Leviticus 8

Consecration of Aaron and His Sons

1 ¹The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

2 "Take Aaron and his sons with him, and ²the garments and ³the anointing oil and the bull of the sin offering and the two rams and the basket of unleavened bread.

3 And assemble all the congregation at the entrance of the tent of meeting."

4 And Moses did as the LORD commanded him, and the congregation was assembled at the entrance of the tent of meeting.

5 And Moses said to the congregation, ⁴"This is the thing that the LORD has commanded to be done."

6 And Moses brought Aaron and his sons and washed them with water.

7 And he put ⁵the coat on him and tied the sash around his waist and clothed him with the robe and put the ephod on him and tied the skillfully woven band of the ephod around him, binding it to him with the band.^[a]

8 And he placed the breastpiece on him, and ⁶in the breastpiece he put the Urim and the Thummim.

9 And he set ⁷the turban on his head, and ⁸on the turban, in front, he set the golden plate, the holy crown, as the LORD commanded Moses.

10 ⁹Then Moses took the anointing oil and anointed the tabernacle and all that was in it, and consecrated them.

11 And he sprinkled some of it on the altar seven times, and anointed the altar and all its utensils and the basin and its stand, to consecrate them.

12 And ¹⁰he poured some of the anointing oil on Aaron's head and anointed him to consecrate him.

13 And Moses brought Aaron's sons and clothed them with coats and tied sashes around their waists and bound caps on them, as the LORD commanded Moses.

14 Then he brought ¹¹the bull of the sin offering, and Aaron and his sons ¹²laid their hands on the head of the bull of the sin offering.

15 And he^[b] killed it, and ¹³Moses took the blood, and with his finger put it on the horns of the altar around it and purified the altar and poured out the blood at the base of the altar and consecrated it to make atonement for it.

16 ¹⁴And he took all the fat that was on the entrails and the long lobe of the liver and the two kidneys with their fat, and Moses burned them on the altar.

17 But ¹⁵the bull and its skin and its flesh and its dung he burned up with fire outside the camp, as the LORD commanded Moses.

18 ¹⁶Then he presented the ram of the burnt offering, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram.

19 And he killed it, and Moses threw the blood against the sides of the altar.

20 He cut the ram into pieces, and Moses burned ¹⁷the head and the pieces and the fat.

21 He washed the entrails and the legs with water, and Moses burned the whole ram on the altar. It was a burnt offering with a pleasing aroma, a food offering for the LORD, as the LORD commanded Moses.

22 Then ¹⁸he presented the other ram, the ram of ordination, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram.

23 And he killed it, and Moses took some of its blood and ¹⁹put it on the lobe of Aaron's right ear and on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot.

24 Then he presented Aaron's sons, and Moses put some of the blood on the lobes of their right ears and on the thumbs of their right hands and on the big toes of their right feet. And Moses threw the blood against the sides of the altar.

25 Then he took the fat and the fat tail and all the fat that was on the entrails and the long lobe of the liver and the two kidneys with their fat and the right thigh,

26 and out of the basket of unleavened bread that was before the LORD he took one unleavened loaf and one loaf of bread with oil and one wafer and placed them on the pieces of fat and on the right thigh.

27 And he put all these in the hands of Aaron and in the hands of his sons and waved them as a wave offering before the LORD.

28 Then Moses took them from their hands and burned them on the altar with the burnt offering. This was an ordination offering with a pleasing aroma, a food offering to the LORD.

29 And Moses took the breast and waved it for a wave offering before the LORD. It was Moses' portion of the ram of ordination, as the LORD commanded Moses.

30 Then ²⁰Moses took some of the anointing oil and of the blood that was on the altar and sprinkled it on Aaron and his garments, and also on his sons and his sons' garments. So he consecrated Aaron and his garments, and his sons and his sons' garments with him.

31 And Moses said to Aaron and his sons, "Boil the flesh at the entrance of the tent of meeting, and there eat it and the bread that is in the basket of ordination offerings, as I commanded, saying, 'Aaron and his sons shall eat it.'

