Exodus 24:5

Exo 24:5 And he sent young men of the children of Israel, which offered burnt offerings, and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen unto the LORD.

Ver. 5. Young men.] The firstborn of the families. {Exo 13:2}

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Exo 24:5. He sent young men — So also the Septuagint, τους νεανισκους: but the Chaldee renders it, the firstborn. The firstborn were priests in every family; but, among the Israelites, they were afterward redeemed, and the tribe of Levi given to God in their stead, for his service. But the Hebrew word נערי, nagnarei, here used, signifies active as well as young, and as these persons were employed in slaying and offering up the oxen, strength and activity were necessary. As Moses himself performed the principal office of the priest, (Exo 24:6,) it cannot be concluded from this passage that these young men were priests. But it is worthy of observation, that even after the appointment of Aaron’s family to the priesthood, no man was permitted to serve at the altar after the age of fifty, see Num 8:25.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

For as yet the Priesthood was not given to Levi.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

young men--priests (Exo 19:22), probably the oldest sons of particular families, who acted under the direction of Moses.

oxen--Other animals, though not mentioned, were offered in sacrifice (Heb 9:18-20).

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 5. He sent young men] Stout, able, reputable young men, chosen out of the different tribes, for the purpose of killing, flaying, and offering the oxen mentioned here.

Burnt-offerings] They generally consisted of sheep and goats, Le 1:10. These were wholly consumed by fire.

Peace-offerings] Bullocks or goats; see Heb 9:19. The blood of these was poured out before the Lord, and then the priests and people might feast on the flesh.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(5) Young men . . . which offered burnt offerings.—It is to be noted that, even subsequently to the appointment of the Levitical priesthood, the acts of slaughtering the victims and arranging the flesh upon the altar were regarded as appropriately per formed by any Israelite (Lev_1:5-6; Lev_1:11-12, &c). The sprinkling of the blood and the lighting of the fire were the special sacrificial acts reserved to the priest (Lev_1:5; Lev_1:7; Lev_1:11; Lev_1:13). At this time, before the Levitical priest hood had been instituted, the sprinkling of the blood would seem to have been the sole act reserved. Young men were employed to slay the animals as best qualified by their strength to deal with them.

Burnt offerings . . . peace offerings.—Burnt offerings were at once expiatory and signs of self-dedication. Peace offerings were indications of man’s gratitude for mercies received. Both were now offered together, to mark (1) Israel’s thankfulness for being taken into covenant, and (2) Israel’s determination to consecrate itself wholly to the service of God.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

5. the young men, &c.] upon whom (cf. Jdg_17:5), as the strongest and most active members of the community (Ew., Di.), devolved in these times the duty of killing and cleaning the animal, and arranging its parts upon the altar, &c. Onk. the firstborn.

burnt offerings, and … peace offerings] see on Exo_20:24.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And he sent young men of the children Israel,.... To the altar under the hill he had these young men, according to Jarchi, were the firstborn of the children of Israel; and so the Targums Onkelos and Jonathan; and the latter adds,"for unto this hour the worship was among the firstborn, as yet the tabernacle of the covenant was not made, and as yet the priesthood was not given to Aaron.''But though this is a notion that has obtained among learned men, both Jews and Christians, it has been called in question by some, who have such reasons against it, as are not easily refuted. And very probably, as the seventy elders were such as were selected from the senior and graver part of the people, so these were choice young men, that were separated from others for this service, without any regard to birthright:

which offered burnt offerings, and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen unto the Lord; by way of thankfulness; and such were used at making covenants, when the parties ate and drank together. The Vulgate Latin version has it, "twelve calves", without any authority for it.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Young men of the children of Israel - See Exo 19:22; Exo 28:1; Lev 1:5.

Burnt offerings ... peace offerings - The burnt offerings Lev. 1 figured the dedication of the nation to Yahweh, and the peace offerings Lev. 3 their communion with Yahweh and with each other.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Holocausts: whole burnt-offerings: in which the whole sacrifice was consumed with fire, upon the altar. (Challoner) --- It is not said that these young men were to officiate as priests. Moses acted alone in this capacity, pouring the blood. --- Calves, and he-goats also, Hebrews ix. 19. The book was also sprinkled with the blood (Calmet) mixed with water; for which purpose scarlet wool and hyssop were employed, as St. Paul learnt from tradition, or by inspiration. (Haydock)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

It matters not whether they were the first-born, or others; it is sufficient that they were persons appointed and authorized for the present service, not without God’s direction.

Peace-offerings of oxen; one kind, as the principal is named for all; for there were offered also goats, as appears both from Heb 9:19, and from hence, that burnt-offerings were usually made of the goats, Lev 1:10; Num 7:28.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

5. Sent young men — Moses, who appropriately officiated as the priest, employed young and vigorous men, selected from the tribes, to assist him in preparing and offering the sacrifices. The Levitical arrangements for sacrifice were not yet established.

