“And if his oblation be a sacrifice of peace offering, if he offer it of the herd; whether it be a male or female, he shall offer it without blemish before the LORD.”
Peace-offerings. Peace, in the Scripture language, signifies happiness, welfare, or prosperity; in a word, all kind of blessings. Such sacrifices, therefore, as were offered either on occasion of blessings received, or to obtain new favours, were called pacific or peace-offerings. In these some part of the victim was consumed with fire on the altar of God: other parts were eaten by the priests, and the persons for whom the sacrifice was offered. (Challoner) — Female beasts might here be sacrificed, but not birds. The victims were either offered to praise God for past favours, or to comply with some vow, or were perfectly free, chap. vii. 12. Three sorts of victims, the ox, the sheep, and the goat, denoted all those who served God in innocence, or in the state of penance. (Du Hamel) — Of these sacrifices “of the perfect,” none of the unclean could taste, chap. vii. 20. When only flour or bread was given, the donor received no part again.
“And he shall lay his hand upon the head of his offering, and kill it at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: and Aaron's sons the priests shall sprinkle the blood upon the altar round about.”
Which shall. Hebrew, “which he gives, he shall slay it….the priests shall pour,” &c. Yet some assert, that laymen were not allowed to approach the altar.
“And he shall offer of the sacrifice of the peace offering an offering made by fire unto the LORD; the fat that covereth the inwards, and all the fat that is upon the inwards, fat: or, suet”
Fat. All the fat was carefully presented to the Lord. The Persians offered this alone. Omentum in flammâ a pingue liquefaciens. (Catullus, Epig. de Magis.)
“And the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them, which is by the flanks, and the caul above the liver, with the kidneys, it shall he take away. caul: or, midriff over the liver, and over the kidneys”
Flanks. St. Jerome sometimes translates the Hebrew loins, as the Septuagint and Symmachus do; (Psalm xxxvii. 7) and this Bochart believes is the most proper signification. (Calmet) — Two is not specified in the Latin, nor little in the Hebrew.
“And Aaron's sons shall burn it on the altar upon the burnt sacrifice, which is upon the wood that is on the fire: it is an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD.”
For a. Some translate, “upon the,” others “after the burnt-sacrifice;” as if that were always to be offered first, every day. (Calmet) — But is seems that the peace-offering was an imitation of the holocaust, with respect to the fat, caul, and kidneys, which were to be entirely consumed. (Haydock)
“And he shall lay his hand upon the head of his offering, and kill it before the tabernacle of the congregation: and Aaron's sons shall sprinkle the blood thereof round about upon the altar.”
It. Hebrew and Septuagint, “he shall slay,” ver. 2, 13. (Calmet)
“And he shall offer of the sacrifice of the peace offering an offering made by fire unto the LORD; the fat thereof, and the whole rump, it shall he take off hard by the backbone; and the fat that covereth the inwards, and all the fat that is upon the inwards,”
Whole rump. Septuagint, “the loin without blemish.” The tail of the Arabian sheep is extremely large and fat, weighing eight or ten pounds; so that it is necessary to support it on a vehicle. (Busbecque, ep. 3.) The tail was not sacrificed in any other species. (Menochius)
“And the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, which is by the flanks, and the caul above the liver, with the kidneys, it shall he take away.”
With, &c. Hebrew, “and the two kidneys with their fat by the flanks, and the great lobe of the liver, above the kidneys, shall they take.” (Haydock) — All our affections must be consecrated to God, and our passions kept under. (Du Hamel)
“And the priest shall burn it upon the altar: it is the food of the offering made by fire unto the LORD.”
Food, destined for the honour of God, and to be consumed by fire. In other places, God calls these sacrifices his food, and the altar his table. (Chap. xxi. 21.; Malachias i. 7, 12.)
“It shall be a perpetual statute for your generations throughout all your dwellings, that ye eat neither fat nor blood.”
Fat. It is meant of the fat, which by the prescription of the law was to be offered on God’s altar: not of the fat of meat, such as we commonly eat. (Challoner) — This distinction is sufficiently insinuated; (chap. vii. 25,) whence it also appears that the fat, here forbidden, is only that, which, in all sacrifices, appertains to the Lord, ver. 9, 10. The fat which was intermingled with the flesh might be eaten, and even the rest if the animal was not sacrificed. God repeatedly forbids the use of blood, chap. xvii. 13. Yet the Jews abstain from the fat also of all oxen, sheep, and goats; (Josephus, [Antiquities?] iii. 10,) and some, adhering to the words of this text, forbid the use of fat indiscriminately. (Calmet) — Cornelius a Lapide condemns it, if the animal might be offered in sacrifice, though it were slain at home.