Leviticus 1:4

1:3-9 In the due performance of the Levitical ordinances, the mysteries of the spiritual world are represented by corresponding natural objects; and future events are exhibited in these rites. Without this, the whole will seem unmeaning ceremonies. There is in these things a type of the sufferings of the Son of God, who was to be a sacrifice for the sins of the whole world? The burning body of an animal was but a faint representation of that everlasting misery, which we all have deserved; and which our blessed Lord bore in his body and in his soul, when he died under the load of our iniquities. Observe, 1. The beast to be offered must be without blemish. This signified the strength and purity that were in Christ, and the holy life that should be in his people. 2. The owner must offer it of his own free will. What is done in religion, so as to please God, must be done by love. Christ willingly offered himself for us. 3. It must be offered at the door of the tabernacle, where the brazen altar of burnt-offerings stood, which sanctified the gift: he must offer it at the door, as one unworthy to enter, and acknowledging that a sinner can have no communion with God, but by sacrifice. 4. The offerer must put his hand upon the head of his offering, signifying thereby, his desire and hope that it might be accepted from him, to make atonement for him. 5. The sacrifice was to be killed before the Lord, in an orderly manner, and to honour God.

It signified also, that in Christians the flesh must be crucified with its corrupt affections and lust. 6. The priests were to sprinkle the blood upon the altar; for the blood being the life, that was it which made atonement. This signified the pacifying and purifying of our consciences, by the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ upon them by faith. 7. The beast was to be divided into several pieces, and then to be burned upon the altar. The burning of the sacrifice signified the sharp sufferings of Christ, and the devout affections with which, as a holy fire, Christians must offer up themselves, their whole spirit, soul, and body, unto God. 8. This is said to be an offering of a sweet savour. As an act of obedience to a Divine command, and a type of Christ, this was well-pleasing to God; and the spiritual sacrifices of Christians are acceptable to God, through Christ, 1Pe 2:5.

Verse 4. - And he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering. This putting, or forcibly leaning, the hand on the victim's head, which is the most essential part of the oblation of the victim, was a symbolical act implying "This animal is now for present purposes myself, and its life is my life." It was this act of identification with the offerer which made it be accepted for him to make atonement (literally, covering ) for him. The sin offering is the sacrifice which especially symbolizes and ceremonially effects atonement, but the idea of atonement is not absent from the burnt sacrifice. The aspect under which atonement is presented here and elsewhere in the Old Testament is that of covering. But it is not the sin that is covered, but the sinner. Owing to his sin, the latter is exposed to the wrath of a just God, but something intervenes whereby he is covered, and he ceases, therefore, to attract the Divine anger and punishment. No longer being an object of wrath, he becomes at once an object of benevolence and mercy. The covering provided by a sacrifice is the blood or life of an animal, symbolically representing the offerer's own life freely surrendered by him for his acceptance , and typically foreshadowing the blood of Christ. Leviticus 1:4

Leviticus 1:4 . He shall put his hand — Both his hands; Leviticus 8:14 ; Leviticus 8:18 ; Leviticus 16:21 ; whereby he signified, 1st. That he willingly gave it to the Lord; 2d, That he judged himself worthy of that death which it suffered in his stead; and that he laid his sins upon it with an eye to him upon whom God would lay the iniquity of us all, ( Isaiah 53:6 ,) and that together with it he did freely offer up himself to God. To make atonement — Sacramentally; as directing his faith and thoughts to that true propitiatory sacrifice which in time was to be offered up for him. And although burnt-offerings were commonly offered by way of thanksgiving, yet they were sometimes offered by way of atonement for sin, that is, for sins in general, as appears from Job 1:5 ; but for particular sins there were special sacrifices.

4 . he shall lay his hand upon ] This ceremony is prescribed for animal sacrifices generally (1) for the Burnt-Offering here and Leviticus 8:18 ; Exodus 29:15 ; (2) for the Peace-Offering Leviticus 3:2 ; Leviticus 3:8 ; Leviticus 3:13 ; (3) for the Sin-Offering Leviticus 4:4 ; Leviticus 4:15 ; Leviticus 4:24 ; Leviticus 4:29 ; Leviticus 4:33 , Leviticus 8:14 ; Exodus 29:10 ; 2 Chronicles 29:23 ; (4) for both Burnt-Offering and Sin-Offering Numbers 8:12 ; (5) for the ram of consecration Leviticus 8:22 ; Exodus 29:19 ; (6) for the Levites when presented as a wave-offering Numbers 8:10 . There is no mention of the ceremony in connexion with the Guilt-Offering, but from the statement in Leviticus 7:7 that there is one law for the Sin-Offering and the Guilt-Offering, and the absence of ritual detail in Leviticus 5:14 to Leviticus 6:7 , it seems probable that the ceremony was not omitted when a Guilt-Offering was brought. On the Day of Atonement Aaron laid both his hands on the live goat which was sent away into the wilderness ( Leviticus 16:21 ); when a blasphemer was put to death by stoning, all those that heard him were to lay their hands upon him ( Leviticus 24:14 and cp. the story of Susanna 5:34); Moses appointed his successor Joshua by laying his hands upon him ( Numbers 27:18 ; Numbers 27:23 ; Deuteronomy 34:9 ). In all these passages the Heb. word for ‘lay’ is ṣâmak , and the action was called in post-Biblical Heb. ṣěmîkah .

