Leviticus8
World English Bible · Public Domain
1Yahweh 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;
3and assemble all the congregation at the door of the Tent of Meeting.”
4Moses did as Yahweh commanded him; and the congregation was assembled at the door of the Tent of Meeting.
5Moses said to the congregation, “This is the thing which Yahweh has commanded to be done.”
6Moses brought Aaron and his sons, and washed them with water.
7He put the tunic 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.
8He placed the breastplate on him. He put the Urim and Thummim in the breastplate.
9He set the turban on his head. He set the golden plate, the holy crown, on the front of the turban, as Yahweh commanded Moses.
10Moses took the anointing oil, and anointed the tabernacle and all that was in it, and sanctified them.
11He sprinkled it on the altar seven times, and anointed the altar and all its vessels, and the basin and its base, to sanctify them.
12He poured some of the anointing oil on Aaron’s head, and anointed him, to sanctify him.
13Moses brought Aaron’s sons, and clothed them with tunics, and tied sashes on them, and put headbands on them, as Yahweh commanded Moses.
14He 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.
15He killed it; and Moses took the blood, and put it around on the horns of the altar 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.
16He 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.
17But the bull, and its skin, and its meat, and its dung, he burned with fire outside the camp, as Yahweh commanded Moses.
18He presented the ram of the burnt offering. Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram.
19He killed it; and Moses sprinkled the blood around on the altar.
20He cut the ram into its pieces; and Moses burned the head, and the pieces, and the fat.
21He washed the innards and the legs with water; and Moses burned the whole ram on the altar. It was a burnt offering for a pleasant aroma. It was an offering made by fire to Yahweh, as Yahweh commanded Moses.
22He presented the other ram, the ram of consecration. Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram.
23He 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.
24He 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 around on the altar.
25He took the fat, the fat tail, all the fat that was on the innards, the cover of the liver, the two kidneys and their fat, and the right thigh;
26and out of the basket of unleavened bread that was before Yahweh, he took one unleavened cake, one cake of oiled bread, and one wafer, and placed them on the fat and on the right thigh.
27He put all these in Aaron’s hands and in his sons’ hands, and waved them for a wave offering before Yahweh.
28Moses took them from their hands, and burned them on the altar on the burnt offering. They were a consecration offering for a pleasant aroma. It was an offering made by fire to Yahweh.
29Moses 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.
30Moses 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.
31Moses said to Aaron and to his sons, “Boil the meat 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.’
32What remains of the meat and of the bread you shall burn with fire.
33You shall not go out from the door of the Tent of Meeting for seven days, until the days of your consecration are fulfilled: for he shall consecrate you seven days.
34What has been done today, so Yahweh has commanded to do, to make atonement for you.
35You shall stay at the door of the Tent of Meeting day and night seven days, and keep Yahweh’s command, that you don’t die: for so I am commanded.”
36Aaron and his sons did all the things which Yahweh commanded by 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