The Fallible · Synthetic · Study Bible
Aaron’s First Offerings
Leviticus 9:1–24 — Aaron’s First Offerings. Each verse below carries the full apparatus: the Berean Standard Bible, the vocalized original (tap any word), and a parsed breakdown of every term transcribed from the interlinear. Synthesized commentary, canonical threads, and the reading of Christ gather at the end, over the whole unit.
1On the eighth day Moses summoned Aaron and his sons and the elders of Israel.
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Hebrew — tap a word ↓
way·hî haš·šə·mî·nî bay·yō·wm mō·šeh qā·rā lə·’a·hă·rōn ū·lə·ḇā·nāw ū·lə·ziq·nê yiś·rā·’êl
Literal — word-for-word from the original
And-it-came-to-pass on-the-eighth day Moses called to-Aaron and-to-his-sons and-to-the-elders of-Israel.
Where the English smooths the original
Like newly-born children who remain seven days in a state of uncleanness and enter into the covenant privileges of the congregation on the eighth day (see Leviticus 12:2-3 ), so the newly-created priests after a purging of seven days commenced their sacred duties and partook of their privileges on this symbolical day.
The eighth day is famous in Scripture for the perfecting and purifying both of men and beasts.
Aaron and his sons entered upon their duties with a solemn sacrifice for themselves and the nation, to which the Lord had made Himself known by a special revelation of His glory, to bear solemn witness before the whole nation that their service at the altar was acceptable to Him, and to impress the divine seal of confirmation upon the consecration they had received.
2He said to Aaron, “Take for yourself a young bull for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering, both without blemish, and present them before the LORD.
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Hebrew — tap a word ↓
way·yō·mer ’el- ’a·hă·rōn qaḥ- lə·ḵā ‘ê·ḡel ben- bā·qār lə·ḥaṭ·ṭāṯ wə·’a·yil lə·‘ō·lāh tə·mî·mim wə·haq·rêḇ lip̄·nê Yah·weh
Literal — word-for-word from the original
And-he-said to Aaron: Take for-yourself a-calf, a-son-of-the-herd, for-a-sin-offering, and-a-ram for-a-burnt-offering, both-without-blemish, and-bring-them-near before the-LORD.
Where the English smooths the original
As this is the only instance in which a calf is appointed for a sin offering, and as the offerer who is ordered to bring this exceptional sacrifice is Aaron, Jewish tradition will have it that it was designed to refer to the sin of the golden calf which he made for the people.
For a sin offering, for himself and his own sins, which was an evidence of the imperfection of that priesthood, and of the necessity of another and a better.
and a ram for a burnt offering; being a strong and innocent creature, was a proper emblem of Christ, the Lamb of God, that takes away by his sacrifice the sins of men
3Then speak to the Israelites and say, ‘Take a male goat for a sin offering, a calf and a lamb—both a year old and without blemish—for a burnt offering,
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Hebrew — tap a word ↓
tə·ḏab·bêr wə·’el- bə·nê yiś·rā·’êl lê·mōr qə·ḥū śə·‘îr- ‘iz·zîm lə·ḥaṭ·ṭāṯ wə·‘ê·ḡel wā·ḵe·ḇeś bə·nê- šā·nāh tə·mî·mim lə·‘ō·lāh
Literal — word-for-word from the original
And-to the-sons-of-Israel you-shall-speak, saying: Take a-he-goat for-a-sin-offering, and-a-calf and-a-lamb, sons-of-a-year, without-blemish, for-a-burnt-offering.
Where the English smooths the original
A sin-offering — For the people, for whose sin a young bullock was required, Leviticus 4:15 ; but that was for some particular sin; this was more general for all their sins.
take ye a kid of the goats for a sin offering; this creature fitly represented Christ as made sin, and an offering for sin, in the room of his people
And unto the children ] LXX. and Sam. have ‘elders’ as in Leviticus 9:1 .Cited for the textual variant the Verifier and apparatus depend on: Samaritan and LXX read "elders," the Masoretic "children."
4an ox and a ram for a peace offering to sacrifice before the LORD, and a grain offering mixed with oil. For today the LORD will appear to you.’”
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Hebrew — tap a word ↓
wə·šō·wr wā·’a·yil liš·lā·mîm liz·bō·aḥ lip̄·nê Yah·weh ū·min·ḥāh bə·lū·lāh ḇaš·šā·men kî hay·yō·wm Yah·weh nir·’āh ’ă·lê·ḵem
Literal — word-for-word from the original
And-an-ox and-a-ram for-peace-offerings, to-sacrifice before the-LORD, and-a-grain-offering mixed with-oil; for today the-LORD will-appear to-you.
Where the English smooths the original
The Lord will appear — Hebrew, Hath appeared. He speaks of the thing to come as if it were past, which is frequent in Scripture, to give them the more assurance of its taking place.
And this being on the eighth day of the consecration of the priests, may lead our thoughts to the day when our great High Priest rose from the dead, the day after the seventh, or the Jewish sabbath, even on the eighth day, or first day of the week, on which he made frequent appearances to his disciples
prepare and sanctify yourselves with these sacrifices, for the Lord is to manifest himself in an especial manner to signify his approval of the inauguration of Aaron and his family to the priesthood.
5So they took what Moses had commanded to the front of the Tent of Meeting, and the whole congregation drew near and stood before the LORD.
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Hebrew — tap a word ↓
way·yiq·ḥū ’êṯ ’ă·šer mō·šeh ṣiw·wāh ’el- pə·nê ’ō·hel mō·w·‘êḏ kāl- hā·‘ê·ḏāh way·yiq·rə·ḇū way·ya·‘am·ḏū lip̄·nê Yah·weh
Literal — word-for-word from the original
And-they-took what Moses had-commanded to the-front of-the-Tent of-Meeting, and-all the-congregation drew-near and-stood before the-LORD.
