THEOSISJerome of Stridon
When the leader presents a voluntary burnt offering or acceptable peace offerings to the Lord, the eastern gate shall be opened for him. He will conduct the burnt offerings and peace offerings as is customary on the Sabbath, and after completing his offering, he shall exit through the gate, which will then be closed behind him. Each day, he shall present a flawless yearling lamb as a burnt offering to the Lord, making this offering every morning. Alongside the lamb, he will bring a grain offering in the morning: one-sixth of an ephah of flour and one-third of a hin of oil to prepare the grain offering. This is an enduring ordinance of the Lord. Thus, they are to offer the lamb, the grain offering, and the oil each morning as a continual burnt offering.
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The term "without blemish," where the Hebrew reads "thamim," is rendered as "perfect" by Akilah. The Greek translation of the grain offering, "mana'ah," is referred to as an offering by Theodotion while Aquila and Symmachus call it a gift. The phrase "voluntary" is translated as "δμολογε'αν," meaning confession, and "prince" is interpreted as "chief," aligning with the meaning of "nasi." As Isaiah notes about the prince, "Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people" (Isaiah 55:4). Similarly, Ezekiel states, "And I the Lord will be their God, and my servant David a prince among them" (Ezek. 34:24). Therefore, when the prince brings a voluntary offering, he will say, "O Lord, I pray, may the freewill offering of my lips be accepted" (Ps. 118:108), offering himself entirely to God alongside the kindness of peace offerings. The previous discourse omits the mention of such voluntary sacrifices which are not to be made out of necessity but willingly, showing the desire for reconciliation with God.
In this light, the value of virginity is seen as higher than that of marriage (1 Cor. 7) as it is neither mandated nor rewarded but offered willingly. The peace offerings known in Hebrew as "selamim" are translated by the LXX as "salvation offerings," signifying the peace offerings' role in facilitating reconciliation. When the leader conducts this act, the gate opens for him, as noted in the LXX, where he himself opens the gate facing the east. This same gate is referred to in scripture: "This is the gate of the Lord; the righteous shall enter through it" (Psalm 117:20), from where the sun of righteousness shines. He shall indeed offer the burnt offerings and peace offerings previously mentioned, for these offerings are voluntary, and it is not the priests who offer for him, following the Sabbath's customs.
Thus, at all times, the voluntarily offered burnt offerings and peace offerings unlock the Lord's gates, and the leader does not observe the Sabbath in a conventional sense, as all his days are counted as rest. Once the burnt and peace offerings are made, he exits, and the door is secured behind him, preserving his contributions separately from those of the community. Notably, he called forth general offerings, refraining from specifying oxen or rams or goats for sin, clarifying instead that the burnt offering must be a year-old lamb without blemish and that it is not performed on specific days but every morning. This offering occurs at the dawn, as indicated in the scriptures, where David proclaims, "In the morning You shall hear my voice; in the morning I will present my prayer to You and watch expectantly" (Psalm 5:4). He also affirms, "Weeping may endure for a night but joy comes in the morning" (Psalm 30:5).
The lamb depicted as unblemished and one year old is further illuminated by Isaiah, who articulates, "He was oppressed and afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth; He was led like a lamb to the slaughter" (Isaiah 53:7). Similarly, Jeremiah states, "I was like a lamb going to the slaughter" (Jeremiah 11:19), and John the Baptist exclaims, "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world" (John 1:29). This lamb, sacrificed back in Egypt, safeguarded the doors of faith with its blood, protecting the faithful (Ex. 12). The mention of a one-year-old signifies the heralding of the Lord’s favor and a day of recompense (Isaiah 61:2).
One should appreciate that the same being is referred to as a prince, priest, bullock, ram, and lamb, for the Holy Scriptures reference Him in various contexts as Lord, God, man, prophet, and more. The significance of the morning burnt offering of this perfect, one-year-old lamb includes the leader himself presenting the grain offering—one-sixth of an ephah of flour—every morning. Since an ephah constitutes a tenth of a korah, which equals three modiyah, it follows that one-sixth of an ephah translates to half a modiyah. In addition, oil, measured as a third of a hin, is provided to prepare the grain offering; this is a perpetual and consistent ordinance not neglected on any day but performed at sunrise, ensuring fulfillment of the command: "Let the lamb be offered as a continual burnt offering, and the oil in the morning, for a burnt offering."