Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Leviticus 5:8
And he shall bring them unto the priest, who shall offer [that] which [is] for the sin offering first, and wring off his head from his neck, but shall not divide [it] asunder:
8. and wring off ] as in Lev 1:15. It has been thought that the last clause of the v. refers still to the neck, indicating that in this case the head of the bird was not to be wholly separated from the body. But it seems better to take that clause to have the same reference as in Lev 1:17, and to mean that the body was not to be divided.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 8. But shall not divide it] See Clarke on Le 1:16.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
And he shall bring them unto the priest,…. Either two turtledoves, or two young pigeons:
who shall offer [that] which [is] for the sin [offering] first; that which is chosen for it, as the Targum of Jonathan; and this choice was made, not by the priest, but by the man that brought the offering, who separated it, and said, lo, this is a sin offering, and after that said, lo, this is a burnt offering a; the sin offering was offered first, which was to make atonement for sin, and then the burnt offering, to denote the divine acceptance of it; and so Ben Gersom observes, it was proper to offer the sin offering first, to atone for his sin, that after he (God) was appeased this way, he might receive his gift; for the burnt offering was as a gift. Jarchi compares it to an advocate, who first goes in to appease, and when he has appeased, the gift goes in after him:
and wring off his head from his neck, but shall not divide it asunder: be it a turtledove or a young pigeon, so it was to be served; the head was not to be separated from the body, but was nipped by the nail of the priest “in” the neck, as it might be rendered b; over against the neck, as the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan render it; the hinder part, or what is behind the throat, as Jarchi and Ben Molech interpret it; so that the part which was nipped was the neck; and this nip was made so large, as that the blood was let out by it, as appears from the following verse Le 5:9, and yet the head was not divided from the body; the head hung by a piece of skin on the back part; of the manner of performing this, and the mystery of it,
[See comments on Le 1:15].
a Ib. (Maimon & Bratenora) in Misn. Zebachim, c. 10. sect. 4. b Vid. Noldium, p. 611. No. 1637.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(8) And wring off his head.For the manner in which this was performed see Lev. 1:15. It will be seen that it is here distinctly ordered that in this operation the head of the bird is not to be severed from its body. Herein it differed from the burnt offering in Lev. 1:15. At the time of the second Temple, the priest went to the south-west horn of the altar, held the two feet of the bird between two fingers, and the two wings between two fingers, stretched out the neck of the victim to the breadth of his two fingers, and cut it with the nail of his thumb, breaking open the great blood-vessel at the neck.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
8. The sin offering first This direction is important, as it determines the order of the sacrifices. See Introduction, (5.)
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘Was not this prohibition of not dividing the offering, an emblem of the offering for sin, of a complete Saviour? Joh 19:36 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Lev 5:8 And he shall bring them unto the priest, who shall offer [that] which [is] for the sin offering first, and wring off his head from his neck, but shall not divide [it] asunder:
Ver. 8. For the sin offering first. ] For till sin be expiated, no sacrifice or service can be accepted. Therefore “Wash you, cleanse you,” and then, “Come, and let us reason.” Isa 1:16-18
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
wring off: Lev 1:15, Rom 4:25, 1Pe 3:18
Reciprocal: Exo 29:14 – it is a Lev 5:7 – one Num 6:11 – offer Num 18:20 – General