Leviticus 16:3

3 Thus shall Aaron enter into the holy place; with a calf of the herd for a sin-offering, and a ram for a whole-burnt-offering.

Leviticus 16:3 Meaning and Commentary

Leviticus 16:3

Thus shall Aaron come into the holy [place]
The most holy place; and this was after he had offered the daily sacrifice of the morning, and had performed the rest of the service then done, as Gersom observes; such as burning the incense and trimming the lamps, for no offering preceded the daily sacrifice: with a young bullock for a sin offering, and a ram for a burnt
offering;
which were both for himself and his family; and such were the weakness, imperfection, and insufficiency of the Levitical priesthood, and priests, that they were obliged first to offer for their own sins, and then for the sins of the people: the meaning is not, as Aben Ezra says, that he should bring the bullock into the holy place, only that he should first give of his own a bullock for a sin offering, to atone for himself, and for the priests; nor could it be the body of the bullock he brought, only the blood of it into the most holy place, where he entered not without blood, first with the blood of the bullock, and then with the blood of the goat; for the body of the bullock for a sin offering was burnt without the camp, and the body of the ram for the burnt offering was burnt upon the altar of burnt offering; see ( Hebrews 9:7 Hebrews 9:12 ) .

Leviticus 16:3 In-Context

1 And the Lord spoke to Moses after the two sons of Aaron died in bringing strange fire before the Lord, so they died.

2 And the Lord said to Moses, Speak to Aaron thy brother, and let him not come in at all times into the holy place within the veil before the propitiatory, which is upon the ark of the testimony, and he shall not die; for I will appear in a cloud on the propitiatory.

3 Thus shall Aaron enter into the holy place; with a calf of the herd for a sin-offering, and a ram for a whole-burnt-offering.

4 And he shall put on the consecrated linen tunic, and he shall have on his flesh the linen drawers, and shall gird himself with a linen girdle, and shall put on the linen cap, they are holy garments; and he shall bathe all his body in water, and shall put them on.

5 And he shall take of the congregation of the children of Israel two kids of the goats for a sin-offering, and one lamb for a whole-burnt-offering.