Leviticus 6:27

Whatsoever shall touch the flesh thereof shall be holy: and when there is sprinkled of the blood thereof upon any garment, thou shalt wash that whereon it was sprinkled in the holy place.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(27) Whatsoever shall touch the flesh thereof.—Better, every one that toucheth the flesh thereof, as the Authorised Version rightly renders this phrase in Leviticus 6:18 of this very chapter, where it is explained.

And when there is sprinkled . . . . —So peculiarly sacred was the sin offering, that when any of its blood chanced to spurt upon the garment of the officiating priest, or the one who brought the sacrifice, the spot which received the stain had to be washed in the room of the court provided for this purpose, wherein was a well which supplied the water for the sanctuary, thus preventing the blood from being profaned outside the holy place.

Thou shalt wash.—That is, Aaron, to whom the command was first given, and then his descendants, the priests, not the Israelite or layman.

Benson Commentary

Leviticus 6:27. Upon any garment — Upon the priest’s garments; for it was he only that sprinkled it, and in so doing he might easily sprinkle his garments. In the holy place — Partly out of reverence to the blood of sacrifices, which hereby was kept from a profane or common touch; and partly that such garments might be decent, and fit for sacred administrations.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

6:24-30 The blood of the sin-offering was to be washed out of the clothes on which it should happen to be sprinkled, which signified the regard we ought to have to the blood of Christ, not counting it a common thing. The vessel in which the flesh of the sin-offering was boiled must be broken, if it were an earthen one; but if a brazen one, well washed. This showed that the defilement was not wholly taken away by the offering; but the blood of Christ thoroughly cleanses from all sin. All these rules set forth the polluting nature of sin, and the removal of guilt from the sinner to the sacrifice. Behold and wonder at Christ's love, in that he was content to be made a sin-offering for us, and so to procure our pardon for continual sins and failings. He that knew no sin was made sin (that is, a sin-offering) for us, 2Co 5:21. Hence we have pardon, and not only pardon, but power also, against sin, Ro 8:3.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The place where ... - See Leviticus 1:11.

It is most holy - See Leviticus 2:3. The key to the special sanctity of the flesh of the sin-offering, as set forth in Leviticus 6:26-30, must, it would seem, be found in the words of Moses to the priests Leviticus 10:17. The flesh of the victim, which represented the sinner for whom atonement was now made, was to be solemnly, and most exclusively, appropriated by those who were appointed to mediate between the sinner and the Lord. The far-reaching symbolism of the act met its perfect fulfillment in the One Mediator who took our nature upon Himself. Philippians 2:7.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

25-28. This is the law of the sin offering—It was slain, and the fat and inwards, after being washed and salted, were burnt upon the altar. But the rest of the carcass belonged to the officiating priest. He and his family might feast upon it—only, however, within the precincts of the tabernacle; and none else were allowed to partake of it but the members of a priestly family—and not even they, if under any ceremonial defilement. The flesh on all occasions was boiled or sodden, with the exception of the paschal lamb, which was roasted [Ex 12:8, 9]; and if an earthen vessel had been used, it being porous and likely to imbibe some of the liquid particles, it was to be broken; if a metallic pan had been used it was to be scoured and washed with the greatest care, not because the vessels had been defiled, but the reverse—because the flesh of the sin offering having been boiled in them, those vessels were now too sacred for ordinary use. The design of all these minute ceremonies was to impress the minds, both of priests and people, with a sense of the evil nature of sin and the care they should take to prevent the least taint of its impurities clinging to them.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

Whatsoever shall touch the flesh; of which See Poole "Leviticus 6:18".

Upon any garment; upon the priest’s garment; for it was he only that sprinkled it, and in so doing he might easily sprinkle his garments.

Thou shalt wash that whereon it was sprinkled in the holy place; partly out of reverence to the blood of sacrifices, which hereby was kept from a profane or common touch; and partly that such garments might be decent, and fit for sacred administrations.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Whatsoever shall touch the flesh thereof shall be holy,.... None but holy persons, such as were devoted to holy services, even the priests and their sons, might touch and eat of the flesh of the sin offering: all that did so were sacred persons; and even what were used in eating it, dishes and knives, were to be put to no other use, not to any common service, or for anything but holy things; which was done to keep up a veneration for the sacrifices, and especially for the great sacrifice they typified, the sacrifice of Christ, whose flesh is meat indeed; and whoever eats of that by faith dwells in Christ, and Christ dwells in him, John 6:55,

and when there is sprinkled of the blood thereof upon any garment; the garment of the priest that slays and offers it:

thou shalt wash that whereon it was sprinkled in the holy place; it was not to be carried out of the tabernacle, and washed elsewhere, but in the sanctuary; either at the laver, where the priests washed their hands and feet, or in some room in the court for that purpose. This was done to preserve an esteem and value for the blood of the sacrifice, as typical of the precious blood of Christ.

Geneva Study Bible

Whatsoever shall touch the flesh thereof shall be holy: and when there is sprinkled of the blood thereof upon any {k} garment, thou shalt wash that whereon it was sprinkled in the holy place.

(k) Meaning, the garment of the priest.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

27. Whatsoever] As rules for contact with a garment or vessels follow, the clause should probably be rendered as R.V. mg. Whosoever. So the LXX.

shall be holy] shall become holy, as in Leviticus 6:18, where see note.

Leviticus 6:27

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

The Law of the Sin-Offering, which is introduced with a new introductory formula on account of the interpolation of Leviticus 6:19-23, gives more precise instructions, though chiefly with regard to the sin-offerings of the laity, first as to the place of slaughtering, as in Leviticus 4:24, and then as to the most holy character of the flesh and blood of the sacrifices. The flesh of these sin-offerings was to be eaten by the priest who officiated at a holy place, in the fore-court (see Leviticus 6:16). Whoever touched it became holy (see at Leviticus 6:18); and if any one sprinkled any of the blood upon his clothes, whatever the blood was sprinkled upon was to be washed in a holy place, in order that the most holy blood might not be carried out of the sanctuary into common life along with the sprinkled clothes, and thereby be profaned. The words "thou shalt wash" in Leviticus 6:20 are addressed to the priest.