Ver. 1. After the death.] That others might be warned. Lege historiam, ne fias historia, saith one. When they offered before the Lord.] A little strange fire might seem a small matter in the eyes of indifferency: and yet it was such a sin as made all Israel guilty, as appears by the sacrifices offered for that sin, set down in this chapter.
Ver. 2. that he come not at all times.] Whensoever he pleaseth, but when I appoint him, i.e., once a year only, (Exodus 30:10) and then also with reverence and godly fear. God, as he loves to be acquainted with men in the walks of their obedience, so he takes state upon him in his ordinances, and will be trembled at in his judgments.
Ver. 3. For a sin offering,] viz., For himself and his family. (Leviticus 6 Leviticus 11) [See Trapp on “Le 14:3”]
Ver. 4. Therefore shall he wash.] As we must be always holy, so then most when we present ourselves to the holy eyes of our Creator. We wash our hands every day; but when we are to sit with some great person, we scour them with balls. See Leviticus 16:24.
Ver. 5. Two kids of the goats.] Both of them types of Christ: who though he died not for wicked goats, yet he seemed rejected of God, and was reckoned among malefactors. (Isaiah 53:9)
Ver. 6. And for his house.] Whereof a minister must be mainly careful, (1 Timothy 3:4) lest, as Augustus doing justice on others, he be hit in the teeth with his own disordered family. Aaron had lately smarted in his two eldest.
Ver. 7. The two goats.] See on Leviticus 16:5.
Ver. 8. Shall cast lots.] To show that nothing was done for us by Christ but what God’s hand and his counsel determined. (Acts 4:28 1 Peter 1:20) [See Trapp on “Ac 4:28”] [See Trapp on “1Pe 1:20”] For the scape-goat.] Which being a piacular or purging oblation, carried the people’s curse with it: as did likewise those Obominales among the Grecians; who, from this custom of the Hebrews, borrowed their yearly expiation of their cities: the manner whereof, somewhat like unto this. [See Trapp on “1Co 4:13”]
Ver. 9. The goat.] A type of Christ’s mortal humanity, say some, as the scape goat of his immortal deity: or the one of his death, the other of his resurrection. Others are of the opinion that hereby was signified that the deity of Christ dwelling in light inaccessible gave to his humanity sufficient strength for the enduring of those things, which no other creature could have come near, for the full expiating of our sins. So he telleth the Jews first, and afterwards his disciples, “Whither I go ye cannot come.” (John 8:22,13:36)
Ver. 11. An atonement for himself.] That having first made his own peace, he may be in case to atone for the people. This was David’s method. (Psalms 25 Psalms 51)
Ver. 12. And bring it within the vail.] So to prepare the way into the holy place. This incense small beaten might prefigure Christ in his agony, praying more earnestly, before he entered with his own blood into the most holy place of heaven.
Ver. 13. May cover the mercy seat.] And so be as a screen betwixt the priest and those everlasting burnings: or as a cloud to darken the glory of their shining, for the high priest’s safety.
Ver. 14. Upon the mercy seat eastward.] This and the following verses signify, saith one, that even heaven itself is defiled unto us by our sins; until it be made clean by the blood and obedience of Christ, who is entered thither, “not by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood,” and thereby hath “purified the heavenly things themselves.” (Hebrews 9:12,23)
Ver. 16. In the midst of their uncleanness.] Which did cleave to the tabernacle, as the sins of spiritual Babylon are said to be glued (εκολληθησαν) to heaven. (Revelation 18:5)
Ver. 17. And there shall be no man.] Christ will have no partner, and he needs no assistant. (Hebrews 7:25 Isaiah 63:3)
Ver. 18. And he shall go out unto the altar.] This signified, saith one, that every church assembly is acceptable to God, only through the blood of Christ, by the remission of all their sins.
Ver. 19. From the uncleanness,] i.e., The defects and imperfections of their holiest performances.
Ver. 20. Reconciling the holy place.] Defiled in some sort by the sins of the people, in whose behalf the priests there performed their service.
Ver. 21. All their transgressions in all their sins,] i.e., In their several circumstances and aggravations: laying open how many transgressions were wrapped up in their several sins. This was to bring out their sins, as they took the vessels of the temple, (Ezra 8:34) “by number and by weight.”
Ver. 22. Shall let go the goat.] The Hebrews say, that he was to throw it down the rock, and so it died. The Grecians had a like custom in their solemn expiations of their cities. They tumbled the persons devoted from some rock into the sea; sacrificing them to Neptune, saying, Be thou a propitiation for us. Aemulus Dei diabolus. Suidas.
Ver. 23. Shall leave them there.] As afterwards the priests did, in some of the holy chambers about the sanctuary. (Ezekiel 44:16)
Ver. 24. He shall wash his flesh.] See what this taught them and us. (Hebrews 10:22) That Epistle to the Hebrews is an excellent commentary upon this Book of Leviticus.
Ver. 25. Upon the altar.] The brazen altar in the outer court.
Ver. 26. Shall wash his clothes.] To show, (1.) That it was for our sins that Christ suffered; (2.) That all that partake of his benefits must wash their hearts from wickedness. (Jeremiah 4:14 2 Corinthians 5:15 7:1)
Ver. 27. Without the camp.] See Hebrews 13:11,14.
Ver. 28. He that burneth.] Whoever he be whom the priests shall appoint to do it.
Ver. 29. Ye shall afflict your souls.] With voluntary sorrows for your sins, -as David did, (Psalms 35:13) and Daniel, (Daniel 10:3,12) -and so dispose yourselves to obtain pardon and reconciliation. The Lord’s supper is with us a day of atonement; at which time both the scape goat was let go, and affliction of soul was called for. This passover must be eaten with sour herbs.
Ver. 30. That ye may be clean from all your sins.] And so God may turn your fasting into feasting, as Zechariah 8:19. The joyful jubilee was begun and proclaimed in this same tenth day. (Leviticus 25:8,9)
Ver. 31. It shall be a Sabbath of rest.] An exact and careful rest, such as is described in Isaiah 58:13, which place of the prophet some understand of this day of atonement, and yearly fast, spoken of in the beginning of that chapter.
Ver. 32. Whom he shall consecrate,] i.e., God: or the present high priest, the chief God on earth. See on Leviticus 6:2.
Ver. 33. For the holy sanctuary.] For all the sins of your holy services, it being the manner that either makes or mars an action.
Ver. 34. For all their sins once a year.] For whereas in their private sacrifices they durst not confess their capital sins for fear of death, due to them by the law, God graciously provided and instituted this yearly sacrifice of atonement for the sins of the whole people, without particular acknowledgment of any. There are of good note who think, that this anniversary fast, called “the fast” by a specialty, (Acts 27:9) was instituted in reference unto, and solemn remembrance of, the fall of Adam; which happened, say they, on the tenth day of the world, answering to the first of November. But how strangely are the Jews at this day besotted, if that be true of them that some report, viz., that at this their feast of reconciliation, they use to bribe Satan, that he may not accuse them for their sins; and that this is one thing for which they do yearly afflict their souls, namely, the translation of the Bible out of Hebrew into Greek, by the Septuagint! Arch. Ussher, Annales Vet. Test., p. 2. Alex. Ross’s View of Religions.