XVI. (1) AND THE LORD SPAKE UNTO MOSES. — As the observance of the minute regulations given in the preceding Chapter s about the daily sacrifices and purifications would necessarily be tainted with many imperfections and shortcomings, both on the part of the mediating priests and the offering laity... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT HE COME NOT AT ALL TIMES. — Moses is therefore to warn his brother Aaron, the high priest, that if he wishes to escape a similar fate, he is not to presume to enter the Holy of Holies except on one day of the year, the Day of Atonement. As Aaron here stands for all those who in future are to su... [ Continue Reading ]
THUS SHALL AARON COME. — Better, _With this shall,_ &c, that is, with the following sacrifices, ritual, vestments, &c, shall he approach the most holy place, after having offered previously the daily morning sacrifice, and performed the ordinary daily service. During the performance of the morning s... [ Continue Reading ]
HE SHALL PUT ON THE HOLY LINEN COAT. — Better, _a holy linen tunic._ The four articles of clothing here mentioned, all of which were of white linen, constituted the sacerdotal “white vestments,” in contra-distinction to “the golden garments.” Of the white garments he possessed two sets, one of Egypt... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE SHALL TAKE OF THE CONGREGATION. — On this occasion the high priest himself had to officiate, by virtue of his being the chief mediator between God and His people. TWO KIDS OF THE GOATS. — Better, _two shaggy he-goats._ (See Leviticus 4:23.) These two goats, which were the sin offering for th... [ Continue Reading ]
AND AARON SHALL OFFER. — Better, _And Aaron shall present,_ or _bring near,_ as the word literally denotes (comp, Leviticus 16:9; Leviticus 16:11, &c.), since the actual offering or killing took place afterwards, when the lots for the goats had been cast, as described in Leviticus 16:11. FOR HIMSEL... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE SHALL TAKE THE TWO GOATS. — Having presented his own sin-offering, the high priest, accompanied by the two chief priests, now came to the north of the altar. Here the one of his companions who was next in rank to the pontiff placed himself at his right side, whilst the other, who held the off... [ Continue Reading ]
AND AARON SHALL CAST LOTS. — The lots consisted of two small tablets which at an earlier time were of box or ebony wood, but which during the later part of the second Temple were made of gold, and were kept in a wooden chest. On the one was engraved the words “For Jehovah,” and on the other “For Aza... [ Continue Reading ]
THE GOAT UPON WHICH THE LORD’S LOT FELL. — Immediately after the lots decided the destiny of the two goats they were distinguished from each other by peculiar marks. The one which was “for Jehovah had a red woollen thread tied around its neck, whilst the one _“_for Azazel” had the scarlet thread tie... [ Continue Reading ]
ON WHICH THE LOT FELL TO BE THE SCAPEGOAT. — Better, _on which the lot “for Azazel” fell._ This one with its distinctive scarlet badge was placed at the spot from whence he was sent away, and thus _stood alive,_ not _presented,_ before the Lord. TO MAKE AN ATONEMENT WITH HIM. — Better, _to make ato... [ Continue Reading ]
AND AARON SHALL BRING THE BULLOCK. — Having formally dedicated the bullock for his own sin offering (see Leviticus 16:6), and after the two goats which constituted the people’s sin offering had been presented and their lots decided (Leviticus 16:7), Aaron comes back to his own sin offering a second... [ Continue Reading ]
A CENSER FULL OF BURNING COALS. — After the bullock was slain, and before its blood was sprinkled, the high priest took the censer, which on this occasion was a golden one, and filled it with brightly glowing coals. These he took off from that part of the ever-burning fire on the altar of burnt offe... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE SHALL PUT THE INCENSE. — The high priest now threw the incense upon the coals in the censer, in the Holy of Holies, and stayed there till the whole place was filled with a cloud of smoke, taking special care that the mercy seat and the cherubim should be enveloped in the cloud. Whereupon he l... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE SHALL TAKE OF THE BLOOD. — Having left the Holy place and returned to the court, where the priest stood with the bowl of the blood of the bullock, stirring it, to prevent it coagulating (see Leviticus 16:11), the high priest took it, and went back to the Holy of Holies, to the same place wher... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN SHALL HE KILL THE GOAT. — As the act of expiation for himself and for the priesthood was thus completed by the sprinkling of the blood, the high priest again left the Holy of Holies in the same manner as before, put the vessel on a golden stand in the Temple, expressly prepared for this purpose... [ Continue Reading ]
