Commentary on Harmony of the Law Volume 1 Complete John Calvin (continued)
JOHN CALVIN
5. And if ye offer a sacrifice of peace offerings unto the LORD, ye shall offer it at your own will.
5. Et quando sacrificaveritis sacrificium prosperitatum Jehovae, in acceptationem vestri sacrificabitis illud.
6. It shall be eaten the same day ye offer it, and on the morrow: and if ought remain until the third day, it shall be burnt in the fire.
6. Die quo sacrificaveritis comedetur, et postridie: quod autem superfuerit usque ad diem tertium, igni comburetur.
7. And if it be eaten at all on the third day, it is abominable; it shall not be accepted.
7. Quod si comedendo comedatur die tertio, profanum erit, neque placebit.
8. Therefore every one that eateth it shall bear his iniquity, because he hath profaned the hallowed thing of the LORD: and that soul shall be cut off from among his people.
8. Et qui comederit illud, poenam iniquitatis suae portabit: quia sanctitatem Jehovae polluit: et excidetur anima ipsa e populis suis.
Leviticus 7:11. And this is the law of the sacrifice. I have elsewhere 624 stated my reasons for calling this kind of sacrifice "the sacrifice of prosperities." That they were offered not only in token of gratitude, but when God's aid was implored, is plain both from this and other passages; yet in all cases the Jews thus testified that they acknowledged God as the author of all good things, whether they returned thanks for some notable blessing, or sought by His aid to be delivered from dangers, or whether they professed in general their piety, or paid the vows which they had made simply and without condition; for the payment of a conditional vow was an act of thanksgiving. At any rate, since in all they honored God with His due service, they gave proof of their gratitude. Hence this name was justly given to these sacrifices, because in them they either besought good success of Him, or acknowledged that what they had already obtained was owing to His grace, or asked for relief in adversity, or congratulated themselves on their welfare and safety. Moses, however, distinguishes one kind, as it were, from the others:, i.e., the sacrifice of thanksgiving, whereby they professedly returned thanks for some notable deliverance, which was not; Vide, p. 105.