Leviticus 16:24-34

24 "1He shall bathe his body with water in a holy place and put on 2his 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 3shall 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, 4whose 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 5one 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: 6in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall humble your souls and not 7do 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 8cleanse 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 9humble your souls; it is a permanent statute.
32 "So the priest who is anointed and ordained * to serve as priest in his father's place shall make atonement: he shall thus put on 10the linen garments, the holy garments,
33 and make atonement for the holy sanctuary, and he shall make atonement for the tent of meeting and for the altar. He shall also make atonement for 11the priests and for all the people of the assembly.
34 "Now you shall have this as a 12permanent statute, to 13make atonement for the sons of Israel for all their sins once every year." And just as the LORD had commanded Moses, so he did.

Leviticus 16:24-34 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 13

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

Footnotes 5

  • [a]. Lit "flesh"
  • [b]. Lit "goat of removal," or else a name: "Azazel"
  • [c]. Lit "flesh"
  • [d]. Lit "he shall make atonement"
  • [e]. Lit "whose hand is filled"
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