Leviticus 9:15

Translation
King James Version
And he brought the people's offering, and took the goat, which was the sin offering for the people, and slew it, and offered it for sin, as the first.
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KJV (with Strong's)
And he brought H7126 the people's H5971 offering H7133, and took H3947 the goat H8163, which was the sin offering H2403 for the people H5971, and slew H7819 it, and offered it for sin H2398, as the first H7223.
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Complete Jewish Bible
Then the people's offering was presented. He took the goat of the sin offering which was for the people, slaughtered it and offered it for sin, like the earlier sin offering.
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Berean Standard Bible
Aaron then presented the people’s offering. He took the male goat for the people’s sin offering, slaughtered it, and offered it for sin like the first one.
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American Standard Version
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.
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World English Bible Messianic
He 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.
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Geneva Bible (1599)
Then he offred the peoples offring, and tooke a goate, which was the sinne offring for the people, and slewe it: and offred it for sinne, as the first:
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Young's Literal Translation
And he bringeth near the offering of the people, and taketh the goat of the sin-offering which is for the people, and slaughtered it, and maketh it a sin-offering, like the first;
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See also
Leviticus 4:27Leviticus 4:31Leviticus 9:3Hebrews 5:3Hebrews 2:172 Corinthians 5:21Titus 2:14
In the KJVVerse 2,969 of 31,102

Study This Verse

SUMMARY

Leviticus 9:15 describes a pivotal moment in the inauguration of the Levitical priesthood and the Tabernacle's public service, as Aaron, having completed his personal purification, now performs the corporate sin offering for the Israelite community. This act involves taking a designated goat, ritually slaying it, and presenting it as a purification offering on behalf of the people. This sacrifice was essential for the atonement and ceremonial cleansing of the entire nation, ensuring their continued access to God's holy presence within the newly consecrated sanctuary and establishing a foundational precedent for future communal offerings.

CONTEXT

  • Literary Context: This verse is intricately woven into the narrative of Leviticus 9, which details the climactic eighth day of Aaron's ordination and the solemn commencement of the Tabernacle's public ministry. Following seven days of consecration (Leviticus 8), Aaron is now performing his first official priestly duties. The immediate preceding verses (Leviticus 9:7-14) recount Aaron's personal sin and burnt offerings, establishing his own ritual purity before he could mediate for the nation. Leviticus 9:15 then marks the transition to the corporate offerings, immediately followed by the people's burnt offering (Leviticus 9:16) and the peace offering (Leviticus 9:18-21). The entire sequence culminates in the awe-inspiring divine manifestation of God's glory and consuming fire upon the sacrifices (Leviticus 9:23-24), signifying divine acceptance and the establishment of the covenant relationship through proper worship.
  • Historical & Cultural Context: The events of Leviticus 9 unfold immediately after the meticulous completion and consecration of the Tabernacle, as detailed in Exodus 40. This period signifies the formal establishment of centralized worship for the nascent nation of Israel in the wilderness. The "sin offering" (Hebrew: chaṭṭâʼâh) was not merely about forgiveness of moral transgressions but, perhaps even more critically, about purification from ritual impurity and the decontamination of the sacred space from the defiling effects of sin. In a culture where God's presence was understood to literally dwell among His people in the Tabernacle, any sin or impurity, whether intentional or unintentional, could defile that holy space, necessitating precise rituals to maintain its sanctity and prevent God's withdrawal or judgment. The goat, a common sacrificial animal, was specifically prescribed for corporate sin offerings, symbolizing the transfer of the community's uncleanness onto the innocent animal, which then bore the consequences.
  • Key Themes: Leviticus 9:15 contributes significantly to several major theological and narrative themes within Leviticus and the broader Pentateuch. It highlights the theme of Atonement and Purification, emphasizing that sin, both individual and corporate, requires a blood sacrifice for cleansing and reconciliation with a holy God. The meticulous nature of the ritual underscores the theme of Divine Holiness and Human Impurity, demonstrating the absolute purity required to approach God's presence and the profound seriousness with which God views sin. Furthermore, the verse powerfully illustrates the theme of Mediation and Priesthood, showcasing Aaron's indispensable role as the divinely appointed intermediary between God and His people, a role foreshadowed in earlier instructions like Exodus 29. The inaugural nature of this offering also reinforces the theme of Covenant Establishment and Divine Acceptance, as the successful performance of these rituals signifies God's willingness to dwell among His people and accept their worship when offered according to His prescribed ways, leading to the manifestation of His glory as seen in Leviticus 9:23-24.

EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

Key Word Analysis

  • brought (Hebrew, qârab', H7126): This primitive root signifies "to approach" or, causatively, "to bring near" or "to present." In the context of sacrifices, it emphasizes the intentional act of drawing something close to God, indicating a formal presentation for divine acceptance. It underscores Aaron's role as the intermediary, bringing the people's offering into God's sacred presence.
  • sin offering (Hebrew, chaṭṭâʼâh', H2403): From the root châṭâʼ (to miss, to sin), chaṭṭâʼâh refers to "an offence" and, by extension, its "sacrifice" or "expiation." In the sacrificial system, it designates the specific offering whose primary purpose was purification from ritual impurity and the defiling effects of sin, thereby cleansing the worshiper or the sanctuary and restoring a proper relationship between the people and a holy God.
  • offered it for sin (Hebrew, châṭâʼ', H2398): While the KJV translates "offered it for sin," the underlying Hebrew verb châṭâʼ (H2398) here functions in a causative sense, meaning "to make a sin offering" or "to purify." It implies the act of expiation or purification, by which the consequences of sin are addressed, and the defilement removed, enabling reconciliation. This highlights the expiatory and purifying nature of the sacrifice performed by Aaron.

Verse Breakdown

  • "And he brought the people's offering": This opening clause immediately establishes Aaron's central, mediatorial role. As the newly consecrated High Priest, he acts as the divinely appointed representative of the entire Israelite community, presenting their corporate offering to God. This act underscores the communal aspect of sin and the necessity of corporate atonement.
  • "and took the goat, which [was] the sin offering for the people": This identifies the specific animal, a goat, as the divinely prescribed sacrifice for the people's corporate sin. It highlights the meticulous adherence to God's instructions and the symbolic transfer of the community's collective sin and impurity onto the innocent animal, signifying that the entire community, not just individuals, required purification and expiation.
  • "and slew it, and offered it for sin, as the first": This describes the critical actions of the sacrifice: the slaying of the animal, which involved the indispensable shedding of blood, and the subsequent offering of it for the explicit purpose of purification and atonement. The phrase "as the first" is profoundly significant, indicating that this was the inaugural public sin offering performed by the High Priest on behalf of the nation, thereby setting the divine precedent and establishing the official beginning of the Tabernacle's sacrificial system for communal cleansing.

Literary Devices

The language of Leviticus 9:15 employs several significant literary devices to convey its profound theological meaning. Repetition is subtly evident in the emphasis on "sin offering for the people" and "offered it for sin," underscoring the central purpose and recipient of the sacrifice. This reiteration highlights the gravity of sin and the necessity of specific, divinely ordained rites for its atonement. Symbolism is profoundly present, with the goat serving as a powerful substitute, bearing the collective impurity of the people. The act of "slew it" and "offered it for sin" symbolizes the transfer of guilt and the expiation achieved through the shedding of blood, a recurring and foundational motif throughout the Old Testament sacrificial system. Furthermore, the verse utilizes Ritual Language, characterized by its precise, formulaic, and almost liturgical tone. This specific phrasing indicates that the actions described are not arbitrary but are divinely commanded and meticulously performed, emphasizing the sanctity, efficacy, and prescribed nature of the ritual.

THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS

Leviticus 9:15 profoundly illustrates several core theological truths: the pervasive nature of sin requiring corporate atonement, God's gracious provision for reconciliation, and the indispensable role of mediation. The meticulous ritual highlights God's absolute holiness and the seriousness with which sin is viewed, demanding a blood sacrifice for purification and propitiation. This inaugural offering for the people underscores that sin defiles not only individuals but also the community and even the sacred space where God dwells, necessitating a comprehensive cleansing to maintain the divine-human relationship. The entire system, with its repeated sacrifices, points to a greater reality, a perfect sacrifice yet to come that would definitively address the problem of sin.

REFLECTION AND APPLICATION

Leviticus 9:15 serves as a profound reminder of the universal and corporate need for atonement. It compels us to acknowledge the gravity of sin, not just as individual failings but as something that affects and defiles communities, relationships, and even our spiritual environment, impacting our ability to draw near to a holy God. The meticulousness of the Old Testament rituals reveals God's absolute holiness and His unwavering commitment to providing a way for humanity to draw near to Him despite their impurity. For believers today, this passage deepens our appreciation for the definitive and perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ. We no longer need repeated animal sacrifices because Christ's once-for-all offering has fully and eternally cleansed us. This truth should lead us to profound gratitude, humble confession of our ongoing sins, and a confident approach to God's throne of grace, knowing that our High Priest has secured our complete reconciliation and purification. It also calls us to consider how our actions, both individually and corporately, impact the purity and witness of the church, the new temple of the Holy Spirit.

Questions for Reflection

  • How does understanding the Old Testament sin offering deepen your appreciation for Christ's sacrifice and its unique, once-for-all nature?
  • In what ways do you see the concept of corporate sin or communal responsibility playing out in society or within the church today, and how should believers respond to such defilement?
  • How does the meticulous nature of the Levitical sacrifices inform your understanding of God's holiness and the seriousness with which He views sin, even unintentional sin?

FAQ

What was the primary purpose of the sin offering?

Answer: The primary purpose of the sin offering (chaṭṭâʼâh) was not solely to forgive moral transgressions, but crucially, to purify or decontaminate. It cleansed individuals, objects, and especially the Tabernacle/sanctuary from ritual impurity and the defiling effects of sin, whether intentional or unintentional. This purification was essential to maintain God's holy presence among His people, as any defilement could render the sacred space uninhabitable for a holy God. This concept is further elaborated in passages like Leviticus 16, where the sin offering plays a key role in cleansing the sanctuary itself from the accumulated defilement of Israel's sins.

