Leviticus 16

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.)

9 Whose lot goeth out to the Lord, he shall offer it for sin; (Whichever lot goeth out for the Lord, he shall offer that goat as a sin offering;)

10 soothly whose lot goeth out into the goat that shall be sent out, he shall set him quick before the Lord, that he send prayers on him, and send him out into wilderness. (and whichever lot goeth out for the goat that shall be sent out, that is, the scapegoat for Azazel, he shall present him alive before the Lord, and send prayers upon him, and then send him out into the wilderness, to Azazel.)

11 When these things be done rightfully, he shall offer the calf, and he shall pray for himself, and for his house, and shall offer the calf. (When these things be done by this rite, he shall bring forth the calf, and he shall pray for cleansing for himself, and for his household, or for his family, and then he shall kill the calf for a sin offering.)

12 And when he hath taken a censer, which he hath [full-]filled of the coals of the altar, and he hath taken in [his] hand the sweet smelling spicery made into incense, he shall enter over the veil into the holy things; (And when he hath taken a censer, which he hath filled full with coals from the altar, and he hath taken in his hand the sweet smelling spices made into incense, he shall go into the Most Holy Place within the Veil;)

13 that when sweet smelling spiceries be put on the fire, the cloud and vapour of those cover God's answering place, that is, the propitiatory, which is on the witnessing, that is, on the ark with the tables of (the) law, and he die not. (so that when the sweet smelling spices be put on the fire, their cloud and vapour cover the propitiatory, that is, the mercy seat, or the lid, which is on the Ark of the Witnessing, that is, the Box containing the tablets of the Law, and so he shall not die.)

14 Also Aaron shall take of the calf's blood, and he shall sprinkle seven times with his finger against God's answering place, eastward. (And Aaron shall take some of the calf's blood, and he shall sprinkle it with his finger onto that lid, eastwards, and seven times in front of the propitiatory, that is, in front of the mercy seat.)

15 And when Aaron hath slain the goat buck, offered for [the] sin of the people, he shall bring in the blood thereof within the veil, as it is commanded of the calf's blood, that he sprinkle it even against God's answering place, (And when Aaron hath killed the goat buck, offered for the people's sin, he shall bring in its blood within the Veil, as it is commanded of the calf's blood, and sprinkle it on the propitiatory, and in front of it,)

16 and (so) he shall cleanse the saintuary from [the] uncleanness of the sons of Israel, and from their trespassings, and [from] all their sins. By this custom he shall do in the tabernacle of witnessing (And by this custom he shall do all of this in the Tabernacle of the Witnessing), which is set among them, in the midst of [the] filths of the habitation of them.

17 No man be in the tabernacle, when the bishop shall enter into the saintuary, that he pray for himself, and for his house, and for all the company of Israel, till he go out of the tabernacle. (No one should be in the Tabernacle, when the High Priest shall enter into the sanctuary, so that he can pray for himself, and for his household, or for his family, and for all the congregation of Israel, and until that he go out of the Tabernacle.)

18 Soothly when he hath gone out to the altar which is before the Lord, pray he for himself, and shed he on the horns thereof, by compass, the blood that is taken of the calf, and of the goat buck; (And when he hath gone out to the altar which is before the Lord, pray he for himself, and take he some of the calf's blood, and some of the goat's blood, and put he it on the horns all around the altar;)

19 and sprinkle he it seven times with his finger (and with his finger sprinkle he some of the blood onto the altar seven times), and (so) cleanse he, and hallow he the altar from [the] uncleannesses of the sons of Israel.

20 After that he hath cleansed the saintuary, and the tabernacle, and the altar, then offer he the living goat buck; (And after that he hath cleansed the sanctuary, and the Tabernacle, and the altar, then bring he forth the living goat for Azazel;)

21 and when his ever either hand is put upon the head thereof, acknowledge the priest all the wickednesses of the sons of Israel, and all their trespasses and sins, which sins the priest shall wish, or will, (on)to the goat('s) head, and he shall send the goat out into desert by a man made ready thereto (and then he shall send this goat, that is, the scapegoat, out into the desert, or into the wilderness, by a man ordained for that task).

22 And when the goat buck hath borne all their wickednesses into (a) desert land, and he is let go there,

23 Aaron shall turn again into the tabernacle of witnessing (Aaron shall return to the Tabernacle of the Witnessing); and when the clothes be put off, in which he was clothed before, when he entered into the saintuary of God, and those clothes be left there,

24 he shall wash his flesh in the holy place, and he shall be clothed in his own clothes, and after that he hath gone out, and hath offered the burnt sacrifice of himself, and of the people, he shall pray as well for himself, as for the people; (he shall wash his flesh in a holy place, and he shall be clothed in his own clothes, and after that he hath gone out, and hath offered the burnt sacrifice for himself, and for the people, he shall pray for himself, as well as for the people;)

25 and he shall burn on the altar the inner fatness which is offered for sin. (and he shall burn on the altar the inner fat of the sin offering.)

