Cornelius a Lapide
Table of Contents
Synopsis of the Chapter
Aaron celebrates his first sacrifices. Whence first, verse 8, he offers a calf for his sin, and a ram as a holocaust. Second, verse 15, he offers the victims for the people, namely a he-goat for sin, a calf and a lamb as a holocaust, an ox and a ram as a peace offering. Third, verse 23, he blesses the people, and immediately fire descends from heaven and devours all his victims.
Vulgate Text: Leviticus 9:1-24
1. And when the eighth day was come, Moses called Aaron and his sons, and the elders of Israel, and said to Aaron: 2. Take from the herd a calf for sin, and a ram for a holocaust, both without blemish, and offer them before the Lord, 3. and you shall say to the children of Israel: Take a he-goat for sin, and a calf and a lamb, both of a year old and without blemish, for a holocaust, 4. an ox and a ram for peace offerings; and immolate them before the Lord, offering in the sacrifice of each one fine flour sprinkled with oil: for today the Lord will appear to you. 5. They brought therefore all things that Moses had commanded to the door of the tabernacle; where when all the multitude stood, 6. Moses said: This is the word which the Lord has commanded: do it, and His glory shall appear to you. 7. And he said to Aaron: Approach the altar, and offer sacrifice for your sin; offer the holocaust, and pray for yourself and for the people, and when you have slain the victim of the people, pray for them, as the Lord has commanded. 8. And immediately Aaron, approaching the altar, immolated the calf for his sin: 9. and his sons presented the blood to him, in which dipping his finger, he touched the horns of the altar, and poured the rest at its base. 10. And the fat and the kidneys and the caul of the liver, which are for sin, he burned upon the altar, as the Lord had commanded Moses: 11. but the flesh and the skin thereof he burned with fire outside the camp. 12. He immolated also the victim of holocaust; and his sons presented him with its blood, which he poured round about upon the altar; 13. the victim itself also, cut into pieces, they offered with the head and all the members, all of which he burned with fire upon the altar, 14. having first washed the entrails and the feet with water. 15. And offering for the sin of the people, he slew the he-goat: and expiating the altar, 16. he offered the holocaust, 17. adding in the sacrifice the libations, which are likewise offered, and burning them upon the altar, besides the ceremonies of the morning holocaust. 18. He immolated also the ox and the ram, the peace offerings of the people; and his sons presented him with the blood, which he poured upon the altar round about; 19. the fat also of the ox, and the rump of the ram, and the kidneys with their fat, and the caul of the liver, 20. they laid upon the breasts; and after the fat was burned upon the altar, 21. Aaron separated their breasts and the right shoulders, elevating them before the Lord, as Moses had commanded. 22. And stretching forth his hands to the people, he blessed them. And so the victims for sin, and the holocausts, and the peace offerings being completed, he came down. 23. And Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle of the testimony, and afterwards coming forth, they blessed the people. And the glory of the Lord appeared to all the multitude: 24. and behold a fire coming forth from the Lord, devoured the holocaust and the fat that was upon the altar. Which when the multitudes saw, they praised the Lord, falling on their faces.
Verse 1: And When the Eighth Day Was Come
AND WHEN THE EIGHTH DAY WAS COME — from the consecration of Aaron and the tabernacle, as is clear from the preceding chapter, verse 33, which eighth day was the first day of the first month of the second year from the departure out of Egypt; which was the year of the world 2455, from the flood 748. On this year and day, therefore, Aaron celebrated his first sacrifices, as it were.
Allegorically, the eighth day is the time of the Evangelical law, in which we celebrate the eighth day of Christ's resurrection, and toward which we strive, and in which appeared the glory, that is, the magnificent and glorious grace of Christ our Savior, who offered Himself for His sin, that is, the sin of men taken upon Himself; He also offered the victims of His Church, namely the he-goat, that is, penance; the lamb, that is, innocence; the ox and the ram, that is, the labors and patience of His Christian people. So Radulphus from St. Gregory.
MOSES CALLED AARON AND HIS SONS — so that these newly ordained priests might offer their first sacrifices; for this reason the elders of the people were also summoned, namely to honor their high priest's first offerings, and so that they might sacrifice their victims to God through him.
Verse 2: Take from the Herd a Calf for Sin
TAKE FROM THE HERD A CALF FOR SIN. — For although shortly before Moses offered a victim for your sin, O Aaron, nevertheless I also want you, as newly created high priest, to offer victims of every kind, and consequently also a victim for sin; both so that by this symbol I may teach that no one should be certain in persuading himself that his sins have been forgiven, or so forgiven that no penalty remains to be paid for them; and so that you may begin in every way to exercise your character of orders, so to speak, that is, the power of offering any victim.
Verse 3: You Shall Say to the Children of Israel
YOU SHALL SAY TO THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL. — 'You shall say,' namely you, O Aaron, newly ordained high priest. For the pontifical authority now rests upon you, to command the people regarding their victims.
TAKE A HE-GOAT FOR SIN. — For although God commanded a calf to be immolated for a certain and definite sin of the people in chapter 4, verse 14, here however, because the sacrifice is made indeterminately for the sin of the people in general, a he-goat and not a calf is commanded to be immolated, and therefore its blood is not brought into the Holy Place to sprinkle the altar of incense, as was prescribed for the calf in chapter 4, verses 12 and 20.
'Of a year old.' — So it should be read with the Hebrew, the Septuagint, and the Roman editions, so that both the calf and the lamb are prescribed to be a year old.
Verse 4: Immolate Them before the Lord
IMMOLATE THEM (bring them to me, so that I may immolate them for you) BEFORE THE LORD — before the altar of holocausts, or before the door of the tabernacle.
In the sacrifice — that is, the grain offering. For in Hebrew it is, in mincha. For to every victim was added a mincha, that is, a sacrifice of grain or bread, as is clear from Numbers 15, because without bread or grain there is no meal.
TODAY THE LORD WILL APPEAR — by sending fire from heaven, which will consume your sacrifices.
Verse 5: They Brought Therefore All Things
THEY BROUGHT THEREFORE ALL THINGS — after Aaron, commanded by Moses, gave the order, as stated in verse 3.
Verse 10: The Fat and the Kidneys and the Caul of the Liver
AND THE FAT AND THE KIDNEYS AND THE CAUL OF THE LIVER, WHICH ARE (parts of the victim, namely the calf) FOR SIN, HE BURNED — that is, he placed on the altar what was to be burned and consumed: for by heavenly fire these and the following victims were afterwards consumed, verse 24.
Verse 11: The Flesh and the Skin He Burned Outside the Camp
BUT THE FLESH AND THE SKIN THEREOF HE BURNED WITH FIRE OUTSIDE THE CAMP — according to the law given in chapter 4, verse 12.
Verse 15: And When the Altar Had Been Expiated
And when the altar had been expiated — through this sacrifice for sin, with whose blood the altar was anointed and sprinkled. Whence in Hebrew it reads, 'and he expiated by it,' namely by the he-goat, that is, as the Chaldean has it, 'with the blood of the he-goat,' just as they had done before with the blood of the calf in verse 9.
Note: The expiation and consecration of the altar is attributed in a special way to the sacrifice for sin, because through it the altar was expiated, that is, its horns were sprinkled with blood: and thus it was dedicated for expiating sins thenceforward, through sacrifices to be offered upon it.
Note second: it is to be understood here that in this sacrifice those things were done which are customary and which are prescribed in chapter 4, verses 2, 3, 4, namely that the fat was burned for God, and the remaining blood was poured at the base of the altar.
Verse 17: Adding in the Sacrifice the Libations
Adding in the sacrifice (mincha) the libations — of oil and wine, concerning which see Numbers 15:4: that this law had already been given is clear from this passage, although it is related later in Numbers 15.
BESIDES THE CEREMONIES OF THE MORNING HOLOCAUST — that is, without the daily sacrifice, both morning and evening, being omitted or hindered.
Verses 19-20: The Fat, the Rump, They Placed upon the Breasts
THE FAT, THE RUMP, etc., THEY PLACED UPON THE BREASTS — not their own, but those of the animals already immolated, which Aaron afterwards separated, burning the fat and rump for God, but elevating the breast and shoulders before the Lord, as is stated in the following verse. This is clear from the Hebrew. For the breast and right shoulder were not burned, but when elevated and offered to the Lord, they went to the one sacrificing, as was said in chapter 7, verses 31 and 32.
Verse 22: And Stretching Forth His Hands, He Blessed Them
AND STRETCHING FORTH HIS HANDS TO THE PEOPLE, HE BLESSED THEM. — Aaron, that is, the newly ordained high priest. The form of the blessing was that which is found in Numbers 6:24, namely: 'The Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord show His face to you and have mercy on you; the Lord turn His countenance to you and give you peace.' An example and fruit of this blessing is found in 2 Chronicles 30:27, the truth of whose figure appeared in Christ's blessing both at other times and in His ascension into heaven.
Note: It seems there was a twofold blessing here; for Aaron seems to have blessed the people twice: first, when he had arranged the victims upon the altar; second, after coming out from the tabernacle: for then together with Moses he blessed the people, verse 23.
AND SO THE VICTIMS BEING COMPLETED (that is, the slaying, cutting, and placing of the victims upon the altar) HE CAME DOWN — Aaron who was sacrificing; for the burning of the victims still remained, which was afterwards done by the fire sent from heaven. Therefore what is said in verses 10, 13, 17, 20, about this, is to be understood by way of anticipation, as is clear from verse 24. Here therefore the order and sequence of events seems to have been as follows: first, Aaron slaughtered and immolated all these victims; second, having arranged together the holocausts, and the fat of the peace offerings and of the sin offering upon the altar of holocausts, Moses and Aaron entered the tabernacle to pray to God that He would send fire from heaven to consume these victims (for he knew this would happen, and had foretold, as is clear from verse 4), and at the same time to burn incense upon the altar of incense. Third, after their prayers the divine fire came from heaven and consumed the victims. Fourth, seeing this, the people praised God, and then Moses and Aaron blessed them and dismissed them to their homes. Fifth, the calf offered for the sin of Aaron was carried outside the camp, and there was entirely burned with its skin, as stated in verse 11.
Verse 23: And the Glory of the Lord Appeared
'And afterwards coming forth.' — So it should be read with the Hebrew, Chaldean, Septuagint, and Roman editions; incorrectly, therefore, in other editions, even the Plantin editions, it reads 'entering.'
AND THE GLORY OF THE LORD APPEARED — namely the fire that went forth, that is, was produced and sent by the Lord, which devoured the holocaust and the fat of the peace offerings, as follows. God sent this fire upon Aaron's victims in order to confirm and, as it were, seal by this miracle the sacerdotal order of the old law which He had instituted, and His laws concerning sacrifices; and to kindle the people's reverence toward the priests and sacrifices. So fire descending from heaven proved the sacrifice and religion of Elijah contending against Baal and his priests, 3 Kings 18:24 and 38. The same fire proved the sacrifices of Solomon in the dedication of the temple, 2 Chronicles 7:1. See the commentary on Exodus 3:2. So the Gentiles told fables about their own divine fire: as is recorded of Seleucus, who, when he was immolating a victim to Jupiter at Pella, the wood placed upon the altar is said to have caught fire spontaneously. And Servius on that passage of Aeneid XII, 'who sanctions treaties with his thunderbolt:' Because, he says, among the ancients the altars were not set on fire, but they drew down divine fire by their prayers, which set the victims ablaze; and from this Jupiter was called 'Elicius' [the one drawn down]. But these things are either fabulous or accomplished by the art and power of the devil.
The Fire Sent on the Eighth Day
Note first: This fire was sent by God upon the altar and its victims on the eighth day from the erection of the tabernacle and the consecration of the priests; for during the first seven days of the consecration of the priests, Moses used ordinary fire in his sacrifices; but after the eighth day and this fire fallen from heaven, thenceforth the priests used it in their sacrifices: because Nadab and Abihu did not use this fire but brought in strange and profane fire to the altar, they were therefore struck and consumed by the fire of the Lord, as will be discussed in chapter 10.
The Preservation of the Sacred Fire
Note second: This fire had to be nourished and preserved continually by the priests with the utmost care, by adding wood and other fuel, as is clear from Leviticus 6:12; whence thenceforth it was always kept by them in the tabernacle, and then in the temple, until the time of the Babylonian captivity and the burning of the temple; for when this was imminent, the priests took this divine fire from the altar and the temple and hid it in a well; which, when they sought it upon the release from captivity at the command of Nehemiah, they found not fire but a thick water in place of fire, which afterwards, when a priest was sacrificing, was converted back into the same fire; and with this fire the priests subsequently made use in the second temple of Zerubbabel, and in memory of this event and miracle, they instituted a feast of the giving, or rather the returning, of the fire: all these things are clear from 2 Maccabees 1:49 and following.
The Hebrews report that in this fire consuming the sacrifices, the face of a lion was seen, to represent Christ, who is the lion of the tribe of Judah, and who by the fire of His immense charity, having become a victim for us on the cross, consumed all our sins and reconciled us with God the Father. They add many other things as well, namely first, that this fire could not be extinguished by water, even if rivers should fall upon and overwhelm it; second, that it needed no nourishment, yet God wished the priest to feed it; third, that it was kept wrapped in a purple cloth. But these are Jewish fables: for why did God command this fire to be nourished with such care, if not because it would have been extinguished not only by water but also by a lack of fuel and wood? The Jews err secondly when they assert that this heavenly fire was always absent from the second temple; for the contrary is clear from 2 Maccabees 1:49. Abulensis errs thirdly when he supposes that this fire failed after the eighth day, because thereafter in the desert for 38 years the Hebrews did not sacrifice; and that therefore, when they began to sacrifice again in Canaan, they drew fire not from heaven but naturally from flint, and with it burned their sacrifices. For that this fire never failed is clear both from the passage of Maccabees already cited, and from the fact that the Lord commanded it to be nourished and preserved perpetually, chapter 6, verse 13. So Ribera, Book V On the Temple, chapter 17, and others commonly. In like manner, God commanded the showbread to be placed on the table continually, even in the desert, as is clear from Numbers 7:7.
The Mystical Symbolism of Fire
Mystically, fire is a symbol of chastity and divine purity, which men, especially priests, ought to imitate. Hence in Rome the Vestal virgins with equal observance preserved both the sacred fire and their chastity; and they called the fire itself, which was equally a symbol of life and of chastity, Vesta: for thus Ovid sings of it in the Fasti:
Nor should you understand Vesta as anything other than the pure flame;
You see no bodies born from flame.
Rightly therefore she is a virgin, who sends forth no seed
Nor receives any; and she loves the companions of virginity.
Of this sacred fire and its guardians, Virgil also sings, in Aeneid IV:
And she had consecrated an ever-watchful fire,
The eternal sentinels of the gods.
As long as Christians preserve and increase this fire, they will not fear that fire of which it is written in Deuteronomy chapter 32: 'A fire is kindled in My wrath, and shall burn even to the lowest depths of hell.'
Second, fire represents the Holy Spirit, who on the day of Pentecost descended upon the Apostles and the Church in the appearance of fire, and always remains with it, just as He had descended upon Christ before, John 1:33. So Hesychius and Radulphus. How this fire ought to be nourished, I have discussed in chapter 6, verse 11.