Where the English smooths the original
as many as well could be admitted into the court no doubt were, to be spectators of Aaron and his sons officiating first in their new office, and to see their own sacrifices offered; and they stood over against where was the symbol of the divine Presence
Before the altar where his glory appeared.
as many of the people as could find room assembled before the sanctuary in the court-yard to witness the newly-installed priests officiating for the first time.
6And Moses said, “This is what the LORD has commanded you to do, so that the glory of the LORD may appear to you.”
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Hebrew — tap a word ↓
mō·šeh way·yō·mer zeh had·dā·ḇār ’ă·šer- Yah·weh ṣiw·wāh ta·‘ă·śū kə·ḇō·wḏ Yah·weh wə·yê·rā ’ă·lê·ḵem
Literal — word-for-word from the original
And-Moses said: This is-the-thing that the-LORD commanded you-shall-do, that the-glory of-the-LORD may-appear to-you.
Where the English smooths the original
and the glory of the Lord shall appear unto you; either Christ, the brightness of his Father's glory, in an human form, as a presage of his future incarnation, as he frequently did; or some more than ordinary refulgence of glory breaking out of the holy of holies
The glory of the Lord - Compare Exodus 16:7 .
Moses made known to the assembled people what Jehovah had commanded them to do in order that His glory might appear
7Then Moses said to Aaron, “Approach the altar and sacrifice your sin offering and your burnt offering to make atonement for yourself and for the people. And sacrifice the people’s offering to make atonement for them, as the LORD has commanded.”
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Hebrew — tap a word ↓
mō·šeh way·yō·mer ’el- ’a·hă·rōn qə·raḇ ’el- ham·miz·bê·aḥ wa·‘ă·śêh ’eṯ- ḥaṭ·ṭā·ṯə·ḵā wə·’eṯ- ‘ō·lā·ṯe·ḵā wə·ḵap·pêr ba·‘aḏ·ḵā ū·ḇə·‘aḏ hā·‘ām wa·‘ă·śêh ’eṯ- hā·‘ām qā·rə·ban wə·ḵap·pêr ba·‘ă·ḏām ka·’ă·šer Yah·weh ṣiw·wāh
Literal — word-for-word from the original
And-Moses said to Aaron: Approach the-altar and-make your-sin-offering and-your-burnt-offering, and-make-atonement for-yourself and-for the-people; and-make the-offering of-the-people and-make-atonement for-them, as the-LORD commanded.
Where the English smooths the original
yet he did not approach the altar till he was solemnly called upon by Moses to do it, thereby showing the authorised representatives of the people that Aaron did not take this honour to himself, but that it was the call of God by Moses.
The order is very observable, first for thyself, otherwise thou art unfit to do it for the people. Hereby God would teach us, both the deficiency of this priesthood, and the absolute necessity of a higher and better Priest, Hebrews 7:26 ,27
By means of the sin offering for the high priest, whose sin brought guilt both on himself and upon the people ( Leviticus 4:3 ). After he had (symbolically) purified himself and them of this guilt, he was to offer the offering of the people
8So Aaron approached the altar and slaughtered the calf as a sin offering for himself.
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Hebrew — tap a word ↓
’a·hă·rōn ’el- way·yiq·raḇ ham·miz·bê·aḥ way·yiš·ḥaṭ ’eṯ- ‘ê·ḡel ha·ḥaṭ·ṭāṯ ’ă·šer- lōw
Literal — word-for-word from the original
And-Aaron approached the-altar and-slaughtered the-calf of-the-sin-offering, which was for-himself.
Where the English smooths the original
Aaron, assisted by his sons, appears to have slain the victims with his own hands, as well as gone through all the prescribed ritual at the altar.
His sin-offering was probably regarded not so much as a sacrifice for his own actual sins as a typical acknowledgment of his sinful nature and of his future duty to offer for his own sins and those of the People.
which was to be offered first, as it was proper it should, that, atonement being made for his sins, his after burnt offering might be accepted with God, and he be fit to offer the sacrifices of the people
9The sons of Aaron brought the blood to him, and he dipped his finger in the blood and applied it to the horns of the altar. And he poured out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar.
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Hebrew — tap a word ↓
’eṯ- bə·nê ’a·hă·rōn way·yaq·ri·ḇū had·dām ’ê·lāw way·yiṭ·bōl ’eṣ·bā·‘ōw bad·dām way·yit·tên ‘al- qar·nō·wṯ ham·miz·bê·aḥ wə·’eṯ- yā·ṣaq had·dām ’el- yə·sō·wḏ ham·miz·bê·aḥ
Literal — word-for-word from the original
And-the-sons of-Aaron brought the-blood to-him, and-he-dipped his-finger in-the-blood and-put it on the-horns of-the-altar; and the-blood he-poured-out at the-base of-the-altar.
Where the English smooths the original
but as Moses had done in the sin-offering of the consecration ceremony ( Leviticus 8:15 ; compare also Leviticus 4:25 , Leviticus 4:30 , Leviticus 4:34 ). The probable reason of this was that he had not yet been formally introduced as the high priest into the holy place of the tabernacle.
This was typical of the blood of Christ, to which persons may have recourse from the four quarters of the world for atonement and pardon
for, though high priest, he had not as yet access to the holy place of the sanctuary till he had qualified himself by this sacrifice in the court-yard.
10On the altar he burned the fat, the kidneys, and the lobe of the liver from the sin offering, as the LORD had commanded Moses.
