Exodus29

Exodus chapter 29 details the elaborate seven-day ritual for consecrating Aaron and his sons to the priesthood. This process involves washing, dressing in holy garments, anointing with oil, and offering specific sacrifices, including a sin offering, a burnt offering, and a ram of consecration. The chapter also establishes the perpetual daily burnt offering of two lambs at the tabernacle. These rituals ensure the priests and the altar are hallowed for service, enabling God to dwell among the children of Israel.

The Ritual of Consecration Begins

1
"Here is what you are to do to consecrate them for ministry to me in the office of cohen. Take one young bull and two rams without defect, ​
2
also matzah, matzah cakes mixed with olive oil, and matzah wafers spread with oil - all made from fine wheat flour;
3
put them together in a basket, and present them in the basket, along with the bull and the two rams.
4
"Bring Aharon and his sons to the entrance of the tent of meeting, and wash them with water. ​
5
Take the garments, and put on Aharon the tunic, the robe for the ritual vest, the vest itself, and the breastplate. Fasten the vest on him with its belt.
6
Put the turban on his head and attach the holy ornament to the turban.
7
Then take the anointing oil, and anoint him by pouring it on his head. ​
8
Bring his sons; put tunics on them;
9
wrap sashes around them, Aharon and his sons; and put the headgear on their heads. The office of cohen is to be theirs by a permanent regulation. Thus you will consecrate Aharon and his sons. ​

Sacrifices for Atonement and Dedication

10
"Bring the young bull to the front of the tent of meeting. Aharon and his sons are to lay their hands on the bull's head, ​
11
and you are to slaughter the bull in the presence of ADONAI at the entrance to the tent of meeting.
12
Take some of the bull's blood, and put it on the horns of the altar with your finger; pour out all the rest of the blood at the base of the altar. ​
13
Take all the fat that covers the inner organs, the covering of the liver and the two kidneys with their fat, and offer them up in smoke on the altar.
14
But the bull's flesh, skin and dung you are to destroy by fire outside the camp; it is a sin offering. ​
15
"Take one of the rams: Aharon and his sons are to lay their hands on the ram's head;
16
and you are to slaughter the ram, take its blood, and splash it on all sides of the altar.
17
Quarter the ram, wash the inner organs and the lower parts of the legs, and put them with the quarters and the head.
18
Then offer up the whole ram in smoke on the altar. It is a burnt offering for ADONAI, a pleasing aroma, an offering made to ADONAI by fire. ​

The Ram of Consecration

19
"Take the other ram: Aharon and his sons are to lay their hands on the ram's head; ​
20
and you are to slaughter the ram, take some of its blood, and put it on the lobe of Aharon's right ear, on the lobes of his sons' right ears, on the thumbs of their right hands and on the big toes of their right feet. Take the rest of the blood and splash it on all sides of the altar. ​
21
Then take some of the blood that is on the altar and some of the anointing oil, and sprinkle it on Aharon and his clothing and on his sons and the clothing of his sons with him; so that he and his clothing will be consecrated, and with him his sons and his sons' clothing. ​
22
Also take the fat from the ram, the fat tail, the fat that covers the inner organs, the two kidneys, the fat covering them and the right thigh - for it is a ram of consecration -
23
along with one loaf of bread, one cake of oiled bread and one wafer from the basket of matzah which is before ADONAI -
24
and put it all in the hands of Aharon and his sons. They are to wave them as a wave offering in the presence of ADONAI. ​
25
Then take them back; and burn them up in smoke on the altar, on top of the burnt offering, to be a pleasing aroma before ADONAI; it is an offering made to ADONAI by fire.
26
"Take the breast of the ram for Aharon's consecration, and wave it as a wave offering before ADONAI; it will be your share. ​
27
Consecrate the breast of the wave offering and the thigh of any contribution that has been waved and raised up, whether from the ram of consecration, or from anything else meant for Aharon or his sons;
28
this will belong to Aharon and his sons as their share perpetually due from the people of Isra'el - it will be a contribution from the people of Isra'el from their peace offerings, their contribution to ADONAI. ​
29
"The holy garments of Aharon will be used by his sons after him; they will be anointed and consecrated in them.
30
The son who becomes cohen in his place, who comes into the tent of meeting to serve in the Holy Place, is to wear them for seven days. ​
31
Take the ram of consecration, and boil its meat in a holy place.
32
Aharon and his sons will eat the ram's meat and the bread in the basket at the entrance to the tent of meeting.
33
They are to eat the things with which atonement was made for them, to inaugurate and consecrate them; no one else may eat this food, because it is holy. ​
34
If any of the meat for the consecration or any of the bread remains until morning, burn up what remains; it is not to be eaten, because it is holy.

The Seven-Day Consecration

35
Carry out all these orders I have given you concerning Aharon and his sons. You are to spend seven days consecrating them. ​
36
"Each day, offer a young bull as a sin offering, besides the other offerings of atonement; offer the sin offering on the altar as your atonement for it; then anoint it to consecrate it. ​
37
Seven days you will make atonement on the altar and consecrate it; thus the altar will be especially holy, and whatever touches the altar will become holy. ​

The Continual Daily Offering

38
"Now this is what you are to offer on the altar: two lambs a year old, regularly, every day. ​
39
The one lamb you are to offer in the morning and the other lamb at dusk.
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With the one lamb offer two quarts of finely ground flour mixed with one quart of oil from pressed olives; along with one quart of wine as a drink offering.
41
The other lamb you are to offer at dusk; do with it as with the morning grain and drink offerings - it will be a pleasing aroma, an offering made to ADONAI by fire.
42
Through all your generations this is to be the regular burnt offering at the entrance to the tent of meeting before ADONAI. There is where I will meet with you to speak with you. ​

The Divine Promise of Dwelling

43
There I will meet with the people of Isra'el; and the place will be consecrated by my glory. ​
44
I will consecrate the tent of meeting and the altar, likewise I will consecrate Aharon and his sons to serve me in the office of cohen.
45
Then I will live with the people of Isra'el and be their God: ​
46
they will know that I am ADONAI their God, who brought them out of the land of Egypt in order to live with them. I am ADONAI their God. ​

Study Notes for Exodus 29

Verse 1

This chapter details the elaborate, seven-day ritual necessary to hallow (sanctify) Aaron and his sons, separating them from the community for sacred service. The materials listed here correspond to the three types of sacrifices required.

Verse 4

Washing the candidates with water symbolizes the necessary purification and cleansing required before anyone could approach the divine presence or enter ministry.

Verse 7

The anointing oil was poured specifically upon Aaron’s head, marking him as the High Priest (the 'Anointed One') and symbolizing the setting apart by divine power for his office.

Verse 9

This establishes the priesthood as a hereditary office ('perpetual statute'), passed down through Aaron's lineage, emphasizing the permanence of the institution within the Mosaic covenant.

Verse 10

The laying on of hands signifies identification; Aaron and his sons transfer their sin and unworthiness onto the sacrificial animal, making it their substitute.

Verse 12

Applying blood to the horns of the altar sanctifies the altar itself, concentrating the atonement at the point where God and man meet.

Verse 14

The sin offering was burned 'without the camp' because it was considered highly contaminated by the sin it carried; it could not remain within the holy space of the community.

Verse 18

The burnt offering (olah) was entirely consumed by fire, symbolizing the total dedication and surrender of the worshiper to God, providing a 'sweet savor' (an offering acceptable to the Lord).

Verse 19

This second ram is specifically called the 'ram of consecration' (v. 22) and involves a unique rite focused on the physical sanctification of the new priests.

Verse 20

Applying the blood to the right ear, hand, and foot sanctified the priests’ entire being—their hearing (obedience), their actions (service), and their walk (lifestyle) were dedicated to God.

Verse 21

The combination of blood (atonement) and anointing oil (sanctification) sprinkled on the priests and their garments signifies that they are set apart and made holy through both purification and divine endowment.

Verse 24

The 'wave offering' ritual (tenufah) involved the priest moving the offering horizontally before the altar, symbolizing the presentation of the offering to God and its subsequent reception back by the priest.

Verse 26

The breast of the ram was assigned to Moses (Israel's mediator) for this specific ceremony, illustrating the relationship between the priesthood and the prophetic leadership.

Verse 28

This verse establishes the permanent regulation concerning the priests' income: specific portions of the sacrificial meals (the heave offerings) were their sustenance, guaranteeing their livelihood from Israel’s worship.

Verse 30

The successor High Priest had to wear the holy garments for seven full days during his own installation, linking him ritually to the original consecration and validating his authority.

Verse 33

Only consecrated priests could eat the consecrated food, as it was the means by which atonement was made. Eating it symbolized participation in the holiness of the ritual; a 'stranger' (layman) eating it would profane the holiness.

Verse 35

The seven-day period signifies completeness and perfection, ensuring the full and total sanctification of Aaron and his sons before their ministry could begin.

Verse 36

The altar itself required seven days of sin offerings and anointing, demonstrating that even the instruments of worship must be cleansed and sanctified before they can mediate holiness.

Verse 37

The altar becomes 'most holy' (qodesh qodeshim); anything that touches it is automatically dedicated to God, highlighting the extreme sanctity of the sacrificial site.

Verse 38

This section establishes the *Tamid* (continual) offering, the essential daily ritual of two lambs (morning and evening), forming the permanent rhythm of worship for the nation.

Verse 42

The continual offering is not just sacrifice but covenant maintenance; it establishes the place 'where I will meet you' (the Israelites) and speak to Moses, linking the daily ritual to divine communication.

Verse 43

God promises to sanctify the Tabernacle, not merely through ritual, but through the manifestation of His glory (the *kavod*), affirming His acceptance of the sanctuary.

Verse 45

This verse states the ultimate purpose of the Tabernacle and the priestly system: God desires to dwell physically among His people. This is the goal of the covenant relationship.

Verse 46

The dwelling of God among them serves as the culmination and proof of the Exodus; they know Yahweh is their God because He brought them out of Egypt specifically to establish His presence among them.

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