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Leviticus 9

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The Eighth Day: Instructions for the First Offerings 1–7

1
And it came to pass on the eighth day, that Moses called Aaron and his sons, and the elders of Israel; ​
2
and he said unto Aaron, Take thee a calf of the herd for a sin-offering, and a ram for a burnt-offering, without blemish, and offer them before Jehovah.
3
And unto the children of Israel thou shalt speak, saying, Take ye a he-goat for a sin-offering; and a calf and a lamb, both a year old, without blemish, for a burnt-offering;
4
and an ox and a ram for peace-offerings, to sacrifice before Jehovah; and a meal-offering mingled with oil: for to-day Jehovah appeareth unto you. ​
5
And they brought that which Moses commanded before the tent of meeting: and all the congregation drew near and stood before Jehovah.
6
And Moses said, This is the thing which Jehovah commanded that ye should do: and the glory of Jehovah shall appear unto you.
7
And Moses said unto Aaron, Draw near unto the altar, and offer thy sin-offering, and thy burnt-offering, and make atonement for thyself, and for the people; and offer the oblation of the people, and make atonement for them; as Jehovah commanded. ​

Aaron Offers Sacrifices for Himself 8–14

8
So Aaron drew near unto the altar, and slew the calf of the sin-offering, which was for himself.
9
And the sons of Aaron presented the blood unto him; and he dipped his finger in the blood, and put it upon the horns of the altar, and poured out the blood at the base of the altar:
10
but the fat, and the kidneys, and the caul from the liver of the sin-offering, he burnt upon the altar; as Jehovah commanded Moses.
11
And the flesh and the skin he burnt with fire without the camp. ​
12
And he slew the burnt-offering; and Aaron’s sons delivered unto him the blood, and he sprinkled it upon the altar round about.
13
And they delivered the burnt-offering unto him, piece by piece, and the head: and he burnt them upon the altar.
14
And he washed the inwards and the legs, and burnt them upon the burnt-offering on the altar.

Aaron Offers Sacrifices for the People 15–22

15
And he presented the people’s oblation, and took the goat of the sin-offering which was for the people, and slew it, and offered it for sin, as the first.
16
And he presented the burnt-offering, and offered it according to the ordinance.
17
And he presented the meal-offering, and filled his hand therefrom, and burnt it upon the altar, besides the burnt-offering of the morning. ​
18
He slew also the ox and the ram, the sacrifice of peace-offerings, which was for the people: and Aaron’s sons delivered unto him the blood, which he sprinkled upon the altar round about,
19
and the fat of the ox and of the ram, the fat tail, and that which covereth the inwards, and the kidneys, and the caul of the liver:
20
and they put the fat upon the breasts, and he burnt the fat upon the altar:
21
and the breasts and the right thigh Aaron waved for a wave-offering before Jehovah; as Moses commanded. ​
22
And Aaron 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. ​

The Glory of the Lord Appears 23–24

23
And Moses and Aaron went into the tent of meeting, and came out, and blessed the people: and the glory of Jehovah appeared unto all the people. ​
24
And there came forth fire from before Jehovah, and consumed upon the altar the burnt-offering and the fat: and when all the people saw it, they shouted, and fell on their faces. ​

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

Study Notes for Leviticus 9

Verse 1

on the eighth day — The seven days of consecration have ended (Lev 8:33), and on the eighth Moses calls Aaron, his sons and 'the elders of Israel' to the first service of the new priesthood. Ezek 43:27 keeps the pattern: when 'these days are expired', 'upon the eighth day, and so forward', the priests offer on the altar.

Verse 4

the LORD will appear unto you — The promise is made good in v.6, 'the glory of the LORD shall appear unto you', and in v.23, where it 'appeared unto all the people'. Ex 29:43 had already said that the tabernacle 'shall be sanctified by my glory'. The bullock and ram of peace offerings (shelem) are named with the meat offering.

Verse 7

for thyself, and for the people — Aaron offers first his own sin offering (v.8, 'the calf of the sin offering, which was for himself'), then 'the offering of the people'. Hebrews reads the order into the office: 'he ought, as for the people, so also for himself, to offer for sins' (Heb 5:3). Christ 'needeth not' so (Heb 7:27).

Verse 11

without the camp — The hide ('or) is burnt with the flesh here, while only the fat, kidneys and caul go on the altar (v.10); the burnt offering's skin, by contrast, is the priest's (Lev 7:8). Hebrews reads the pattern: 'Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate' (Heb 13:12).

Verse 17

beside the burnt sacrifice of the morning — The meat offering is a grain offering: a 'handful' of the flour was burnt on the altar as its 'memorial' (Lev 2:2). It is placed 'beside' the morning burnt sacrifice, the first of the daily pair of lambs, 'two lambs of the first year day by day continually' (Ex 29:38–40).

Verse 21

waved for a wave offering — Tenuphah, the same word as in Lev 7:30, 34, where the breast and right shoulder are the portion given to Aaron and his sons. Here Aaron himself waves them 'before the LORD; as Moses commanded', as the ram of consecration's breast had been waved at his ordination (Ex 29:26).

Verse 22

lifted up his hand toward the people, and blessed them — The LORD gave the priests their form of blessing: 'On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel' (Num 6:23), ending 'they shall put my name upon the children of Israel; and I will bless them' (Num 6:27). Christ 'lifted up his hands, and blessed them' as he parted from the disciples (Luke 24:50).

Verse 23

the glory of the LORD appeared — Moses and Aaron enter the tabernacle, come out and bless the people, and then the promised glory (kavod) 'appeared unto all the people', as Moses had said in v.6. The same glory later 'filled the house' when Solomon dedicated the temple (2 Chr 7:1).

Verse 24

a fire out from before the LORD — The fire 'consumed upon the altar the burnt offering and the fat', so the LORD himself takes the sacrifice. Fire answered Elijah in the same way (1 Kgs 18:38), where 'all the people… fell on their faces' (1 Kgs 18:39), and Solomon (2 Chr 7:1). In 10:2 fire 'from the LORD' also devoured Nadab and Abihu.