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Leviticus 16

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Introduction to the Day of Atonement 1–2

1
And Jehovah spake unto Moses, after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they drew near before Jehovah, and died; ​
2
and Jehovah said unto Moses, Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the holy place within the veil, before the mercy-seat which is upon the ark; that he die not: for I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy-seat. ​

The High Priest's Preparation and Offerings 3–10

3
Herewith shall Aaron come into the holy place: with a young bullock for a sin-offering, and a ram for a burnt-offering.
4
He shall put on the holy linen coat, and he shall have the linen breeches upon his flesh, and shall be girded with the linen girdle, and with the linen mitre shall he be attired: they are the holy garments; and he shall bathe his flesh in water, and put them on. ​
5
And he shall take of the congregation of the children of Israel two he-goats for a sin-offering, and one ram for a burnt-offering.
6
And Aaron shall present the bullock of the sin-offering, which is for himself, and make atonement for himself, and for his house.
7
And he shall take the two goats, and set them before Jehovah at the door of the tent of meeting.
8
And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for Jehovah, and the other lot for Azazel. ​
9
And Aaron shall present the goat upon which the lot fell for Jehovah, and offer him for a sin-offering.
10
But the goat, on which the lot fell for Azazel, shall be set alive before Jehovah, to make atonement for him, to send him away for Azazel into the wilderness. ​

Atonement for the Priest and Sanctuary 11–19

11
And Aaron shall present the bullock of the sin-offering, which is for himself, and shall make atonement for himself, and for his house, and shall kill the bullock of the sin-offering which is for himself.
12
And he shall take a censer full of coals of fire from off the altar before Jehovah, and his hands full of sweet incense beaten small, and bring it within the veil:
13
and he shall put the incense upon the fire before Jehovah, that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy-seat that is upon the testimony, that he die not: ​
14
and he shall take of the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it with his finger upon the mercy-seat on the east; and before the mercy-seat shall he sprinkle of the blood with his finger seven times.
15
Then shall he kill the goat of the sin-offering, that is for the people, and bring his blood within the veil, and do with his blood as he did with the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it upon the mercy-seat, and before the mercy-seat:
16
and he shall make atonement for the holy place, because of the uncleannesses of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions, even all their sins: and so shall he do for the tent of meeting, that dwelleth with them in the midst of their uncleannesses. ​
17
And there shall be no man in the tent of meeting when he goeth in to make atonement in the holy place, until he come out, and have made atonement for himself, and for his household, and for all the assembly of Israel.
18
And he shall go out unto the altar that is before Jehovah, and make atonement for it, and shall take of the blood of the bullock, and of the blood of the goat, and put it upon the horns of the altar round about.
19
And he shall sprinkle of the blood upon it with his finger seven times, and cleanse it, and hallow it from the uncleannesses of the children of Israel.

The Ritual of the Scapegoat (Azazel) 20–28

20
And when he hath made an end of atoning for the holy place, and the tent of meeting, and the altar, he shall present the live goat:
21
and Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions, even all their sins; and he shall put them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a man that is in readiness into the wilderness: ​
22
and the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a solitary land: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness. ​
23
And Aaron shall come into the tent of meeting, and shall put off the linen garments, which he put on when he went into the holy place, and shall leave them there:
24
and he shall bathe his flesh in water in a holy place, and put on his garments, and come forth, and offer his burnt-offering and the burnt-offering of the people, and make atonement for himself and for the people. ​
25
And the fat of the sin-offering shall he burn upon the altar.
26
And he that letteth go the goat for Azazel shall wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in water, and afterward he shall come into the camp.
27
And the bullock of the sin-offering, and the goat of the sin-offering, whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the holy place, shall be carried forth without the camp; and they shall burn in the fire their skins, and their flesh, and their dung. ​
28
And he that burneth them shall wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in water, and afterward he shall come into the camp.

The Annual Statute of Yom Kippur 29–34

29
And it shall be a statute for ever unto you: in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, ye shall afflict your souls, and shall do no manner of work, the home-born, or the stranger that sojourneth among you: ​
30
for on this day shall atonement be made for you, to cleanse you; from all your sins shall ye be clean before Jehovah. ​
31
It is a sabbath of solemn rest unto you, and ye shall afflict your souls; it is a statute for ever.
32
And the priest, who shall be anointed and who shall be consecrated to be priest in his father’s stead, shall make the atonement, and shall put on the linen garments, even the holy garments:
33
and he shall make atonement for the holy sanctuary; and he shall make atonement for the tent of meeting and for the altar; and he shall make atonement for the priests and for all the people of the assembly.
34
And this shall be an everlasting statute unto you, to make atonement for the children of Israel because of all their sins once in the year. And he did as Jehovah commanded Moses. ​

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for Leviticus 16

Verse 1

after the death of the two sons of Aaron — Nadab and Abihu 'offered strange fire before the LORD' and died (Lev 10:1–2; Num 3:4). Qarab, 'to draw near', is the verb of 'offered' in both places. This chapter gives the way of approach that is allowed, and the warning of v.2, 'that he die not', stands over it.

