Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Leviticus 4:12
Even the whole bullock shall he carry forth without the camp unto a clean place, where the ashes are poured out, and burn him on the wood with fire: where the ashes are poured out shall he be burnt.
A clean place where the ashes are poured out See Lev 1:16 note. It was a place free from impurities, not like those referred to in Lev 14:40, Lev 14:45. The flesh, though it was burned in an ordinary way, and not sent up in the fire of the altar (see Lev 1:9 note), was not to be confounded with carrion, but was associated with the remains of the sacrifices. The priests could not eat the flesh of this victim or of that offered for the sin of the congregation, as they ate that of other sin-offerings Lev 6:26. Compare Lev 10:17-18, because they were in these cases in the position of offerers. Lev 16:27; Heb 13:11. The same rule was observed in regard to the meat-offering of the priests, Lev 6:23. It was only of the peace-offering that the offerer himself could partake.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 12. Without the camp] This was intended figuratively to express the sinfulness of this sin, and the availableness of the atonement. The sacrifice, as having the sin of the priest transferred from himself to it by his confession and imposition of hands, was become unclean and abominable, and was carried, as it were, out of the Lord’s sight; from the tabernacle and congregation it must be carried without the camp, and thus its own offensiveness was removed, and the sin of the person in whose behalf it was offered. The apostle (Heb 13:11-13) applies this in the most pointed manner to Christ: “For the bodies of those beasts whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned without the camp. Wherefore JESUS also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate. Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach.”
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
So no part of this was to be eaten by the priests, as it was in other sin-offerings, Lev 6:26. The reason is plain, because the offerer might not eat of his own sin-offering, and the priest was the offerer in this case, as also in the sin-offering for the whole congregation below, Lev 4:21, of which the priest himself was a member.
Shall he carry forth; not himself, which would have defiled him, but by another whom he shall appoint for that work, as may be gathered from Lev 16:27,28.
Without the camp, to signify either,
1. The horrible and abominable nature of sin, especially in high and holy persons, or when it overspreads a whole people. Or,
2. The removing of the guilt and punishment of that sin from the people, and their duty of keeping such wickedness out of the camp for time to come. Or,
3. That Christ should suffer without the camp or gate, as he did. See Heb 13:11,12. Where the ashes are poured out; for the ashes, though at first they were thrown down near the altar, Lev 1:16, yet afterwards they, together with the filth of the sacrifices, were carried into a certain place without the camp. See Lev 6:10,11.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
Even the whole bullock shall he carry forth without the camp,…. The Jewish writers interpret it without the three camps b, the camp of the tabernacle, the camp of the Levites, and the camp of the Israelites; when the temple was built, such sacrifices were carried and burnt without the city of Jerusalem; there were three places for burning; one was in the midst of the court, where they burnt such sacrifices as were unfit and rejected; the other was in the mountain of the house called Birah, where they burnt such as any accident befell them, after the carrying of them out of the court; and the third place was without Jerusalem, called the place of ashes c: this was typical of Christ being had out of the city of Jerusalem, and suffering without the gates of it, Heb 13:11:
unto a clean place, where the ashes are poured out; the ashes of the burnt offerings. This, according to Ainsworth, answered to the place where Christ was crucified, being a place of skulls, or dead men’s ashes, Joh 19:17:
and burn him on the wood with fire; any wood might be used for the burning of it, even straw or stubble, which in the Hebrew language are called wood, as Gersom on the place observes, and so Maimonides d; and it is added, “with fire”, as the last writer says e, to exclude lime and cinder coals:
where the ashes are poured out shall he be burnt; openly without; and seeing it is not said, that the priest shall carry forth the bullock, and shall burn it, it is concluded by Gersom on the place, that both may be done lawfully by a stranger, and so Maimonides f.