Why was a goat specifically chosen for the people's sin offering here?

Answer: Goats were common and acceptable sacrificial animals in ancient Israel, often prescribed for various types of sin offerings. For corporate sin offerings, particularly for the entire community or for leaders, a goat was frequently designated by God's law. Leviticus 4 outlines various sin offerings, specifying a male goat for a ruler's sin (Leviticus 4:23) and a female goat or lamb for an individual's sin (Leviticus 4:28, 32). While a bull was typically used for the corporate sin of the whole congregation (Leviticus 4:14), in the inaugural context of Leviticus 9, a goat was specifically designated for the people's sin offering, distinguishing it from the bull used for Aaron's personal sin offering and fulfilling the precise divine instructions for this foundational ceremony.

How does this "first" offering relate to later sacrifices?

Answer: The phrase "as the first" signifies that this was the inaugural public sin offering performed by Aaron as High Priest on behalf of the entire nation. It established the divine precedent and proper procedure for all subsequent sin offerings within the Levitical system. While this specific event was unique in its inaugural nature, the principles of atonement, purification, and priestly mediation it demonstrated would be repeated daily, weekly, and annually (especially on the Day of Atonement, as detailed in Leviticus 16) throughout Israel's history. Each repetition continually pointed forward to the ultimate, once-for-all sacrifice that would fully and eternally accomplish what these temporary offerings could only foreshadow.

CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT

Leviticus 9:15, with its depiction of Aaron offering the goat as the people's sin offering, finds its profound and ultimate fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. The temporary, repeated sacrifices of the Old Testament, including this inaugural one, served as vivid shadows pointing to the perfect reality to come. Jesus is the ultimate Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, becoming our perfect "sin offering" (as powerfully articulated in 2 Corinthians 5:21). Unlike the Levitical priests who had to offer sacrifices for their own sins before they could mediate for others, Jesus, our great high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, offered Himself as the spotless and blameless sacrifice. His blood, shed on the cross, provides not merely a temporary covering but a once-for-all, eternal redemption and a complete cleansing of sins, making it possible for us to have bold access to the throne of grace. The meticulous ritual of Leviticus 9:15 foreshadowed the perfect obedience and efficacy of Christ's sacrifice, which truly purifies the conscience and fully reconciles humanity to a holy God, rendering all subsequent animal sacrifices obsolete (Hebrews 10:10-14).

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Commentary on Leviticus 9 verses 8–22

These being the first offerings that ever were offered by the levitical priesthood, according to the newly-enacted law of sacrifices, the manner of offering them is particularly related, that it might appear how exactly they agreed with the institution. 1. Aaron with his own hands slew the offering (Lev 9:8), and did the work of the inferior priests; for, great as he was, he must not think any service below him which he could do for the honour of God: and, as Moses had shown him how to do this work decently and dexterously, so he showed his sons, that they might do likewise; for this is the best way of teaching, and thus parents should instruct their children by example. Therefore as Moses before, so Aaron now offered some of each of the several sorts of sacrifices that were appointed, whose rites differed, that they might be thoroughly furnished for every good work. 2. He offered these besides the burnt-sacrifice of the morning, which was every day offered first, Lev 9:17. Note, Our accustomed devotions morning and evening, alone and in our families, must not be omitted upon any pretence whatsoever, no, not when extraordinary services are to be performed; whatever is added, these must not be diminished. 3. It is not clear whether, when it is said that he burnt such and such parts of the sacrifices upon the altar (Lev 9:10-20), the meaning is that he burnt them immediately with ordinary fire, as formerly, or that he laid them upon the altar ready to be burnt with the fire from heaven which they expected (Lev 9:24), or whether, as bishop Patrick thinks, he burnt the offerings for himself with ordinary fire, but when they were burnt out he laid the people's sacrifices upon the altar, which were kindled and consumed by the fire of the Lord. I would rather conjecture, because it is said of all these sacrifices that he burnt them (except the burnt-offering for the people, of which it is said that he offered it according to the manner, Lev 9:16, which seems to be equivalent), that he did not kindle the fire to burn them, but that then the fire from the Lord fastened upon them, put out the fire that he had kindled (as we know a greater fire puts out a less), and suddenly consumed the remainder, which the fire he had kindled would have consumed slowly. 4. When Aaron had done all that on his part was to be done about the sacrifices he lifted up his hand towards the people, and blessed them, Lev 9:22. This was one part of the priest's work, in which he was a type of Christ, who came into the world to bless us, and when he was parted from his disciples, at his ascension, lifted up his hands and blessed them, and in them his whole church, of which they were the elders and representatives, as the great high priest of our profession. Aaron lifted up his hands in blessing them, to intimate whence he desired and expected the blessing to come, even from heaven, which is God's throne. Aaron could but crave a blessing, it is God's prerogative to command it. Aaron, when he had blessed, came down; Christ, when he blessed, went up.

Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 8–22. Public domain.
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Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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