Leviticus 16:1-10

The Day of Reconciliation

1 After the death of Aaron's two sons, which happened when they approached the LORD and died, the LORD spoke to Moses:
2 Tell your brother Aaron that he cannot come whenever he wants into the holy area inside the inner curtain, to the front of the cover that is on the chest, or else he will die, because I am present in the cloud above the cover.
3 No, but Aaron must enter the holy area as follows: with a bull from the herd as a purification offering and a ram as an entirely burned offering.
4 Aaron must dress in a holy linen tunic and wear linen undergarments on his body. He must tie a linen sash around himself and wrap a linen turban around his head. These are holy clothes—Aaron will first bathe his body in water and then put them on.
5 He will take from the Israelite community two male goats for a purification offering and one ram for an entirely burned offering.
6 Aaron will offer the bull as a purification offering to make reconciliation for himself and his household.
7 He will take the two male goats and place them before the LORD at the meeting tent's entrance.
8 Aaron will cast lots over the two goats: one lot labeled "the LORD's" and the other lot labeled "Azazel's."
9 Aaron will present the goat selected by the LORD's lot and perform a purification offering with it.
10 But the goat selected by Azazel's lot will be left standing alive before the LORD in order to make reconciliation upon it by sending it away into the wilderness to Azazel.

Leviticus 16:1-10 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO LEVITICUS 16

This chapter treats of the day of atonement, and of the rites, sacrifices, and services of it, directs when Aaron should come into the holy of holies, Le 16:1,2; and in what habit he should then appear, and with what offerings both for himself, and for the people, Le 16:3-10; and that having slain his own sin offering, and that for the people, he should offer incense before the mercy seat, and sprinkle that with the blood of both, Le 16:11-15; and by these offerings make atonement for the holy place, the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar, Le 16:16-19; and having done this, he was to take the live goat, lay his hands on it, confess over it, and put upon it all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and then send it away by a fit man into the wilderness, Le 16:20-22; upon which he was to put off his linen garments, wash his flesh, and put them on again, and offer the burnt offering for himself, and for the people, Le 16:23-25; also he that let go the goat, and he that carried and burnt the sin offerings without the camp, were to wash themselves and clothes also, Le 16:26-28; the observance of this day, once a year, which was on the tenth of the seventh month, as a day of affliction and atonement, was to be a statute for ever to the children of Israel, Le 16:29-34.

Footnotes 4

  • [a]. Or mercy seat or perhaps reconciliation cover (Heb kapporet)
  • [b]. Or I am seen or I appear
  • [c]. Or scapegoat
  • [d]. Or over it or for it or with it
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