Leviticus 16:21-31

21 "Then Aaron shall lay both of his hands on the head of the live goat, and 1confess over it all the iniquities of the sons of Israel and all their transgressions in regard to all their sins; and he shall lay them on the head of the goat and send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who stands in readiness.
22 "The goat shall bear on itself all their iniquities to a solitary land; and he shall release the goat in the wilderness.
23 "Then Aaron shall come into the tent of meeting and take off 2the linen garments which he put on when he went into the holy place, and shall leave them there.
24 "3He shall bathe his body with water in a holy place and put on 4his clothes, and come forth and offer his burnt offering and the burnt offering of the people and make atonement for himself and for the people.
25 "Then he shall offer up in smoke the fat of the sin offering on the altar.
26 "The one who released the goat as the scapegoat 5shall wash his clothes and bathe his body with water; then afterward * he shall come into the camp.
27 "But the bull of the sin offering and the goat of the sin offering, 6whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the holy place, shall be taken outside * * the camp, and they shall burn their hides, their flesh, and their refuse in the fire.
28 "Then the 7one who burns them shall wash his clothes and bathe his body with water, then afterward * he shall come into the camp.

An Annual Atonement

29 "This shall be a permanent statute for you: 8in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall humble your souls and not 9do any work, whether the native, or the alien who sojourns among you;
30 for it is on this day that atonement shall be made for you to 10cleanse you; you will be clean from all your sins before the LORD.
31 "It is to be a sabbath of solemn rest for you, that you may 11humble your souls; it is a permanent statute.

Leviticus 16:21-31 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 11

  • 1. Leviticus 5:5
  • 2. Leviticus 16:4; Ezekiel 42:14; Ezekiel 44:19
  • 3. Leviticus 16:4
  • 4. Exodus 28:40, 41
  • 5. Leviticus 11:25, 40
  • 6. Leviticus 6:30; Hebrews 13:11
  • 7. Numbers 19:8
  • 8. Leviticus 23:27; Numbers 29:7
  • 9. Exodus 31:14, 15
  • 10. Psalms 51:2; Jeremiah 33:8; Ephesians 5:26
  • 11. Leviticus 23:32; Ezra 8:21; Isaiah 58:3, 5; Daniel 10:12

Footnotes 5

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