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Hebrew — tap a word ↓
wə·’eṯ- ham·miz·bê·ḥāh hiq·ṭîr ha·ḥê·leḇ wə·’eṯ- hak·kə·lā·yōṯ wə·’eṯ- hay·yō·ṯe·reṯ min- hak·kā·ḇêḏ min- ha·ḥaṭ·ṭāṯ ka·’ă·šer Yah·weh ’eṯ- ṣiw·wāh mō·šeh
Literal — word-for-word from the original
And the-fat and the-kidneys and the-lobe from the-liver of-the-sin-offering he-burned on-the-altar, as the-LORD had-commanded Moses.
Where the English smooths the original
He burned it — By ordinary fire, which was used until the fire came down from heaven, ( Leviticus 9:24 ,) though afterward it was forbidden.
That is, he laid them in order, and so they were burnt when the Lord sent down fire.
Properly burnt by ordinary fire, which was used and allowed until the fire came down from heaven, Leviticus 9:24 , though afterwards it was forbidden.
11But he burned up the flesh and the hide outside the camp.
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Hebrew — tap a word ↓
wə·’eṯ- śā·rap̄ bā·’êš hab·bā·śār wə·’eṯ- hā·‘ō·wr mi·ḥūṣ lam·ma·ḥă·neh
Literal — word-for-word from the original
And the-flesh and the-hide he-burned-with-fire outside the-camp.
Where the English smooths the original
The flesh and the hide, which, were ordinarily the perquisite of the officiating priest (see Leviticus 6:26 ), were on this occasion to be burnt, because the priest was not permitted to partake of the sin offering which he offered for himself.
And the flesh and the hide he burnt with fire without the camp. With common fire, for the fire from the Lord came only upon the altar
The flesh and skin of the animal were burnt outside the camp, as in the case of all the sin-offerings for the priesthood ( Leviticus 4:11-12 ).
12Then Aaron slaughtered the burnt offering. His sons brought him the blood, and he splattered it on all sides of the altar.
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Hebrew — tap a word ↓
way·yiš·ḥaṭ ’eṯ- hā·‘ō·lāh ’a·hă·rōn ’ê·lāw ’eṯ- bə·nê way·yam·ṣi·’ū had·dām way·yiz·rə·qê·hū ‘al- sā·ḇîḇ ham·miz·bê·aḥ
Literal — word-for-word from the original
And-he-slaughtered the-burnt-offering; and-the-sons of-Aaron brought to-him the-blood, and-he-dashed-it on the-altar all-around.
Where the English smooths the original
so here the sin offering is followed by the burnt offering. The ram (see Leviticus 9:2 ) which constituted this sacrifice Aaron slew at the north side of the altar
delivered ] presented A.V. a different Heb. verb here and in Leviticus 9:13 ; Leviticus 9:18 from that in Leviticus 8:18 ; Leviticus 8:22 . sprinkled ] threw as in Leviticus 8:19 .
The burnt-offering was presented according to the general rule ( Leviticus 1:3-9 ), as in Leviticus 8:18-21 .
13They brought him the burnt offering piece by piece, including the head, and he burned them on the altar.
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Hebrew — tap a word ↓
wə·’eṯ- him·ṣî·’ū ’ê·lāw hā·‘ō·lāh lin·ṯā·ḥe·hā wə·’eṯ- hā·rōš way·yaq·ṭêr ‘al- ham·miz·bê·aḥ
Literal — word-for-word from the original
And the-burnt-offering they-brought to-him by-its-pieces, and the-head, and-he-turned-them-to-smoke on the-altar.
Where the English smooths the original
Literally, according to its pieces, or piece by piece, that is, after it had been cut up into the pieces as ordered in Leviticus 1:6 , and as the burnt-offering offered by Moses was cut up
with the pieces thereof, and the head, and he burnt them upon the altar; the Septuagint version is, "he put them on the altar".
לנתחיה, according to its pieces, into which the burnt-offering was divided ( Leviticus 1:6 ), and which they offered to Aaron one by one.
14He washed the entrails and the legs and burned them atop the burnt offering on the altar.
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Hebrew — tap a word ↓
way·yir·ḥaṣ ’eṯ- haq·qe·reḇ wə·’eṯ- hak·kə·rā·‘ā·yim way·yaq·ṭêr ‘al- hā·‘ō·lāh ham·miz·bê·ḥāh
Literal — word-for-word from the original
And-he-washed the-entrails and the-legs, and-turned-them-to-smoke upon the-burnt-offering on-the-altar.
Where the English smooths the original
That is, no special fire is to be kindled for it, but this burnt offering is to be put upon the top of the burning sin offering.
And he did wash the inwards and the legs,.... As Moses also had done, Leviticus 8:21 . and burnt them upon the burnt offering on the altar
All this must be understood of the preparation of the sacrifices which were burnt after, Le 9:24.
15Aaron then presented the people’s offering. He took the male goat for the people’s sin offering, slaughtered it, and offered it for sin like the first one.
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Hebrew — tap a word ↓
way·yaq·rêḇ ’êṯ hā·‘ām qā·rə·ban way·yiq·qaḥ ’eṯ- śə·‘îr lā·‘ām ha·ḥaṭ·ṭāṯ ’ă·šer way·yiš·ḥā·ṭê·hū way·ḥaṭ·ṭə·’ê·hū kā·ri·šō·wn
Literal — word-for-word from the original
And-he-presented the-people's offering; and-he-took the-he-goat which was-the-sin-offering for-the-people, and-slaughtered-it, and-offered-it-for-sin like-the-first.
Where the English smooths the original
Being reconciled to God by the atoning sacrifice which he offered for his own share in the sin, Aaron was now qualified to offer the sin offering of the people.
In this first complete series of offerings made by the high priest, the sacrifices take their appointed order; first, the sin-offering to make atonement; then the burnt-offering, to signify the surrender of the body, soul and spirit to Yahweh in heaven; and lastly the peace-offering, to show forth the communion vouchsafed to those who are justified and sanctified.
