Leviticus9
World English Bible · Public Domain
1On the eighth day, Moses called Aaron and his sons, and the elders of Israel;
2and he said to Aaron, “Take a calf from the herd for a sin offering, and a ram for a burnt offering, without defect, and offer them before Yahweh.
3You shall speak to the children of Israel, saying, ‘Take a male goat for a sin offering; and a calf and a lamb, both a year old, without defect, for a burnt offering;
4and a bull and a ram for peace offerings, to sacrifice before Yahweh; and a meal offering mixed with oil: for today Yahweh appears to you.’”
5They brought what Moses commanded before the Tent of Meeting. All the congregation came near and stood before Yahweh.
6Moses said, “This is the thing which Yahweh commanded that you should do; and Yahweh’s glory shall appear to you.”
7Moses said to Aaron, “Draw near to the altar, and offer your sin offering, and your burnt offering, and make atonement for yourself, and for the people; and offer the offering of the people, and make atonement for them, as Yahweh commanded.”
8So Aaron came near to the altar, and killed the calf of the sin offering, which was for himself.
9The sons of Aaron presented the blood to him; and he dipped his finger in the blood, and put it on the horns of the altar, and poured out the blood at the base of the altar;
10but the fat, and the kidneys, and the cover from the liver of the sin offering, he burned upon the altar, as Yahweh commanded Moses.
11The meat and the skin he burned with fire outside the camp.
12He killed the burnt offering; and Aaron’s sons delivered the blood to him, and he sprinkled it around on the altar.
13They delivered the burnt offering to him, piece by piece, and the head. He burned them upon the altar.
14He washed the innards and the legs, and burned them on the burnt offering on the altar.
15He presented the people’s offering, and took the goat of the sin offering which was for the people, and killed it, and offered it for sin, like the first.
16He presented the burnt offering, and offered it according to the ordinance.
17He presented the meal offering, and filled his hand from there, and burned it upon the altar, in addition to the burnt offering of the morning.
18He also killed the bull and the ram, the sacrifice of peace offerings, which was for the people. Aaron’s sons delivered to him the blood, which he sprinkled around on the altar;
19and the fat of the bull and of the ram, the fat tail, and that which covers the innards, and the kidneys, and the cover of the liver;
20and they put the fat upon the breasts, and he burned the fat on the altar.
21Aaron waved the breasts and the right thigh for a wave offering before Yahweh, as Moses commanded.
22Aaron lifted up his hands toward the people, and blessed them; and he came down from offering the sin offering, and the burnt offering, and the peace offerings.
23Moses and Aaron went into the Tent of Meeting, and came out, and blessed the people; and Yahweh’s glory appeared to all the people.
24Fire came out from before Yahweh, and consumed the burnt offering and the fat upon the altar. When all the people saw it, they shouted, and fell on their faces.
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Leviticus 9.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: The first offerings of Aaron for himself and the people. (1–21). Moses and Aaron bless the people, Fire cometh upon the altar from the Lord. (22–24).
vv1-21
These many sacrifices, which were all done away by the death of Christ, teach us that our best services need washing in his blood, and that the guilt of our best sacrifices needs to be done away by one more pure and more noble than they. Let us be thankful that we have such a High Priest. The priests had not a day's respite from service allowed. God's spiritual priests have constant work, which the duty of every day requires; they that would give up their account with joy, must redeem time. The glory of God appeared in the sight of the people, and owned what they had done. We are not now to expect such appearances, but God draws nigh to those who draw nigh to him, and the offerings of faith are acceptable to him; though the sacrifices being spiritual, the tokens of the acceptance are spiritual likewise. When Aaron had done all that was to be done about the sacrifices, he lifted up his hands towards the people, and blessed them. Aaron could but crave a blessing, God alone can command it.
vv22-24
When the solemnity was finished, and the blessing pronounced, God testified his acceptance. There came a fire out from before the Lord, and consumed the sacrifice. This fire might justly have fastened upon the people, and have consumed them for their sins; but its consuming the sacrifice signified God's acceptance of it, as an atonement for the sinner. This also was a figure of good things to come. The Spirit descended upon the apostles in fire. And the descent of this holy fire into our souls, to kindle in them pious and devout affections toward God, and such a holy zeal as burns up the flesh and the lusts of it, is a certain token of God's gracious acceptance of our persons and performances. Nothing goes to God, but what comes from him. We must have grace, that holy fire, from the God of grace, else we cannot serve him acceptably, Heb 12:28. The people were affected with this discovery of God's glory and grace. They received it with the highest joy; triumphing in the assurance given them that they had God nigh unto them. And with the lowest reverence; humbly adoring the majesty of that God, who vouchsafed thus to manifest himself to them. That is a sinful fear of God, which drives us from him; a gracious fear makes us bow before him.
Key Words
שְׁמִינִי: eight
יוֹם: a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an associated term), (often used adverb)
מֹשֶׁה: Mosheh, the Israelite lawgiver
קָרָא: to call out to (i.e. properly, address by name, but used in a wide 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.)
זָקֵן: old
יִשְׂרָאֵל: Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterity
אָמַר: to say (used with great latitude)
לָקַח: to take (in the widest variety of applications)
Cross References
Leviticus 9Aaron had to offer for his own sins first, unlike sinless Christ who offered once for all.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, JFB
The prescribed priestly formula of blessing that Aaron used to bless the people.
Supported by JFB
The high priest's obligation to offer sacrifices for his own sins as well as the people's.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Contrast between the Aaronic high priest's daily/annual offerings for himself and Christ's perfect offering.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, JFB
Direct parallel where fire falls from heaven to consume the sacrifices at the temple's dedication.
Supported by Matthew Poole
God answers by miraculous fire from heaven to consume the sacrifice, validating His true worship.
Supported by Matthew Henry
The significance of the 'eighth day' for the dedication and entrance into active priestly service.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The physical manifestation of the glory of the Lord filling the Tabernacle, validating the priesthood.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The burning of the sin offering's carcass outside the camp prefigures Christ suffering outside the gate.
Supported by JFB
Jesus, our great High Priest, lifts up his hands and blesses his disciples before ascending.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Fulfillment of Moses' promise that the glory of the Lord would appear to them today.
Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin
David calls on the Lord, and He answers him from heaven by fire on the altar.
Supported by Matthew Henry
The seven days of consecration which directly preceded this climactic eighth-day service.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Aaron's requirement to first make atonement for himself and his house before the people's offering.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Typological connection of burning the offering without the camp to Christ's sanctifying suffering outside Jerusalem.
Supported by JFB
The explicit law requiring the flesh and hide of the priest's sin offering to be burned.
Supported by JFB
The theological principle that the less is blessed of the better, referencing Melchizedek and Aaron.
Supported by JFB
The glory of the Lord abiding on Mount Sinai, initiating the covenant worship pattern.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Hebrew 'turn to ashes' refers to God accepting a burnt offering by fire.
Supported by Matthew Henry
The holy fire initiated by God must be kept burning continually and never go out.
Supported by JFB
Compare the young bullock required for a priest's specific sin with the young calf here.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The standard command to select young bullocks and rams without blemish for consecration.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The prophetic vision of the return of the glory of God of Israel, shining resplendently.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Fire rises out of the rock and consumes Gideon's offering as a sign of acceptance.
Supported by Matthew Henry
The same divine fire that accepted Aaron's sacrifice consumes his sons for offering strange fire.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Scriptural pattern of animals being acceptable for sacrifice starting from the eighth day onward.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The historical manifestation of God's glory on Mount Sinai parallel to this tabernacle manifestation.
Supported by Matthew Poole