b T. Bab. Yoma, fol. 68. 1. 2. & Sanhedrin, fol. 42. 2. Maimon. & Bartenora in Misn. Zebachim, c. 12. sect. 5. Jarchi in loc. c Maimon. Maaseh Hakorbanot, c. 7. sect. 3, 4. d Maimon. Hilchot Maaseh Hakorbanot, c. 7. sect. 5. e Ib. Vid. T. Bab. Pesachim, fol. 75. 1. f Maimon. ib.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(12) Even the whole bullock shall he carry forth.This does not mean that the high priest himself had to carry the whole bullock all that distance, but in accordance with the idiom so common in Hebrew, where the singular is used for the plural, or the indefinite or impersonal form, denotes that those who assisted in doing the rough work of the altar shall carry the victim. Hence the ancient Greek Version (LXX.) and the Samaritan rightly render it by and they shall carry, in the plural: i.e., the whole bullock shall be carried forth. In Lev. 4:24 of this very chapter the Authorised Version properly translates the same idiom into in the place where they kill the burnt offering, though the verb, as in the verse before us, is in the singular. (See also Lev. 4:14.)
Without the camp.During the time of the second Temple there were three places for burning: one place was in the court of the sanctuary, where they burnt the sacrifices which were unfit and rejected; the second place was in the mountain of the house called Birah, where were buried those sacrifices which met with an accident after they had been carried out of the court; and the third place was without Jerusalem, called the place of ashes. It is this place to which the Apostle refers when he says, for the bodies of those beast whose blood is brought into the holy place by the high priest as an offering for sin are burned without the camp. Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people through his own blood, suffered without the gate (Heb. 13:11-12).
And burn him on the wood with fire.Whilst special wood was required for the burning of those victims which were consumed in the court of the sanctuary (see Lev. 1:7), the sacrifices which were taken outside the city could be burnt with any wood, or even straw or stubble. All that was insisted on was that it should be burned with fire, as the text before us has it, but not with cinder, coals, or lime.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
12. The whole bullock shall he carry forth Bishop Colenso finds a physical impossibility here, and in his estimation a conclusive proof that Leviticus is “unhistorical,” a bungling fabrication of a later age. But the Hebrew does not require the priest personally to carry forth the bullock, but “to cause it to go forth,” by the agency of others, probably the Levites.
Without the camp The reason for this requirement is not recorded. Says Fairbairn, “It is true that all impure things were carried without the camp, but it does not follow that every thing carried out of the camp was impure.” A clean place in which it was to be burned implies that it is most holy. But the usual treatment of the most holy things, namely, eating by the priests could not be resorted to, because it was a sin offering for a priest. The only other way in which Jehovah signified his acceptance was by receiving the sweet odour when consumed by fire. But if burned on the altar there would be nothing to distinguish it from the burnt offering. Hence, though most holy, it was borne without the camp and consumed in a clean place, yet where carrion and other impurities were found near at hand. The holy Son of God, the great Sin Offering, suffered between two malefactors, himself separate from sinners. “Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate,” (Heb 13:12,) after “the Lord had laid on him the iniquity of us all.” Isa 53:6.
Where the ashes are poured out At a little distance from Jerusalem are several large mounds of ashes, one of them forty feet high, which some conjecture may be as old as the age of the temple, having been built up by the ashes carried out thither from the altar of sacrifice. Professor Liebig has proved them to be composed largely of animal elements.
And burn him “The word ‘burn,’ here, is different from that which is used to denote turning into odour or perfume on the altar. It signifies to destroy by fire; whereas the other means to incend or consume as incense.” There is something very peculiar and exceptional about the treatment of the sin offering for the people and for the high priest, their representative; it was most holy, and yet was committed not to the slow altar-fires to sweeten the sky with its odour, but to the devouring flames in a place surrounded by impurities. How unique and mysterious the sufferings of Christ when forsaken by the Father!
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Lev 4:12. The whole bullock shall he carry forth without the camp To express the heinousness of his guilt, the high-priest was not allowed to taste any part of his own sin-offering, though of other sin-offerings he was allowed to eat; ch. Lev 6:26.
REFLECTIONS.The wages of sin, wherever it is found, is death: even sins of ignorance are mortal without an atonement. We have here, therefore, an express appointment of a sin-offering for the soul that sins through ignorance. The sin is supposed to be an outward act, committed either through ignorance of the law, or surprise. There may be alleviations of guilt, but no excuse for sin.
The sacrifice for the sin of the high-priest is first appointed. He was a man, and, therefore, compassed about with infirmity. Note; 1. We must not expect too much from sinful men, however holy their calling, or high their attainments. 2. Yet a priest’s sin is ever most aggravated, since he who is appointed to guide others, is peculiarly bound to set them an example.
