( a ) The Semicah. The imposition of hands (Rabb. hk;ymis] ceiroqesiva ).
The offerer laid his hands on all offerings except the Paschal offering (and birds). Lev. 1:4; 3:2; 4:4, 15.
Compare Num. 8:10 (Num. 27:20; Deut. 34:9) (hands laid on the Levites); Lev. 16:21 (the High-priest laid both hands on the scapegoat); Lev. 24:14 (the hands of the witnesses laid on the blasphemer before he was stoned).
The action expressed an intimate connexion between the offerer and the victim: in some sense a connexion of life: a dedication to a representative office.
The interpretation in each case depended upon the particular office or act to be fulfilled by the offering.
( b ) The killing ( hf;yjiv] , H2285, jb'z< , H8824 and fj'v; , H8821 to be
distinguished). As a general rule the killing of the victim (unless it was a bird) was not the work of the priest but of the offerer in the case of private sacrifices: Lev. 1:5; 3:2; 4:24, 29, 33; though the priests might kill them. Compare Oehler, § 126.
In sacrifices for the whole nation the victims were killed by the priests who here represented the offerers; and so on the Great Day of Atonement they were killed by the High-priest: Lev. 16:15.
In the cleansing of the leper the victims were necessarily killed by the priest: the leper was outside the Congregation: Lev. 14:13, 25.
The victim was killed with the least possible pain: no stress was laid on death as suffering.
( c ) The exception of the blood. The blood of the victim was the appointed means of atonement: Lev. 17:11.
It was received by the priests (2 Chron. 29:22; comp. 2 Chron. 30:16). In certain cases it was mixed with water: Lev. 14:5 f.; but nothing is said in the O. T. of the mixture noticed in Heb. 9:19.
( d ) The application of the blood. This was the most significant part of the sacrifice. The rules in their solemn variety of detail are characteristic of the Levitical ritual. Elsewhere we read generally of the blood being poured upon the altars. In some cases (e.g., in Arabia) idols were smeared with blood. But there is apparently no parallel to the minute distinctions as to the use of the blood observed in Judaism.
The blood was applied by the priests only, and in four different ways.
i. It was sprinkled ( qr"z: , H2450 to asperse ), i.e. probably it was all
thrown about from the bowl directly or by the hand from the bowl on the altar [of burnt-offering] round about: Lev. 1:5; 3:2; 7:2, & c. This was done in the case of burnt-, peace- and guilt-offerings.
ii. It was applied ( $ t'n: , H5989 to give ) to the horns of the altar of
burnt-offering, and the remainder poured out at the base of the altar: Lev. 4:30. This was done in the case of a sin-offering for one of the common people.
iii. It was carried into the Holy place, and some of it was applied to the
horns of the altar of incense and sprinkled ( hZ!:hi ) with the finger upon the veil
seven times: the remainder was poured out at the base of the altar of burnt- offering: Lev. 4:6, 17 f. This was done in the case of a sin-offering for a priest