Worthy.Bible » Parallel » Leviticus » Chapter 8 » Verse 1-36

Leviticus 8:1-36 King James Version (KJV)

1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

2 Take Aaron and his sons with him, and the garments, and the anointing oil, and a bullock for the sin offering, and two rams, and a basket of unleavened bread;

3 And gather thou all the congregation together unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

4 And Moses did as the LORD commanded him; and the assembly was gathered together unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

5 And Moses said unto the congregation, This is the thing which the LORD commanded to be done.

6 And Moses brought Aaron and his sons, and washed them with water.

7 And he put upon him the coat, and girded him with the girdle, and clothed him with the robe, and put the ephod upon him, and he girded him with the curious girdle of the ephod, and bound it unto him therewith.

8 And he put the breastplate upon him: also he put in the breastplate the Urim and the Thummim.

9 And he put the mitre upon his head; also upon the mitre, even upon his forefront, did he put the golden plate, the holy crown; as the LORD commanded Moses.

10 And Moses took the anointing oil, and anointed the tabernacle and all that was therein, and sanctified them.

11 And he sprinkled thereof upon the altar seven times, and anointed the altar and all his vessels, both the laver and his foot, to sanctify them.

12 And he poured of the anointing oil upon Aaron's head, and anointed him, to sanctify him.

13 And Moses brought Aaron's sons, and put coats upon them, and girded them with girdles, and put bonnets upon them; as the LORD commanded Moses.

14 And he brought the bullock for the sin offering: and Aaron and his sons laid their hands upon the head of the bullock for the sin offering.

15 And he slew it; and Moses took the blood, and put it upon the horns of the altar round about with his finger, and purified the altar, and poured the blood at the bottom of the altar, and sanctified it, to make reconciliation upon it.

16 And he took all the fat that was upon the inwards, and the caul above the liver, and the two kidneys, and their fat, and Moses burned it upon the altar.

17 But the bullock, and his hide, his flesh, and his dung, he burnt with fire without the camp; as the LORD commanded Moses.

18 And he brought the ram for the burnt offering: and Aaron and his sons laid their hands upon the head of the ram.

19 And he killed it; and Moses sprinkled the blood upon the altar round about.

20 And he cut the ram into pieces; and Moses burnt the head, and the pieces, and the fat.

21 And he washed the inwards and the legs in water; and Moses burnt the whole ram upon the altar: it was a burnt sacrifice for a sweet savor, and an offering made by fire unto the LORD; as the LORD commanded Moses.

22 And he brought the other ram, the ram of consecration: and Aaron and his sons laid their hands upon the head of the ram.

23 And he slew it; and Moses took of the blood of it, and put it upon the tip of Aaron's right ear, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot.

24 And he brought Aaron's sons, and Moses put of the blood upon the tip of their right ear, and upon the thumbs of their right hands, and upon the great toes of their right feet: and Moses sprinkled the blood upon the altar round about.

25 And he took the fat, and the rump, and all the fat that was upon the inwards, and the caul above the liver, and the two kidneys, and their fat, and the right shoulder:

26 And out of the basket of unleavened bread, that was before the LORD, he took one unleavened cake, and a cake of oiled bread, and one wafer, and put them on the fat, and upon the right shoulder:

27 And he put all upon Aaron's hands, and upon his sons' hands, and waved them for a wave offering before the LORD.

28 And Moses took them from off their hands, and burnt them on the altar upon the burnt offering: they were consecrations for a sweet savor: it is an offering made by fire unto the LORD.

29 And Moses took the breast, and waved it for a wave offering before the LORD: for of the ram of consecration it was Moses' part; as the LORD commanded Moses.

30 And Moses took of the anointing oil, and of the blood which was upon the altar, and sprinkled it upon Aaron, and upon his garments, and upon his sons, and upon his sons' garments with him; and sanctified Aaron, and his garments, and his sons, and his sons' garments with him.

31 And Moses said unto Aaron and to his sons, Boil the flesh at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: and there eat it with the bread that is in the basket of consecrations, as I commanded, saying, Aaron and his sons shall eat it.

32 And that which remaineth of the flesh and of the bread shall ye burn with fire.

33 And ye shall not go out of the door of the tabernacle of the congregation in seven days, until the days of your consecration be at an end: for seven days shall he consecrate you.

34 As he hath done this day, so the LORD hath commanded to do, to make an atonement for you.

35 Therefore shall ye abide at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation day and night seven days, and keep the charge of the LORD, that ye die not: for so I am commanded.

36 So Aaron and his sons did all things which the LORD commanded by the hand of Moses.


Leviticus 8:1-36 King James Version with Strong's Concordance (STRONG)

1 And the LORD H3068 spake H1696 unto Moses, H4872 saying, H559

2 Take H3947 Aaron H175 and his sons H1121 with him, and the garments, H899 and the anointing H4888 oil, H8081 and a bullock H6499 for the sin offering, H2403 and two H8147 rams, H352 and a basket H5536 of unleavened bread; H4682

3 And gather H6950 thou all the congregation H5712 together H6950 unto the door H6607 of the tabernacle H168 of the congregation. H4150

4 And Moses H4872 did H6213 as the LORD H3068 commanded H6680 him; and the assembly H5712 was gathered together H6950 unto the door H6607 of the tabernacle H168 of the congregation. H4150

5 And Moses H4872 said H559 unto the congregation, H5712 This is the thing H1697 which the LORD H3068 commanded H6680 to be done. H6213

6 And Moses H4872 brought H7126 Aaron H175 and his sons, H1121 and washed H7364 them with water. H4325

7 And he put H5414 upon him the coat, H3801 and girded H2296 him with the girdle, H73 and clothed H3847 him with the robe, H4598 and put H5414 the ephod H646 upon him, and he girded H2296 him with the curious girdle H2805 of the ephod, H646 and bound H640 it unto him therewith.

8 And he put H7760 the breastplate H2833 upon him: also he put H5414 in the breastplate H2833 the Urim H224 and the Thummim. H8550

9 And he put H7760 the mitre H4701 upon his head; H7218 also upon the mitre, H4701 even upon his forefront, H6440 H4136 did he put H7760 the golden H2091 plate, H6731 the holy H6944 crown; H5145 as the LORD H3068 commanded H6680 Moses. H4872

10 And Moses H4872 took H3947 the anointing H4888 oil, H8081 and anointed H4886 the tabernacle H4908 and all that was therein, and sanctified H6942 them.

11 And he sprinkled H5137 thereof upon the altar H4196 seven H7651 times, H6471 and anointed H4886 the altar H4196 and all his vessels, H3627 both the laver H3595 and his foot, H3653 to sanctify H6942 them.

12 And he poured H3332 of the anointing H4888 oil H8081 upon Aaron's H175 head, H7218 and anointed H4886 him, to sanctify H6942 him.

13 And Moses H4872 brought H7126 Aaron's H175 sons, H1121 and put H3847 coats H3801 upon them, and girded H2296 them with girdles, H73 and put H2280 bonnets H4021 upon them; as the LORD H3068 commanded H6680 Moses. H4872

14 And he brought H5066 the bullock H6499 for the sin offering: H2403 and Aaron H175 and his sons H1121 laid H5564 their hands H3027 upon the head H7218 of the bullock H6499 for the sin offering. H2403

15 And he slew H7819 it; and Moses H4872 took H3947 the blood, H1818 and put H5414 it upon the horns H7161 of the altar H4196 round about H5439 with his finger, H676 and purified H2398 the altar, H4196 and poured H3332 the blood H1818 at the bottom H3247 of the altar, H4196 and sanctified H6942 it, to make reconciliation H3722 upon it.

16 And he took H3947 all the fat H2459 that was upon the inwards, H7130 and the caul H3508 above the liver, H3516 and the two H8147 kidneys, H3629 and their fat, H2459 and Moses H4872 burned H6999 it upon the altar. H4196

17 But the bullock, H6499 and his hide, H5785 his flesh, H1320 and his dung, H6569 he burnt H8313 with fire H784 without H2351 the camp; H4264 as the LORD H3068 commanded H6680 Moses. H4872

18 And he brought H7126 the ram H352 for the burnt offering: H5930 and Aaron H175 and his sons H1121 laid H5564 their hands H3027 upon the head H7218 of the ram. H352

19 And he killed H7819 it; and Moses H4872 sprinkled H2236 the blood H1818 upon the altar H4196 round about. H5439

20 And he cut H5408 the ram H352 into pieces; H5409 and Moses H4872 burnt H6999 the head, H7218 and the pieces, H5409 and the fat. H6309

21 And he washed H7364 the inwards H7130 and the legs H3767 in water; H4325 and Moses H4872 burnt H6999 the whole ram H352 upon the altar: H4196 it was a burnt sacrifice H5930 for a sweet H5207 savour, H7381 and an offering made by fire H801 unto the LORD; H3068 as the LORD H3068 commanded H6680 Moses. H4872

22 And he brought H7126 the other H8145 ram, H352 the ram H352 of consecration: H4394 and Aaron H175 and his sons H1121 laid H5564 their hands H3027 upon the head H7218 of the ram. H352

23 And he slew H7819 it; and Moses H4872 took H3947 of the blood H1818 of it, and put H5414 it upon the tip H8571 of Aaron's H175 right H3233 ear, H241 and upon the thumb H931 of his right H3233 hand, H3027 and upon the great toe H931 of his right H3233 foot. H7272

24 And he brought H7126 Aaron's H175 sons, H1121 and Moses H4872 put H5414 of the blood H1818 upon the tip H8571 of their right H3233 ear, H241 and upon the thumbs H931 of their right H3233 hands, H3027 and upon the great toes H931 of their right H3233 feet: H7272 and Moses H4872 sprinkled H2236 the blood H1818 upon the altar H4196 round about. H5439

25 And he took H3947 the fat, H2459 and the rump, H451 and all the fat H2459 that was upon the inwards, H7130 and the caul H3508 above the liver, H3516 and the two H8147 kidneys, H3629 and their fat, H2459 and the right H3225 shoulder: H7785

26 And out of the basket H5536 of unleavened H4682 bread, H3899 that was before H6440 the LORD, H3068 he took H3947 one H259 unleavened H4682 cake, H2471 and a cake H2471 of oiled H8081 bread, and one H259 wafer, H7550 and put H7760 them on the fat, H2459 and upon the right H3225 shoulder: H7785

27 And he put H5414 all upon Aaron's H175 hands, H3709 and upon his sons' H1121 hands, H3709 and waved H5130 them for a wave offering H8573 before H6440 the LORD. H3068

28 And Moses H4872 took H3947 them from off their hands, H3709 and burnt H6999 them on the altar H4196 upon the burnt offering: H5930 they were consecrations H4394 for a sweet H5207 savour: H7381 it is an offering made by fire H801 unto the LORD. H3068

29 And Moses H4872 took H3947 the breast, H2373 and waved H5130 it for a wave offering H8573 before H6440 the LORD: H3068 for of the ram H352 of consecration H4394 it was Moses' H4872 part; H4490 as the LORD H3068 commanded H6680 Moses. H4872

30 And Moses H4872 took H3947 of the anointing H4888 oil, H8081 and of the blood H1818 which was upon the altar, H4196 and sprinkled H5137 it upon Aaron, H175 and upon his garments, H899 and upon his sons, H1121 and upon his sons' H1121 garments H899 with him; and sanctified H6942 Aaron, H175 and his garments, H899 and his sons, H1121 and his sons' H1121 garments H899 with him.

31 And Moses H4872 said H559 unto Aaron H175 and to his sons, H1121 Boil H1310 the flesh H1320 at the door H6607 of the tabernacle H168 of the congregation: H4150 and there eat H398 it with the bread H3899 that is in the basket H5536 of consecrations, H4394 as I commanded, H6680 saying, H559 Aaron H175 and his sons H1121 shall eat H398 it.

32 And that which remaineth H3498 of the flesh H1320 and of the bread H3899 shall ye burn H8313 with fire. H784

33 And ye shall not go out H3318 of the door H6607 of the tabernacle H168 of the congregation H4150 in seven H7651 days, H3117 until the days H3117 of your consecration H4394 be at an end: H4390 for seven H7651 days H3117 shall he consecrate H4390 H3027 you.

34 As he hath done H6213 this day, H3117 so the LORD H3068 hath commanded H6680 to do, H6213 to make an atonement H3722 for you.

35 Therefore shall ye abide H3427 at the door H6607 of the tabernacle H168 of the congregation H4150 day H3119 and night H3915 seven H7651 days, H3117 and keep H8104 the charge H4931 of the LORD, H3068 that ye die H4191 not: for so I am commanded. H6680

36 So Aaron H175 and his sons H1121 did H6213 all things H1697 which the LORD H3068 commanded H6680 by the hand H3027 of Moses. H4872


Leviticus 8:1-36 American Standard (ASV)

1 And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying,

2 Take Aaron and his sons with him, and the garments, and the anointing oil, and the bullock of the sin-offering, and the two rams, and the basket of unleavened bread;

3 and assemble thou all the congregation at the door of the tent of meeting.

4 And Moses did as Jehovah commanded him; and the congregation was assembled at the door of the tent of meeting.

5 And Moses said unto the congregation, This is the thing which Jehovah hath commanded to be done.

6 And Moses brought Aaron and his sons, and washed them with water.

7 And he put upon him the coat, and girded him with the girdle, and clothed him with the robe, and put the ephod upon him, and he girded him with the skilfully woven band of the ephod, and bound it unto him therewith.

8 And he placed the breastplate upon him: and in the breastplate he put the Urim and the Thummim.

9 And he set the mitre upon his head; and upon the mitre, in front, did he set the golden plate, the holy crown; as Jehovah commanded Moses.

10 And Moses took the anointing oil, and anointed the tabernacle and all that was therein, and sanctified them.

11 And he sprinkled thereof upon the altar seven times, and anointed the altar and all its vessels, and the laver and its base, to sanctify them.

12 And he poured of the anointing oil upon Aaron's head, and anointed him, to sanctify him.

13 And Moses brought Aaron's sons, and clothed them with coats, and girded them with girdles, and bound head-tires upon them; as Jehovah commanded Moses.

14 And he brought the bullock of the sin-offering: and Aaron and his sons laid their hands upon the head of the bullock of the sin-offering.

15 And he slew it; and Moses took the blood, and put it upon the horns of the altar round about with his finger, and purified the altar, and poured out the blood at the base of the altar, and sanctified it, to make atonement for it.

16 And he took all the fat that was upon the inwards, and the caul of the liver, and the two kidneys, and their fat; and Moses burned it upon the altar.

17 But the bullock, and its skin, and its flesh, and its dung, he burnt with fire without the camp; as Jehovah commanded Moses.

18 And he presented the ram of the burnt-offering: and Aaron and his sons laid their hands upon the head of the ram.

19 And he killed it; and Moses sprinkled the blood upon the altar round about.

20 And he cut the ram into its pieces; and Moses burnt the head, and the pieces, and the fat.

21 And he washed the inwards and the legs with water; and Moses burnt the whole ram upon the altar: it was a burnt-offering for a sweet savor: it was an offering made by fire unto Jehovah; as Jehovah commanded Moses.

22 And he presented the other ram, the ram of consecration: and Aaron and his sons laid their hands upon the head of the ram.

23 And he slew it; and Moses took of the blood thereof, and put it upon the tip of Aaron's right ear, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot.

24 And he brought Aaron's sons; and Moses put of the blood upon the tip of their right ear, and upon the thumb of their right hand, and upon the great toe of their right foot: and Moses sprinkled the blood upon the altar round about.

25 And he took the fat, and the fat tail, and all the fat that was upon the inwards, and the caul of the liver, and the two kidneys, and their fat, and the right thigh:

26 and out of the basket of unleavened bread, that was before Jehovah, he took one unleavened cake, and one cake of oiled bread, and one wafer, and placed them on the fat, and upon the right thigh:

27 and he put the whole upon the hands of Aaron, and upon the hands of his sons, and waved them for a wave-offering before Jehovah.

28 And Moses took them from off their hands, and burnt them on the altar upon the burnt-offering: they were a consecration for a sweet savor: it was an offering made by fire unto Jehovah.

29 And Moses took the breast, and waved it for a wave-offering before Jehovah: it was Moses' portion of the ram of consecration; as Jehovah commanded Moses.

30 And Moses took of the anointing oil, and of the blood which was upon the altar, and sprinkled it upon Aaron, upon his garments, and upon his sons, and upon his sons' garments with him, and sanctified Aaron, his garments, and his sons, and his sons' garments with him.

31 And Moses said unto Aaron and to his sons, Boil the flesh at the door of the tent of meeting: and there eat it and the bread that is in the basket of consecration, as I commanded, saying, Aaron and his sons shall eat it.

32 And that which remaineth of the flesh and of the bread shall ye burn with fire.

33 And ye shall not go out from the door of the tent of meeting seven days, until the days of your consecration be fulfilled: for he shall consecrate you seven days.

34 As hath been done this day, so Jehovah hath commanded to do, to make atonement for you.

35 And at the door of the tent of meeting shall ye abide day and night seven days, and keep the charge of Jehovah, that ye die not: for so I am commanded.

36 And Aaron and his sons did all the things which Jehovah commanded by Moses.


Leviticus 8:1-36 Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

1 And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, saying,

2 `Take Aaron and his sons with him, and the garments, and the anointing oil, and the bullock of the sin-offering, and the two rams, and the basket of unleavened things,

3 and all the company assemble thou unto the opening of the tent of meeting.'

4 And Moses doth as Jehovah hath commanded him, and the company is assembled unto the opening of the tent of meeting,

5 and Moses saith unto the company, `This `is' the thing which Jehovah hath commanded to do.'

6 And Moses bringeth near Aaron and his sons, and doth bathe them with water,

7 and doth put on him the coat, and doth gird him with the girdle, and doth clothe him with the upper robe, and doth put on him the ephod, and doth gird him with the girdle of the ephod, and doth bind `it' to him with it,

8 and doth put on him the breastplate, and doth put unto the breastplate the Lights and the Perfections,

9 and doth put the mitre on his head, and doth put on the mitre, over-against its front, the golden flower of the holy crown, as Jehovah hath commanded Moses.

10 And Moses taketh the anointing oil, and anointeth the tabernacle, and all that `is' in it, and sanctifieth them;

11 and he sprinkleth of it on the altar seven times, and anointeth the altar, and all its vessels, and the laver, and its base, to sanctify them;

12 and he poureth of the anointing oil on the head of Aaron, and anointeth him to sanctify him.

13 And Moses bringeth near the sons of Aaron, and doth clothe them `with' coats, and girdeth them `with' girdles, and bindeth for them turbans, as Jehovah hath commanded Moses.

14 And he bringeth nigh the bullock of the sin-offering, and Aaron layeth -- his sons also -- their hands on the head of the bullock of the sin-offering,

15 and `one' slaughtereth, and Moses taketh the blood, and putteth on the horns of the altar round about with his finger, and cleanseth the altar, and the blood he hath poured out at the foundation of the altar, and sanctifieth it, to make atonement upon it.

16 And he taketh all the fat that `is' on the inwards, and the redundance above the liver, and the two kidneys, and their fat, and Moses maketh Perfume on the altar,

17 and the bullock, and its skin, and its flesh, and its dung, he hath burnt with fire, at the outside of the camp, as Jehovah hath commanded Moses.

18 And he bringeth near the ram of the burnt-offering, and Aaron and his sons lay their hands on the head of the ram,

19 and `one' slaughtereth, and Moses sprinkleth the blood on the altar round about;

20 and the ram he hath cut into its pieces, and Moses maketh perfume with the head, and the pieces, and the fat,

21 and the inwards and the legs he hath washed with water, and Moses maketh perfume with the whole ram on the altar; it `is' a burnt-offering, for sweet fragrance; it `is' a fire-offering to Jehovah, as Jehovah hath commanded Moses.

22 And he bringeth near the second ram, a ram of the consecrations, and Aaron and his sons lay their hands on the head of the ram,

23 and `one' slaughtereth, and Moses taketh of its blood, and putteth on the tip of the right ear of Aaron, and on the thumb of his right hand, and on the great toe of his right foot;

24 and he bringeth near the sons of Aaron, and Moses putteth of the blood on the tip of their right ear, and on the thumb of their right hand, and on the great toe of their right foot. And Moses sprinkleth the blood on the altar round about,

25 and taketh the fat, and the fat tail, and all the fat that `is' on the inwards, and the redundance above the liver, and the two kidneys, and their fat, and the right leg;

26 and out of the basket of unleavened things, which `is' before Jehovah, he hath taken one unleavened cake, and one cake of oiled bread, and one thin cake, and putteth `them' on the fat, and on the right leg;

27 and putteth the whole on the hands of Aaron, and on the hands of his sons, and waveth them -- a wave-offering before Jehovah.

28 And Moses taketh them from off their hands, and maketh perfume on the altar, on the burnt-offering, they `are' consecrations for sweet fragrance; it `is' a fire-offering to Jehovah;

29 and Moses taketh the breast, and waveth it -- a wave-offering before Jehovah; of the ram of the consecrations it hath been to Moses for a portion, as Jehovah hath commanded Moses.

30 And Moses taketh of the anointing oil, and of the blood which `is' on the altar, and sprinkleth on Aaron, on his garments, and on his sons, and on the garments of his sons with him, and he sanctifieth Aaron, his garments, and his sons, and the garments of his sons with him.

31 And Moses saith unto Aaron, and unto his sons, `Boil ye the flesh at the opening of the tent of meeting, and there ye do eat it and the bread which `is' in the basket of the consecrations, as I have commanded, saying, Aaron and his sons do eat it.

32 `And the remnant of the flesh and of the bread with fire ye burn;

33 and from the opening of the tent of meeting ye go not out seven days, till the day of the fulness, the days of your consecration -- for seven days he doth consecrate your hand;

34 as he hath done on this day, Jehovah hath commanded to do, to make atonement for you;

35 and at the opening of the tent of meeting ye abide, by day and by night seven days, and ye have kept the charge of Jehovah, and die not, for so I have been commanded.'

36 And Aaron doth -- his sons also -- all the things which Jehovah hath commanded by the hand of Moses.


Leviticus 8:1-36 Darby English Bible (DARBY)

1 And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying,

2 Take Aaron and his sons with him, and the garments and the anointing oil, and the bullock of the sin-offering, and the two rams, and the basket of unleavened [bread];

3 and gather all the assembly together at the entrance of the tent of meeting.

4 And Moses did as Jehovah had commanded him; and the assembly was collected at the entrance of the tent of meeting.

5 And Moses said to the assembly, This is the thing which Jehovah has commanded to be done.

6 And Moses brought Aaron near, and his sons, and bathed them with water.

7 And he put upon him the vest and girded him with the girdle, and clothed him with the cloak, and put the ephod on him, and he girded him with the girdle of the ephod, and fastened the ephod on him.

8 And he put the breastplate on it, and put on the breastplate the Urim and the Thummim;

9 and he put the turban upon his head; and upon the turban, on the front of it, he put the golden plate, the holy diadem; as Jehovah had commanded Moses.

10 And Moses took the anointing oil, and anointed the tabernacle and all that was in it, and hallowed them.

11 And he sprinkled thereof on the altar seven times, and anointed the altar and all its utensils, and the laver and its stand, to hallow them.

12 And he poured of the anointing oil on Aaron's head, and anointed him, to hallow him.

13 And Moses brought Aaron's sons near and clothed them with the vests, and girded them with the girdles, and bound the high caps on them, as Jehovah had commanded Moses.

14 And he brought near the bullock for the sin-offering; and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the bullock for the sin-offering;

15 and he slaughtered [it], and Moses took the blood, and put [it] on the horns of the altar round about with his finger, and cleansed the altar from sin, and the blood he poured at the bottom of the altar, and hallowed it, making atonement for it.

16 And he took all the fat that was on the inwards, and the net of the liver, and the two kidneys, and their fat, and Moses burned [them] on the altar.

17 And the bullock, and its skin, and its flesh, and its dung he burned with fire outside the camp, as Jehovah had commanded Moses.

18 And he presented the ram of the burnt-offering; and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram;

19 and he slaughtered [it]; and Moses sprinkled the blood on the altar round about.

20 And the ram he cut up into its pieces; and Moses burned the head, and the pieces, and the fat;

21 and the inwards and the legs he washed in water; and Moses burned the whole ram on the altar: it was a burnt-offering for a sweet odour, it was an offering by fire to Jehovah; as Jehovah had commanded Moses.

22 And he presented the second ram, the ram of consecration; and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram;

23 and one slaughtered [it]; and Moses took of its blood, and put [it] on the tip of Aaron's right ear, and on the thumb of his right hand, and on the great toe of his right foot;

24 and he brought Aaron's sons near, and Moses put of the blood on the tip of their right ear, and on the thumb of their right hand, and on the great toe of their right foot; and Moses sprinkled the blood upon the altar round about.

25 And he took the fat, and the fat tail, and all the fat that was on the inwards, and the net of the liver, and the two kidneys and their fat, and the right shoulder;

26 and out of the basket of unleavened bread that was before Jehovah he took one unleavened cake, and a cake of oiled bread, and one wafer, and put them on the fat and upon the right shoulder;

27 and he gave all into Aaron's hands, and into his sons' hands, and waved them as a wave-offering before Jehovah.

28 And Moses took them from off their hands, and burned [them] on the altar, over the burnt-offering: they were a consecration-offering for a sweet odour: it was an offering by fire to Jehovah.

29 And Moses took the breast, and waved it as a wave-offering before Jehovah; of the ram of consecration it was Moses' part; as Jehovah had commanded Moses.

30 And Moses took of the anointing oil, and of the blood that was on the altar, and sprinkled [it] on Aaron, on his garments, and on his sons, and on his sons' garments with him; and hallowed Aaron, his garments, and his sons, and his sons' garments with him.

31 And Moses spoke to Aaron and to his sons, Boil the flesh at the entrance of the tent of meeting; and there eat it and the bread that is in the basket of the consecration-offering, as I commanded, saying, Aaron and his sons shall eat it.

32 And that which remaineth of the flesh and of the bread shall ye burn with fire.

33 And ye shall not go out from the entrance of the tent of meeting seven days, until the day when the days of your consecration are at an end: for seven days shall ye be consecrated.

34 As he hath done this day, [so] Jehovah hath commanded to do, to make atonement for you.

35 And ye shall abide at the entrance of the tent of meeting day and night seven days, and keep the charge of Jehovah, that ye die not; for so I am commanded.

36 And Aaron and his sons did all things that Jehovah had commanded by the hand of Moses.


Leviticus 8:1-36 World English Bible (WEB)

1 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

2 "Take Aaron and his sons with him, and the garments, and the anointing oil, and the bull of the sin offering, and the two rams, and the basket of unleavened bread;

3 and assemble all the congregation at the door of the Tent of Meeting."

4 Moses did as Yahweh commanded him; and the congregation was assembled at the door of the Tent of Meeting.

5 Moses said to the congregation, "This is the thing which Yahweh has commanded to be done."

6 Moses brought Aaron and his sons, and washed them with water.

7 He put the coat on him, tied the sash on him, clothed him with the robe, put the ephod on him, and he tied the skillfully woven band of the ephod on him, and fastened it to him with it.

8 He placed the breastplate on him; and in the breastplate he put the Urim and the Thummim.

9 He set the turban on his head; and on the turban, in front, he set the golden plate, the holy crown; as Yahweh commanded Moses.

10 Moses took the anointing oil, and anointed the tabernacle and all that was in it, and sanctified them.

11 He sprinkled it on the altar seven times, and anointed the altar and all its vessels, and the basin and its base, to sanctify them.

12 He poured some of the anointing oil on Aaron's head, and anointed him, to sanctify him.

13 Moses brought Aaron's sons, and clothed them with coats, and tied sashes on them, and put headbands on them; as Yahweh commanded Moses.

14 He brought the bull of the sin offering, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the bull of the sin offering.

15 He killed it; and Moses took the blood, and put it on the horns of the altar round about with his finger, and purified the altar, and poured out the blood at the base of the altar, and sanctified it, to make atonement for it.

16 He took all the fat that was on the innards, and the cover of the liver, and the two kidneys, and their fat; and Moses burned it on the altar.

17 But the bull, and its skin, and its flesh, and its dung, he burned with fire outside the camp; as Yahweh commanded Moses.

18 He presented the ram of the burnt offering: and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram.

19 He killed it; and Moses sprinkled the blood on the altar round about.

20 He cut the ram into its pieces; and Moses burned the head, and the pieces, and the fat.

21 He washed the innards and the legs with water; and Moses burned the whole ram on the altar. It was a burnt offering for a sweet savor. It was an offering made by fire to Yahweh; as Yahweh commanded Moses.

22 He presented the other ram, the ram of consecration: and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram.

23 He killed it; and Moses took some of its blood, and put it on the tip of Aaron's right ear, and on the thumb of his right hand, and on the great toe of his right foot.

24 He brought Aaron's sons; and Moses put some of the blood on the tip of their right ear, and on the thumb of their right hand, and on the great toe of their right foot; and Moses sprinkled the blood on the altar round about.

25 He took the fat, and the fat tail, and all the fat that was on the innards, and the cover of the liver, and the two kidneys, and their fat, and the right thigh;

26 and out of the basket of unleavened bread, that was before Yahweh, he took one unleavened cake, and one cake of oiled bread, and one wafer, and placed them on the fat, and on the right thigh.

27 He put all these in Aaron's hands and in his sons' hands, and waved them for a wave offering before Yahweh.

28 Moses took them from their hands, and burned them on the altar on the burnt offering. They were a consecration for a sweet savor. It was an offering made by fire to Yahweh.

29 Moses took the breast, and waved it for a wave offering before Yahweh. It was Moses' portion of the ram of consecration, as Yahweh commanded Moses.

30 Moses took some of the anointing oil, and some of the blood which was on the altar, and sprinkled it on Aaron, on his garments, and on his sons, and on his sons' garments with him, and sanctified Aaron, his garments, and his sons, and his sons' garments with him.

31 Moses said to Aaron and to his sons, "Boil the flesh at the door of the Tent of Meeting, and there eat it and the bread that is in the basket of consecration, as I commanded, saying, 'Aaron and his sons shall eat it.'

32 What remains of the flesh and of the bread you shall burn with fire.

33 You shall not go out from the door of the Tent of Meeting seven days, until the days of your consecration are fulfilled: for he shall consecrate you seven days.

34 What has been done this day, so Yahweh has commanded to do, to make atonement for you.

35 At the door of the Tent of Meeting you shall stay day and night seven days, and keep the charge of Yahweh, that you don't die: for so I am commanded."

36 Aaron and his sons did all the things which Yahweh commanded by Moses.


Leviticus 8:1-36 Bible in Basic English (BBE)

1 And the Lord said to Moses,

2 Take Aaron, and his sons with him, and the robes and the holy oil and the ox of the sin-offering and the two male sheep and the basket of unleavened bread;

3 And let all the people come together at the door of the Tent of meeting.

4 And Moses did as the Lord said, and all the people came together at the door of the Tent of meeting.

5 And Moses said to the people, This is what the Lord has given orders to be done.

6 Then Moses took Aaron and his sons; and after washing them with water,

7 He put the coat on him, making it tight with its band, and then the robe, and over it the ephod, with its band of needlework to keep it in place.

8 And he put the priest's bag on him, and in the bag he put the Urim and Thummim.

9 And on his head he put the head-dress, and in front of the head-dress the plate of gold, the holy crown, as the Lord gave orders to Moses.

10 And Moses took the holy oil and put it on the House and on all the things in it, to make them holy.

11 Seven times he put oil on the altar and on all its vessels, and on the washing-basin and its base, to make them holy.

12 And some of the oil he put on Aaron's head, to make him holy.

13 Then he took Aaron's sons, clothing them with the coats, and putting the bands round them, and the head-dresses on their heads, as the Lord had given him orders.

14 And he took the ox of the sin-offering: and Aaron and his sons put their hands on the head of the ox,

15 And he put it to death; and Moses took the blood and put it on the horns of the altar and round it with his finger, and made the altar clean, draining out the blood at the base of the altar; so he made it holy, taking away what was unclean.

16 And he took all the fat on the inside parts, and the fat on the liver, and the two kidneys with their fat, to be burned on the altar;

17 But the ox, with its skin and its flesh and its waste, was burned with fire outside the tent-circle, as the Lord gave orders to Moses.

18 And he put the male sheep of the burned offering before the Lord, and Aaron and his sons put their hands on its head,

19 And he put it to death; and Moses put some of the blood on and round the altar.

20 And when the sheep had been cut into parts, the head and the parts and the fat were burned by Moses.

21 And the inside parts and the legs were washed with water and all the sheep was burned by Moses on the altar; it was a burned offering for a sweet smell: it was an offering made by fire to the Lord, as the Lord gave orders to Moses.

22 And he put the other sheep before the Lord, the sheep with which they were made priests; and Aaron and his sons put their hands on the head of the sheep,

23 And he put it to death; and Moses took some of the blood and put it on the point of Aaron's right ear and on the thumb of his right hand and on the great toe of his right foot.

24 Then he took Aaron's sons, and Moses put some of the blood on the point of their right ears and on the thumbs of their right hands and on the great toes of their right feet: and Moses put the blood on and round the altar.

25 And he took the fat, and the fat tail, and the fat on the inside parts, and the fat on the liver, and the two kidneys with their fat, and the right leg;

26 And out of the basket of unleavened bread which was before the Lord he took one unleavened cake, and one cake of bread with oil on it, and one thin cake, and put them on the fat and on the right leg:

27 And he put them all on the hands of Aaron and on the hands of his sons, waving them for a wave offering before the Lord.

28 And Moses took them from their hands, and they were burned on the altar on the burned offering, as a priest's offering for a sweet smell, an offering made by fire to the Lord.

29 And Moses took the breast, waving it for a wave offering before the Lord; it was Moses' part of the sheep of the priest's offering, as the Lord gave orders to Moses.

30 And Moses took some of the holy oil and of the blood which was on the altar and put it on Aaron and on his robes, and on his sons and on his sons' robes; and made Aaron holy, and his robes and his sons and his sons' robes with him.

31 And Moses said to Aaron and to his sons, The flesh is to be cooked in water at the door of the Tent of meeting, and there you are to take it as food, together with the bread in the basket, as I have given orders, saying, It is the food of Aaron and his sons.

32 And that which is over of the flesh and of the bread is to be burned with fire.

33 And you are not to go out from the door of the Tent of meeting for seven days, till the days for making you priest are ended; for this will be the work of seven days.

34 What has been done this day, has been ordered by the Lord to take away your sin.

35 And you are to keep watch for the Lord at the door of the Tent of meeting day and night for seven days, so that death may not come to you: for so he has given me orders.

36 And Aaron and his sons did all the things about which the Lord had given orders through Moses.

Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Keil & Delitzsch Commentary » Commentary on Leviticus 8

Commentary on Leviticus 8 Keil & Delitzsch Commentary


Introduction

Induction of Aaron and His Sons into the Priestly Office - Leviticus 8-10

To the law of sacrifice there is appended first of all an account of the fulfilment of the divine command to sanctify Aaron and his sons as priests, which Moses had received upon the mount along with the laws concerning the erection of the sanctuary of the tabernacle (Ex 28 and 29). This command could not properly be carried out till after the appointment and regulation of the institution of sacrifice, because most of the laws of sacrifice had some bearing upon this act. The sanctification of the persons, whom God had called to be His priests, consisted in a solemn consecration of these persons to their office by investiture, anointing, and sacrifice (ch. 8), - their solemn entrance upon their office by sacrifices for themselves and the people (ch. 9), - the sanctification of their priesthood by the judgment of God upon the eldest sons of Aaron, when about to offer strange, fire-and certain instructions, occasioned by this occurrence, concerning the conduct of the priests in the performance of their service (ch. 10).


Verses 1-5

Consecration of the Priests and the Sanctuary (cf. Ex 29:1-37). - The consecration of Aaron and his sons as priests was carried out by Moses according to the instructions in Ex 29:1-36; Exodus 40:12-15; and the anointing of the tabernacle, with the altar and its furniture, as prescribed in Exodus 29:37; Exodus 30:26-29, and Exodus 40:9-11, was connected with it (Leviticus 8:10, Leviticus 8:11).

