Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Leviticus 6:28
But the earthen vessel wherein it is sodden shall be broken: and if it be sodden in a brazen pot, it shall be both scoured, and rinsed in water.
28. The reason for breaking the earthen vessel was that, not being glazed as in modern fashion, it was absorbent; a brazen pot could be scoured, and all trace of the substance with which it had been in contact removed (cp. Lev 11:33, Lev 15:12). The remains of the broken earthen vessels were buried.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
The earthen vessel – Unglazed pottery would absorb some of the juices of the meat: and a vessel made holy could not be put to any other purpose.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 28. The earthen vessel – shall be broken] Calmet states that this should be considered as implying the vessels brought by individuals to the court of the temple or tabernacle, and not of the vessels that belonged to the priests for the ordinary service. That the people dressed their sacrifices sometimes in the court of the tabernacle, he gathers from 1Sa 2:13-14, to which the reader is desired to refer.
In addition to what has been already said on the different subjects in this chapter, it may be necessary to notice a few more particulars. The perpetual meat-offering, minchah tamid, Le 6:20, the perpetual fire, esh tamid, Le 6:13, and the perpetual burnt-offering, olath tamid, Ex 29:42, translated by the Septuagint , , and and , all cast much light on Heb 7:25, where it is said, Christ is able to save them to the uttermost ( , perpetually, to all intents and purposes) that come unto God by him; seeing he ever liveth ( , he is perpetually living) to make intercession for them; in which words there is a manifest allusion to the perpetual minchah, the perpetual fire, and the perpetual burnt-offering, mentioned here by Moses. As the minchah, or gratitude-offering should be perpetual, so our gratitude for the innumerable mercies of God should be perpetual. As the burnt-offering must be perpetual, so should the sacrifice of our blessed Lord be considered as a perpetual offering, that all men, in all ages, should come unto God through him who is ever living, in his sacrificial character, to make intercession for men; and who is therefore represented even in the heavens as the Lamb just slain, standing before the throne, Re 5:6; Heb 10:19-22. And as the fire on the altar must be perpetual, so should the influences of the Holy Spirit in every member of the Church, and the flame of pure devotion in the hearts of believers, be ever energetic and permanent. A continual sacrifice for continual successive generations of sinners was essentially necessary. Continual influences of the Holy Spirit on the souls of men were essentially necessary to apply and render effectual this atonement, to the salvation of the soul. And incessant gratitude for the ineffable love of God, manifested by his unspeakable gift, is surely required of all those who have tasted that the Lord is gracious. Reader, dost thou feel thy obligations to thy Maker? Does the perpetual fire burn on the altar of thy heart? Art thou ever looking unto Jesus, and beholding, by faith, the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world? And dost thou feel the influences of his Spirit, at all times witnessing with thy spirit that thou art his child, and exciting thee to acts of gratitude and obedience? If not, of what benefit has the religion of Christ been to thee to the present day? Of a contrary state to that referred to above, it may be well said, This is not the way to heaven, for the way of life is above to the wise, that they may depart from the snares of death beneath. Arise, therefore, and shake thyself from the dust; and earnestly call upon the Lord thy God, that he may save thy soul, and that thou fall not into the bitter pains of an eternal death.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
The earthen vessel shall be broken, because being full of pores, the liquor in which it was sodden might easily sink into it, whereby it was ceremonially holy, and therefore was broken, lest afterwards it should be abused to profane or common uses.
