Leviticus 9

Aaron Offers Sacrifices

1 Now it came about ¹on the eighth day that Moses called Aaron and his sons and the elders of Israel;

2 and he said to Aaron, "²Take for yourself a calf, a bull *, for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering, both without defect, and offer them before the LORD.

3 "Then to the sons of Israel you shall speak, saying, 'Take a male goat for a sin offering, and a calf and a lamb, both one year old, without defect, for a burnt offering,

4 and an ox and a ram for peace offerings, to sacrifice before the LORD, and a grain offering mixed with oil; for today ³the LORD will appear to you.' "

5 So they took what Moses had commanded to the front of the tent of meeting, and the whole congregation came near and stood before the LORD.

6 Moses said, "This is the thing which the LORD has commanded you to do, that ⁴the glory of the LORD may appear to you."

7 Moses then said to Aaron, "Come near to the altar and ⁵offer your sin offering and your burnt offering, that you may make atonement for yourself and for the people; then make the offering for the people, that you may make atonement for them, just as the LORD has commanded."

8 ⁶So Aaron came near to the altar and slaughtered the calf of the sin offering which was for himself.

9 ⁷Aaron's sons presented the blood to him; and he dipped his finger in the blood and ⁸put some on the horns of the altar, and poured out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar.

10 The fat and the kidneys and the lobe of the liver of the sin offering, he then offered up in smoke on the altar just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

11 ⁹The flesh and the skin, however, he burned with fire outside * the camp.

12 Then he slaughtered the burnt offering; and Aaron's sons handed the blood to him and he sprinkled it around on the altar.

13 They handed the burnt offering to him in pieces, with the head, and he offered them up in smoke on the altar.

14 He also washed the entrails and the legs, and offered them up in smoke with the burnt offering on the altar.

15 Then he presented the people's offering, and took the ¹⁰goat of the sin offering which was for the people, and slaughtered it and offered it for sin, like the first.

16 He also presented the burnt offering, and offered it according to ¹¹the ordinance.

17 Next he presented ¹²the grain offering, and filled his hand with some of it and offered it up in smoke on the altar, ¹³besides * the burnt offering of the morning.

18 Then ¹⁴he slaughtered the ox and the ram, the sacrifice of peace offerings which was for the people; and Aaron's sons handed the blood to him and he sprinkled it around on the altar.

19 As for the portions of fat from the ox and from the ram, the fat tail, and the fat ¹⁵covering, and the kidneys and the lobe of the liver,

20 they now placed the portions of fat on the breasts; and he offered them up in smoke on the altar.

21 But ¹⁶the breasts and the right thigh Aaron presented as a wave offering before the LORD, just as Moses had commanded.

22 Then Aaron lifted up his hands toward the people and ¹⁷blessed them, and he stepped down after making the sin offering and the burnt offering and the peace offerings.

23 Moses and Aaron went into the tent of meeting. When they came out and blessed the people, ¹⁸the glory of the LORD appeared to all the people.

24 ¹⁹Then fire came out from before * the LORD and consumed the burnt offering and the portions of fat on the altar; and when all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces.

Leviticus 9 Commentary

Chapter 9

The first offerings of Aaron for himself and the people. (1-21) Moses and Aaron bless the people, Fire cometh upon the altar from the Lord. (22-24)

Verses 1-21 These many sacrifices, which were all done away by the death of Christ, teach us that our best services need washing in his blood, and that the guilt of our best sacrifices needs to be done away by one more pure and more noble than they. Let us be thankful that we have such a High Priest. The priests had not a day's respite from service allowed. God's spiritual priests have constant work, which the duty of every day requires; they that would give up their account with joy, must redeem time. The glory of God appeared in the sight of the people, and owned what they had done. We are not now to expect such appearances, but God draws nigh to those who draw nigh to him, and the offerings of faith are acceptable to him; though the sacrifices being spiritual, the tokens of the acceptance are spiritual likewise. When Aaron had done all that was to be done about the sacrifices, he lifted up his hands towards the people, and blessed them. Aaron could but crave a blessing, God alone can command it.

Verses 22-24 When the solemnity was finished, and the blessing pronounced, God testified his acceptance. There came a fire out from before the Lord, and consumed the sacrifice. This fire might justly have fastened upon the people, and have consumed them for their sins; but its consuming the sacrifice signified God's acceptance of it, as an atonement for the sinner. This also was a figure of good things to come. The Spirit descended upon the apostles in fire. And the descent of this holy fire into our souls, to kindle in them pious and devout affections toward God, and such a holy zeal as burns up the flesh and the lusts of it, is a certain token of God's gracious acceptance of our persons and performances. Nothing goes to God, but what comes from him. We must have grace, that holy fire, from the God of grace, else we cannot serve him acceptably, ( Hebrews 12:28 ) . The people were affected with this discovery of God's glory and grace. They received it with the highest joy; triumphing in the assurance given them that they had God nigh unto them. And with the lowest reverence; humbly adoring the majesty of that God, who vouchsafed thus to manifest himself to them. That is a sinful fear of God, which drives us from him; a gracious fear makes us bow before him.

Cross References

• 1. Ezekiel 43:27
• 2. Ezekiel 29:1; Leviticus 4:3
• 3. Exodus 29:43
• 4. Exodus 24:16; Leviticus 9:23
• 5. Hebrews 5:3; Hebrews 7:27
• 6. Leviticus 4:1-12
• 7. Leviticus 9:12, 18
• 8. Leviticus 4:7
• 9. Leviticus 4:11, 12; Leviticus 8:17
• 10. Leviticus 4:27-31
• 11. Leviticus 1:1-13
• 12. Leviticus 2:1-3
• 13. Leviticus 3:5
• 14. Leviticus 3:1-11
• 15. Leviticus 3:9
• 16. Exodus 29:26, 27; Leviticus 7:30-34
• 17. Numbers 6:22-26; Deuteronomy 21:5; Luke 24:50
• 18. Leviticus 9:6; Numbers 16:19
• 19. 1 Kings 18:38, 39; 2 Chronicles 7:1

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit "make"
• [b]. Lit "of"
• [c]. Or "appendage on"
• [d]. Lit "its pieces"
• [e]. Lit "made"
• [f]. Lit "palm"
• [g]. Or "appendage on"
• [h]. Lit "the portions of fat"
• [i]. Lit "waved"

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO LEVITICUS 9

Aaron and his sons, being consecrated to and invested with the priest's office, are called upon to the exercise of it, to offer a sin offering and a burnt offering for themselves, and all sorts of offerings, a sin offering, a burnt offering, peace offerings, and a meat offering, for the people; and a promise is made for their encouragement, that the glory of the Lord would appear to them, Le 9:1-7 and which were in their course accordingly offered; first, Aaron's sin offering for himself, Le 9:8-11 then his burnt offering, Le 9:12-14 after that the several offerings of the people before mentioned, Le 9:15-21 when Aaron and Moses blessed the people, the one as soon as he had done offering, and both together when they came out of the tabernacle, Le 9:22,23 upon which a fire came forth from the Lord, and consumed the burnt offering upon the altar, Le 9:24.