Leviticus8
New International Version
1The Lord said to Moses,
2“Bring Aaron and his sons, their garments, the anointing oil, the bull for the sin offering, the two rams and the basket containing bread made without yeast,
3and gather the entire assembly at the entrance to the tent of meeting.”
4Moses did as the Lord commanded him, and the assembly gathered at the entrance to the tent of meeting.
5Moses said to the assembly, “This is what the Lord has commanded to be done.”
6Then Moses brought Aaron and his sons forward and washed them with water.
7He put the tunic on Aaron, tied the sash around him, clothed him with the robe and put the ephod on him. He also fastened the ephod with a decorative waistband, which he tied around him.
8He placed the breastpiece on him and put the Urim and Thummim in the breastpiece.
9Then he placed the turban on Aaron’s head and set the gold plate, the sacred emblem, on the front of it, as the Lord commanded Moses.
10Then Moses took the anointing oil and anointed the tabernacle and everything in it, and so consecrated them.
11He sprinkled some of the oil on the altar seven times, anointing the altar and all its utensils and the basin with its stand, to consecrate them.
12He poured some of the anointing oil on Aaron’s head and anointed him to consecrate him.
13Then he brought Aaron’s sons forward, put tunics on them, tied sashes around them and fastened caps on them, as the Lord commanded Moses.
14He then presented the bull for the sin offering, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on its head.
15Moses slaughtered the bull and took some of the blood, and with his finger he put it on all the horns of the altar to purify the altar. He poured out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar. So he consecrated it to make atonement for it.
16Moses also took all the fat around the internal organs, the long lobe of the liver, and both kidneys and their fat, and burned it on the altar.
17But the bull with its hide and its flesh and its intestines he burned up outside the camp, as the Lord commanded Moses.
18He then presented the ram for the burnt offering, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on its head.
19Then Moses slaughtered the ram and splashed the blood against the sides of the altar.
20He cut the ram into pieces and burned the head, the pieces and the fat.
21He washed the internal organs and the legs with water and burned the whole ram on the altar. It was a burnt offering, a pleasing aroma, a food offering presented to the Lord, as the Lord commanded Moses.
22He then presented the other ram, the ram for the ordination, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on its head.
23Moses slaughtered the ram and took some of its blood and put it on the lobe of Aaron’s right ear, on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot.
24Moses also brought Aaron’s sons forward and put some of the blood on the lobes of their right ears, on the thumbs of their right hands and on the big toes of their right feet. Then he splashed blood against the sides of the altar.
25After that, he took the fat, the fat tail, all the fat around the internal organs, the long lobe of the liver, both kidneys and their fat and the right thigh.
26And from the basket of bread made without yeast, which was before the Lord, he took one thick loaf, one thick loaf with olive oil mixed in, and one thin loaf, and he put these on the fat portions and on the right thigh.
27He put all these in the hands of Aaron and his sons, and they waved them before the Lord as a wave offering.
28Then Moses took them from their hands and burned them on the altar on top of the burnt offering as an ordination offering, a pleasing aroma, a food offering presented to the Lord.
29Moses also took the breast, which was his share of the ordination ram, and waved it before the Lord as a wave offering, as the Lord commanded Moses.
30Then Moses took some of the anointing oil and some of the blood from the altar and sprinkled them on Aaron and his garments and on his sons and their garments. So he consecrated Aaron and his garments and his sons and their garments.
31Moses then said to Aaron and his sons, “Cook the meat at the entrance to the tent of meeting and eat it there with the bread from the basket of ordination offerings, as I was commanded: ‘Aaron and his sons are to eat it.’
32Then burn up the rest of the meat and the bread.
33Do not leave the entrance to the tent of meeting for seven days, until the days of your ordination are completed, for your ordination will last seven days.
34What has been done today was commanded by the Lord to make atonement for you.
35You must stay at the entrance to the tent of meeting day and night for seven days and do what the Lord requires, so you will not die; for that is what I have been commanded.”
36So Aaron and his sons did everything the Lord commanded through Moses.
