Psalm 66:15

I will offer unto thee burnt sacrifices of fatlings, with the incense of rams; I will offer bullocks with goats. Selah.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(15) I will offer.—Such a holocaust could hardly have been vowed by a single person. It is the community that speaks. Besides, the ram was not a sacrifice for any individual, but particularly enjoined for the high priest (Leviticus 9:2), the head of a tribe (Numbers 7), or a Nazarite (Numbers 6:14). Incense is here the ascending smoke of the sacrifice.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

66:13-20 We should declare unto those that fear God, what he has done for our souls, and how he has heard and answered our prayers, inviting them to join us in prayer and praise; this will turn to our mutual comfort, and to the glory of God. We cannot share these spiritual privileges, if we retain the love of sin in our hearts, though we refrain from the gross practice, Sin, regarded in the heart, will spoil the comfort and success of prayer; for the sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination of the Lord. But if the feeling of sin in the heart causes desires to be rid of it; if it be the presence of one urging a demand we know we must not, cannot comply with, this is an argument of sincerity. And when we pray in simplicity and godly sincerity, our prayers will be answered. This will excite gratitude to Him who hath not turned away our prayer nor his mercy from us. It was not prayer that fetched the deliverance, but his mercy that sent it. That is the foundation of our hopes, the fountain of our comforts; and ought to be the matter of our praises.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

I will offer unto thee burnt sacrifices of fatlings - Margin, marrow. On the word rendered "burnt-offerings" see the notes at Isaiah 1:11. The word rendered "fatlings" is rendered in Isaiah 5:17, lambs. It may be applied to any animal considered as fat - a qualification required in sacrifices to be made on the altar, Isaiah 1:11.

With the incense of rams - The word here rendered incense is commonly applied to aromatics which were burned in the tabernacle or temple, producing a grateful odor (see the notes at Isaiah 1:13); but it seems here to be used with reference to the smoke ascending from burning rams offered in sacrifice - ascending as the smoke of incense did. The smoke thus ascending would be as grateful and acceptable as incense.

I will offer bullocks with goats - Bullocks and goats. That is, I will present sacrifices in all the forms required in worship; in all the forms that will express gratitude to God, or that will be an acknowledgment of dependence and guilt; in all that would properly express homage to the Deity. Bullocks and goats were both required in the ancient worship.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

15. I will offer—literally, "make to ascend," alluding to the smoke of burnt offering, which explains the use of "incense."

incense—elsewhere always denoting the fumes of aromatics.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

With the incense of rams; with the fat of rams, which in these peace-offerings was burnt upon the altar, and so vanished into smoke like incense, and which is no less pleasing to God than incense.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

I will offer unto thee burnt sacrifices of fatlings,.... Of the fattest of the flock; that is, of the best; such as Abel offered, Genesis 4:4;

with the incense of rams; or "rams with incense" (f); the Targum is,

"with sweet incense, the sacrifice of rams;''

Kimchi interprets it of incense of the fat of rams.

I will offer bullocks with goats; he proposed to offer all kind of offerings, to show gratitude and thankfulness for the favours received; by all which are meant the calves, or fruit of the lips, the sacrifices of praise, thanksgiving to God, in the name of the whole church and people of God; see Revelation 19:1.

Selah; on this word; see Gill on Psalm 3:2.

(f) "arietes cum incenso", Gejerus; so Campeusis in ibid.

Geneva Study Bible

I will offer unto thee burnt sacrifices of fatlings, with the incense of rams; I will offer bullocks with goats. Selah.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

15. Burnt offerings of fatlings will I offer unto thee,

Together with incense of rams.

‘Incense of rams’ denotes the sweet savour of the sacrifice ascending as it was consumed by fire. Cp. perhaps, though the meaning is not certain, Isaiah 1:13. The cognate verb is used of burning the victim or the fat of the victim on the altar. Thus Exodus 29:18, “and thou shalt burn (lit., if an obsolete verb might be revived, incense) the whole ram upon the altar; it is a burnt offering unto the Lord: it is a sweet savour.” According to the Levitical ritual the ram was to be offered as a burnt offering or peace offering only by the whole people or its princes, by the high-priest or an ordinary priest, or by a Nazirite; never by an ordinary individual (by whom however it was to be used as a trespass offering). He-goats are only mentioned in connexion with the offerings of the princes (Numbers 7:17 ff). Hence it may be inferred that the Psalm refers to sacrifices offered by the nation or its leaders, not by an ordinary private individual. Cp. however Isaiah 1:11, where almost exactly the same animals are mentioned as here; and Psalm 50:9; Psalm 50:13.

I will offer] Lit., dress for sacrifice. Cp. 1 Kings 18:23 ff; Exodus 29:36 ff; &c.: and Gr. ἔρδειν, ῥέζειν, in LXX ποιεῖν: Lat. facere.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 15. - I will offer unto thee burnt sacrifices of fatlings; i.e. of fatted beasts (comp. 1 Samuel 15:9; 2 Samuel 6:13; Ezekiel 39:18). With the incense of rams; i.e. the smoke, or savoury odour of rams. I will offer bullocks with goats; literally, I will prepare - i.e, dress for sacrifice (see 1 Kings 18:23, 26). Psalm 66:15

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

From this point onwards the poet himself speaks, but, as the diversity and the kind of the sacrifices show, as being a member of the community at large. The עולות stand first, the girts of adoring homage; בּ is the Beth of the accompaniment, as in Leviticus 16:3; 1 Samuel 1:24, cf. Hebrews 9:25. "My vows" refer more especially to פּצה פּה ׃שׁלמי נדר also occurs elsewhere of the involuntary vowing to do extraordinary things urged from one by great distress (Judges 11:35). אשׁר is an accusative of the object relating to the vows, quae aperuerunt equals aperiendo nuncupaverunt labia mea (Geier). In Psalm 66:15 עשׂה, used directly (like the Aramaic and Phoenician עבד) in the signification "to sacrifice" (Exodus 29:36-41, and frequently), alternates with העלה, the synonym of הקטיר. The sacrifices to be presented are enumerated. מיחים (incorrect for מחים) are marrowy, fat lambs; lambs and bullocks (בּקר) have the most universal appropriation among the animals that were fit for sacrifices. The ram (איל), on the contrary, is the animal for the whole burnt-offering of the high priest, of the princes of the tribes, and of the people; and appears also as the animal for the shelamim only in connection with the shelamim of Aaron, of the people, of the princes of the tribes, and, in Numbers 6:14, of the Nazarite. The younger he-goat (עתּוּד) is never mentioned as an animal for the whole burnt-offering; but, indeed, as an animal for the shelamim of the princes of the tribes in Numbers 7. It is, therefore, probable that the shelamim which were to be offered in close connection with the whole burnt-offerings are introduced by עם, so that קטרת signifies the fat portions of the shelamim upon the altar smoking in the fire. The mention of "rams" renders it necessary that we should regard the poet as here comprehending himself among the people when he speaks thus.