Commentary on the book of Leviticus

Chapter 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 The third book of the Pentateuch, called in Heb. text, like other parts of the Pentateuch, according to the first word “Vaykra” (vajikra - “and called”), in Jewish tradition it is called, according to the content, “Torat-kohanim” - “the law of the priests”, or “Torat-qorbanot” - the law of the victims. Likewise, the Greek name (in LXX) of the book is Λευιτικὸν, Latin. Leviticus, Slavic-Russian “Leviticus” shows that the content of the book consists of Old Testament cults related to the duties of the holy tribe of Levi: sacrifices, religious ritual purifications, holidays, theocratic taxes, etc. The Book of Leviticus has almost exclusively legislative content, being almost completely devoid of a narrative-historical element: throughout its entire length, only two facts are reported, which, moreover, do not have a significant connection with the whole content of the entire book, facts (the death of Nadab and Abihu after the consecration of the high priest and priests, chap. Lev.10.1–3, and execution of the blasphemer, Lev.24.10–23); however, the rest of the content of the book forms a detailed development and direct continuation of the articles and provisions of the law set out in the 2nd part of the book. Exodus; Everywhere the legislation of the book of Leviticus appears to be the development and completion of the revelation announced from Sinai (Lev.25:1, 26:46, 27:34). The main idea or purpose of the book (expressed especially clearly in Lev. 26.11–12) is the formation from Israel of the Lord’s society, which would stand in close gracious and moral communion with Jehovah. Those in the book serve this purpose. Leviticus rulings: 1. about sacrifices (Lev. 1–7); 2. about the consecration of priests (Lev. 8–10); 3. about clean and unclean (Lev. 11–16); 4. about the personal holiness of members of the Lord’s community in family and social life (Lev. 17–20); 5. about the holiness and order of all worship, sacred times, etc. (Lev. 21–27). Thus the idea of ​​holiness and sanctification is the dominant idea of ​​the book of Leviticus, permeating all the designated sections, connected both historically or chronologically, and logically, by the development of one and the same principle. In addition to the immediate task - the sanctification of the members of the people of God in all departments of religious and everyday life - the laws of the book of Leviticus were primarily “a shadow and an image of the good things to come” (Heb. 10.1) of the New Testament. You might be interested in: