The Book of LeviticusLeviticus used to be the first book that Jewish children studied in the synagogue. In the modern church it tends to be the last part of the Bible that anyone looks at seriously. Because Leviticus is largely concerned with subjects that seem incomprehensible and irrelevant today — rituals for sacrifice and regulations concerning uncleanness — it appears to have nothing to say to twenty-first-century Christians. In this excellent commentary on Leviticus, Gordon Wenham takes with equal seriousness both the plain original meaning of the text and its abiding theological value. To aid in reconstructing the original meaning of the text, Wenham draws from studies of Old Testament ritual and sacrifice that compare and contrast biblical customs with the practices of other Near Eastern cultures. He also closely examines the work of social anthropologists and expertly utilizes the methods of literary criticism to bring out the biblical author s special interests. In pursuit of his second aim, to illumine the enduring theological value of Leviticus, Wenham discusses at the end of each section how the Old Testament passages relate to the New Testament and to contemporary Christianity. In doing so, he not only shows how pervasive Levitical ideas are in the New Testament but also highlights in very practical ways the enduring claim of God s call to holiness on the lives of Christians today. |
Contents
INTRODUCTION | 3 |
THE SOURCES OF LEVITICUS | 6 |
AUTHORSHIP AND DATE | 8 |
THE HEBREW TEXT OF LEVITICUS | 13 |
THE THEOLOGY OF LEVITICUS | 15 |
LEVITICUS AND THE CHRISTIAN | 32 |
SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY | 37 |
TEXT AND COMMENTARY | 45 |
INSTITUTION OF THE PRIESTHOOD 811020 | 129 |
UNCLEANNESS AND ITS TREATMENT 1111634 | 161 |
PRESCRIPTIONS FOR PRACTICAL HOLINESS 1712734 | 239 |
344 | |
346 | |
349 | |
362 | |
LAWS ON SACRIFICE 11738 | 47 |
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Common terms and phrases
Aaron affliction ancient Israel anointed Azazel becomes unclean Biblical birds blessings blood bread bring bull burned burnt offering camp cereal offering ceremonies chapter Christ Christian clothes commanded commentary covenant curses D. J. Davies day of atonement dedication Deut Deuteronomy discharge divine E. A. Speiser eaten ephah Exod flesh food offering Gispen goat God's guilt Hebrew high priest Hoffmann incense intercourse Israelites Jesus jubilee Keil killed lamb land Levitical Lord spoke Lord's Matt means Milgrom Molech Moses Moses as follows nation Nazirite offense peace offering Pentateuch phrase pollution priestly punishment purification offering reminded reparation offering resident alien rites ritual rules sabbath sacrifice sanctify sanctuary serious skin disease shekels Sinai sins sons soothing aroma spoke to Moses sprinkled Structure of Leviticus symbolized tabernacle tent of meeting theological tion translation unclean animals Verse wash woman word worship