Aaron was reproved by Moses, however, for having burned the flesh ( Leviticus 10:16 .), but was able to justify it (see at Leviticus 10:16-20 ).
16He presented the burnt offering and offered it according to the ordinance.
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Hebrew — tap a word ↓
way·yaq·rêḇ ’eṯ- hā·‘ō·lāh way·ya·‘ă·śe·hā kam·miš·pāṭ
Literal — word-for-word from the original
And-he-presented the-burnt-offering and-made-it according-to-the-ordinance.
Where the English smooths the original
The burnt-offering — Which also was offered for the people, as the last-mentioned sin-offering was.
The same expression “manner,” in the sense of prescribed ritual, also occurs in Leviticus 5:10 , where, like here, it is rendered in the Margin by “ordinance.”
and offered it according to the manner; judgment, ordinance, and appointment of God respecting that sort of offerings
17Next he presented the grain offering, took a handful of it, and burned it on the altar in addition to the morning’s burnt offering.
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Hebrew — tap a word ↓
way·yaq·rêḇ ’eṯ- ham·min·ḥāh way·mal·lê ḵap·pōw mim·men·nāh way·yaq·ṭêr ‘al- ham·miz·bê·aḥ mil·lə·ḇaḏ hab·bō·qer ‘ō·laṯ
Literal — word-for-word from the original
And-he-presented the-grain-offering and-filled his-palm from-it and-turned-it-to-smoke on the-altar, apart-from the-burnt-offering of-the-morning.
Where the English smooths the original
The burnt-sacrifice of the morning was to be first offered every morning; for God will not have his ordinary and stated service swallowed up by extraordinary.
Accordingly Aaron began his priestly functions by first offering the daily morning sacrifice which took precedence of all other sacrifices, and which was never superseded by the extra offerings
The Heb. for taking a handful from the Meal-Offering in this verse is different from that in Leviticus 2:2 .
18Then he slaughtered the ox and the ram as the people’s peace offering. His sons brought him the blood, and he splattered it on all sides of the altar.
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Hebrew — tap a word ↓
way·yiš·ḥaṭ ’eṯ- haš·šō·wr wə·’eṯ- hā·’a·yil lā·‘ām ’ă·šer ze·ḇaḥ haš·šə·lā·mîm ’a·hă·rōn ’eṯ- bə·nê way·yam·ṣi·’ū had·dām ’ê·lāw way·yiz·rə·qê·hū ‘al- sā·ḇîḇ ham·miz·bê·aḥ
Literal — word-for-word from the original
And-he-slaughtered the-ox and the-ram, the-peace-offering which was-for-the-people; and-the-sons of-Aaron brought to-him the-blood, and-he-dashed-it on the-altar all-around.
Where the English smooths the original
With this peace offering, which was carried out according to the rules prescribed in Leviticus 3:1 , &c, concluded the sacrificial ceremony of the installation of the priesthood and the sanctification of the people.
He slew also the bullock and the ram, a sacrifice of peace offerings, which was for the people,.... That they might feast, rejoice, and be glad that atonement was made for their sins, and their gifts and sacrifices accepted of God
The fat parts of both animals are burnt by Aaron on the altar; the breasts and the right thigh (?of both animals) are ‘waved before the Lord.’
19They also brought the fat portions from the ox and the ram—the fat tail, the fat covering the entrails, the kidneys, and the lobe of the liver—
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Hebrew — tap a word ↓
wə·’eṯ- ha·ḥă·lā·ḇîm min- haš·šō·wr ū·min- hā·’a·yil hā·’al·yāh wə·ham·ḵas·seh wə·hak·kə·lā·yōṯ wə·yō·ṯe·reṯ hak·kā·ḇêḏ
Literal — word-for-word from the original
And the-fat-portions from the-ox and-from the-ram, the-fat-tail and the-covering, and the-kidneys and the-lobe of-the-liver—
Where the English smooths the original
And the fat of the bullock, and of the ram,.... Which in all offerings was the Lord's, and was burnt, see Leviticus 3:16 . the rump; or tail of the ram; which in those countries was very large, and had a great deal of fat upon it
That which covereth; the fat which covereth the inwards, or the guts; which words are here understood, as appears by comparing this place with Leviticus 3:3 ,9 4:8 7:3 , where they are expressed.
In המכסּה, "the covering" ( Leviticus 9:19 ), the two fat portions mentioned in Leviticus 3:3 are included.
20and placed these on the breasts. Aaron burned the fat portions on the altar,
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Hebrew — tap a word ↓
way·yā·śî·mū ’eṯ- ha·ḥă·lā·ḇîm ‘al- he·ḥā·zō·wṯ way·yaq·ṭêr ha·ḥă·lā·ḇîm ham·miz·bê·ḥāh
Literal — word-for-word from the original
And-they-placed the-fat-portions upon the-breasts, and-he-turned-the-fat-to-smoke on the-altar.
Where the English smooths the original
The breasts were reserved for the priest out of the peace-offerings, which were offered for the people. See Leviticus 7:30 ,31,34 .
And they put the fat upon the breasts,.... Both of the bullock and of the ram, while they were waving: and he burnt the fat upon the altar; after having been waved.
The fat portions were laid upon the breast-pieces by the sons of Aaron, and then handed by them to Aaron, the fat to be burned upon the altar, the breast to be waved along with the right leg
21but he waved the breasts and the right thigh as a wave offering before the LORD, as Moses had commanded.
