Chapter 22

1 The priests in their uncleanness must abstain from the holy things. 6 How they shall be cleansed. 10 Who of the priest’s house may eat of the holy things. 17The sacrifices must be without blemish. 26 The age of the sacrifice. 29 The law of eating the sacrifice of thanksgiving.

2. Separate themselves. All that served at the tabernacle must be strictly clean, ceremonially and otherwise. If any priest had become unclean, he must carefully avoid touching or even coming near any of the holy things. These included everything pertaining to the service of the sanctuary, such as the altars, with all their utensils, and also the offerings the people brought to the priests. If any did so, he was cut off from the presence of the Lord, that is, from the service of the tabernacle.

4. A leper. Most of the defilements that might come to a priest would be only temporary in nature, and exclusion from the sanctuary would last only till evening. Those, however, who contracted leprosy or had a running sore were excluded until declared clean again, however long the time might be. During the time of their separation they were supported as were the other priests, but might not eat of things offered, since that would involve the bearing of sin.

5. Any creeping thing. God ordained that all who served at the sanctuary should be absolutely clean. If a priest should as much as touch a creeping thing or another person who was not clean, he must wash, and might not serve till the next day.

7. When the sun is down. Sunset ended the day. At that time the doors of the tabernacle were shut, and there were no more services that day. Hence when a priest was unclean until evening, he could not officiate until the day following.

9. Lest they bear sin. At all times the priests must refrain from eating anything unclean, or that had been torn, or that had died of itself. Whoever did so, knowingly, would “die therefore.”

10. The holy thing. That is, the daily food of the priest and his family, most of which came from the offerings of the people. Hebrew bondservants and their families were reckoned as belonging to the family and could therefore eat of the “holy things.” A married daughter living with her husband was counted as belonging to another family, and hence might not eat of them.

14. Unwittingly. If a man who was not entitled to eat of the holy things did so unwittingly, he thereby trespassed in “the holy things of the Lord,” and came under the rule of ch. 5:15, 16. A priest must ever be on his guard to avoid infractions of this regulation. A married daughter, for instance, might be visiting her parents’ home and be given a portion of food to take home. If it was “holy” she had no right to it. A visitor might be invited to eat with the priest’s family. It might beinconvenient to prepare a separate meal for the visitor only, who must therefore choose from the common meal that which he was permitted to eat. Should he or the host make a mistake, it would constitute a transgression.

18. The strangers. That is, unnaturalized persons residing among the Hebrews. A stranger might bring an offering, but not approach the altar as could an Israelite. The priest received the sacrifice and offered it for him. Such an offering would of necessity be a freewill offering, to which the rule of ch. 1:3 would, of course, apply.

21. Peace offerings. A promise to present an animal to the Lord constituted a vow. An inferior animal was unacceptable; it must be perfect in every respect. This applied to both the Israelite and the stranger.

23. A freewill offering. If, however, his was a freewill offering, and not a vow, the offerer might bring an animal even if it had something “superfluous or lacking in his parts.” Such gifts were often used for the poor. A horn might be broken, or there might be a defect in its leg, or a scar on its skin. None of these rendered it unfit for food.

24. That which is bruised. This refers to accidentally injured animals. It seems that the deliberate mutilation of animals was forbidden.

25. Bread of your God. That is, the sacrifices brought by the people upon which the priests depended for their living.

27. Seven days under the dam. That is, with its mother. A newborn animal was not immediately acceptable as an offering (see on Ex. 22:30). There was no upper age limit for offerings, except as specifically stated. Gideon offered a bullock seven years old (Judges 6:25).

28. It and her young. We are not told why a cow and her young might not be killed the same day. This rule seems to be of the same nature as that which forbade taking from the bird’s nest both mother and young (Deut. 22:6). Perhaps these precepts were designed to teach Israel kindness and mercy, even toward dumb animals. It may also have been that heathen religious rites called for such practices. This fact in itself could provide adequate explanation for the prohibition here given (see on Ex. 23:19).

The principle of kindness toward animals holds good today. Let us not kill needlessly, but rather feel that tender, solicitous care that the Creator Himself has for the creatures of field and forest (Matt. 10:29). Even little children resent harm to their pets; let us not lose childhood’s sensitive appreciation for kindness. Cruelty of all kinds should prove revolting to us. Let physicians be on guard lest they become hardened to the sufferings of others. Let ministers not forget the frailties of humanity and the need of sympathy more than of rebuke.

29. A sacrifice of thanksgiving. Verses 29 and 30 repeat the instruction of ch. 7:15.