Exodus 20:24

altar The word in Heb. (mizbçaḥ) means a -place of slaughter orsacrifice." Altars of earthwere also common among the Romans (Tert. Apol.25 attributes temeraria de caespite altariato the earliest times; cf. the arae gramineae of Aen.xii. 118 f., and the -positusque carbo in Caespitevivo" of Hor. Od.iii. 8. 3 f., &c.), and, according to Sil. Ital. iv. 703, the Carthaginians: for an example of a large natural stone, extemporized rapidly into an altar, see 1 Samuel 14:32-35. On the probable primitiveidea of an altar among the Semites, as an artificial substitute for a natural object, especially a rock or boulder, supposed like other striking natural objects, as a tree, stream, or spring (EB.iii. 2981 f.) to be the abode of a deity or numen loci, see Rel. Sem.2 206 ff., or DB.s.v. Altar. Ancient rock-altars have been discovered recently in Palestine; see the writer's Schweich Lectures on Modern Research as illustrating the Bible(1908), p. 66 f.; and cf. Judges 6:20 f.

shalt sacrifice, &c. -The words are addressed not to the priests, but to Israel at large, and imply that any Israelite may approach the altar, (W. R. Smith, OTJC.2 [181] p. 358: so Di., pp. 385, 457, 460 [Exodus 2, pp. 425, 500, 503]; Baudissin, DB.iv. 70 a; cf. Kautzsch, DB.v. 648 f.). The right of sacrificing was not limited to the priestly class till long afterwards. For examples of laymen offering sacrifice, see 1 Samuel 6:14; 1Sa 13:9 f., 2 Samuel 6:13; 2 Samuel 6:17; 2Sa 24:25, 1 Kings 1:9; 1 Kings 3:4; in 2 Samuel 8:18 = 2 Samuel 20:26 David's sons are priests (so Di.).

[181] W. R. Smith, Old Testament in the Jewish Church, ed. 2, 1892.

sacrifice lit. killor slay. The verb (zâbaḥ) may be used of killing domestic animals for food without religious rites (see in the Heb. Deuteronomy 12:15; Deuteronomy 12:21; 1 Samuel 28:24); but since in early times animals were seldom, if ever, killed without an accompanying sacrifice, it commonly denotes sacrificial slaying.

burnt offerings, and … peace offerings The two commonest kinds of sacrifice, often mentioned together, especially in the earlier historical books, but also elsewhere: see e.g. Exodus 24:5; Exodus 32:6; Deuteronomy 27:7 (E), 1 Samuel 10:8; 1 Samuel 13:9 2 Samuel 6:17; 2 Samuel 24:25, and with -sacrifices" for -peace-offerings," Exodus 10:25 (see note), Exodus 18:12; 1 Samuel 6:15; 1Sa 15:22, 2 Kings 5:17. In the burnt-offering(Heb. -ôlâh, that which goes upmost probably upon the altar, though according to others in κνίση or -sweet smoke" [Exodus 29:13] to heaven), the whole animal was laid on the altar, and consumed there by fire (cf. LXX. ὁλοκαύτωμα -something wholly burnt," Vulg. holocaustum; hence some moderns render by holocaust); in the peace-offering, the fat and certain of the entrails having been consumed upon the altar, and certain parts of the flesh having been given (at least in later times) to the priest, the rest of the flesh was eaten by the worshipper and his friends at a sacred meal (cf. Exodus 18:12). The later ritual of these two species of sacrifice is given in Leviticus 1:3.

peace offerings shelâmim: LXX. (in Sam. Kgs.) εἰρηνικά, i.e. sacrifices symbolizing mutual peace and amity between those who participated in the sacred meal (which was the distinctive feature in this sacrifice), both among themselves and also with God. This explanation seems the most probable; but others have been adopted. LXX. render mostly by θυσία σωτηρίου -safety- (or welfare-) sacrifice": in this case, the -peace," or -welfare," implied would be that of the worshipper, for which, by his sacrifice, he either petitioned, or returned thanks (so Keil). Ges. Ew. Kn. render thank-offering(so Leviticus 3:1 RVm.; Josephus χαριστήρια), from the sense of the root in Piel, to make goodor pay(Psalms 66:13, &c., Proverbs 7:14). See further on Leviticus 3. The word occurs in the Carthaginian inscription now at Marseilles (Auth. and Arch.p. 77 f.), as the name of a sacrifice; but it is not known of what nature the sacrifice was.

in every place where I cause my name to be remembered (marg.)] viz. by a theophany, a victory (Exodus 17:15), or other manifestation of My presence: those who offer sacrifice at places thus distinguished may expect Jehovah's presence and blessing. A plurality of altars is thus sanctioned: but they must be erected not at places chosen arbitrarily, but at places which have been marked in some way by Jehovah's favour and approval (cf. Rel. Sem.2 [182] p. 115 f.). The reference cannot be to the altar of Burnt offering before the Tabernacle (Exodus 27:1-8, &c.): not only is a far simpler structure evidently in the writer's mind, but the alternatives offered (earth, or unhewn stone, v.25) shew that altars in general are referred to, and that the intention of the law is to authorize the erection of altars, built in the manner prescribed, in any part of the land. With the liberty of sacrifice thus permitted, as Di. points out (pp. 224, 384 f., Exodus 2, pp. 247 f., 425), the practice in Israel for -a series of centuries after Moses" conforms: in Jos. 1 K. sacrifices are frequently mentioned as offered in different parts of the land, without the smallest indication on the part of either the actor or the narrator that any law is being infringed. An altar, or sacrifice, is authorized by a theophany, or special command, Genesis 35:7; Joshua 8:30 f. (on mount Ebal; see Deuteronomy 27:5-7 a), Judges 2:5; Judges 6:24; Jdg 6:26 f., 1 Samuel 16:1-3; 2 Samuel 24:18; 2 Samuel 24:25, by a victory, Exodus 17:15; 1 Samuel 14:35: in other cases the occasion is not stated, though the places mentioned are often ancient sanctuaries, consecrated by traditions of the patriarchs, Joshua 24:1; Joshua 24:26 (the -sanctuary" at Shechem, cf. Genesis 33:20), 1 Samuel 7:9 f. (at Mizpah, v.6; cf. Judges 20:1 - unto Jehovahat Mizpah," 1 Samuel 10:17), 1 Samuel 9:12; 1 Samuel 9:12 f., 1 Samuel 10:3 (at Bethel, Genesis 28:11-22; Genesis 35:1), 1 Samuel 10:8 (at Gilgal like Bethel, known independently to have been a sanctuary; so 1 Samuel 11:15), 1 Samuel 14:35 (the firstof the altars built by Saul), 1Sa 20:6, 2 Samuel 15:7 f., 2 Samuel 15:12 (at Hebron, Genesis 13:18), 2 Samuel 15:32 (-where men used toworship God"), 1 Kings 3:4; 1Ki 18:30; 1 Kings 19:10; 1 Kings 19:14. A tendencytowards centralization, due to the natural preeminence of the sanctuary at which the Ark was stationed, and afterwards to the prestige of Solomon's Temple, no doubt made itself felt before the principle of the single sanctuary was finally codified in Deuteronomy 12; but it cannot be doubted that for long after the time when Israel was first settled in Canaan, numerous local sanctuaries existed, and sacrifice at them was habitually offered both the sanctuaries and the sacrifices being justified by the present law (see further Di. ll.cc.; DB.v. 661 a; or the writer's Comment. on Deut.pp. xliii f., 136 8; and cf. on Exodus 22:29).

[182] W. R. Smith, The Religion of the Semites, ed. 2, 1894.