Holly Bible - KJV with Concise Commentaries by Z Selam - HTML preview
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(1.) How he speaks of affliction: Such things have befallen me, such sad things, which could not but go near his heart, and make it very happy. He was a high priest taken from among men, and could not put off natural affection when he put on the holy garments. He held his peace (Le 10:3), yet his sorrow was stirred, as David's, Ps 39:2. Note, There may be a deep sense of affliction even where there is a sincere resignation to the will of God in the affliction. "Such things as never befel me before, and as I little expected now. My spirits cannot but sink, when I see my family sinking; I must needs be heavy, when God is angry:" thus it is easy to say a great deal to aggravate an affliction, but it is better to say little.
(2.) How he makes this an excuse for his varying from the appointment about the sin-offering. He could not have eaten it but in his mourning, and with a sorrowful spirit; and would this have been accepted? He does not plead that his heart was so full of grief that he had no appetite for it, but that he feared it would not be accepted. Note,
[1.] Acceptance with God is the great thing we should desire and aim at in all our religious services, particularly in the Lord's supper, which is our eating of the sin-offering.
[2.] The sorrow of the world is a very great hindrance to our acceptable performance of holy duties, both as it is discomposing to ourselves, takes off our chariot-wheels and makes us drive heavily (1Sa 1:7,8), and as it is displeasing to God, whose will it is that we should serve him cheerfully, De 12:7. Mourner's bread was polluted, Ho 9:4. See Mal 3:14.
20 And when Moses heard that, he was content.
The acquiescence of Moses in this excuse: He was content, Le 10:20. Perhaps he thought it justified what they had done. God had provided that what could not be eaten might be