Leviticus 16:1-9

1 And the LORD spoke unto Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they came near before the LORD and died;

2 and the LORD said unto Moses, Speak unto Aaron, thy brother, that he not enter at all times into the sanctuary inside the veil before the seat of reconciliation, which is upon the ark, that he not die; for I will appear in the cloud above the seat of reconciliation.

3 Thus shall Aaron come into the holy place: with a young bullock as sin and a ram as a burnt offering.

4 He shall put on the holy linen coat, and he shall have the linen underwear upon his flesh and shall be girded with a linen girdle, and with the linen mitre shall he cover himself. These are holy garments; and he shall wash his flesh with water and put them on.

5 And he shall take of the congregation of the sons of Israel two he goats as the sin and one ram as a burnt offering.

6 And Aaron shall cause the bullock of his sin to be brought, and make reconciliation for himself and for his house.

7 After that, he shall take the two goats and present them before the LORD at the door of the tabernacle of the testimony.

8 And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two he goats, one lot for the LORD and the other lot for Azazel. {Heb. entire removal}

9 And Aaron shall cause the he goat upon which the LORD’s lot fell to be brought and offer him for the sin.

Leviticus 16:1-9 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.