Leviticus 3:5

Lev 3:5 And Aaron’s sons shall burn it on the altar upon the burnt sacrifice, which [is] upon the wood that [is] on the fire: [it is] an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD.

Ver. 5. Upon the burnt sacrifice.] Which was first offered, to teach us that sin must be pardoned ere our thank offerings can be accepted. It is, therefore, ordinarily, best to begin our prayers with confession of sin, and petitions for pardon through Christ.

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.

Lev 3:5. Upon the burnt-sacrifice — Either, 1st, Upon the remainders of it, which were yet burning; or, rather, 2d, After it: for the daily burnt- offering was first to be offered, both as more eminently respecting God’s honour, and as the most solemn and stated sacrifice, which should take place of all occasional oblations, and as a sacrifice of a higher nature, being for atonement, without which no peace could be obtained, nor peace- offering offered with acceptance.

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

3:5 The burnt offering is described in 1:3-17 and is best referred to as the “whole burnt offering.” Because it was offered twice daily (see Num 28:4), and because the need for atonement preceded fellowship, the text assumes that the burnt offering would be on the altar already. The priest was to lay the fatty portions and certain internal organs (3:3-4) of the peace offering on top of it.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 5. Aaron's sons shall burn it] As the fat was deemed the most valuable part of the animal, it was offered in preference to all other parts; and the heathens probably borrowed this custom from the Jews, for they burnt the omentum or caul in honour of their gods.

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

(5) And Aaron’s sons.—After the offerer has killed the victim, taken out the choice parts and offered them to the officiating priest, the latter shall burn it, that is, the whole collection of the fat pieces described in Lev_3:3-4, upon the ashes of the continual burnt offering, which was the daily offering of the lamb. It had always the precedence, and was burning the whole day (Lev_6:12). Besides these choice pieces which had thus to be burnt, the breast and the right shoulder were reserved for the priest, whilst the remainder of the peace offering was eaten by the offerer, his family and his friends (Lev_7:15-16).

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

5. on the altar upon the burnt offering] The remains of the daily Burnt-Offering were not removed till the following morning, when a fresh Burnt-Offering was placed on wood kindled from the fire of yesterday. The fat parts of the Peace-Offering were placed upon the Burnt-Offering of the day. Cp. Lev_6:12.

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 Aaron's sons shall burn it on the altar,.... That is, the fat of the several parts before mentioned; this signified the sufferings of Christ, by which our peace is made, and by whose death we are reconciled to God: this rite of burning the fat of the inwards of sacrifices was used by the Pagans, and is still retained by the idolatrous Indians to this day (h):

upon the burnt sacrifice; which, as Gersom says, was the burnt offering of the daily sacrifice of the morning, which was offered first of all sacrifices; so Jarchi says,"we learn that the daily burnt offering preceded every other offering:''this was an eminent type of Christ's sacrifice:

which is upon the wood that is on the fire; that is, which burnt offering was laid upon the wood on the fire, and the fat of the peace offering upon that:

it is an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the Lord; as Christ's sacrifice is, Eph 5:2; see Gill on Lev 1:9.

(h) See the Abridgment of Mr. Brainerd's Journal, published in 1748, p. 30.

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

Upon the burnt sacrifice - Upon the ashes of the continual burnt-offering Exo 29:38, in accordance with Lev 6:12.

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

For a. Some translate, "upon the," others "after the burnt-sacrifice;" as if that were always to be offered first, every day. (Calmet) --- But is seems that the peace-offering was an imitation of the holocaust, with respect to the fat, caul, and kidneys, which were to be entirely consumed. (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).

Upon the burnt sacrifice; either,

1. Upon the remainders of it, which yet were burning; or rather,

2. After it; for the daily burnt-offering was first to be offered, both as more eminently respecting God’s honour, which ought to be preferred before all things; and as the most solemn and stated sacrifice, which should take place of all voluntary and occasional oblation, and as a sacrifice of a higher nature and use, being for expiation and atonement, without which no peace could be obtained, nor peace-offering offered with acceptance.

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

Upon the burnt sacrifice. The peace offering is to be placed upon the burnt offering previously laid upon the fire. Symbolically and actually the burnt offering serves as the foundation of the peace offering. Self-surrender leads to peace; and the self-sacrifice of Christ is the cause of the peace subsisting between God and man.