Leviticus 8:1-4

Leviticus 8:1-5 contain an account of the preparations for this holy act, the performance of which was enjoined upon Moses by Jehovah after the publication of the laws of sacrifice (Leviticus 8:1). Moses brought the persons to be consecrated, the official costume that had been made for them (Ex 28), the anointing oil (Exodus 30:23.), and the requisite sacrificial offerings (Exodus 29:1-3), to the door of the tabernacle (i.e., into the court, near the altar of burnt-offering), and then gathered “the whole congregation” - that is to say, the nation in the persons of its elders-there also (see my Archהeologie ii. p. 221). The definite article before the objects enumerated in Leviticus 8:2 may be explained on the ground that they had all been previously and more minutely described. The “ basket of the unleavened ” contained, according to Exodus 29:2-3, (1) unleavened bread, which is called חלּה in Leviticus 8:26, i.e., round flat bread-cakes, and לחם כּכּר (loaf of bread) in Exodus 29:23, and was baked for the purpose of the consecration (see at Leviticus 8:31, Leviticus 8:32); (2) unleavened oil-cakes; and (3) unleavened flat cakes covered with oil (see at Leviticus 2:4 and Leviticus 7:12).

Leviticus 8:5

When the congregation was assembled, Moses said, “ This is the word which Jehovah commanded you to do .” His meaning was, the substance or essential part of the instructions in Exodus 28:1 and 29:1-37, which he had published to the assembled congregation before the commencement of the act of consecration, and which are not repeated here as being already known from those chapters. The congregation had been summoned to perform this act, because Aaron and his sons were to be consecrated as priests for them, as standing mediators between them and the Lord.


Verses 6-13

After this the act of consecration commenced. It consisted of two parts: first, the consecration of the persons themselves to the office of the priesthood, by washing, clothing, and anointing (Leviticus 8:6-13); and secondly, the sacrificial rites, by which the persons appointed to the priestly office were inducted into the functions and prerogatives of priests (vv. 16-36).

Leviticus 8:6-13

The washing, clothing, and anointing . - Leviticus 8:6. “ Moses brought Aaron and his sons, and washed them with water; ” i.e., directed them to wash themselves, no doubt all over, and not merely their hands and feet. This cleansing from bodily uncleanness was a symbol of the putting away of the filth of sin; the washing of the body, therefore, was a symbol of spiritual cleansing, without which no one could draw near to God, and least of all those who were to perform the duties of reconciliation.

Leviticus 8:7-9

Then followed the clothing of Aaron. Moses put upon him the body-coat (Exodus 28:39) and girdle (Exodus 28:39 and Exodus 39:22), then clothes him with the meןl (Exodus 28:31-35) and ephod (Exodus 28:6-14), and the choshen with the Urim and Thummim (Ex 28:15-30), and put the cap (Exodus 28:39) upon his head, with the golden diadem over his forehead (Exodus 28:36-38). This investiture, regarded as the putting on of an important official dress, was a symbol of his endowment with the character required for the discharge of the duties of his office, the official costume being the outward sign of installation in the office which he was to fill.

Leviticus 8:10-13

According to the directions in Exodus 30:26-30 (cf. Lev Exodus 40:9-11), the anointing was performed first of all upon “ the tabernacle and everything in it, ” i.e., the ark of the covenant, the altar of incense, the candlestick, and table of shew-bread, and their furniture; and then upon the altar of burnt-offering and its furniture, and upon the laver and its pedestal; and after this, upon Aaron himself, by the pouring of the holy oil upon his head. This was followed by the robing and anointing of Aaron's sons, the former only of which is recorded in Leviticus 8:13 (according to Exodus 28:40), the anointing not being expressly mentioned, although it had not only been commanded, in Exodus 28:41 and Exodus 40:15, but the performance of it is taken for granted in Leviticus 7:36; Leviticus 10:7, and Numbers 3:3. According to the Jewish tradition, the anointing of Aaron (the high priest) was different from that of the sons of Aaron (the ordinary priests), the oil being poured upon the head of the former, whilst it was merely smeared with the finger upon the forehead in the case of the latter (cf. Relandi Antiqq. ss. ii. 1, 5, and 7, and Selden, de succ. in pontif. ii. 2). There appears to be some foundation for this, as a distinction is assumed between the anointing of the high priest and that of the ordinary priests, not only in the expression, “he poured of the anointing oil upon Aaron's head” (Leviticus 8:12, cf. Exodus 29:7; Psalms 133:2), which is applied to Aaron only, but also in Leviticus 21:10, Leviticus 21:12; although the further statement of the later Talmudists and Rabbins, that Aaron was also marked upon the forehead with the sign of a Hebrew כ (the initial letter of כהן ), has no support in the law (vid., Selden , ii. 9; Vitringa, observv . ss. ii. c. 15, 9). - On the mode in which the tabernacle and its furniture were anointed, all that is stated is, that the altar of burnt-offering was anointed by being sprinkled seven times with the anointing oil; from which we may safely conclude, that the other portions and vessels of the sanctuary were anointed in the same way, but that the sprinkling was not performed more than once in their case. The reason why the altar was sprinkled seven times with the holy anointing oil, is to be sought for in its signification as the place of worship. The anointing, both of the sacred things and also of the priests, is called קדּשׁ “to sanctify,” in Leviticus 8:10-12, as well as in Exodus 40:9-11 and Exodus 40:13; and in Exodus 40:10 the following stipulation is added with regard to the altar of burnt-offering: “ and it shall be most holy, ” - a stipulation which is not extended to the dwelling and its furniture, although those portions of the sanctuary were most holy also, that the altar of burnt-offering, which was the holiest object in the court by virtue of its appointment as the place of expiation, might be specially guarded from being touched by unholy hands (see at Exodus 40:16). To impress upon it this highest grade of holiness, it was sprinkled even times with anointing oil; and in the number seven, the covenant number, the seal of the holiness of the covenant of reconciliation, to which it was to be subservient, was impressed upon it. To sanctify is not merely to separate to holy purposes, but to endow or fill with the powers of the sanctifying Spirit of God. Oil was a fitting symbol of the Spirit, or spiritual principle of life, by virtue of its power to sustain and fortify the vital energy; and the anointing oil, which was prepared according to divine instructions, was therefore a symbol of the Spirit of God, as the principle of spiritual life which proceeds from God and fills the natural being of the creature with the powers of divine life. The anointing with oil, therefore, was a symbol of endowment with the Spirit of God (1 Samuel 10:1, 1 Samuel 10:6; 1 Samuel 16:13-14; Isaiah 61:1) for the duties of the office to which a person was consecrated. The holy vessels also were not only consecrated, through the anointing, for the holy purposes to which they were to be devoted ( Knobel ), but were also furnished in a symbolical sense with powers of the divine Spirit, which were to pass from them to the people who came to the sanctuary. The anointing was not only to sanctify the priests as organs and mediators of the Spirit of God, but the vessels of the sanctuary also, as channels and vessels of the blessings of grace and salvation, which God as the Holy One would bestow upon His people, through the service of His priests, and in the holy vessels appointed by Him. On these grounds the consecration of the holy things was associated with the consecration of the priests. The notion that even vessels, and in fact inanimate things in general, can be endowed with divine and spiritual powers, was very widely spread in antiquity. We meet with it in the anointing of memorial stones (Genesis 28:17; Genesis 35:14), and it occurs again in the instructions concerning the expiation of the sanctuary on the annual day of atonement (ch. 16). It contains more truth than some modern views of the universe, which refuse to admit that any influence is exerted by the divine Spirit except upon animated beings, and thus leave a hopeless abyss between spirit and matter. According to Exodus 29:9, the clothing and anointing of Aaron and his sons were to be “ a priesthood to them for a perpetual statute, ” i.e., to secure the priesthood to them for all ages; for the same thought is expressed thus in Exodus 40:15 : “ their anointing shall surely be an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations. ” When the Talmudists refer these words to the sons of Aaron or the ordinary priests, to the exclusion of Aaron or the high priest, this is opposed to the distinct context, according to which the sons of Aaron were to be anointed like their father Aaron. The utter want of foundation for the rabbinical assumption, that the anointing of the sons of Aaron, performed by Moses, availed not only for themselves, but for their successors also, and therefore for the priests of every age, is also the more indisputable, because the Talmudists themselves infer from Leviticus 6:15 (cf. Exodus 29:29), where the installation of Aaron's successor in his office is expressly designated an anointing, the necessity for every successor of Aaron in the high-priesthood to be anointed. The meaning of the words in question is no doubt the following: the anointing of Aaron and his sons was to stand as a perpetual statute for the priesthood, and to guarantee it to the sons of Aaron for all time; it being assumed as self-evident, according to Leviticus 6:15, that as every fresh generation entered upon office, the anointing would be repeated or renewed.