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Hebrew — tap a word ↓
wə·’êṯ ’a·hă·rōn hê·nîp̄ he·ḥā·zō·wṯ wə·’êṯ hay·yā·mîn šō·wq tə·nū·p̄āh lip̄·nê Yah·weh ka·’ă·šer mō·šeh ṣiw·wāh
Literal — word-for-word from the original
But the-breasts and the-right thigh Aaron waved as-a-wave-offering before the-LORD, as Moses had-commanded.
Where the English smooths the original
Aaron waved for a wave offering before the Lord; which was given to him as his part of the peace offerings, after they had been thus waved before the Lord; whereby an acknowledgment was made that he was Lord of all, and had a right to all they had
and lastly the peace-offering, to show forth the communion vouchsafed to those who are justified and sanctified.
22Aaron lifted up his hands toward the people and blessed them. And having made the sin offering, the burnt offering, and the peace offering, he stepped down.
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Hebrew — tap a word ↓
’a·hă·rōn ’eṯ- way·yiś·śā yå̄·ḏō ’el- hā·‘ām way·ḇā·rə·ḵêm mê·‘ă·śōṯ ha·ḥaṭ·ṭāṯ wə·hā·‘ō·lāh wə·haš·šə·lā·mîm way·yê·reḏ
Literal — word-for-word from the original
And-Aaron lifted-up his-hands toward the-people and-blessed-them; and-having-made the-sin-offering and-the-burnt-offering and-the-peace-offering, he-came-down.
Where the English smooths the original
And herein he was a type of Christ, who came into the world to bless us, and when he was parting from his disciples, lifted up his hands and blessed them; yea, and in them his whole church, of which they were the elders and representatives.
By this posture he signified both whence he expected the blessing, and his hearty desire of it for them. Blessed them, in some such manner as is related Numbers 6:24 , &c., though not in the same form, as some suppose, for it is not probable that he used it before God delivered it. And this blessing was an act of his priestly office no less than sacrificing.
The pronouncing of a benediction on the people assembled in the court was a necessary part of the high priest's duty, and the formula in which it was to be given is described (Nu 6:23-27).
23Moses and Aaron then entered the Tent of Meeting. When they came out, they blessed the people, and the glory of the LORD appeared to all the people.
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Hebrew — tap a word ↓
mō·šeh wə·’a·hă·rōn way·yā·ḇō ’el- ’ō·hel mō·w·‘êḏ way·yê·ṣə·’ū way·ḇā·ră·ḵū ’eṯ- hā·‘ām ḵə·ḇō·wḏ- Yah·weh way·yê·rā ’el- kāl- hā·‘ām
Literal — word-for-word from the original
And-Moses and-Aaron entered the-Tent of-Meeting, and-they-came-out and-blessed the-people; and-the-glory of-the-LORD appeared to all the-people.
Where the English smooths the original
The latter has now divested himself of that part of his office which made him the one mediator between God and his people, Aaron is henceforth a type of Christ as well as Moses.
This joint blessing of the mediator of the Law and the high priest was the solemn conclusion of the consecration and Inauguration.
Christ and the law agree together in the blessing of the Lord's people; way was hereby made for the communication of blessings to them, consistent with the law of God, and his holiness and justice
24Fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed the burnt offering and the fat portions on the altar. And when all the people saw it, they shouted for joy and fell facedown.
Berean Standard Bible · CC0
Hebrew — tap a word ↓
’êš wat·tê·ṣê mil·lip̄·nê Yah·weh wat·tō·ḵal hā·‘ō·lāh wə·’eṯ- ha·ḥă·lā·ḇîm ‘al- ham·miz·bê·aḥ ’eṯ- kāl- hā·‘ām way·yar way·yā·rōn·nū way·yip·pə·lū ‘al- pə·nê·hem
Literal — word-for-word from the original
And-fire came-out from-before the-LORD and-consumed on the-altar the-burnt-offering and the-fat-portions; and all the-people saw, and-they-shouted-for-joy and-fell on their-faces.
Where the English smooths the original
There came a fire out from before the Lord, and consumed the sacrifice. This fire might justly have fastened upon the people, and have consumed them for their sins; but its consuming the sacrifice signified God's acceptance of it, as an atonement for the sinner. This also was a figure of good things to come. The Spirit descended upon the apostles in fire.
The moment the solemn though welcome spectacle was seen, a simultaneous shout of joy and gratitude burst from the assembled congregation, and in the attitude of profoundest reverence they worshipped "a present Deity."
It would therefore seem that the fire which "came out from before the Lord" manifested itself, according to the words of Leviticus 9:24 , not in kindling the fuel on the altar, but in the sudden consuming of the victim.
The verse-by-verse work is done. What follows gathers the whole unit. All three layers below are machine-generated (⚙). Weigh them; they have no authority.
AI synthesis — woven from the public-domain voices above and the original text; generated and fallible.
The chapter opens not with a date but with a narrative formula the BSB silently drops: way·hî, "and it came to pass" (H1961), on the eighth day (haš·šə·mî·nî, with the article). The eighth is the counted day after the seven of consecration. Ellicott hears in it the rhythm of covenant entry — "Like newly-born children who remain seven days in a state of uncleanness and enter into the covenant privileges of the congregation on the eighth day... so the newly-created priests after a purging of seven days commenced their sacred duties"; Benson: "The eighth day is famous in Scripture for the perfecting and purifying both of men and beasts." Moses does not summon but calls (qārā, H7121) Aaron and the elders to witness. The first offering commanded is a calf (ʻêgel, H5695) — and as Ellicott notes, "As this is the only instance in which a calf is appointed for a sin offering, and as the offerer... is Aaron, Jewish tradition will have it that it was designed to refer to the sin of the golden calf which he made for the people" (Exodus 32). The mediator's first act is to atone for his own gravest failure. The order is doctrine: baʻaḏḵā ("for yourself") precedes ūḇəʻad hāʻām ("and for the people"). Poole draws the conclusion the whole chapter presses: "first for thyself, otherwise thou art unfit to do it for the people. Hereby God would teach us, both the deficiency of this priesthood, and the absolute necessity of a higher and better Priest, Hebrews 7:26, 27." Henry states the chapter’s evangelical reach at the outset: “These many sacrifices, which were all done away by the death of Christ, teach us that our best services need washing in his blood, and that the guilt of our best sacrifices needs to be done away by one more pure and more noble than they.”