The sin-offering is a bullock, to be offered with the usual form. Confession of guilt, and dependence on that blood without which there is no remission, is the only way of obtaining pardon for sin. The blood was sprinkled before the vail, and put on the horns of the golden altar; to signify, that all his services were polluted, till his iniquity was done away. The fat, &c. as in the peace-offering, was burned on the altar; to signify, that God accepted the sacrifice, and was reconciled to the offender; and the whole of the beast that remained, was burned without the camp as a detestable thing. Thus Jesus, when he made his soul an offering for sin, suffered without the camp; and, in the sharpness of his sorrows, and the ignominy that he endured, shewed us the dreadful evil of sin, while he thus took it away by the sacrifice of himself.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Lev 4:12 Even the whole bullock shall he carry forth without the camp unto a clean place, where the ashes are poured out, and burn him on the wood with fire: where the ashes are poured out shall he be burnt.
Ver. 12. Shall he carry forth, ] Heb 13:11-12 . See Trapp on “ Heb 13:11 “ See Trapp on “ Heb 13:12 “
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
he carry forth = cause to be carried. Compare Lev 4:14.
without the camp. Compare Heb 13:11, Heb 13:12. See note on Exo 29:14.
wood = logs. Any wood allowed, such as straw or stubble. Not so with the other offerings.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
without the camp
Cf. Exo 29:14; Lev 16:27; Num 19:3; Heb 13:10-13. The last passage is the interpretative one. The “camp” was Judaism– a religion of forms and ceremonies. “Jesus, also, that He might sanctify separate, or set apart for God] the people with or ‘through’ His own blood, suffered without the gate” temple gate, city gate, i.e. Judaism civil and religious]; Heb 13:12 but how does this sanctify, or set apart, a people? “Let us go forth therefore unto Him without the camp Judaism then, Judaized Christianity now–anything religious which denies Him as our sin-offering] bearing His reproach” Heb 13:13. The sin- offering, “burned without the camp,” typifies this aspect of the death of Christ. The cross becomes a new altar, in a new place, where, without the smallest merit in themselves, the redeemed gather to offer, as believer-priests, spiritual sacrifices.; Heb 13:15; 1Pe 2:5. The bodies of the sin-offering beasts were not burned without the camp, as some have fancied, because “saturated with sin,” and unfit for a holy camp. Rather, an unholy camp was an unfit place for a holy sin-offering. The dead body of our Lord was not “saturated with sin,” though in it our sins had been borne 1Pe 2:24.
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes
without the camp: Heb. to without the camp, This was intended, figuratively, to express the enormity of this sin, and the availableness of the atonement. The sacrifice, as having the sin of the priest transferred from himself to it, by his confession and imposition of hands, was become unclean and abominable, and was carried, as it were, out of God’s sight; and thus its own offensiveness was removed, with the sin of the person in whose behalf it was offered. Lev 13:46, Num 5:3, Num 15:35, Num 19:3
the ashes: Lev 6:10, Lev 6:11
burn him: Exo 29:14, Num 19:5, Heb 13:11
where the ashes are poured out: Heb. at the pouring out of the ashes
Reciprocal: Lev 1:16 – by the place Lev 4:21 – as he Lev 8:17 – General Lev 9:11 – General Lev 16:27 – bullock Eze 43:21 – burn Mat 27:32 – as
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Lev 4:12. The whole bullock So no part of this was to be eaten by the priests, as it was in other sin-offerings. The reason is plain, because the offerer might not eat of his own sin-offering, and the priest was the offerer in this case, as also in the sin-offering for the whole congregation below, of which the priest himself was a member. Shall be carried forth Not by himself, which would have defiled him, but by another whom he shall appoint for that work. Without the camp To signify either, 1st, The abominable nature of sin, especially in high and holy persons, or when it overspreads a whole people. Or, 2d, The removing of the guilt or punishment of that sin from the people. Or, 3d, That Christ should suffer without the camp or gate. Where the ashes are For the ashes, though at first they were thrown down near the altar, (Lev 1:16,) yet afterward they, together with the filth of the sacrifices, were carried into a certain place without the camp.