Leviticus 16:5-34

5 From the Israelite community he is to take two male goats for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering.

6 “Aaron is to offer the bull for his own sin offering to make atonement for himself and his household.

7 Then he is to take the two goats and present them before the LORD at the entrance to the tent of meeting.

8 He is to cast lots for the two goats—one lot for the LORD and the other for the scapegoat.^[a]

9 Aaron shall bring the goat whose lot falls to the LORD and sacrifice it for a sin offering.

10 But the goat chosen by lot as the scapegoat shall be presented alive before the LORD to be used for making atonement by sending it into the wilderness as a scapegoat.

11 “Aaron shall bring the bull for his own sin offering to make atonement for himself and his household, and he is to slaughter the bull for his own sin offering.

12 He is to take a censer full of burning coals from the altar before the LORD and two handfuls of finely ground fragrant incense and take them behind the curtain.

13 He is to put the incense on the fire before the LORD, and the smoke of the incense will conceal the atonement cover above the tablets of the covenant law, so that he will not die.

14 He is to take some of the bull’s blood and with his finger sprinkle it on the front of the atonement cover; then he shall sprinkle some of it with his finger seven times before the atonement cover.

15 “He shall then slaughter the goat for the sin offering for the people and take its blood behind the curtain and do with it as he did with the bull’s blood: He shall sprinkle it on the atonement cover and in front of it.

16 In this way he will make atonement for the Most Holy Place because of the uncleanness and rebellion of the Israelites, whatever their sins have been. He is to do the same for the tent of meeting, which is among them in the midst of their uncleanness.

17 No one is to be in the tent of meeting from the time Aaron goes in to make atonement in the Most Holy Place until he comes out, having made atonement for himself, his household and the whole community of Israel.

18 “Then he shall come out to the altar that is before the LORD and make atonement for it. He shall take some of the bull’s blood and some of the goat’s blood and put it on all the horns of the altar.

19 He shall sprinkle some of the blood on it with his finger seven times to cleanse it and to consecrate it from the uncleanness of the Israelites.

20 “When Aaron has finished making atonement for the Most Holy Place, the tent of meeting and the altar, he shall bring forward the live goat.

21 He is to lay both hands on the head of the live goat and confess over it all the wickedness and rebellion of the Israelites—all their sins—and put them on the goat’s head. He shall send the goat away into the wilderness in the care of someone appointed for the task.

22 The goat will carry on itself all their sins to a remote place; and the man shall release it in the wilderness.

23 “Then Aaron is to go into the tent of meeting and take off the linen garments he put on before he entered the Most Holy Place, and he is to leave them there.

24 He shall bathe himself with water in the sanctuary area and put on his regular garments. Then he shall come out and sacrifice the burnt offering for himself and the burnt offering for the people, to make atonement for himself and for the people.

25 He shall also burn the fat of the sin offering on the altar.

26 “The man who releases the goat as a scapegoat must wash his clothes and bathe himself with water; afterward he may come into the camp.

27 The bull and the goat for the sin offerings, whose blood was brought into the Most Holy Place to make atonement, must be taken outside the camp; their hides, flesh and intestines are to be burned up.

28 The man who burns them must wash his clothes and bathe himself with water; afterward he may come into the camp.

29 “This is to be a lasting ordinance for you: On the tenth day of the seventh month you must deny yourselves^[b] and not do any work—whether native-born or a foreigner residing among you—

30 because on this day atonement will be made for you, to cleanse you. Then, before the LORD, you will be clean from all your sins.

31 It is a day of sabbath rest, and you must deny yourselves; it is a lasting ordinance.

32 The priest who is anointed and ordained to succeed his father as high priest is to make atonement. He is to put on the sacred linen garments

33 and make atonement for the Most Holy Place, for the tent of meeting and the altar, and for the priests and all the members of the community.

34 “This is to be a lasting ordinance for you: Atonement is to be made once a year for all the sins of the Israelites.” And it was done, as the LORD commanded Moses.

Leviticus 16:5-34 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

• 1. S Leviticus 4:13-21
• 2. ver 20; S Leviticus 4:3; 2 Chronicles 29:23; Psalms 50:9
• 3. Leviticus 9:7; Hebrews 5:3; Hebrews 7:27; Hebrews 9:7,12
• 4. Numbers 26:55,56; Numbers 33:54; Numbers 34:13; Joshua 14:2; Joshua 18:6; Judges 20:9; Nehemiah 10:34; Esther 3:7; Esther 9:24; Psalms 22:18; Proverbs 16:33
• 5. ver 10,26
• 6. Isaiah 53:4-10; S Romans 3:25; 1 John 2:2
• 7. S ver 6,24,33; Hebrews 7:27; Hebrews 9:7
• 8. S Leviticus 10:1; Revelation 8:5
• 9. S Exodus 25:6; Exodus 30:34-38
• 10. S Exodus 25:17
• 11. S Exodus 28:43; Leviticus 22:9
• 12. S Leviticus 4:5; Heb 9:7,13,25
• 13. S Leviticus 4:6
• 14. S Leviticus 4:13-21; Hebrews 7:27; Hebrews 9:7,12; Hebrews 13:11
• 15. Hebrews 9:3
• 16. S Leviticus 4:17; Numbers 19:19; Isaiah 52:15; Ezekiel 36:25
• 17. S Exodus 29:36; S Romans 3:25
• 18. S Exodus 26:33; Hebrews 9:25
• 19. Exodus 29:4; S Exodus 40:2
• 20. S Leviticus 4:7
• 21. S Leviticus 4:25
• 22. Ezekiel 43:20
• 23. S ver 5
• 24. S Exodus 29:10
• 25. S Leviticus 5:5
• 26. S Exodus 28:38; Isaiah 53:12
• 27. S Exodus 28:42
• 28. Ezekiel 42:14; Ezekiel 44:19
• 29. S Leviticus 6:16
• 30. ver 3-5
• 31. Leviticus 1:3
• 32. S ver 11
• 33. S ver 8
• 34. S Leviticus 11:25
• 35. Leviticus 14:8
• 36. S Exodus 29:14; Leviticus 4:12,21; Hebrews 13:11
• 37. Numbers 19:8,10
• 38. S Exodus 12:14
• 39. Leviticus 25:9
• 40. ver 31; Leviticus 23:27,32; Numbers 29:7; Isaiah 58:3
• 41. S Exodus 31:15; S Leviticus 23:28
• 42. Exodus 12:19
• 43. S Exodus 30:10
• 44. Psalms 51:2; Jeremiah 33:8; Ezekiel 36:33; Zechariah 13:1; Ephesians 5:26
• 45. Ezra 8:21; Isaiah 58:3,5; Daniel 10:12
• 46. Acts 27:9
• 47. S Exodus 30:30
• 48. S ver 4; S Exodus 28:2; Numbers 20:26,28
• 49. S ver 11,16-18; Ezekiel 45:18
• 50. S Exodus 27:21
• 51. Hebrews 9:7,25

Footnotes

• [a] The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain; also in verses 10 and 26.
• [b] Or "must fast" ; also in verse 31