26 Soothly he that let go the goat buck able to be sent out, shall wash his clothes and his body with water, and so he shall enter into the tents. (And he who drove the scapegoat into the desert, or into the wilderness, to Azazel, shall wash his clothes and his body in water, and then he shall return to the tents.)

27 Forsooth they shall bear out of the tents the calf and the goat buck, that were offered for sin, and whose blood was brought into the saintuary, that the cleansing were fulfilled; and they shall burn in fire as well the skins, as the flesh, and [the] dung of those beasts. (And they shall carry away from the tents the calf and the goat buck, that were the sin offerings, and whose blood was brought into the sanctuary, so that the cleansing is fulfilled; and they shall burn in the fire the skins, and the flesh, and the dung of those beasts.)

28 And whoever burneth those, he shall wash his clothes and flesh in water, and so he shall enter into the tents (and then he shall return to the tents).

29 And this shall be to you a lawful thing everlasting; in the seventh month, in the tenth day of the month, ye shall torment your souls, and ye shall not do any work, neither a man born in the land, neither a comeling that is a pilgrim among you. (And this shall be an everlasting law for you; in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, ye shall torment your souls, and ye shall not do any work, not someone born in the land, nor a newcomer who is a foreigner, or a stranger, among you.)

30 The delivering from sin, and the cleansing of you, shall be in this day (shall be on this day), (and) ye shall be cleansed before the Lord from all your sins;

31 for it is the sabbath of resting, and ye shall torment your souls by everlasting religion. (for it is a sabbath of rest for you, and ye shall torment your souls; this is an everlasting law.)

32 Soothly the priest shall cleanse, the which is anointed, and whose hands be hallowed, that he be set in priesthood for his father; and he shall be clothed in a linen stole, and in holy clothes, (And the priest, who is anointed, and consecrated, so that he can serve in the priesthood for his father, shall perform this rite of cleansing; he shall be clothed in holy linen clothes,)

33 and he shall cleanse the saintuary, and the tabernacle of witnessing (and he shall cleanse the sanctuary, and the Tabernacle of the Witnessing), and the altar, and the priests, and all the people.

34 And this shall be to you a lawful thing everlasting (And this shall be an everlasting law for you), that ye pray for the sons of Israel, and for all their sins, once in the year. Therefore Aaron did, as the Lord commanded to Moses.

Leviticus 16 Commentary

Chapter 16

The great day of atonement. (1-14) The sacrifices on it, The scape-goat. (15-34)

Verses 1-14 Without entering into particulars of the sacrifices on the great day of atonement, we may notice that it was to be a statute for ever, till that dispensation be at an end. As long as we are continually sinning, we continually need the atonement. The law of afflicting our souls for sin, is a statue which will continue in force till we arrive where all tears, even those of repentance, will be wiped from our eyes. The apostle observes it as a proof that the sacrifices could not take away sin, and cleanse the conscience from it, that in them there was a remembrance made of sin every year, upon the day of atonement, ( hebrews 10:1 hebrews 10:3 ) . The repeating the sacrifices, showed there was in them but a feeble effort toward making atonement; this could be done only by offering up the body of Christ once for all; and that sacrifice needed not to be repeated.

Verses 15-34 Here are typified the two great gospel privileges, of the remission of sin, and access to God, both of which we owe to our Lord Jesus. See the expiation of guilt. Christ is both the Maker and the Matter of the atonement; for he is the Priest, the High Priest, that makes reconciliation for the sins of the people. And as Christ is the High Priest, so he is the Sacrifice with which atonement is made; for he is all in all in our reconciliation to God. Thus he was figured by the two goats. The slain goat was a type of Christ dying for our sins; the scape-goat a type of Christ rising again for our justification. The atonement is said to be completed by putting the sins of Israel upon the head of the goat, which was sent away into a wilderness, a land not inhabited; and the sending away of the goat represented the free and full remission of their sins. He shall bear upon him all their iniquities. Thus Christ, the Lamb of God, takes away the sin of the world, by taking it upon himself, ( John 1:29 ) . The entrance into heaven, which Christ made for us, was typified by the high priest's entrance into the most holy place. See ( Hebrews 9:7 ) . The high priest was to come out again; but our Lord Jesus ever lives, making intercession, and always appears in the presence of God for us. Here are typified the two great gospel duties of faith and repentance. By faith we put our hands upon the head of the offering; relying on Christ as the Lord our Righteousness, pleading his satisfaction, as that which alone is able to atone for our sins, and procure us a pardon. By repentance we afflict our souls; not only fasting for a time from the delights of the body, but inwardly sorrowing for sin, and living a life of self-denial, assuring ourselves, that if we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. By the atonement we obtain rest for our souls, and all the glorious liberties of the children of God. Sinner, get the blood of Christ effectually applied to thy soul, or else thou canst never look God in the face with any comfort or acceptance. Take this blood of Christ, apply it by faith, and see how it atones with God.

Chapter Summary

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.