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Leviticus 8.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: The consecration of Aaron and his sons. (1–13). The offerings of consecration. (14–36).
vv1-13
The consecration of Aaron and his sons had been delayed until the tabernacle had been prepared, and the laws of the sacrifices given. Aaron and his sons were washed with water, to signify that they ought to purify themselves from all sinful dispositions, and ever after to keep themselves pure. Christ washes those from their sins in his own blood whom he makes kings and priests to our God, Re 1:5, 6; and those that draw near to God must be washed in pure water, Heb 10:22. The anointing of Aaron was to typify the anointing of Christ with the Spirit, which was not given by measure to him. All believers have received the anointing.
vv14-36
In these types we see our great High Priest, even Christ Jesus, solemnly appointed, anointed, and invested with his sacred office, by his own blood, and the influences of his Holy Spirit. He sanctifies the ordinances of religion, to the benefit of his people and the honour of God the Father; who for his sake accepts our worship, though it is polluted with sin. We may also rejoice, that he is a merciful and faithful High Priest, full of compassion to the feeble-minded and tempest-tossed soul. All true Christians are consecrated to be spiritual priests. We should seriously ask ourselves, whether in our daily walk we study to maintain this character? and abound in spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Christ? If so, still there is no cause for boasting. Let us not despise our fellow-sinners; but remembering what we have done, and how we are saved, let us seek and pray for their salvation.
Key Words
דָבַר: perhaps properly, to arrange; but used figuratively (of words), to speak; rarely (in a destructive sense) to subdue
מֹשֶׁה: Mosheh, the Israelite lawgiver
אָמַר: to say (used with great latitude)
לָקַח: to take (in the widest variety of applications)
אַהֲרוֹן: Aharon, the brother of Moses
בֵּן: a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.)
בֶּגֶד: a covering, i.e. clothing; also treachery or pillage
מִשְׁחָה: unction (the act); by implication, a consecratory gift
שֶׁמֶן: grease, especially liquid (as from the olive, often perfumed); figuratively, richness
פַּר: a bullock (apparently as breaking forth in wild strength, or perhaps as dividing the hoof)
Cross References
Leviticus 8The original divine command and detailed blueprint for the consecration ritual described here.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
The original divine blueprint and instruction for the consecration ritual of Aaron and his sons.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, John Calvin, JFB
Direct poetic description of the precious anointing oil running down Aaron's head and beard.
Supported by Matthew Poole
New Testament fulfillment showing Jesus suffered outside the gate, typified by burning the bullock outside the camp.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Direct command for placing ram's blood on the right ear, thumb, and great toe.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Prescribed instructions for offering the fat, kidneys, and right shoulder of the consecration ram.
Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin
Command to sprinkle anointing oil and blood upon Aaron, his sons, and their garments.
Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin
The command to seethe the flesh of the consecration ram in the holy place.
Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin
Command for the seven-day duration of the consecration ceremony.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
New Testament application of the priests' washing with water to believers drawing near to God.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Christ washing believers in His blood, making them spiritual kings and priests to God.
Supported by Matthew Henry
The direct command for vesting Aaron with the coat, robe, ephod, and breastplate.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The specific instruction to put the mitre and the holy crown upon Aaron's head.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The command to take the anointing oil and pour it on Aaron's head.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The exact legislative instruction being executed for the consecration's sin offering.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Identical ritual applying blood to ear, thumb, and toe for cleansing a leper.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Command to burn any remaining consecration flesh or bread that is not eaten.
Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin
The detailed recipe and sacred restrictions regarding the holy anointing oil.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The prescription for placing the Urim and Thummim inside the high priest's breastplate.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The prescription to cleanse and anoint the altar daily to sanctify it.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The divine patterns for the coats, girdles, and bonnets of Aaron's sons.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The prior instruction for the presentation and burning of the ram for the burnt offering.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Instruction to cut the ram into pieces and wash its inwards and legs.
Supported by Matthew Poole
New Testament parallel of inward and outward cleansing required to draw near to God.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Moses' designated portion of the wave offering from the ram of consecration.
Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin
Further legislation regarding the high priest upon whose head the anointing oil was poured.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Seven-day consecration period for the altar in Ezekiel's temple vision.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Matches the pattern of Moses doing precisely as the Lord commanded him.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Christ washing believers from sins in His blood to make them priests.
Supported by Matthew Henry