One root, qārab (H7126), "to draw near / bring near," stitches the chapter together and is the recorded basis of its internal threads. It names the command ("and present them," causative, 9:2), the congregation's worship ("and the whole congregation drew near," 9:5), the priest's own approach ("approach the altar," 9:7), his obedient act ("and Aaron approached," 9:8), and his mediating presentation of the people's offering ("Aaron then presented," 9:15). The same root yields qorbān, "offering" (9:7, 9:15). The whole sacrificial apparatus is, at root, a governed drawing-near of the unclean to the holy. Barnes lays out the fixed order it serves: "first, the sin-offering to make atonement; then the burnt-offering, to signify the surrender of the body, soul and spirit to Yahweh in heaven; and lastly the peace-offering, to show forth the communion vouchsafed to those who are justified and sanctified." Keil & Delitzsch name the same logic from the Hebrew side: the sin offering "served to remove the estrangement of man from the holy God," then the burnt offering as "complete surrender," then the peace offering as "a seal of covenant fellowship with the Lord in the sacrificial meal."
The ritual record is exact in its verbs, and the BSB's repeated "burned" flattens a deliberate Hebrew distinction. The fat, kidneys, and liver-lobe (9:10), the burnt-offering pieces (9:13-14), the handful of grain (9:17), and the peace-offering fat (9:20) are all hiqṭîr (H6999) — "turned into fragrant smoke," offered up as a pleasing aroma. But the flesh and hide of the priest's own sin offering (9:11) are śārap̄ (H8313) — "burned up," destroyed outside the camp (miḥûṣ lammaḥăneh). What is God's ascends; what bears the priest's guilt is carried out and consumed. The rare anatomical vocabulary of 9:10 and 9:19 — yōṯereṯ ("lobe," 11 verses), ʼalyāh ("fat tail," 5 verses), kāḇêd ("liver"), kilyāh ("kidneys") — verbally welds these verses to the offering-law of Leviticus 3, 4, 7 and 8 and to Exodus 29. Poole notes the supplying ear of tradition: "the fat which covereth the inwards... which words are here understood, as appears by comparing this place with Leviticus 3:3, 9; 4:8; 7:3, where they are expressed." Keil confirms it from the Hebrew: "In hammək̄asseh, 'the covering' (Leviticus 9:19), the two fat portions mentioned in Leviticus 3:3 are included."
The sacrifices done, Aaron lifts up his hands (wayyiśśā yāḏô) and blesses (wayḇārəḵêm, H1288) the people — the priest's act no less than the altar. Benson reads it forward: "herein he was a type of Christ, who came into the world to bless us, and when he was parting from his disciples, lifted up his hands and blessed them" (Luke 24:50). Then Moses (for the last time) and Aaron (for the first) enter the tent together and emerge to bless as one — wayḇārăḵū, now plural. The Pulpit Commentary marks the hinge: "Aaron is henceforth a type of Christ as well as Moses." And the promise of 9:4 and 9:6 — that the glory will appear (nirʼāh, yêrā) — is fulfilled in the same verb: wayyêrā kəḇôd Yahweh, "the glory of the LORD appeared." Fire (ʼêš, emphatic first word) goes out from before the LORD and eats (wattōḵal) the offering. Barnes and Keil are careful: the altar-fire was already burning by natural means; the wonder is the sudden divine consuming of what was already aflame — God's seal of acceptance, as at Gideon's altar (Judges 6:21), Elijah's (1 Kings 18:38), and Solomon's temple (2 Chronicles 7:1). The people answer with the whole of themselves: wayyārōnnū (shouted for joy) and wayyippəlū ʻal-pənêhem (fell on their faces). Matthew Henry: "This also was a figure of good things to come. The Spirit descended upon the apostles in fire."
Read under Sola Scriptura — and offered as the tool's own fallible synthesis, to be tested against the text — the architecture of Leviticus 9 is one long arrow. Everything bends toward a single verb repeated in promise and fulfillment: the glory will appear (9:4), that it may appear (9:6), and at last it appeared (9:23). The chapter answers the question of how sinful people may stand before a holy God and see, rather than be consumed by, His weight. The answer it gives is layered and exact: a called day, a mediator who must first be atoned for himself, a fixed order of sin-then-burnt-then-peace, a governed drawing-near (qārab), and a blessing. Only then does the fire fall — and it falls not on the people but on the substitute. Matthew Henry says the load-bearing thing: "This fire might justly have fastened upon the people, and have consumed them for their sins; but its consuming the sacrifice signified God's acceptance of it, as an atonement for the sinner." The deepest seam, which the New Testament itself opens, is the limit built into the rite: the high priest must slay a victim for his own sin (9:7-8, 9:11) and carry his own flesh outside the camp. A priesthood that begins by atoning for itself is, by its own grammar, pointing past itself. That is not a Christian imposition on the text; it is the text's own confession — written into the word order of for yourself, and for the people.
The fire that could have eaten the people ate the offering instead — and the priest who blessed them had first to be cleansed of himself.
AI-generated connections. Each carries a verification badge with a recorded basis; contested links are flagged.