Verse 2

the mercy seat — Kapporeth, from kaphar, 'to cover' or atone (v.30), is the lid of the ark (Ex 25:21). Entry is not 'at all times' but once a year (Ex 30:10; Heb 9:7). The LORD appears 'in the cloud' (anan), the word used of the incense cloud in v.13. Hebrews says believers enter 'by the blood of Jesus… through the veil, that is to say, his flesh' (Heb 10:19–20).

Verse 4

the holy linen coat — Bad, linen, is the one cloth of all four garments: coat, breeches, girdle and mitre. They replace the usual dress of 'a breastplate, and an ephod, and a robe, and a broidered coat, a mitre, and a girdle' (Ex 28:4). The 'coat' is kethoneth, the word of Gen 3:21. He washes before putting them on, and again in v.24.

Verse 8

for the scapegoat — The two kids are together 'for a sin offering' (v.5); the lot decides which is slain (v.9) and which is sent away alive (v.10). 'Scapegoat' renders azazel, a word found only in this chapter (vv.8, 10, 26). The choice belongs to the LORD: 'The lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of the LORD' (Prov 16:33).

Verse 10

presented alive before the LORD — The goat that is not slain is stood (amad) 'alive' (chay) before the LORD, and atonement is made 'with him' before he is sent (shalach) 'into the wilderness'; what he carries is told in vv.21–22. John names Christ 'the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world' (John 1:29), and Hebrews says 'once offered to bear the sins of many' (Heb 9:28).

Verse 13

the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy seat — The incense goes on coals taken from the altar (v.12), and its cloud (anan) 'covers' (kasah) the mercy seat 'upon the testimony', the law kept in the ark (Ex 25:21). The warning is that of v.2, 'that he die not'. The Psalms ask: 'Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense' (Ps 141:2).

Verse 16

atonement for the holy place — The sanctuary itself is cleansed 'because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel', for the tabernacle 'remaineth among them in the midst of their uncleanness'. Hebrews gives the reason: 'the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices' (Heb 9:23).

Verse 21

lay both his hands… and confess — Samak is to lean or press the hands on the head. 'Iniquities', 'transgressions' and 'sins' are avon, pesha and chattaah, three words that gather every kind of wrong. 'A fit man' (itti, timely) is a word found only here. Isaiah has the same transfer: 'the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all' (Isa 53:6).

Verse 22

shall bear upon him all their iniquities — Nasa, to lift up and carry, is the verb of the Servant who 'bare the sin of many' (Isa 53:12). 'A land not inhabited' is gezerah, a cut-off land, a word found only here. The goat is 'let go' alive. Peter says of Christ, 'Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree' (1 Pet 2:24).

Verse 24

for himself, and for the people — After the linen service he washes again and puts on 'his garments', his usual vestments, then offers his own burnt offering and the people's. Hebrews contrasts Christ, who 'needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this he did once, when he offered up himself' (Heb 7:27).

Verse 27

without the camp — The bullock and goat whose blood was brought into the holy place are burned outside, as in Lev 4:12, and the rule of Lev 6:30 is that no such sin offering 'shall be eaten: it shall be burnt in the fire'. Hebrews draws the parallel: 'Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate' (Heb 13:11–12).

Verse 29

afflict your souls — Anah, to humble or afflict, with nephesh, the person. The day is the tenth of the seventh month, 'a statute for ever', with no work (Lev 23:27–28; Num 29:7). Acts 27:9 calls it simply 'the fast'. Isaiah asks of such a day, 'a day for a man to afflict his soul?' (Isa 58:5).

Verse 30

to cleanse you, that ye may be clean — One root, taher, is used twice: the priest's atonement cleanses, and the people are clean 'from all your sins before the LORD'. 'All your sins' takes in the whole set named in vv.16, 21. Of Christ's blood John writes, 'the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin' (1 John 1:7).

Verse 34

once a year — The statute is 'everlasting' (olam), the atonement 'once a year' (Ex 30:10). Hebrews reads the repetition: 'in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year' (Heb 10:3). Christ offered himself not 'often', but 'now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself' (Heb 9:25–26).