32 And what remains of the flesh and the bread you shall burn up with fire.

33 And you shall not go outside the entrance of the tent of meeting for seven days, until the days of your ordination are completed, for it ²¹will take seven days to ordain you.

34 As has been done today, the LORD has commanded to be done to make atonement for you.

35 At the entrance of the tent of meeting you shall remain day and night for seven days, performing what the LORD has ²²charged, so that you do not die, for so I have been commanded."

36 And Aaron and his sons did all the things that the LORD commanded by Moses.

Leviticus 8 Commentary

Chapter 8

The consecration of Aaron and his sons. (1-13) The offerings of consecration. (14-36)

Verses 1-13 The consecration of Aaron and his sons had been delayed until the tabernacle had been prepared, and the laws of the sacrifices given. Aaron and his sons were washed with water, to signify that they ought to purify themselves from all sinful dispositions, and ever after to keep themselves pure. Christ washes those from their sins in his own blood whom he makes kings and priests to our God, ( revelation 1:5 revelation 1:6 ) ; and those that draw near to God must be washed in pure water, ( Hebrews 10:22 ) . The anointing of Aaron was to typify the anointing of Christ with the Spirit, which was not given by measure to him. All believers have received the anointing.

Verses 14-36 In these types we see our great High Priest, even Christ Jesus, solemnly appointed, anointed, and invested with his sacred office, by his own blood, and the influences of his Holy Spirit. He sanctifies the ordinances of religion, to the benefit of his people and the honour of God the Father; who for his sake accepts our worship, though it is polluted with sin. We may also rejoice, that he is a merciful and faithful High Priest, full of compassion to the feeble-minded and tempest-tossed soul. All true Christians are consecrated to be spiritual priests. We should seriously ask ourselves, whether in our daily walk we study to maintain this character? and abound in spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Christ? If so, still there is no cause for boasting. Let us not despise our fellow-sinners; but remembering what we have done, and how we are saved, let us seek and pray for their salvation.

Cross References

• 1. See Exodus 29
• 2. See Exodus 28:2-4
• 3. See Exodus 30:23-25
• 4. Exodus 29:4
• 5. Exodus 28:4
• 6. See Exodus 28:30
• 7. [See ver. 7 above]
• 8. Leviticus 21:12; Exodus 28:36, 37
• 9. See Exodus 30:26-29
• 10. Leviticus 21:10, 12; Exodus 30:30; Psalms 133:2
• 11. Ezekiel 43:19
• 12. Leviticus 4:4
• 13. Leviticus 4:7; Ezekiel 43:20, 26; [Hebrews 9:22]
• 14. Leviticus 3:4; Leviticus 4:8
• 15. Leviticus 4:11, 12
• 16. ver. 2
• 17. Leviticus 1:8
• 18. ver. 2
• 19. See Leviticus 14:14-17
• 20. Exodus 30:30; Numbers 3:3
• 21. Ezekiel 43:25, 26
• 22. Numbers 3:7; Numbers 9:19; Deuteronomy 11:1; 1 Kings 2:3; Zechariah 3:7

Footnotes

• [a]. Hebrew with it
• [b]. Probably Aaron or his representative; possibly Moses; also verses 16-23

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO LEVITICUS 8

The order for the consecration of Aaron and his sons is renewed, Le 8:1-3 which accordingly was set about and performed by Moses, Le 8:4,5 who having first washed and clothed them, first Aaron, and then his sons, with the garments of the priesthood, anointing at the same time the tabernacle of the altar, and what appertained to them and Aaron also, Le 8:6-13 and then he slew the bullock for the sin offering, and the ram for the burnt offering, and the ram of consecration; and did with the blood, fat, shoulder, and breast, and the meat offering belonging thereunto, as he had been directed, Le 8:14-30 and the chapter is concluded with some instructions about boiling the flesh, and burning the remainder of it, and keeping the charge of the Lord night and day for seven days, Le 8:31-36.