And he sent young men of the children of Israel, which offered burnt offerings, and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen unto the LORD.
And he sent young men. Whether these young men were oldest sons of particular families, to whom belonged, among other privileges of primogeniture in patriarchal times, the hereditary office of priest, who were set apart to the Lord (Exodus 13:2), and these youths were the parties alluded to (Exodus 19:22), it is impossible to say, nor is it of much consequence to determine; because the service they were directed by Moses to perform on this occasion was not among the special functions of the priesthood-namely, that of sprinkling blood upon the altar. Their assistance was rendered only in the preparatory labour of playing and ranging the victims on the altar; and in this work they represented the people by whom the sacrifice was offered, and whose attitude as a nation resembled that of a youth just ready to enter upon his course' (Kurtz, 3:, p. 143). [The oblations were of two kinds - `olaah (H5930) (from `aalaah (H5927), to ascend, signifying their being carried up and laid upon the altar); Septuagint, holokautoomata, holocausts, sacrifices wholly consumed, of a propitiatory import; and shªlaamiym (H8002) zªbaachiym (H2077), peace offerings, which were federal in their character (see the note at Exodus 20:24: cf. Exodus 32:6).]
The victims offered are called х paariym (H6499)] young bullocks, the principal animals only being mentioned; because it appears (Hebrews 9:18-20) that goats were also presented on this occasion, of which, as well as of sheep and lambs, as afterward appointed by the law, burnt offerings might consist (Leviticus 1:10; Numbers 7:28). The occasion, being the solemn ratification of the national covenant between the Lord and the people of Israel, was signalized not only by the offering of sacrifices, which were essential to every act of religious worship (for the sin of the people must be expiated before they could be admitted into communion with the Lord), but by the observance of a special ceremony, by which both the parties interested in the covenant were brought under the most sacred obligations faithfully to adhere to its conditions.