Something more than a mere putting of the hand on the head is intended; the word implies pressure or leaning upon an object. Targ. Jon. translates Leviticus 1:3 he shall lay his right hand with firmness and Tal. Bab. Zebâhîm 33 a enjoins the exercise of ‘all his strength.’ Cp. Chagîgah 16 b , where Ramai bar Chama says, ‘We require the laying on to be done with all one’s strength.’ According to Jewish tradition a confession of sin accompanied the laying on of hands. It does not seem probable that sacrificial acts were performed altogether in silence; special liturgical forms are prescribed in Deuteronomy 26 for two occasions; and it may be that the offerer made some statement of his intention in bringing his oblation, and prayed that the sacrifice might be graciously accepted. The expression ‘all his strength’ might then refer to mental as well as physical energy. The rabbinic opinion is that the ṣĕmîkah was performed with both hands, but Targ. Jon. quoted above shews that the tradition varied. and it shall be accepted for him ] See on Leviticus 1:3 . to make atonement for him ] Either the sacrifice will make atonement ( Leviticus 17:11 ; Exodus 30:15-16 ), or the priest, by offering the sacrifice ( Leviticus 4:20 ; Leviticus 4:26 ; Leviticus 4:31 ; Leviticus 4:35 ). An atoning effect is attributed to the Burnt-Offering here and in Leviticus 14:20 , Leviticus 16:24 (cp.

His hand, i.e. both his hands, Leviticus 8:14,18 16:21 ; a common enallage. Upon the head of the burnt-offering; whereby he signified, 1. That he willingly gave it to the Lord. 2. That he did legally unite himself with it, and judged himself worthy of that death which it suffered in his stead; and that he laid his sins upon it in a ceremonial way, and had an eye to him upon whom God would lay the iniquity of us all , Isaiah 53:6 ; and that together with it he did freely offer up himself to God. To make atonement for him, to wit, ceremonially and sacramentally; as directing his faith and thoughts to that true propitiatory sacrifice which in time was to be offered up for him. See Romans 3:25 Hebrews 9:15,25,26 . And although burnt-offerings were commonly offered by way of thanksgiving, Genesis 8:20 Psalm 51:16,17 , yet they were sometimes offered by way of atonement for sin, to wit, for sins in general, as appears from Job 1:5 , but for particular sins there were special sacrifices, as we shall see.

And he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering - The usual ceremony. By it the sacrificer identified himself with his victim Leviticus 3:2 , Leviticus 3:8 ; Leviticus 4:15 ; Leviticus 8:14 ; Romans 12:1 . To make atonement for him - This phrase belongs more especially to the sin-offerings and the trespass-offerings (compare Leviticus 4:20, Leviticus 4:26, Leviticus 4:31, Leviticus 4:35; Leviticus 5:16, Leviticus 5:18; Leviticus 6:7, etc.) It is not used in reference to the peace-offerings, and but rarely in reference to the burnt-offerings. It should be noticed that it is here introduced in close connection with the imposition of hands by the worshipper, not, as it is when it refers to the sin-offering, with the special functions of the priest, Leviticus 4:26, Leviticus 4:35; 2 Chronicles 29:23.

4. shall put his hand upon the head—This was a significant act which implied not only that the offerer devoted the animal to God, but that he confessed his consciousness of sin and prayed that his guilt and its punishment might be transferred to the victim. and it shall be—rather, "that it may be an acceptable atonement."

(4) And he shall put his hand. —Or, lay his hand, as the same phrase is rendered in Leviticus 3:2-3 ; Leviticus 3:17 , &c. The laying on of hands by the offerer on the victim was enjoined not only in the case of burnt offerings, but also in peace offerings ( Leviticus 3:2 ; Leviticus 3:7 ; Leviticus 3:13 ; Leviticus 8:22 , &c.) and in sin offerings ( Leviticus 4:4 ; Leviticus 4:15 ; Leviticus 4:24 ; Leviticus 4:29 ; Leviticus 4:33 ; Leviticus 8:14 , &c.). The offerer indicated thereby both the surrender of his ownership of the victim, and the transfer to it of’ the feelings by which he was influenced in performing this act of dedication to the Lord. From the practice which obtained during the second Temple, we know that the offerer himself laid both his hands between the two horns of the animal whilst alive, and that no proxy could do it. If several offered one sacrifice, each one laid his hand separately on the victim, confessing his sins and saying, “I have sinned, I have committed iniquity, I have transgressed and I have done this and this, but I repent before Thee, and this is my atonement.” Accepted for him.—That is, his offer will be acceptable before the Lord, when the offerer thus complies with the prescribed sacrificial regulations. (Comp.