Verses 14-32

The sacrificial ceremony with which the consecration was concluded, consisted of a threefold sacrifice, the materials for which were not supplied by the persons about to be installed, but were no doubt provided by Moses at the expense of the congregation, for which the priesthood was instituted. Moses officiated as the mediator of the covenant, through whose service Aaron and his sons were to be consecrated as priests of Jehovah, and performed every part of the sacrificial rite-the slaughtering, sprinkling of the blood, and burning of the altar gifts, - just as the priests afterwards did at the public daily and festal sacrifices, the persons to be consecrated simply laying their hands upon the sacrificial animals, to set them apart as their representatives.

Leviticus 8:14-17

The first sacrifice was a sin-offering, for which a young ox was taken (Exodus 29:1), as in the case of the sin-offerings for the high priest and the whole congregation (Leviticus 4:3, Leviticus 4:14): the highest kind of sacrificial animal, which corresponded to the position to be occupied by the priests in the Israelitish kingdom of God, as the ἐκλογή of the covenant nation. Moses put some of the blood with his finger upon the horns of the altar of burnt-offering, and poured the rest at the foot of the altar. The far portions (see Leviticus 3:3-4) he burned upon the altar; but the flesh of the ox, as well as the hide and dung, he burned outside the camp. According to the general rule of the sin-offerings, whose flesh was burnt outside the camp, the blood was brought into the sanctuary itself (Leviticus 6:23); but here it was only put upon the altar of burnt-offering to make this sin-offering a consecration-sacrifice. Moses was to take the blood to “ purify ( יחטּא ) and sanctify the altar, to expiate it .” As the altar had been sanctified immediately before by the anointing with holy oil (Leviticus 8:11), the object of the cleansing or sanctification of it through the blood of the sacrifice cannot have been to purify it a second time from uncleanness, that still adhered to it, or was inherent in it; but just as the purification or expiation of the vessels or worship generally applied only to the sins of the nation, by which these vessels had been defiled (Leviticus 16:16, Leviticus 16:19), so here the purification of the altar with the blood of the sin-offering, upon which the priests had laid their hands, had reference simply to pollutions, with which the priests defiled the altar when officiating at it, through the uncleanness of their sinful nature. As the priests could not be installed in the functions of the priesthood, notwithstanding the holiness communicated to them through the anointing, without a sin-offering to awaken the consciousness in both themselves and the nation that the sinfulness which lay at the root of human nature was not removed by the anointing, but only covered in the presence of the holy God, and that sin still clung to man, and polluted all his doings and designs; so that altar, upon which they were henceforth to offer sacrifices, still required to be purified through the blood of the bullock, that had been slaughtered as a sin-offering for the expiation of their sins, to sanctify it for the service of the priests, i.e., to cover up the sins by which they would defile it when performing their service. For this sanctification the blood of the sin-offering, that had been slaughtered for them, was taken, to indicate the fellowship which was henceforth to exist between them and the altar, and to impress upon them the fact, that the blood, by which they were purified, was also to serve as the means of purifying the altar from the sins attaching to their service. Although none of the blood of this sin-offering was carried into the holy place, because only the anointed priests were to be thereby inducted into the fellowship of the altar, the flesh of the animal could only be burnt outside the camp, because the sacrifice served to purify the priesthood (see Leviticus 4:11-12). For the rest, the remarks made on Leviticus 4:4 are also applicable to the symbolical meaning of this sacrifice.

Leviticus 8:18-21

The sin-offering, through which the priests and the altar had been expiated, and every disturbance of the fellowship existing between the holy God and His servants at the altar, in consequence of the sin of those who were to be consecrated, had been taken away, was followed by a burnt-offering, consisting of a ram, which was offered according to the ordinary ritual of the burnt-offering (Leviticus 1:3-9), and served to set forth the priests, who had appointed it as their substitute through the laying on of hands, as a living, holy, and well-pleasing sacrifice to the Lord, and to sanctify them to the Lord with all the faculties of both body and soul.

Leviticus 8:22-30

This was followed by the presentation of a peace-offering, which also consisted of a ram, called “ the ram of the filling, ” or “ of the fill-offering, ” from the peculiar ceremony performed with the flesh, by which this sacrifice became a consecration-offering, inducting the persons consecrated into the possession and enjoyment of the privileges of the priesthood. A ram was offered as a peace-offering, by the nation as a whole (Leviticus 9:4, Leviticus 9:18), the tribe-princes (Numbers 7:17.), and a Nazarite (Numbers 6:14, Numbers 6:17), who also occupied a higher position in the congregation (Amos 2:11-12); but it was never brought by a private Israelite for a peace-offering. The offering described here differed from the rest of the peace-offerings, first of all, in the ceremony performed with the blood (Leviticus 8:23 and Leviticus 8:24, cf. Exodus 29:20-21). Before sprinkling the blood upon the altar, Moses put some of it upon the tip of the right ear, upon the right thumb, and upon the great toe of the right foot of Aaron and his sons. Thus he touched the extreme points, which represented the whole, of the ear, hand, and foot on the right, or more important and principal side: the ear , because the priest was always to hearken to the word and commandment of God; the hand , because he was to discharge the priestly functions properly; and the foot , because he was to walk correctly in the sanctuary. Through this manipulation the three organs employed in the priestly service were placed, by means of their tips, en rapport with the sacrificial blood; whilst through the subsequent sprinkling of the blood upon the altar they were introduced symbolically within the sphere of the divine grace, by virtue of the sacrificial blood, which represented the soul as the principle of life, and covered it in the presence of the holiness of God, to be sanctified by that grace to the rendering of willing and righteous service to the Lord. The sanctification was at length completed by Moses' taking some of the anointing oil and some of the blood upon the altar, and sprinkling Aaron and his sons, and also their clothes; that is to say, by his sprinkling the persons themselves, as bearers of the priesthood, and their clothes, as the insignia of the priesthood, with a mixture of holy anointing oil and sacrificial blood taken from the altar (Leviticus 8:30). The blood taken from the altar shadowed forth the soul as united with God through the medium of the atonement, and filled with powers of grace. The holy anointing oil was a symbol of the Spirit of God. Consequently, through this sprinkling the priests were endowed, both soul and spirit, with the higher powers of the divine life. The sprinkling, however, was performed, not upon the persons alone, but also upon their official dress. For it had reference to the priests, not in their personal or individual relation to the Lord, but in their official position, and with regard to their official work in the congregation of the Lord.

(Note: In the instructions in Exodus 29:21 this ceremony is connected with the sprinkling of the blood upon the altar; but here, on the contrary, it is mentioned after the burning of the flesh. Whether because it was not performed till after this, or because it is merely recorded here in a supplementary form, it is difficult to decide. The latter is the more probable, because the blood upon the altar would soon run off; so that if Moses wanted to take any of it off, it could not be long delayed.)

