Matthew Henry on Leviticus 4:1-12
The laws contained in the first three chapters seem to have been delivered to Moses at one time. Here begin the statutes of another session, another day. From the throne of glory between the cherubim God delivered these orders. And he enters now upon a subject more strictly new than those before. Burnt-offerings, meat-offerings, and peace-offerings, it should seem, had been offered before the giving of the law upon mount Sinai; those sacrifices the patriarchs had not been altogether unacquainted with (Gen 8:20; Exo 20:24), and in them they had respect to sin, to make atonement for it, Job 1:5. But the law being now added because of transgressions (Gal 3:19), and having entered, that eventual…
Read the whole note in the consoleJamieson-Fausset-Brown on Leviticus 4:11
the skin of the bullock, and all his flesh--In ordinary circumstances, these were perquisites of the priests. But in the expiation necessary for a sin of the high priest, after the fat of the sacrifice was offered on the altar, the carcass was carried without the camp [Lev 4:12], in order that the total combustion of it in the place of ashes might the more strikingly indicate the enormity of the transgression, and the horror with which he regarded it (compare Heb 13:12-13).
Adam Clarke on Leviticus 4:6
Seven times - See Clarke's note on Exo 29:30. The blood of this sacrifice was applied in three different ways:
1. The priest put his finger in it, and sprinkled it seven times before the veil, Lev 4:6.
2. He put some of it on the horns of the altar of incense.
3. He poured the remaining part at the bottom of the altar of burnt-offerings, Lev 4:7.
John Gill on Leviticus 4:11
And the skin of the bullock,.... Not taken off; for the sin offerings that were burnt were not flayed at all, but were cut in pieces with their skins on them (a); in other burnt offerings the skin was taken off, and was a perquisite of the priest, Leviticus 7:8 but this being an offering for the priest, the skin was burnt with the rest:
and all his flesh, with his head, and with his legs, and his inwards, and his dung; the burning of these denoted the sufferings of Christ, and these several parts the extent of them, they reaching to all parts of his body as stretched upon the cross; and the dung particularly the reproach of them, he dying the death of the cross, and was made sin and a curse…