The disposal of the inner fat portions in 9:10 and 9:19 is described in the rare, fixed sacrificial vocabulary of the offering-law: ḥêleḇ (fat), kilyāh (kidneys), yōṯereṯ (the lobe of the liver), and in 9:19 the rarer ʼalyāh (fat tail). The Verifier confirms a verbal link: these lexemes recur together in a tight cluster of offering texts. yōṯereṯ occurs in only 11 verses and ʼalyāh in only 5 — low-frequency lexemes that make the shared wording a genuine quotation of the cultic formula, not a coincidence of common words. Keil and Poole both read 9:19 directly through Leviticus 3:3.
Leviticus 9:10 · Leviticus 9:19 · Leviticus 8:25 · Leviticus 3:4 · Leviticus 4:9 · Leviticus 7:4 · Exodus 29:22
basis: Verifier-computed shared lexemes across these offering texts, incl. rare H3508 yôthereth (in 11 vv), H451 ʼalyâh (in 5 vv, 9:19↔8:25/3:9/Ex29:22), with H3516 kâbêd (14 vv), H3629 kilyâh (26 vv), H2459 cheleb (69 vv); the low frequency of yôthereth/ʼalyâh marks a verbal quotation of the fixed cultic formula.
Aaron's sin offering (9:8-11) is performed not by the standard high-priestly rule of Leviticus 4:5-7 — which carries the blood into the sanctuary — but exactly as Moses had done in the consecration of chapter 8 (8:14-17): blood applied only to the altar's horns, flesh burned outside the camp. Barnes, Ellicott, and Keil all give the same reason: Aaron "had not yet been formally introduced as the high priest into the holy place" (Barnes). The Verifier records a structural/thematic basis (shared chaṭṭâʼâh, ʼAhărôwn, mizbêach), not a rare-lexeme quotation — so the link is tiered structural, the parallel residing in shared ritual pattern, which the commentators argue from the text rather than from a single distinctive word.
Leviticus 9:8 · Leviticus 9:9 · Leviticus 8:16 · Exodus 29:13
basis: Verifier shared lexemes are common cultic terms — H2403 chaṭṭâʼâh (271 vv), H175 ʼAhărôwn (328 vv), H4196 mizbêach (338 vv); no rare lexeme, so the recorded basis is the shared ritual pattern (blood to the altar-horns, flesh outside the camp) explicitly noted by Barnes, Ellicott, and Keil, not a verbal quotation.
The descending, consuming fire of 9:24 belongs to a recognized motif of divine acceptance: the LORD's fire devours the sacrifice at Gideon's altar (Judges 6:21), at Elijah's contest on Carmel (1 Kings 18:38), and at the dedication of Solomon's temple (2 Chronicles 7:1). Ellicott, Barnes, and Poole all gather these references. The Verifier finds shared lexemes with 1 Kings 18:38 and 2 Chronicles 7:1 (ʻôlâh, ʼêš, ʼâkal) — but these are high-frequency cultic words (ʼêš in 346 verses, ʼâkal in 701), so the connection is a shared theophanic pattern, tiered structural rather than verbal.
Leviticus 9:24 · 1 Kings 18:38 · 2 Chronicles 7:1 · Judges 6:21
basis: Verifier shared lexemes with 1 Kings 18:38 / 2 Chronicles 7:1 are common (H784 ʼêsh in 346 vv, H398 ʼâkal in 701 vv, H5930 ʻôlâh in 261 vv); the bond is the recurring 'fire from the LORD consumes the sacrifice' acceptance-motif gathered by Ellicott, Barnes, and Poole, not a distinctive verbal quotation.
Aaron's blessing of the people with lifted hands (9:22) anticipates the fixed Aaronic benediction of Numbers 6:23-27, as Ellicott, JFB, Barnes, and the Pulpit Commentary all observe ("the formula in which it was to be given is described," JFB). The Verifier confirms a structural/thematic basis through shared bārak ("bless") and ʼAhărôwn — but bārak appears in 289 verses, a common verb, so the link rests on the shared institution of priestly blessing rather than a rare shared word.
Leviticus 9:22 · Leviticus 9:23 · Numbers 6:23
basis: Verifier shared lexemes H1288 bârak (in 289 vv) and H175 ʼAhărôwn (in 328 vv) are common; the recorded basis is the shared institution of the priestly benediction (Numbers 6:24-26) named by Ellicott, JFB, Barnes, and the Pulpit Commentary, a thematic not verbal link.
The fulfillment of 9:23 — "the glory of the LORD appeared to all the people" — joins the theophanies that crown the wilderness sanctuary: the glory in the cloud (Exodus 16:10) and the glory that filled the newly-erected tabernacle (Exodus 40:34). Ellicott gathers these ("Comp. Exodus 16:10; Exodus 40:34; 1 Kings 8:10-12"); Barnes points to Exodus 16:7. The Verifier records shared lexemes (kâbôwd glory, môwʻêd meeting, ʼôhel tent) that are common cultic terms, so the bond is the shared glory-theophany pattern, tiered structural.
Leviticus 9:23 · Exodus 40:34 · Exodus 16:10
basis: Verifier shared lexemes H3519 kâbôwd (189 vv), H4150 môwʻêd (213 vv), H168 ʼôhel (315 vv) are common sanctuary terms; the recorded basis is the shared glory-theophany-at-the-tent pattern (Exodus 40:34) gathered by Ellicott and Barnes, not a rare verbal quotation.
