And he shall kill the bullock before the LORD: and the priests, Aaron's sons, shall bring the blood, and sprinkle the blood round about upon the altar that is by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
And he shall kill ... - meaning not the priest, because it was not his official duty in case of voluntary sacrifices, but the offerer; in later times, however, the office was generally performed by Levites (cf. 2 Chronicles 29:24; Ezra 6:24).
Before the Lord - on the spot where the hands had been laid upon the animal's head, on the north side of the altar.
Sprinkle the blood. This was to he done by the priests, who received the blood of the slain animal in brasen bowls, and sprinkled or poured it upon the altar near the offering, but apart from it. The blood being considered the life, the effusion of it was the essential part of the sacrifice, and the sprinkling of it, the application of the atonement-which made the person and services of the offerer acceptable to God. The skin having been stripped off and the carcass cut up, the various pieces were disposed on the altar in the manner best calculated to facilitate their being consumed By the fire.
This act, according to Bahr, symbolizes the offerer's readiness to yield his life-his all-himself, in faith, repentance, and devotedness, to God. But it denotes much more than that; for to this the offering and the killing of the animal is merely introductory [and even had there been no mention of kapeer (H3722) in the burnt offering, the special ceremony of the sprinkling of the blood would have shown that expiation was connected with it.]