Leviticus 16:9-19

9 "Then Aaron shall offer the goat on which the lot for the LORD fell, and make it a sin offering.
10 "But the goat on which the lot for the scapegoat fell shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make 1atonement upon it, to send it into the wilderness as the scapegoat.
11 "Then Aaron shall offer the bull of the sin offering 2which is for himself and make atonement for himself and 3for his household, and he shall slaughter the bull of the sin offering which is for himself.
12 "He shall take a 4firepan full of coals of fire from upon the altar before * the LORD and two handfuls * of finely ground 5sweet incense, and bring it inside * the veil.
13 "He shall put the incense on the fire before the LORD, that the cloud of incense may cover the 6mercy seat that is on the ark of the testimony, 7otherwise he will die.
14 "Moreover, 8he shall take some of the blood of the bull and sprinkle it 9with his finger on the mercy seat on the east side; also in front of the mercy seat he shall sprinkle some of the blood with his finger seven times.
15 "Then he shall slaughter the goat of the sin offering 10which is for the people, and bring its blood inside * * the veil and do with its blood as he did with the blood of the bull, and sprinkle it on the mercy seat and in front of the mercy seat.
16 "11He shall make atonement for the holy place, because of the impurities of the sons of Israel and because of their transgressions in regard to all their sins; and thus he shall do for the tent of meeting which abides with them in the midst of their impurities.
17 "When he goes in to make atonement in the holy place, no one shall be in the tent of meeting until he comes out, that he may make atonement for himself and for his household and for all the assembly of Israel.
18 "Then he shall go out to the altar that is before the LORD and make atonement for it, and shall take some of the blood of the bull and of the blood of the goat and 12put it on the horns of the altar on all sides.
19 "13With his finger he shall sprinkle some of the blood on it seven times and cleanse it, and from the impurities of the sons of Israel consecrate it.

Leviticus 16:9-19 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. Isaiah 53:4-10; Romans 3:25; 1 John 2:2
  • 2. Hebrews 7:27; Hebrews 9:7
  • 3. Leviticus 16:33
  • 4. Leviticus 10:1; Numbers 16:18
  • 5. Exodus 30:34-38
  • 6. Exodus 25:21
  • 7. Exodus 28:43; Leviticus 22:9; Numbers 4:15, 20
  • 8. Hebrews 9:25
  • 9. Leviticus 4:6, 17
  • 10. Hebrews 7:27; Hebrews 9:7, 12
  • 11. Exodus 29:36, 37; Exodus 30:10; Hebrews 2:17
  • 12. Leviticus 4:25; Ezekiel 43:20, 22
  • 13. Leviticus 16:14; Ezekiel 43:20

Footnotes 8

  • [a]. Lit "goat of removal," or else a name: "Azazel"
  • [b]. Lit "goat of removal," or else a name: "Azazel"
  • [c]. Lit "the filling of the hollow of his hands"
  • [d]. Lit "propitiatory"
  • [e]. Lit "propitiatory"
  • [f]. Lit "propitiatory"
  • [g]. Lit "propitiatory"
  • [h]. Lit "propitiatory"
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