“‘If his offering is a sacrifice of peace offerings, if he offers it from the herd, whether male or female, he shall offer it without defect before the LORD.
ExplanationCommentary
Verse 1. Peace-offerings. Peace, in the Scripture language, signifies happiness, welfare, or prosperity; in a word, all kinds of blessings. Such sacrifices, therefore, as were offered either on occasion of blessings received, or to obtain new favours, were called pacific or peace-offerings. In these some part of the victim was consumed with fire on the altar of God: other parts were eaten by the priests, and the persons for whom the sacrifice was offered. Challoner.—Female beasts might here be sacrificed, but not birds. The victims were either offered to praise God for past favours, or to comply with some vow, or were perfectly free. Calmet. 7:12. Three sorts of victims, the ox, the sheep, and the goat, denoted all those who served God in innocence, or in the state of penance. D. Of these sacrifices “of the perfect,” none of the unclean could taste. Calmet. 7:20. When only flour or bread was given, the donor received no part again.