Leviticus 6:28

Lev 6:28 But the earthen vessel wherein it is sodden shall be broken: and if it be sodden in a brasen pot, it shall be both scoured, and rinsed in water.

Ver. 28. But the earthen vessel.] So contagious a thing is sin, that it defileth the very visible heaven and earth: which therefore must be likewise purged by the last fire, as the earthen pot which held the sin offering was broken, and the brazen scoured and rinsed in water.

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 6:28. The earthen vessel shall be broken — This relates, not to the consecrated vessels of the tabernacle, for none of these were of earth, Exo 27:19; but to such vessels as were sometimes employed by private persons in dressing the meat of their sacrifices, whereof we have an example, 1Sa 2:13-14. These, after the flesh of the sacrifice had been boiled in them, were to be broken, in order that what retained the smallest tincture of the holy things might not be profaned by being afterward employed in common use. If it be sodden in a brazen pot, it shall be scoured — Vessels of brass, being more solid, and less apt to imbibe the moisture, might be thoroughly cleansed from all tincture of the sacrifice by washing and scouring, and therefore were not to be broken. Besides, being of considerable value, God would not have them destroyed unnecessarily.

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

6:28 A clay pot was porous and could not be cleansed as thoroughly as a metal one—some of the holy food might stick to it or soak in. Reuse would cause an act of sacrilege. However, a bronze pot could be thoroughly scoured to prevent this problem (see also 11:33; 15:12).

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

Which was in the laver, Exod. 30:18.

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

Verse 28. The earthen vessel - shall be broken] Calmet states that this should be considered as implying the vessels brought by individuals to the court of the temple or tabernacle, and not of the vessels that belonged to the priests for the ordinary service. That the people dressed their sacrifices sometimes in the court of the tabernacle, he gathers from 1Sa 2:13-14, to which the reader is desired to refer.

In addition to what has been already said on the different subjects in this chapter, it may be necessary to notice a few more particulars. The perpetual meat-offering, מנחה תמיד minchah tamid, Le 6:20, the perpetual fire, אש תמיד esh tamid, Le 6:13, and the perpetual burnt-offering, עלת תמיד olath tamid, Ex 29:42, translated by the Septuagint θυσια διαπαντος, πυο διαπαντος, and ὁλοκαυτωσις and ὁλοκαυτωμα διαπαντος, all cast much light on Heb 7:25, where it is said, Christ is able to save them to the uttermost (εισ το παντελες, perpetually, to all intents and purposes) that come unto God by him; seeing he ever liveth (παντοτε ζων, he is perpetually living) to make intercession for them; in which words there is a manifest allusion to the perpetual minchah, the perpetual fire, and the perpetual burnt-offering, mentioned here by Moses. As the minchah, or gratitude-offering should be perpetual, so our gratitude for the innumerable mercies of God should be perpetual. As the burnt-offering must be perpetual, so should the sacrifice of our blessed Lord be considered as a perpetual offering, that all men, in all ages, should come unto God through him who is ever living, in his sacrificial character, to make intercession for men; and who is therefore represented even in the heavens as the Lamb just slain, standing before the throne, Re 5:6; Heb 10:19-22. And as the fire on the altar must be perpetual, so should the influences of the Holy Spirit in every member of the Church, and the flame of pure devotion in the hearts of believers, be ever energetic and permanent. A continual sacrifice for continual successive generations of sinners was essentially necessary. Continual influences of the Holy Spirit on the souls of men were essentially necessary to apply and render effectual this atonement, to the salvation of the soul. And incessant gratitude for the ineffable love of God, manifested by his unspeakable gift, is surely required of all those who have tasted that the Lord is gracious. Reader, dost thou feel thy obligations to thy Maker? Does the perpetual fire burn on the altar of thy heart? Art thou ever looking unto Jesus, and beholding, by faith, the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world? And dost thou feel the influences of his Spirit, at all times witnessing with thy spirit that thou art his child, and exciting thee to acts of gratitude and obedience? If not, of what benefit has the religion of Christ been to thee to the present day? Of a contrary state to that referred to above, it may be well said, This is not the way to heaven, for the way of life is above to the wise, that they may depart from the snares of death beneath. Arise, therefore, and shake thyself from the dust; and earnestly call upon the Lord thy God, that he may save thy soul, and that thou fall not into the bitter pains of an eternal death.

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

(28) But the earthen vessel.—The earthen vessels need by the Hebrews were unglazed. The ordinary domestic vessels throughout the East are so to this day. From their porous character, therefore, they would absorb some of the fat juices of the flesh which was boiled in them for the priests to eat. And as the absorbed juices could not be washed out, the inexpensive earthenware was to be broken up. (See Lev_11:33; Lev_11:35). During the second Temple the fragments were carefully buried in the ground when there was a large accumulation of them.

And if it be sodden in a brasen pot.—Being a solid metal, no juices could sink into it, and any of the most holy flesh that might adhere to it could easily be removed by washing. During the second Temple the scouring was done with hot water, and the rinsing with cold.

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

28. The reason for breaking the earthen vessel was that, not being glazed as in modern fashion, it was absorbent; a brazen pot could be scoured, and all trace of the substance with which it had been in contact removed (cp. Lev_11:33, Lev_15:12). The remains of the broken earthen vessels were buried.

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 all the males among the priests shall eat thereof,.... As of the meat offerings, Lev 6:18 and this shows that not the single priest that offered only ate of it, Lev 6:26 but his male children, and not those only, but those of other priests then upon duty, or in the court:

it is most holy; See Gill on Lev 6:25.

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

The earthen vessel - Unglazed pottery would absorb some of the juices of the meat: and a vessel made holy could not be put to any other purpose.

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

Sodden, or boiled. Such vessels, of private people, as had been used to boil part of the victim, (1 Kings ii. 13,) were either to be abandoned to the service of the altar, or broken, &c. (Calmet) --- Earthen vessels might imbibe some part of the consecrated juice. (Menochius)

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).

The earthen vessel shall be broken, because being full of pores, the liquor in which it was sodden might easily sink into it, whereby it was ceremonially holy, and therefore was broken, lest afterwards it should be abused to profane or common uses.

It shall be both scoured, and not broken, as being of considerable value, which therefore God would not have unnecessarily wasted. And this being of a more solid substance than an earthen vessel, was not so apt to drink in the humour.

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

Broken - Because being full of pores, the liquor in which it was sodden might easily sink into it, whereby it was ceremonially holy, and therefore was broken, lest afterwards it should be abused to common uses. Rinsed - And not broken, as being of considerable value, which therefore God would not have unnecessarily wasted. And this being of a more solid substance than an earthen vessel, was not so apt to drink in the moisture.

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

The flesh was equally holy. The vessel, in which it was boiled for the priests to eat, was to be broken in pieces if it were of earthenware, and scoured (מרק Pual) and overflowed with water, i.e., thoroughly rinsed out, if it were of copper, lest any of the most holy flesh should adhere to the vessel, and be desecrated by its being used in the preparation of common food, or for other earthly purposes. It was possible to prevent this desecration in the case of copper vessels by a thorough cleansing; but not so with earthen vessels, which absorb the fat, so that it cannot be removed by washing. The latter therefore were to be broken in pieces, i.e., thoroughly destroyed. On the other hand, earthen vessels that had been defiled were also ordered to be broken to pieces, though for the very opposite reason (see Lev 11:33, Lev 11:35).

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.)