"And Aaron"s sons shall burn it

on the altar upon the burnt sacrifice, which is upon the wood that is on the fire: it is an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the Lord." Notice the preparation thus made for the acceptance of man"s offering. There is the altar, the fire, the wood, the burnt sacrifice, the offering of the consecrated fat. Thus Lev_6:12, it is said, "the priest shall burn wood every morning at the altar, and lay the burnt offering in order upon it; and he shall burn thereon the fat of the peace offerings." The abiding sacrifice, on the abiding altar, with the abiding fire, receives the occasional offering of the individual worshipper. Here is the great truth of an abiding merit, an ever-living intercession set forth.

I God, by his grace, has provided for us THE TRUE METHOD OF RIGHTEOUSNESS AND ACCEPTANCE.

1. The superiority of Christ"s sacrifice to all other because of his person, his active and passive obedience, his declared acceptance by his baptism, transfiguration, resurrection, ascension.

2. The simple work of faith, in laying the offering on the ashes of the burnt sacrifice, in attaching the imperfect obedience of man to the infinite merit of Christ. A peace offering in the highest sense when we thus lay all upon the altar of the true mediation. The fire consuming denoted acceptance. God, in Christ, declares himself not only well pleased in his beloved Son, but in all who spiritually are identified with him. The lesser burnt offering is absorbed into the greater and abiding burnt offering, our obedience in Christ"s.

II Thus is set forth THE TRUE ORDER OF THE ETHICAL LIFE. The lesser sacrifice upon the greater. The peace offering on the burnt offering.

1. Common mistake to attempt to reverse this order. Man supposes himself capable of building up merit by moral acts. God teaches him that all ethical worth must rest upon religious completeness. The relation between God and man must be true and perfect, otherwise morality is not real, but only disguised selfishness.

2. The offering up of human life in activity, in suffering, cannot be peace offering unless it be religious. We want the greatest motive to actuate and sustain. We seem to waste our offering unless we can see it in its relation with God"s work, with a redeemed and renewed world.

3. The sweetness of life is a return into our own hearts of what the Lordhath found delightful. The sweet savour" of a consecrated obedience pervades the whole existence, and makes it fragrant both to ourselves and others. Wonderful transmuting power of religion in giving value to the apparently worthless in human character, and beauty to the commonest, and nobleness to the humblest; the whole garment of sanctity covering the native imperfections. Yet no sweet savour without fire. There must be the reality of a spiritual life the power of God, not the mere form and appearance of the offering. R.

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

Upon the burnt sacrifice - Either,

1. Upon the remainders of it, which were yet burning; or rather,

2. After it; for the daily burnt-offering was first to be offered, both as more eminently respecting God's honour; and as the most solemn and stated sacrifice, which should take place of all occasional oblations, and as a sacrifice of an higher nature, being for atonement, without which no peace could be obtained, nor peace offering offered with acceptance.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

העולה ‎‎על‎ means [HE SHALL BURN IT] BESIDES THE BURNT OFFERING. Scripture thus teaches us that the continual burnt-offering should be placed on the wood-pile before any other sacrifice (cf. Zevachim 89a; Tosafot on Zevachim 89a 1.1. כל התדיר and Rashi on Exodus 6:5).

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 AARON’S SONS SHALL CAUSE IT TO ASCEND IN FUMES. This is like His saying further on, And the priest shall cause them to ascend in fumes, for there He alludes to all those portions of the offering which are burnt on the altar, [hence He refers to them in the plural, while here He alludes to the offering as such, and therefore He speaks of it in the singular]. The interpretation [of the Rabbis] on it is as follows: 14:10. “And Aaron’s sons shall cause it to ascend. And the priest shall cause it to ascend. And the priest shall cause them to ascend. Why are all these verses mentioned? And Aaron’s sons shall cause it to ascend — only if the offering is acceptable, but not if it has become disqualified. And the priest shall cause it to ascend — [this teaches] that he should not mix the fats of one offering with those of another [even though they are both of the flock]. And the priest shall cause them to ascend — [this teaches] that he should burn them all at one time.”

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.