Commentaria in Leviticum
Verse 5. They brought therefore all things—after Aaron, bidden by Moses, had commanded it, as he said in verse 3.
Verse 10. And the fat, and the kidneys, and the caul of the liver, which are for sin (the parts of the victim, namely of the calf), he burnt—that is, he laid them upon the altar to be burnt and consumed: for by the heavenly fire these and the following victims were afterwards consumed, as is plain from verse 24.
Verse 11. But the flesh and the skin thereof he burnt without the camp.
Note secondly: it is to be understood here that in this sacrifice for sin those things were done which are customary and which were prescribed in chapter 4, verses 2, 3, 4, namely that the fat was burnt and the rest of the blood poured out at the foot of the altar.
Verse 17. Adding in the sacrifice (mincha) the libations—of oil and wine, of which Numbers 15:4: that this law had already been made is plain from this place, although it is related later, in Numbers 15.
Besides the ceremonies of the morning holocaust—that is, without omitting or hindering the perpetual sacrifice, morning and evening.
Verses 19 and 20. The fat, the tail, etc., they put upon the breasts—not their own, but those of the beasts already immolated, which Aaron afterwards separated, burning the fat and the tail to God, but elevating the breast and the right shoulder before the Lord, as is said in the following verse. This is plain from the Hebrew. For the breast and the right shoulder were not burnt, but, elevated and offered to God, fell to the sacrificer, as was said in chapter 7, verses 31 and 32.
Verse 22. And stretching out his hands to the people, he blessed them—Aaron, namely, the new pontiff. The form of the blessing was that which is found in Numbers 6:24, namely: “The Lord bless thee and keep thee. The Lord shew his face to thee, and have mercy on thee. The Lord turn his countenance to thee, and give thee peace.” An example and fruit of this blessing is found in 2 Paralipomenon 30:27, the truth of whose figure appeared in Christ’s blessing, both at other times and in the ascension into heaven.
Note: Here there seems to have been a twofold blessing; for Aaron seems to have blessed the people twice: first, when he had placed the victims upon the altar; secondly, after coming out of the tabernacle: for then he blessed the people together with Moses, verse 23.
And so the victims being completed (that is, the slaying, cutting up and laying upon the altar of the victims), he came down—Aaron, sacrificing; for there remained the burning of the victims, which was afterwards done by fire sent from heaven. Wherefore what is said in verses 10, 13, 17, 20 must be taken by anticipation, as is plain from verse 24. Here then seems to have been the order and series of the matter: first, Aaron slew and immolated all these victims; secondly, the holocausts, and the fat of the peace-offerings, and the victim of Aaron for sin being laid together upon the altar of holocausts, Moses and Aaron entered the tabernacle to pray God to send fire from heaven that should consume these victims (for he knew that this would be, and foretold it
He burnt with fire—according to the law made in chapter 4, verse 12.
as Moses said, as is plain from verse 4), and likewise that they might burn incense upon the altar of incense. Thirdly, after their prayers the divine fire came from heaven and consumed the victims. Fourthly, the people seeing this praised God, whom Moses and Aaron then blessed, and sent them home. Fifthly, the calf offered for the sin of Aaron was carried out of the camp, and there burnt whole with its skin, as is said in verse 11.
Verse 23. And coming forth afterwards.—So it must be read, with the Hebrews, the Chaldees, the Septuagint and the Romans; wrongly therefore in others, even the Plantinian, is read “having gone in.”
And the glory of the Lord appeared—namely the fire that came forth, that is, was produced and sent forth, from the Lord, which devoured the holocaust and the fat of the peace-offerings, as follows. God sent this fire upon the victims of Aaron that by this miracle He might confirm, and as it were seal, the priestly order of the old law instituted by Himself and His laws concerning sacrifices, and that He might kindle the people’s reverence toward the priests and the sacrifices. So fire descending from heaven approved the sacrifice and the religion of Elias contending against Baal and his priests, 3 Kings 18:24 and 38. The same fire approved the sacrifices of Solomon at the dedication of the temple, 2 Paralipomenon 7:4. See what was said on Exodus 3:2. So the Gentiles feigned fables of their own divine fire: as is reported of Seleucus, that when he was sacrificing a victim to Jupiter at Pella, the wood laid upon the altars is said to have taken fire of itself. And Servius on that line of Aeneid 12, “who sanctions treaties with the thunderbolt,” says: Because with the ancients altars were not kindled, but they drew down divine fire by prayers, which set the victims aflame; and hence Jupiter was called Elicius. But these things are either fabulous, or wrought by the art and aid of the devil.
Note first: This fire was sent by God upon the altar and its victims on the eighth day from the erection of the tabernacle and the consecration of the priests; for during the first seven days of the consecration of the priests, Moses used common fire in his sacrifices; but after the eighth day and this fire fallen from heaven, the priests thereafter used it in their sacrifices: and because Nadab and Abiu did not use it, but brought foreign and profane fire upon the altar, therefore they were struck and consumed by the fire of the Lord, as will be said in chapter 10.
Note secondly: This fire had to be fostered and kept up continually by the priests with the utmost care, by laying on wood and other fuel, as is plain from Leviticus 6:12; hence thereafter it was always kept by them in the tabernacle, and afterwards in the temple, until the time of the Babylonian captivity and the burning of the temple; for when this was imminent, the priests carried this divine fire out of the altar and the temple, and hid it in a well; and when, after the captivity was ended, they sought it at the command of Nehemias, they found not fire but, in place of fire, a thick water, which, when the priest sacrificed, was turned again into the same fire; and this fire the priests afterwards used in the second temple of Zorobabel, and in memory of this thing and miracle they instituted the feast of the fire given, or rather restored: all these things The Hebrews relate that in this fire which consumed the sacrifices the face of a lion was seen, to represent Christ, who is the lion of the tribe of Juda, and who, made a victim for us on the cross by the fire of His immense charity, consumed all our sins and reconciled us to God the Father. They add also many other things: first, that this fire could not be extinguished by water, even though rivers should fall upon it and overwhelm it; secondly, that it needed no nourishment, yet God willed that the priest should nourish it; thirdly, that it was kept covered with a cloth, wrapped in purple. But these are Jewish fables: for why did God command this fire to be nourished with so great care, unless because it would have been extinguished, not only by water, but also for want of fuel and wood? The Jews err secondly, in thinking that this heavenly fire was always wanting in the second temple; for the contrary is plain from 2 Machabees 1:19. Abulensis blunders thirdly, in thinking that this fire failed after the eighth day, because thereafter for thirty-eight years in the desert the Hebrews did not sacrifice; and consequently that in Chanaan, when they began to sacrifice again, they drew fire not from heaven but naturally from flint, and burnt the sacrifices with it. For that this fire never failed is plain both from the place of 2 Machabees just cited, and from the Lord’s having commanded that it be perpetually nourished and kept, chapter 6, verse 13. So Ribera, book 5 On the Temple, chapter 17, and others everywhere. In like manner God commanded that the loaves of proposition be set before Him continually on the table, even in the desert, as is plain from Numbers 7:7.