Burnt offerings, and… peace offerings — Comp. note on Exo_20:24. “The burnt offerings figured the dedication of the nation to Jehovah, and the peace offerings their communion with Jehovah and with each other.” — Speaker’s Commentary.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And he sent young men. The Levitical priesthood not being as vet instituted, either all the people were regarded as holy, and so any one might offer sacrifice, or the "young men" selected may have been of the number of the first-born, who were priests in their respective families until the appointment of Aaron and his sons to be priests of the nation. (Exo_28:1) No doubt young men were selected as most competent to deal with struggling animals.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

After the foundation and soil had been thus prepared in the place of sacrifice, for the fellowship which Jehovah was about to establish with His people; Moses sent young men of the children of Israel to prepare the sacrifices, and directed them to offer burnt-offering and sacrifice slain-offerings, viz., שׁלמים, "peace-offerings (see at Lev 3:1) for Jehovah," for which purpose פּרים, bullocks, or young oxen, were used. The young men were not first-born sons, who had officiated as priests previous to the institution of the Levitical priesthood, according to the natural right of primogeniture, as Onkelos supposes; nor were they the sons of Aaron, as Augustine maintains: they simply acted as servants of Moses; and the priestly duty of sprinkling the blood was performed by him as the mediator of the covenant. It is merely as young men, therefore, i.e., as strong and active, that they are introduced in this place, and not as representatives of the nation, "by whom the sacrifice was presented, and whose attitude resembled that of a youth just ready to enter upon his course" (Kurtz, O. C. iii. 143). For, as Oehler says, "this was not a sacrifice presented by the nation on its own account. The primary object was to establish that fellowship, by virtue of which it could draw near to Jehovah in sacrifice. Moreover, according to Exo 24:1 and Exo 24:9, the nation possessed its proper representatives in the seventy elders" (Herzog's Cyclopaedia). But even though these sacrifices were not offered by the representatives of the nation, and for this very reason Moses selected young men from among the people to act as servants at this ceremony, they had so far a substitutionary position, that in their persons the nation was received into fellowship with God by means of the sprinkling of the blood, which was performed in a peculiar manner, to suit the unique design of this sacrificial ceremony.

Keil & Delitzsch — Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (1861–1891) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API. (Old Testament only.)

Moses took half of the blood and put it into basins

Moses collected half of the blood in basins in order to splash it on the people in Exodus 24:8. This would confirm the people's participation in the covenant between the people of Israel and God.

he sprinkled the other half onto the altar

Here the altar represents God. This would confirm God's participation in the covenant between God and the people of Israel.

translationWords

twelve tribes of Israel

burnt offering

sacrifice

fellowship offering

cow

Yahweh

altar

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

את נערי THE LADS — the first-born sons (Zevachim 115b; Onkelos).

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.

AND HE SENT ‘NA’AREI’ (THE YOUNG MEN OF) THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL. These were the firstborns, as Onkelos rendered it, for it was they who used to offer the burnt-offerings and the peace-offerings. But I do not know why Scripture designates the firstborns by the term na’arei (the young men)? Perhaps it is because Scripture mentioned the elders who are the nobles of the children of Israel, therefore it called the firstborns ne’arim (young men), for in relation to the elders they were young. It thus indicates that Moses sent them to offer the sacrifices not because of their status in wisdom, for they were not yet advanced in age, but only an account of the birthright, through which they were set aside to offer sacrifices.In line with the plain meaning of Scripture, the young men of the children of Israel were the youth of Israel who had not tasted of sin, and had never come near a woman, for they were the most select and holy of the people, in a similar manner to that which the Rabbis have said: “The young men of Israel who have not tasted of sin, Note 6). are destined to give forth a fragrance like the Lebanon etc.” ” (ibid). The word Lebanon [of the root lavan — white] is an allusion here to the Sanctuary which “whitens” [atones for] the sins of Israel. The thought suggested then is that these young men who have not tasted of sin are as beneficial to Israel as the Sanctuary (Maharsha).

OXEN UNTO THE ETERNAL. The reason they brought oxen is that as long as Israel was in the wilderness they feared the attribute of justice, this being indeed the source of their mistake at the incident of the golden calf — as I will mention there. And so they now offered burnt-offerings and sacrificed peace-offerings all of oxen, for a similar reason to that of the bullock brought by the anointed priest [for a sin-offering], and the bullock which the court brings for an erroneous decision [which contradicts in part what the Torah enjoins], Verse 14. and the bullock for idolatry, as well as the Red Heifer., 19:2. See Ramban there: “Its redness alludes to the attribute of justice, etc.”

Ramban (Nachmanides) on the Tanakh — English translation: “Commentary on the Torah by Ramban (Nachmanides). Translated and annotated by Charles B. Chavel. New York, Shilo Pub. House, 1971-1976” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.