Leviticus 16:1-8

1 And the Lord spake to Moses, after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they offered alien fire (when they offered unholy fire), and were slain,

2 and commanded to him and said, Speak thou to Aaron, thy brother, that he enter not in all time into the saintuary, which is within the veil before the propitiatory, with which the ark is covered, that he die not; for I shall appear in a cloud on God's answering place; (and commanded to him and said, Tell thou thy brother Aaron, that he must not enter into the sanctuary, which is behind the Veil, to go before the propitiatory, that is, the mercy seat, or the lid, which is on the Ark, that is, the Box for the tablets of the Law, except at the appointed time, so that he not die; for I shall appear there in a cloud above the propitiatory, or God's answering place;)

3 no but he do these things before. He shall offer a calf for sin, and a ram into burnt sacrifice; (and to enter only after he hath first done these things. He shall bring a calf for a sin offering, and a ram for a burnt sacrifice;)

4 he shall be clothed with a linen cloth, [and] he shall hide his shamefast members with linen breeches; he shall be girded with a linen girdle, [and] he shall put a linen mitre on his head; for these clothes be holy, with them all he shall be clothed, when he is washed. (and he shall be clothed with a linen cloak, or with a linen robe, and he shall hide his shameful members with linen breeches; and he shall be girded with a linen sash, and put a linen turban on his head; for these clothes be holy, and he shall be clothed with all of them, after that he hath washed himself.)

5 And he shall take of all the multitude of the sons of Israel two kids for sin, and one ram into burnt sacrifice; (And he shall take from all the multitude of the Israelites two goat kids for a sin offering, and one ram for a burnt sacrifice;)

6 and when he offereth a calf, and prayeth, for himself, and for his house, (and after that he offereth the calf, and prayeth for cleansing for himself, and for his household, or for his family,)

7 he shall make (the) two goat bucks to stand before the Lord, in the door of the tabernacle of witnessing (at the entrance to the Tabernacle of the Witnessing);

8 and Aaron shall cast lot upon ever either, one lot to the Lord, and another lot to the goat that shall be sent out. (and Aaron shall cast lots over the two goats, one lot for the Lord, and the other lot for the goat that shall be sent out, that is, the scapegoat for Azazel.)

Leviticus 16:1-8 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.