Fire as a Symbol of God, the Holy Spirit, and Charity
Moreover, how aptly fire is a symbol of God, of the Holy Spirit, and of charity, hear. First, fire is quasi-omnipotent, because it softens iron and melts all metals. Such is God, and charity. Second, if fire is hostile, it is terrible and fearsome, as is evident in conflagrations and lightning; but if friendly, it is supremely beneficial: for fire cooks food and softens even the hardest things for man. Third, fire in darkness provides guidance, light, and refuge. Fourth, fire burns the one who handles it, and warms the one who stands near it: so one must deal with God from a distance and reverently. Fifth, fire is never idle or languid, but lively and active. Sixth, fire lies hidden in the secret veins of flint: so God is intimate and hidden in created things. Seventh, fire is bright and resplendent, especially in darkness. Eighth, fire is the most separate and purest of all things, and in it there is nothing that is not fire; indeed, it purifies gold, silver, and other metals. Ninth, fire communicates itself to others and remains whole in itself; indeed, it is thereby all the more increased. Tenth, the conjunction of God's supreme wisdom, goodness, and power is wonderfully expressed in the light, heat, and efficacy of fire. Eleventh, fire breaks and hardens some things, loosens and dissolves others: so God has mercy on whom He wills and hardens whom He wills, Romans 9:18. Twelfth, fire unites and joins together many things that are divided among themselves by melting them: so God unites all nations in His faith and spirit. Thirteenth, fire heats even water, which is contrary to it: so God does good even to His enemies. Fourteenth, fire tends upward, as if to say: I am heavenly; hence it has greater efficacy upward than downward. Fifteenth, fire melts some things and does not heat others, like the diamond and the carbuncle; it converts some things into smoke, others into embers, others into ashes, others into quickite: so varied is the operation of God and the Holy Spirit. Sixteenth, just as from fire proceed light and heat, so from the Father proceed both the Son and the Holy Spirit, says Damascene, Book I On the Faith, chapter 9. Finally, this fire of the altar consecrated and sanctified, as it were, both the victims and those offering them. Rightly therefore Heraclitus said that God is an intelligible fire.
The Dignity of the Sacrifices
Finally, let priests note here how great is the dignity of the sacrifices, since through them the glory of the Lord reveals and shows itself, and consequently with what reverential, sublime, and heavenly mind they ought to offer them. Hear St. Chrysostom, Book VI On the Priesthood: 'During that time (of the sacrifice) angels attend upon the priest, and the entire order of heavenly powers raises shouts, and the place near the altar is full of choirs of angels in honor of Him who is being immolated. For a certain admirable old man saw at that time a multitude of angels clothed in shining garments, surrounding the altar itself, and bowing their heads, as if one were to see soldiers standing in the presence of the king.'
So St. Euthymius the Abbot, around the year of Christ 503, while sacrificing often saw angels ministering to God with him and handling the sacred things. At other times he saw fire and an immense light descending from above, which embraced him together with his minister until the end of the sacrifice: the witness is Cyril in his Life. So the Holy Spirit in the appearance of fire surrounded St. Anastasius while sacrificing, as is found in the Life of St. Basil.
So St. Basil would not perform the sacrifice unless a divine vision was shown to him; and when on one occasion it was denied to him because of the impure gaze of a deacon, he removed him from the altar, and when the vision immediately returned he completed the sacrifice. At other times he was seen while sacrificing to be surrounded by the brightest light and by angels in white: the witness is Amphilochius in his Life.
So St. Gudwal, being an Archbishop 500 years ago, regularly, after having first observed fasts, vigils, and prayers, while celebrating saw the heavens open, angels descend, and praises being sung to God with great reverence; he himself stood like a splendid column of light, handling the Holy of Holies and immolating the Lamb of God.
So over the head of St. Martin, while he was sacrificing, a globe of fire appeared, as Severus testifies.
So St. Plegilus the priest, while sacrificing, saw Christ in the likeness of a child in the consecrated host, offering Himself to him for embraces and kisses: the witness is Paschasius of Corbie, in the book On the Body and Blood of the Lord, chapter 14.
Wonderful also are the things which St. Gregory relates, in Homily 37 on the Gospels, concerning St. Cassius, Bishop of Narnia, who celebrated Mass constantly.
John Moschus, in the Spiritual Meadow, chapter 199, commemorates an old man who while sacrificing saw angels assisting him on his right and left. The same author, in chapter 4, relates that Abbot Leontius saw an angel standing at the right horn of the altar, and saying to him: 'From the time this altar was sanctified, I have been commanded to stand by it perpetually.' The very same thing was seen and heard by Abbot Barnabas, in the same work, chapter 10.
Palladius, in the Lausiac History, chapter 72, writes that Ammonas saw an angel marking those who worthily approached the Holy Communion, and that those who had been erased by him died within three days.