Leviticus 16:10-20

10 but the goat on which the lot fell for 1Azazel shall be presented alive before the LORD to make atonement over it, that it may be sent away into the wilderness to 2Azazel.
11 "Aaron shall present 3the bull as a sin offering for himself, and shall make atonement for himself and for his house. He shall kill the bull as a sin offering for himself.
12 And he shall take 4a censer full of coals of fire from the altar before the LORD, and two handfuls of sweet incense beaten small, and he shall bring it inside the veil
13 5and put the incense on the fire before the LORD, that the cloud of the incense may cover 6the mercy seat that is over the testimony, so that he does not die.
14 And 7he shall take some of the blood of the bull and sprinkle it with his finger on the front of the mercy seat on the east side, and in front of the mercy seat he shall sprinkle some of the blood with his finger seven times.
15 8"Then he shall kill the goat of the sin offering that is for the people and bring its blood 9inside the veil and do with its blood as he did with the blood of the bull, sprinkling it over the mercy seat and in front of the mercy seat.
16 Thus he shall 10make atonement for the Holy Place, because of the uncleannesses of the people of Israel and because of their transgressions, all their sins. And so he shall do for the tent of meeting, which dwells with them in the midst of their uncleannesses.
17 11No one may be in the tent of meeting from the time he enters to make atonement in the Holy Place until he comes out and has made atonement for himself and for his house and for all the assembly of Israel.
18 Then he shall go out to the altar that is 12before the LORD and 13make atonement for it, and shall take some of the blood of the bull and some of the blood of the goat, and put it on the horns of the altar all around.
19 And he shall sprinkle some of the blood on it with his finger seven times, and cleanse it and consecrate it from the uncleannesses of the people of Israel.
20 "And when he has made an end of 14atoning for the Holy Place and the tent of meeting and the altar, he shall present the live goat.

Leviticus 16:10-20 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.

Cross References 14

  • 1. [See ver. 8 above]
  • 2. [See ver. 8 above]
  • 3. [See ver. 6 above]
  • 4. Leviticus 10:1; Numbers 16:46; Revelation 8:3-5
  • 5. Ex. 30:1, 7, 8
  • 6. Exodus 25:21
  • 7. Hebrews 9:13, 25; Hebrews 10:4; See Leviticus 4:5, 6
  • 8. Hebrews 2:17; Hebrews 5:1; Hebrews 9:7
  • 9. ver. 2; Hebrews 6:19; Hebrews 9:3, 7
  • 10. ver. 18; [Exodus 29:36; Ezekiel 45:18; Hebrews 9:22, 23]
  • 11. [Luke 1:10, 21]
  • 12. Leviticus 1:5; Leviticus 4:24
  • 13. ver. 16; Leviticus 4:7, 18; Exodus 30:6, 10
  • 14. ver. 16, 18; Ezekiel 43:20; Ezekiel 45:20
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.