Leviticus 8:31

Moses, having done his part of the ceremony, now leaves Aaron and his sons to do theirs.

I. They must boil the flesh of their peace-offering, and eat it in the court of the tabernacle, and what remained they must burn with fire, Lev 8:31, Lev 8:32. This signified their thankful consent to the consecration: when God gave Ezekiel his commission, he told him to eat the roll, Eze 3:1, Eze 3:2.

II. They must not stir out of the court of the tabernacle for seven days, Lev 8:33. The priesthood being a good warfare, they must thus learn to endure hardness, and to disentangle themselves from the affairs of this life, Ti2 2:3, Ti2 2:4. Being consecrated to their service, they must give themselves wholly to it, and attend continually to this very thing. Thus Christ's apostles were appointed to wait for the promise of the Father, Act 1:4. During this time appointed for their consecration, they were daily to repeat the same sacrifices which were offered the first day, Lev 8:34. This shows the imperfection of the legal sacrifices, which, because they could not take away sin, were often repeated (Heb 10:1, Heb 10:2), but were here repeated seven times (a number of perfection), because they typified that one offering, which perfected for ever those that were sanctified. The work lasted seven days; for it was a kind of creation: and this time was appointed in honour of the sabbath, which, probably, was the last day of the seven, for which they were to prepare during the six days. Thus the time of our life, like the six days, must be our preparation for the perfection of our consecration to God in the everlasting sabbath: they attended day and night (Lev 8:35), and so constant should we be in our meditation on God's law, Psa 1:2. They attended to keep the charge of the Lord: we have every one of us a charge to keep, an eternal God to glorify, an immortal soul to provide for, needful duty to be done, our generation to serve; and it must be our daily care to keep this charge, for it is the charge of the Lord our Master, who will shortly call us to an account about it, and it is at our utmost peril if we neglect it. Keep it that you die not; it is death, eternal death, to betray the trust we are charged with; by the consideration of this we must be kept in awe. Lastly, We are told (Lev 8:36) that Aaron and his sons did all that was commanded. Thus their consecration was completed; and thus they set an example before the people of an exact obedience to the laws of sacrifices now newly given, and then they could with the better grace teach them. Thus the covenant of peace (Num 25:12), of life and peace (Mal 2:5), was made with Aaron and his sons; but after all the ceremonies that were used in their consecration there was one point of ratification which was reserved to be the honour and establishment of Christ's priesthood, which was this, that they were made priests without an oath, but Christ with an oath (Heb 7:21), for neither such priests nor their priesthood could continue, but Christ's is a perpetual and unchangeable priesthood.

Gospel ministers are compared to those who served at the altar, for they minister about holy things (Co1 9:13), they are God's mouth to the people and the people's to God, the pastors and teachers Christ has appointed to continue in the church to the end of the world: they seem to be meant in that promise which points at gospel times (Isa 66:21), I will take of them for priests and for Levites. No man may take this honour to himself, but he who upon trial is found to be clothed and anointed by the Spirit of God with gifts and graces to qualify him for it, and who with purpose of heart devotes himself entirely to the service, and is then by the word and prayer (for so every thing is sanctified), and the imposition of the hands of those that give themselves to the word and prayer, set apart to the office, and recommended to Christ as a servant and to the church as a steward and guide. And those that are thus solemnly dedicated to God ought not to depart from his service, but faithfully to abide in it all their days; and those that do so, and continue labouring in the word and doctrine, are to be accounted worthy of double honour, double to that of the Old Testament priests.

Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible (1708–1710) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

8:31 The ordination offering was a variation of the peace offering (Exod 29:28). It was a meal (Lev 7:11-18, 28-34) shared between God (the parts burned on the altar) and the priests. The command to boil . . . and eat the ordination offering first appears in Exod 29:32.

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

At the door of the court.

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

(31) And Moses said . . . boil the flesh.—That is, of the ram of consecration; with the exception of the fat parts and the right shoulder, which were burnt upon the altar, and the wave-breast, which was awarded to Moses as the officiating priest on the occasion (see Lev_8:8, and Exo_29:31-32), the flesh of the victim is to be prepared by Aaron and his sons for the sacrificial meal (see Lev_7:11, &c.). From the peculiar nature of this offering, however, it is ordained that the flesh is to be boiled at the entrance of the tent of meeting, not at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, as the Authorised Version has it. According to Exo_29:31, this is to take place “at the holy place,” that is, in the court, and is to be eaten with unleavened bread, thus distinguishing it from the ordinary sacrificial meal of the peace offering.