It shall be both scoured, and not broken, as being of considerable value, which therefore God would not have unnecessarily wasted. And this being of a more solid substance than an earthen vessel, was not so apt to drink in the humour.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
But the earthen vessel wherein it is sodden shall be broken,…. That being porous, the liquor in which the sin offering was boiled might soak into it, and the smell of it be retained, and therefore, as such vessels were not very costly, they were ordered to be broken; but where the broken pieces were carried and laid, the Jewish writers are at a loss about; for, that vessels, which had served for holy uses, should be laid in an open public place and exposed, they thought was indecent; and as there might be in a course of time great quantities broken, it would look very disagreeable and unseemly to have them lie in heaps in the sanctuary; they therefore have framed a miracle, and conceit that they were swallowed up in the ground where they were laid x:
and if it be sodden in a brazen it shall be both scoured and rinsed in water; brass, being more valuable, must not be destroyed; and besides the liquor could not soak into that, and whatever scent it retained was easily and soon removed by scouring and rinsing; the former was with hot water, and the latter with cold, as Ben Gersom affirms.
x T. Bab. Yoma, fol. 21. 1.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
The flesh was equally holy. The vessel, in which it was boiled for the priests to eat, was to be broken in pieces if it were of earthenware, and scoured ( Pual) and overflowed with water, i.e., thoroughly rinsed out, if it were of copper, lest any of the most holy flesh should adhere to the vessel, and be desecrated by its being used in the preparation of common food, or for other earthly purposes. It was possible to prevent this desecration in the case of copper vessels by a thorough cleansing; but not so with earthen vessels, which absorb the fat, so that it cannot be removed by washing. The latter therefore were to be broken in pieces, i.e., thoroughly destroyed. On the other hand, earthen vessels that had been defiled were also ordered to be broken to pieces, though for the very opposite reason (see Lev 11:33, Lev 11:35).
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
(28) But the earthen vessel.The earthen vessels need by the Hebrews were unglazed. The ordinary domestic vessels throughout the East are so to this day. From their porous character, therefore, they would absorb some of the fat juices of the flesh which was boiled in them for the priests to eat. And as the absorbed juices could not be washed out, the inexpensive earthenware was to be broken up. (See Lev. 11:33; Lev. 11:35). During the second Temple the fragments were carefully buried in the ground when there was a large accumulation of them.
And if it be sodden in a brasen pot.Being a solid metal, no juices could sink into it, and any of the most holy flesh that might adhere to it could easily be removed by washing. During the second Temple the scouring was done with hot water, and the rinsing with cold.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Lev 6:28. Earthen vesselbrasen pot These were such vessels as were employed by private persons in dressing their sacrifices; but which did not belong to the tabernacle; see 1Sa 2:13-14. These injunctions, respecting them, were designed to keep up a due veneration of the sacred offices, and a careful separation of all things used in religious services, from those employed in ordinary offices.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Lev 6:28 But the earthen vessel wherein it is sodden shall be broken: and if it be sodden in a brasen pot, it shall be both scoured, and rinsed in water.
Ver. 28. But the earthen vessel. ] So contagious a thing is sin, that it defileth the very visible heaven and earth: which therefore must be likewise purged by the last fire, as the earthen pot which held the sin offering was broken, and the brazen scoured and rinsed in water.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Lev 11:33, Lev 15:12, Heb 9:9, Heb 9:10
Reciprocal: Lev 8:31 – Boil Lev 11:32 – it must be put into water Lev 11:35 – they shall be 2Ch 35:13 – sod Zec 14:20 – and the
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Lev 6:28. The earthen vessel shall be broken This relates, not to the consecrated vessels of the tabernacle, for none of these were of earth, Exo 27:19; but to such vessels as were sometimes employed by private persons in dressing the meat of their sacrifices, whereof we have an example, 1Sa 2:13-14. These, after the flesh of the sacrifice had been boiled in them, were to be broken, in order that what retained the smallest tincture of the holy things might not be profaned by being afterward employed in common use. If it be sodden in a brazen pot, it shall be scoured Vessels of brass, being more solid, and less apt to imbibe the moisture, might be thoroughly cleansed from all tincture of the sacrifice by washing and scouring, and therefore were not to be broken. Besides, being of considerable value, God would not have them destroyed unnecessarily.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
6:28 But the earthen vessel wherein it is sodden shall be broken: and if it be sodden in a brasen pot, it shall be both scoured, and rinsed in {l} water.
(l) Which was in the laver, Exo 30:28.