Leviticus 16:4-14

4 He shall put on the holy linen coat, and he shall have the linen breeches upon his flesh, and shall be girded with the linen girdle, and with the linen miter shall he be attired: these [are] holy garments; therefore shall he wash his flesh in water, and [so] 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 ram for a burnt-offering.

6 And Aaron shall offer his bullock of the sin-offering, which [is] for himself, and make an atonement for himself, and for his house.

7 And he shall take the two goats, and present them before the LORD [at] the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

8 And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for the LORD, and the other lot for the scape-goat.

9 And Aaron shall bring the goat upon which the LORD'S lot fell, and offer him [for] a sin-offering.

10 But the goat on which the lot fell to be the scape-goat, shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make an atonement with him, [and] to let him go for a scape-goat into the wilderness.

11 And Aaron shall bring the bullock of the sin-offering, which [is] for himself, and shall make an atonement for himself, and for his house, and shall kill the bullock of the sin-offering which [is] for himself:

12 And he shall take a censer full of burning coals of fire from off the altar before the LORD, and his hands full of sweet incense beaten small, and bring [it] within the vail:

13 And he shall put the incense upon the fire before the LORD, that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy-seat that [is] upon the testimony, that he may not die.

14 And he shall take of the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle [it] with his finger upon the mercy-seat eastward: and before the mercy-seat shall he sprinkle of the blood with his finger seven times.

Leviticus 16:4-14 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.