In addition to this, the following appointment is contained in Exodus 29:29, Exodus 29:30 : “The holy garments of Aaron shall be his sons' after him,” i.e., pass to his successors in the high-priesthood, “to anoint them therein and fill their hands therein. Seven days shall the priest of his sons in his stead put them on ( ילבּשׁם with the suffix - ם as in Genesis 19:19), who shall go into the tabernacle to serve in the sanctuary.” Accordingly, at Aaron's death his successor Eleazar was dressed in his robes (Numbers 20:26-28). It by no means follows from this, that a formal priestly consecration was repeated solely in the case of the high priest as the head of the priesthood, and that with the common priests the first anointing by Moses sufficed for all time. We have already observed at p. 545 that this is not involved in Exodus 40:15; and the fact that it is only the official costume of the high priest which is expressly said to have passed to his successor, may be explained on the simple ground, that as his dress was only worn when he was discharging certain special functions before Jehovah, it would not be worn out so soon as the dress of the ordinary priests, which was worn in the daily service, and therefore would hardly last long enough to be handed down from father to son.

(Note: It no more follows from the omission of express instructions concerning the repetition of the ceremony in the case of every priest who had to be consecrated, that the future priests were not invested, anointed, and in all respects formally consecrated, than the fact that the anointing is not mentioned in Leviticus 8:13 proves that the priests were not anointed at all.)

The ceremony performed with the flesh of this sacrifice was also peculiarly significant (Leviticus 8:25-29). Moses took the fat portions, which were separated from the flesh in the case of the ordinary peace-offerings and burned upon the altar, and the right leg, which was usually assigned to the officiating priest, and then laid by the pieces of flesh (or upon them) another cake of each of the three kinds of pastry, which fell to the portion of the priest in other cases, as a heave-offering for Jehovah, and put all this into the hands of Aaron and his sons, and waved it as a wave-offering for Jehovah, after which he took it from their hands and burned it upon the altar, “ as a filling ( מלּאים ) for a savour of satisfaction, as a firing for Jehovah. ” These last words, which are attached to the preceding without a conjunction, and, as the הם and הוּא show, form independent clauses (lit., “ filling are they...a firing is it for Jehovah ”), contain the reason for this unusual proceeding, so that Luther's explanation is quite correct, “for it is a fill-offering,” etc. The ceremony of handing the portions mentioned to Aaron and his sons denoted the filling of their hands with the sacrificial gifts, which they were afterwards to offer to the Lord in the case of the peace-offerings, viz., the fat portions as a firing upon the altar, the right leg along with the bread-cake as a wave-offering, which the Lord then relinquished to them as His own servants. The filling of their hands with these sacrificial gifts, from which the offering received the name of fill-offering, signified on the one hand the communication of the right belonging to the priest to offer the fat portions to the Lord upon the altar, and on the other hand the enfeoffment of the priests with gifts, which they were to receive in future for their service. This symbolical signification of the act in question serves to explain the circumstance, that both the fat portions, which were to be burned upon the altar, and also the right leg with the bread-cakes which formed the priests' share of the peace-offerings, were merely placed in the priests's hands in this instance, and presented symbolically to the Lord by waving, and then burned by Moses upon the altar. For Aaron and his sons were not only to be enfeoffed with what they were to burn unto the Lord, but also with what they would receive for their service. And as even the latter was a prerogative bestowed upon them by the Lord, it was right that at their consecration they should offer it symbolically to the Lord by waving, and actually by burning upon the altar. But as the right leg was devoted to another purpose in this case, Moses received the breast-piece, which was presented to the Lord by waving (Leviticus 8:29), and which afterwards fell to the lot of the priests, as his portion for the sacrificial meal, which formed the conclusion of this dedicatory offering, as it did of all the peace-offerings. In Exodus 29:27-28, we also find the command, that the wave-breast of the ram of the fill-offering, and the heave-leg which had been lifted off, should afterwards belong to Aaron and his sons on the part of the children of Israel, as a perpetual statute, i.e., as a law for all time; and the following reason is assigned: “ for it is a heave-offering ( terumah , a lifting off), and shall be a heave-offering on the part of the children of Israel of their peace-offerings, their heave-offering for Jehovah, ” i.e., which they were to give to the Lord from their peace-offerings for the good of His servants. The application of the word terumah to both kinds of offering, the wave-breast and the heave-shoulder, may be explained on the simple ground, that the gift to be waved had to be lifted off from the sacrificial animal before the waving could be performed.

Leviticus 8:31-32

For the sacrificial meal, the priests were to boil the flesh in front of the door of the tabernacle, or, according to Exodus 29:31, “at the holy place,” i.e., in the court, and eat it with the bread in the fill-offering basket; and no stranger (i.e., layman or non-priest) was to take part in the meal, because the flesh and bread were holy (Exodus 29:33), that is to say, had served to make atonement for the priests, to fill their hands and sanctify them. Atoning virtue is attributed to this sacrifice in the same sense as to the burnt-offering in Leviticus 1:4. Whatever was left of the flesh and bread until the following day, that is to say, was not eaten on the day of sacrifice, was to be burned with fire, for the reason explained at Leviticus 7:17. The exclusion of laymen from participating in this sacrificial meal is to be accounted for in the same way as the prohibition of unleavened bread, which was offered and eaten in the case of the ordinary peace-offerings along with the unleavened sacrificial cakes (see at Leviticus 7:13). The meal brought the consecration of the priests to a close, as Aaron and his sons were thereby received into that special, priestly covenant with the Lord, the blessings and privileges of which were to be enjoyed by the consecrated priests alone. At this meal the priests were not allowed to eat leavened bread, any more than the nation generally at the feast of Passover (Exodus 12:8.).


Verses 33-36

(cf. Exodus 29:35-37). The consecration was to last seven days, during which time the persons to be consecrated were not to go away from the door of the tabernacle, but to remain there day and night, and watch the watch of the Lord that they might not die. “ For the Lord will fill your hand seven days. As they have done on this (the first) day, so has Jehovah commanded to do to make atonement for you ” (Leviticus 8:34). That is to say, the rite of consecration which has been performed upon you to-day, Jehovah has commanded to be performed or repeated for seven days. These words clearly imply that the whole ceremony, in all its details, was to be repeated for seven days; and in Exodus 29:36-37, besides the filling of the hand which was to be continued seven days, and which presupposes the daily repetition of the consecration-offering, the preparation of the sin-offering for reconciliation and the expiation or purification and anointing of the altar are expressly commanded for each of the seven days. This repetition of the act of consecration is to be regarded as intensifying the consecration itself; and the limitation of it to seven days is to be accounted for from the signification and holiness of the number seven as the sign of the completion of the works of God. The commandment not to leave the court of the tabernacle during the whole seven days, is of course not to be understood literally (as it is by some of the Rabbins), as meaning that the persons to be consecrated were not even to go away from the spot for the necessities of nature (cf. Lund. jd. Heiligth. p. 448); but when taken in connection with the clause which follows, “ and keep the charge of the Lord, ” it can only be understood as signifying that during these days they were not to leave the sanctuary to attend to any earthly avocation whatever, but uninterruptedly to observe the charge of the Lord, i.e., the consecration commanded by the Lord. משׁמרת שׁמר , lit., to watch the watch of a person or thing, i.e., to attend to them, to do whatever was required for noticing or attending to them (cf. Genesis 26:5, and Hengstenberg, Christology).