Leviticus 8:31

And Moses said unto Aaron and to his sons, Boil the flesh at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: 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.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(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 Leviticus 8:8, and Exodus 29:31-32), the flesh of the victim is to be prepared by Aaron and his sons for the sacrificial meal (see Leviticus 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 Exodus 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 Leviticus 7:15), in this no layman or non-priest could partake of the meal, because the flesh and the bread were peculiarly holy (see Exodus 29:33), as this sacrifice had the same atoning virtue as the burnt offering. (See Leviticus 1:4.)

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

8:14-36 In these types we see our great High Priest, even Christ Jesus, solemnly appointed, anointed, and invested with his sacred office, by his own blood, and the influences of his Holy Spirit. He sanctifies the ordinances of religion, to the benefit of his people and the honour of God the Father; who for his sake accepts our worship, though it is polluted with sin. We may also rejoice, that he is a merciful and faithful High Priest, full of compassion to the feeble-minded and tempest-tossed soul. All true Christians are consecrated to be spiritual priests. We should seriously ask ourselves, whether in our daily walk we study to maintain this character? and abound in spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Christ? If so, still there is no cause for boasting. Let us not despise our fellow-sinners; but remembering what we have done, and how we are saved, let us seek and pray for their salvation.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The sprinkling was on their garments as well as their persons, because it belonged to them in reference to the office with which they had been formally invested by putting on the garments. (See Exodus 28:3 note). The union of the two symbols of the atoning blood and the inspiring unction appears to be a fit conclusion of the entire rite.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

22-30. brought the other ram,—&c. After the sin offering and burnt offering had been presented on their behalf, this was their peace offering, by which they declared the pleasure which they felt in entering upon the service of God and being brought into close communion with Him as the ministers of His sanctuary, together with their confident reliance on His grace to help them in all their sacred duties.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

Boil the flesh, that which was left of the ram, and particularly the breast, which was said to be Moses’s part, Leviticus 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.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

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 Exodus 29:32.

Geneva Study Bible

And Moses said unto Aaron and to his sons, Boil the flesh at the door of the {g} tabernacle of the congregation: 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.

(g) At the door of the court.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

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 Leviticus 7:15.

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

Pulpit Commentary

Verses 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. Leviticus 8:31

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

For the sacrificial meal, the priests were to boil the flesh in front of the door of the tabernacle, or, according to Exodus 29:31, "at the holy place," i.e., in the court, and eat it with the bread in the fill-offering basket; and no stranger (i.e., layman or non-priest) was to take part in the meal, because the flesh and bread were holy (Exodus 29:33), that is to say, had served to make atonement for the priests, to fill their hands and sanctify them. Atoning virtue is attributed to this sacrifice in the same sense as to the burnt-offering in Leviticus 1:4. Whatever was left of the flesh and bread until the following day, that is to say, was not eaten on the day of sacrifice, was to be burned with fire, for the reason explained at Leviticus 7:17. The exclusion of laymen from participating in this sacrificial meal is to be accounted for in the same way as the prohibition of unleavened bread, which was offered and eaten in the case of the ordinary peace-offerings along with the unleavened sacrificial cakes (see at Leviticus 7:13). The meal brought the consecration of the priests to a close, as Aaron and his sons were thereby received into that special, priestly covenant with the Lord, the blessings and privileges of which were to be enjoyed by the consecrated priests alone. At this meal the priests were not allowed to eat leavened bread, any more than the nation generally at the feast of Passover (Exodus 12:8.).