Exodus 29:8-18

8 and thou shalt bring his sons, and put garments on them.
9 And thou shalt gird them with the girdles, and put the tires upon them, and they shall have a priestly office to me for ever; and thou shalt fill the hands of Aaron and the hands of his sons.
10 And thou shalt bring the calf to the door of the tabernacle of witness; and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the calf, before the Lord, by the doors of the tabernacle of witness.
11 And thou shalt slay the calf before the Lord, by the doors of the tabernacle of witness.
12 And thou shalt take of the blood of the calf, and put it on the horns of the altar with thy finger, but all the rest of the blood thou shalt pour out at the foot of the altar.
13 And thou shalt take all the fat that is on the belly, and the lobe of the liver, and the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, and shalt put them upon the altar.
14 But the flesh of the calf, and his skin, and his dung, shalt thou burn with fire without the camp; for it is an of sin.
15 And thou shalt take one ram, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the ram.
16 And thou shalt kill it, and take the blood and pour it on the altar round about.
17 And thou shalt divide the ram by his several limbs, and thou shalt wash the inward parts and the feet with water, and thou shalt put them on the divided parts with the head.
18 And thou shalt offer the whole ram on the altar, a whole burnt-offering to the Lord for a sweet-smelling savour: it is an offering of incense to the Lord.

Exodus 29:8-18 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO EXODUS 29

This chapter gives an account of the form and order of the consecration of Aaron and his sons to the priestly office; preparatory to which Moses is ordered to take a young bullock, two rams, bread, cakes, and wafers unleavened, and bring them and Aaron and his sons to the door of the congregation, where the ceremony was to be publicly performed, and which began with washing them, Ex 29:1-4 and then proceeded by putting on the priestly garments directed to be made in the preceding chapter, first on Aaron, who also was anointed, Ex 29:5-7 and then upon his sons, Ex 29:8,9 after which the bullock and the two rams were to be slain, and orders are given what was to be done with their blood, and the several parts of them, as well as with the cakes and wafers, Ex 29:10-23 and directions are given to make these wave and heave offerings, Ex 29:24-28 and that the garments of Aaron's should be his son's that succeeded him, Ex 29:29,30, and that the flesh of the ram of consecration with the bread should be eaten by Aaron and his sons and no other, Ex 29:31-35, the altar also where they were to officiate was to be cleansed, sanctified, and an atonement made for it, Ex 29:36,37 after which two lambs every day, morning and evening, were to be offered on it in all succeeding generations, Ex 29:38-42, and the chapter is closed with a promise that the Lord would meet with the children of Israel at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and would sanctify the tabernacle, and dwell among them, and be their God, Ex 29:43-46.

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. make perfect the hands.

The Brenton translation of the Septuagint is in the public domain.