THEOSISJerome of Stridon
When the prince presents a voluntary burnt offering or acceptable peace offerings to the Lord, the eastern gate will be opened for him. He shall perform these offerings similarly to the customary practice on the Sabbath, and after completing his offerings, he will exit, at which point the gate will be closed. Each day, he must present a flawless yearling lamb as a burnt offering to the Lord, offering it each morning. Alongside the lamb, he shall bring a flour offering in the morning, consisting of one-sixth of an ephah and one-third of a hin of oil, to accompany the flour offering. This is the perpetual and enduring statute of the Lord: that the lamb, flour offering, and oil be offered each morning as a continual burnt offering.
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As stated, "without blemish" is translated from the Hebrew term "thamim," meaning perfect. Furthermore, the Greek Septuagint refers to the flour offering as "mana'ah," while Theodotion renders it as an offering, and Aquila as a gift. The term "voluntary" is translated from the Greek word meaning confession, while "prince" aligns with the term chief, as expressed by "nasi." The prophecy of Isaiah speaks of this prince, noting, "Behold the testimony in the Gentiles is given of his prince, and of the lord of the tongue" (Isaiah 55:4). Ezekiel also remarks, "But I the Lord will be to them in God, and my servant David is prince of their midst" (Ezek. 34:24). Hence, when the prince makes his voluntary offering, he will acknowledge, "May the freewill of my lips please you, O Lord" (Ps. 118:108), presenting himself entirely as a sacrifice to God, along with peace offerings of goodwill. These offerings are distinct from previous mentions because they must be made out of willingness rather than obligation. After the burnt offering, he will offer peace offerings to make amends with God.
Consequently, virginity is positioned as superior to marriage (1 Cor. 7) because it is neither mandated nor amply rewarded, but offered freely. The peace offerings, referred to as "selamim" in Hebrew, are translated by the Septuagint as salvation offerings, indicating that the reconciliation inherent in these offerings serves the purpose of salvation for the one who offers. Thus, when the prince performs this act, the gate will be opened for him, or as the LXX suggests, he will open the gate facing east, the gate described as "this is the gate of the Lord; the righteous shall enter through it" (Psalm 117:20), the portal from which the sun of righteousness arises. He shall repeatedly offer his burnt offering and peace offerings, as previously mentioned. Such sacrifices are entirely voluntary, as mandated; only he may offer these, distinct from the priests, and only according to the Sabbath's customs. The regular acts of offering both the burnt and peace offerings voluntarily grant access to the Lord’s gates. In this context, the prince does not observe the Sabbath as a strict guideline; all days become rest for him. After completing the burnt offering and peace offerings, he will leave and secure the gate behind him to ensure that his sacrifices remain separate from those of the populace.
Since the term "voluntary burnt offering" or "good peace offerings" does not include oxen or rams, nor goats for sin offerings, the scripture clarifies what the burnt offering involves: a yearling lamb without blemish, offered not on designated days but daily, specifically in the morning. This refers to the morning when light first appears after dawn. David captures this sentiment when he proclaims, "In the morning you shall hear my voice; in the morning I will stand before you and see" (Psalms 5:4). In contrast, he observes, "Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning" (Psalm 30:5). The image of the lamb, flawless and one year old, is echoed in Isaiah, who describes the servant as "a sheep led to the slaughter, and as a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he opened not his mouth" (Isaiah 53:7). Jeremiah authoritatively states, "But I am like a lamb led to slaughter, unknowing" (Jeremiah 11:19). John the Baptist proclaims, "Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29). This lamb, referenced in Exodus, was slain in Egypt, marking the doors of faith to protect the chosen from destruction (Ex. 12).
The reference to "one year old" relates to the heralding of God's favorable season and the day of recompense (Isaiah 61:2). It is significant that the same figure is referred to in various roles such as prince, priest, bullock, ram, and lamb; the Holy Scriptures employ different terms under varying contexts to describe him as Lord, God, man, prophet, and numerous other titles. Offering this lamb of purity, aged one year and presented every morning, entails the prince himself making the offering, or "mana'ah," alongside the flour or gift in the morning, presenting one-sixth of the ephah, representing the flour. One-sixth of the ephah equals half a modiyyah; thus, the sixth part of the ephah is meant. Additionally, a third of the measure of oil is prepared for the flour offering to be blessed or poured out to God. This law is a continual and constant ordinance that must occur daily at sunrise, fulfilling the final directive: let the lamb and oil be offered as continual burnt offerings in the morning.