticus chapter 19
19:2 Chapter 18 dealt with holiness in sexual behavior: this chapter deals with holiness in social ethics. Ye shall be
holy: for I the Lord your God am holy: This certainly could be termed the motto of Leviticus. "Holy" (qadosh) and its
cognate terms, for example, sanctify and holiness, occur 152 times in Leviticus (about 20 percent of the total
occurrences in the Old Testament). Israel's fundamental calling was to be a "holy nation" (Exodus 19:6). There
were to be "separated from sin" and "to cling unto the Lord." God's holiness served as a model for all the
congregation. Jewish scholars have seen in the material of this chapter a counterpart of the Ten Commandments,
the precepts of which are recapitulated as follows: the first and second verse in verse 4; the third in verse 12; the
fourth and fifth in verse 3; the sixth in verse 16; the seventh in verse 29; the eighth and ninth in verses 11-16; and
the tenth in verse 18.
19:3-8 Four injunctions are given: (1) to respect mother and father, who are God's representatives (verse 3); (2) to
observe God's Sabbaths, since He is the Lord of time (verse 3); (3) not to turn to idols, since He is Lord alone
(verse 4); and (4) to bring the peace or fellowship offerings and keep His services (verses 5-8).
19:9-18 This contains five sections with five precepts relating to holiness in everyday affairs: (1) regard for the poor
(verses 9, 10); (2) regard for the truth (verses 11, 12); (3) regard for the employee and the helpless (verses 13,
14); (4) regard for the rich (verse 15); (5) regard for one's neighbor (verses 16-18).
19:19-29 The section addresses nine areas. The first warns against mixing cattle (Genesis 30:37-40, selective
mating), the breeding of different kinds of cattle to enrich the bloodline and produce hybrid species, seed, or
materials in garments (verse 19). Perhaps this prohibition was given to instill reverence for the order of nature set
by God, or to prevent sterility that comes with hybrids, or due to the fear that the Israelites might imitate abnormal
sexual unions and ultimately indulge in the orgiastic rites of Canaanite religion. Second, slavery and concubinage
were regulated in the case of an engaged girl (verses 20-22). The third law reminded the Israelite that he was to
serve God before he was to serve himself (verses 23-25). God has the power to cause fruit to appear on the trees
in their season. Then follow six commands referring to various heathen practices that holy men and women were to
avoid. They include: (1) eating blood (verse 26); (2) practicing divination (verse 26, see Deuteronomy 18:10-14);
(3) sorcery (verse 26); (4) cutting the hair and beard in connection with pagan mourning rites (verse 27); (5) cutting
or tattooing the flesh for the dead (verse 28); and (6) hiring one's daughter out as a prostitute (verse 29). Offerings
of hair were presented in the Astarte-Tammuz religion of Syria and among various Arabian tribes. The unceasing
growth of hair was thought to result from the presence of a mysterious vital force within it, and it was thus
considered an effective means for influencing the will of the deity. Making bodily incisions also occurred apart from
the context of mourning in the attempt to procure the favor of the deity by means of an offering of blood (1 Kings
18:28).
19:30-37 Four new injunctions are added in this section: The children are cautioned (1) to avoid consulting
mediums and spiritists (verse 31); (2) to have respect for the aged; (3) never to oppress the stranger (verses 33
and 34); and (4) to always use honest scales and weighs (verses 35, 36). All four have the refrain I am the Lord.
Verse 37 summarizes the whole chapter.