Exodus 29:27

Exo 29:27 And thou shalt sanctify the breast of the wave offering, and the shoulder of the heave offering, which is waved, and which is heaved up, of the ram of the consecration, [even] of [that] which [is] for Aaron, and of [that] which is for his sons:

Ver. 27. The breast of the wave offering, and the shoulder.] To teach the priests to serve the Lord with all their heart, and with all their strength.

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.

So called because it was not only shaken to and fro, but also lifted up.

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

Verse 27. The breast of the wave-offering, and the shoulder of the heave-offering] As the wave-offering was agitated to and fro, and the heave-offering up and down, some have conceived that this twofold action represented the figure of the cross, on which the great Peace-offering between God and man was offered in the personal sacrifice of our blessed Redeemer. Had we authority for this conjecture, it would certainly cast much light on the meaning and intention of these offerings; and when the intelligent reader is informed that one of the most judicious critics in the whole republic of letters is the author of this conjecture, viz., Houbigant, he will treat it with respect. I shall here produce his own words on this verse:

Hic distinguuntur, תנופה et תרומה, ut ejusdem oblationis caeremoniae duae. In significatur, moveri oblatam victimam huc et illuc, ad dextram et ad sinistram. In תרומה sursum tolli, et sublatam rursus deprimi; nam pluribus vicibus id fiebat. Rem sic interpretantur Judaei; et Christianos docent, quanquam id non agentes, sic adumbrari eam crucem, in quam generis humani victima illa pacifica sublata est, quam veteres victimae omnes praenunciabant.

"The heave-offering and wave-offering, as two ceremonies in the same oblation, are here distinguished. The wave-offering implies that the victim was moved hither and thither, to the right hand and to the left; the heave-offering was lifted up and down, and this was done several times. In this way the Jews explain these things, and teach the Christians, that by these acts the cross was adumbrated, upon which that Peace-offering of the human race was lifted up which was prefigured by all the ancient victims."

The breast and the shoulder, thus waved and heaved, were by this consecration appointed to be the priests' portion for ever; and this, as Mr. Ainsworth piously remarks, "taught the priests how, with all their heart and all their strength, they should give themselves unto the service of the Lord in his Church." Moses, as priest, received on this occasion the breast and the shoulder, which became afterwards the portion of the priests; see Ex 29:28, and Le 7:34. It is worthy of remark, that although Moses himself had no consecration to the sacerdotal office, yet he acts here as high priest, consecrates a high priest, and receives the breast and the shoulder, which were the priests' portion! But Moses was an extraordinary messenger, and derived his authority, without the medium of rites or ceremonies, immediately from God himself. It does not appear that Christ either baptized the twelve apostles, or ordained them by imposition of hands; yet, from his own infinite sufficiency, he gave them authority both to baptize, and to lay on hands, in appointing others to the work of the sacred ministry. Ex 29:29

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

THE LAW OF THE WAVE AND HEAVE OFFERINGS, AND OF THE CONSECRATION GARMENTS.

(27, 28) The wave offering.—For the future, in every case of offerings made at a consecration, both the breast and the right shoulder (Lev_7:32) were to be given to the officiating priest, who was to “wave” the one and “heave” the other before the Lord. “Heaving” was a single movement, an uplifting of the thing heaved; “waving” was a repeated movement, a swaying of the thing waved backwards and forwards horizontally. Both were modes of presenting the thing to God.

(29) The holy garments of Aaron shall be his sons’ after him.—That Eleazar was consecrated in his father’s holy garments we learn from Num_20:28; but nothing is recorded as to the investiture of later high priests. Still, it is reasonable to suppose that the injunctions here given were carried out so long as the garments worn by Aaron held together.

To be anointed therein.—The anointing of each successive high priest is here commanded by implication. Jewish tradition affirms the practice to have been in conformity.

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

27. the breast of the wave offering] or, the wave breast, as this part of the peace-offering was technically called (Lev_7:34; Lev_10:14 al.).

the thigh of the heave offering elsewhere (Lev_7:34 al.) the heave thigh: better (see on Exo_25:2), the thigh of the contribution, i.e. the thigh which was contributed by the worshipper to the priest. As was explained on Exo_25:2, no rite of elevation is implied in the expression.

heaved up] contributed; lit. lifted up, or separated, from a large mass for a sacred purpose. Cf. Exo Exo_35:24; and see DB. iii. 588a (5 a).

from the ram of installation, (even) from that which is for Aaron, and from that which, &c.] ‘that which’ (twice) is in apposition wit ‘the ram of installation.’

27–28. Both the breast and the thigh of the ram of installation to in perpetuity the perquisite of Aaron and his sons. The verses (which do not agree with vv. 22, 24; for the thigh which was there burnt on the altar is here to be the perquisite of the priests) are probably a later insertion, correcting v. 26, and harmonizing (though imperfectly) vv. 22, 25 with the practice that was usual in the case of a peace-offering, viz. for the priests to receive both the breast and the right thigh (Lev_7:32-34).

27–30. Two parenthetical regulations: neither in Leviticus 8.

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 thou shall sanctify the breast of the wave offering,.... Set it apart for the use of the priest in all succeeding ages:

and the shoulder of the heave offering: as the breast was waved from one hand to another, or cast from the hand of one to the hand of another; the shoulder was heaved up, or cast up and caught again: this also was to be sanctified or set apart for the priest's use, Lev 7:32,

which is waved, and which is heaved up of the ram of the consecration: the breast was waved and the shoulder heaved:

even of that which is for Aaron, and of that which is for his sons; as these two parts before mentioned in peace offerings were.

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

Heaved up: this was done by throwing the parts upward, and catching them again.

Even of that which is for Aaron, and of that which is for his sons: the words may be rendered thus, of which breast and shoulder of the ram shall be Aaron’s portion, and of which shall be the portion of his sons; so there is only an ellipsis of the verb substantive, which is most common, and the Hebrew prefix lamed designs a thing belonging to the person to whom that is prefixed, as it is in other like cases, as Gen 40:8; Deu 1:17; Psa 47:9.

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

Vers. 27, 28. A short digression is here made, from this particular offering, to all future offerings for consecration. For the future both the breast and the right shoulder are to belong to the priests. The shoulder, moreover, is to be "heaved," and only the breast "waved; ... heaving" being a single lifting up of the offering towards heaven, while" waving" was a repeated movement in a horizontal direction. Wave and heave offerings are always connected with the portions of the priests, or with things dedicated to God"s service. (see Exo_25:2 Exo_35:22, 24 38:24, Lev_7:30-34; Num_18:11, Num_18:19, Num_18:24, etc.)

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

וקדשת את חזה התנופה ואת שוק התרומה וגו׳ AND THOU SHALT SANCTIFY THE BREAST OF THE WAVE OFFERING AND THE SHOULDER OF THE HEAVE OFFERING etc. — Declare these portions of the animal to have a sacred character for future generations in that the heaving of them and the waving of them shall be practised in respect of the breast and the shoulder of all peace-offerings, but the similarity between the שלמים and the מלואים shall not extend to burning the shoulder as was done in the case of the מלואים but (v. 28) “it shall be for Aaron and his sons” to be eaten.

הונף WHICH IS WAVED — an expression for moving to and fro in a horizontal direction; venteler in old French

הורם WHICH WAS HEAVED — an expression for moving up and down.

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.