Aaron and his sons shall eat it.—This is another distinguishing feature of the sacrifice in question. Whilst to the ordinary sacrificial feasts the offerer could invite his family and strangers (see Lev_7:15), in this no layman or non-priest could partake of the meal, because the flesh and the bread were peculiarly holy (see Exo_29:33), as this sacrifice had the same atoning virtue as the burnt offering. (See Lev_1:4.)

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

31. Anyone who was not unclean might eat the portions of the Peace-Offering which remained when the parts for sacrifice and for the priests were taken. On this occasion the flesh is eaten by Aaron and his sons only, and at the door of the tent of meeting. The ceremonies of the first day are repeated on each of the following six days. What remains from the sacrifice of each day must be burnt, as ordered in Lev_7:15.

as I commanded] See R.V.’s marginal note above.

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 Moses said unto Aaron, and to his sons,.... After he had offered the bullock, the two rams, and cakes of unleavened bread for the consecration of them:

boil the flesh at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation; the remainder of the flesh of the ram of consecration, which was all but the fat, the shoulder, and the breast:

and there eat it with the bread that is in the basket of consecration; what was left of that, there being one cake of a sort taken out of it and burnt:

as I commanded, saying, Aaron and his sons shall eat it; see Exo 29:32.

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

Boil the flesh, that which was left of the ram, and particularly the breast, which was said to be Moses’s part, Lev 8:29, and by him was given to Aaron, that he and his sons might eat of it, in token that they, and only they, should have the right to do so for the future.

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

31, 32. Boil the flesh… eat… burn — In the peace offering the offerer and his friends were permitted to eat in a sacred banquet, and to burn with fire that which remained. Lev_7:15, note.

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

Vers. 31, 32. The flesh of the peace offering is given to Aaron and his sons to eat, not in the capacity of priests (for the peace offerings were not eaten by the priests), but as the offerers of the sacrifice.

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

The flesh - That which was left of the ram, and particularly the breast, which was said to be Moses's part, ver. 29, and by him was given to Aaron, that he and his sons might eat of it, in token that they and only they should have the right to do so for the future.

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

Final Instructions

v. 31. And Moses said unto Aaron and to his sons, Boil the flesh at the door of the Tabernacle of the Congregation, in a holy place in the court, Exo 29:31; and there eat it with the bread that is in the basket of consecrations, as I commanded, saying, Aaron and his sons shall eat it. No lay person was permitted to partake of this sacrificial meal, for the food was holy, having served for the expiation and consecration of the priests.

v. 32. And that which remaineth of the flesh and of the bread shall ye burn with fire. Cf Lev 7:17.

v. 33. And ye shall not go out of the door of the Tabernacle of the Congregation, out of the great entrance which led to the Sanctuary, in seven days, until the days of your consecration be at an end; for seven days shall he consecrate you.

v. 34. As he hath done this day, so the Lord hath commanded to do, to make an atonement for you. On each one of the seven days the same rite was performed, at least so far as the sacrifices were concerned.

v. 35. Therefore shall ye abide at the door of the Tabernacle of the Congregation day and night seven days, and keep the charge of the Lord, observe His precept, that ye die not; for so I am commanded.

v. 36. So Aaron and his sons did all things which the Lord commanded by the hand of Moses. Seven days they passed in holy seclusion in the court, seven days they brought the appointed sacrifices and lived on the sacrifice of consecration; what remained of it they did not devote to common or profane use, but they took care to burn it. For seven days they kept holy match, the watch of Jehovah, in the court of the Tabernacle, under the penalty of death. Moses made particularly prominent the symbolic force of this divine watch: it was Jehovah’s express commandment.

Paul E. Kretzmann, Popular Commentary of the Bible (1921–1924) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

the basket of consecration

This means the basket contains offerings used while consecrating Aaron and his sons. AT: "the basket"

as I commanded, saying, 'Aaron and his sons will eat it.'

This has a quotation within a quotation. A direct quotation can be stated as an indirect quotation. AT: "as I commanded you to do" (See:Quotes Within Quotes and Direct and Indirect Quotations)

until the days of your ordination are fulfilled

This can be translated in active form. AT: "until you fulfill the days of your ordination" (See: Active or Passive)

ordination

This is an official ceremony that makes someone a priest. See how you translated this in Leviticus 8:29.

translationWords

Moses

Aaron

son

tent of meeting

bread

basket

consecrate

command

ordinance

day

fulfill

Yahweh

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