The structural heart of the chapter — that Aaron must atone for his own sin before the people's (9:7), slaying his own sin offering and burning its flesh outside the camp (9:8, 9:11) — is read by the Epistle to the Hebrews as the very deficiency that the sinless High Priest overcomes (Hebrews 7:26-28: He "does not need daily... to offer up sacrifice, first for His own sins"; 13:11-13: Jesus "suffered outside the gate"). Poole and the Pulpit Commentary cite Hebrews 7 here explicitly. This is a cross-Testament link: Greek to Hebrew, so it cannot rest on shared Strong's numbers, and the Verifier returns no shared original-language lexeme. The provenance of the NT's reading is itself the interpretive claim under examination — hence flagged for the reader to verify against Hebrews directly, not asserted as a verbal quotation.
Leviticus 9:7 · Leviticus 9:11 · Hebrews 7:27 · Hebrews 13:11
basis: Cross-Testament (Greek↔Hebrew): the Verifier finds no shared original-language lexeme (Hebrews is Greek; Leviticus Hebrew), so no verbal basis exists. The link is the typological/theological argument of Hebrews 7:26-28 and 13:11-13, cited by Poole and the Pulpit Commentary; flagged so the reader tests the NT's own reading rather than receiving it as an asserted verbal quotation.
AI-generated reading; weigh it against the text.
Leviticus 9 builds its priesthood on a confessed limit: Aaron must atone for himself first (9:7), slay his own sin offering (9:8), and burn its flesh outside the camp (9:11) — the rite of one who shares the guilt he ministers. Poole draws the conclusion the text invites: this is "an evidence of the imperfection of that priesthood, and of the necessity of another and a better." Matthew Henry hears the whole apparatus pointing past itself: “our best services need washing in his blood, and that the guilt of our best sacrifices needs to be done away by one more pure and more noble than they. Let us be thankful that we have such a High Priest.” The Epistle to the Hebrews makes the same move, contrasting the priest "who has infirmity" with the Son who "does not need daily... to offer up sacrifice, first for His own sins" (Hebrews 7:27-28). The reading is ancient and widely held — Poole, Henry, Barnes, the Pulpit Commentary, and JFB all draw the line to Hebrews. It is a typological/structural reading across Testaments, not a verbal quotation.
Leviticus 9:7 · Leviticus 9:8 · Leviticus 9:11 · Hebrews 7:27
Having finished the sacrifices, Aaron lifts up his hands and blesses the people (9:22), then comes down. Benson and Gill both read this as a figure of Christ: "herein he was a type of Christ, who came into the world to bless us, and when he was parting from his disciples, lifted up his hands and blessed them" (Benson, citing Luke 24:50). The blessing is the priest's office completed in benediction, just as Christ's high-priestly work ends in His ascending blessing. Widely held among the commentators of this unit; a typological reading, not a claim of verbal citation.
Leviticus 9:22 · Leviticus 9:23
The climactic fire of 9:24 falls not on the people who deserve it but on the offering set in their place. Matthew Henry states the typology plainly: "This fire might justly have fastened upon the people, and have consumed them for their sins; but its consuming the sacrifice signified God's acceptance of it, as an atonement for the sinner." Henry and Benson then extend it to Pentecost: "This also was a figure of good things to come. The Spirit descended upon the apostles in fire." The reading of the consuming fire as accepted substitution is ancient and widely held; its forward extension to the Spirit's fire is a homiletical (more novel) application Henry and Benson share.
Leviticus 9:24
The biblical text is the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), public domain (CC0). Hebrew/Greek text, transliteration, morphology and Strong’s are transcribed from the Berean interlinear (CC0) + Strong’s lexicons (PD); the literal renderings, divergence notes, word notes and all synthesis are this tool’s own work (⚙) — fallible; verify them.
Named voices, quoted verbatim from public-domain works:
Honesty notes specific to Leviticus 9. (1) Text-critical variant at 9:1, 9:3, 9:7. The Masoretic text reads "elders" (9:1) and "children of Israel" (9:3); the Samaritan Pentateuch and LXX harmonize by reading "elders" in both, and at 9:7 the LXX reads "and for thy house" (cf. Leviticus 16:11) for the MT's "and for the people." These are recorded by Ellicott, Cambridge, and JFB; the synthesis follows the BSB/MT base text and flags the variants rather than choosing among them.
(2) The 'fat and burnt offering' on the altar at 9:24. Cambridge raises a real difficulty: since 9:13/9:16 do not mention the fat with the burnt offerings, and the sacrifices were already ended (9:22), "there is difficulty in supposing the fat and burnt-offering to be still upon the altar," and 24a may be an interpolation or the LXX's "offered/put" for "burnt" may reflect this. This is a contested point of provenance; the synthesis presents the verse as it stands without adjudicating the source-critical claim.
(3) Whether the fire kindled or merely consumed. Barnes and Keil argue, against the very ancient Jewish tradition (which Barnes, Benson, and Poole report), that the altar-fire was already lit by natural means, so the miracle is the sudden consuming of sacrifices already aflame, not the kindling of the fuel. The notes follow Barnes/Keil's reading of the verb ʼāḵal ("consume/eat") but record the older tradition as held.
(4) Cross-Testament typology. The Hebrews links (7:27; 13:11) are Greek-to-Hebrew and therefore carry no verbal basis; they are tiered typological/flagged, never verbal, and the reader is directed to test the NT's own reading. (5) The golden-calf reading of the calf in 9:2 is explicitly tradition (Targum Jonathan), labeled "Jewish tradition" by Ellicott, Benson, and Cambridge — held as ancient interpretation, not as the text's stated reason. (6) Matthew Henry comments in two blocks (9:1-21 and 9:22-24); every Henry excerpt used here is verbatim from the block sourced under the verse where it appears, and pointed to the clause it serves. Every voice in this unit is a contiguous verbatim substring of a raw voice provided for that same verse.
✦ = human, public-domain source, quoted and named. ⚙ = machine synthesis, to be verified. Flagged cross-references are left visible on purpose — the verifier working in the open. “Search the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” (Acts 17:11)