MAKE AN ATONEMENT FOR THE HOLY PLACE. — The transgressions of the Israelites during the year not only defiled them, but also drew defilement upon the very sanctuary with its utensils, which was pitched in the midst of them. For this purpose the high priest during the second Temple thoroughly mixed t... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THERE SHALL BE NO MAN. — Whilst the high priest was performing this process of cleansing, no one, whether priest or Israelite, was permitted to be present, thus precluding the possibility of anyone being within the precincts who had unwittingly contracted defilement. The fact that the high pries... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE SHALL GO OUT UNTO THE ALTAR. — The authorities during the second Temple took this to denote the golden altar, or the altar of incense which stood in the Holy place over against the Holy of Holies, as this was the altar for which expiation was made once a year on this day (see Exodus 30:10); h... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE SHALL SPRINKLE. — He then sprinkled with his right finger, seven times, the middle or top of the altar, the coals and ashes having been previously removed so effectually, that the gold appeared. The remainder of the blood he poured out at the western and south-eastern side of the altar, where... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN HE HATH MADE AN END. — Having finished the expiation for himself, his fellow priests, and the sanctuary with its utensils, the goat destined by lot for Azazel, which was standing in the court before the Lord, was now brought to the high priest, that he might complete the sin-offering for th... [ Continue Reading ]
AND AARON SHALL LAY BOTH HIS HANDS. — With the imposition of “both his hands,” a phrase which only occurs in this ceremony, the high priest indicated in the most solemn manner possible that the animal was intended both for the priesthood and for the laity. AND CONFESS OVER HIM ALL THE INIQUITIES. —... [ Continue Reading ]
UNTO A LAND NOT INHABITED. — Literally, _unto a land cut off,_ that is, a place the ground of which is separated from all around it, hence a summit, a peak standing out by itself, a precipice. IN THE WILDERNESS. — Where no human beings dwell, but which is the abode of evil spirits. It will be seen t... [ Continue Reading ]
SHALL COME INTO THE TABERNACLE OF THE CONGREGATION. — Better, _shall come into the tent of meeting._ This was the fourth time that the high priest entered into the Holy of Holies on the Day of Atonement. The object of his going into the most Holy was to fetch the censer and the incense cup which he... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE SHALL WASH HIS FLESH. — That is, immerse his whole body. The baptistery, where the high priest performed these ablutions, was on the roof of a building in the sacred precincts. According to the authorities and practice during the second Temple the act described in this verse preceded the one... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE FAT OF THE SIN OFFERING. — That is, the fat of the inwards of both the bullock (see Leviticus 16:6) and the goat (see Leviticus 16:15), which constituted the sin offering, as well as the fat of the other goat, which was the priest’s sin offering, was to be burnt upon the brazen altar of burn... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE THAT LET GO THE GOAT FOR THE SCAPEGOAT. — Better, _And he that leadeth away the goat to Âzazel_ (see Leviticus 16:10). As the messenger who conducted the sin-laden animal to the author of sin contracted defilement by the impurity which the victim carried away, he had both to wash his clothes... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE BULLOCK. — That is, the bodies of the sin offerings for the priests and the people (see Leviticus 16:5; Leviticus 16:9; Leviticus 16:11), whose blood the high priest carried into the Holy of Holies. (See Leviticus 16:14, with Leviticus 4:11.) SHALL ONE CARRY FORTH. — Better _shall be carried... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE THAT BURNETH. — That is, those who carried the carcases and burned them, like the messenger who conducted the sin-laden goat, contracted defilement from the atoning victims. They had, therefore, to undergo the same ablutions.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THIS SHALL BE A STATUTE FOR EVER. — Literally, _a statute of eternity,_ that is, an everlasting ordinance. That which is contained in Leviticus 16:29 is binding upon the Israelites as long as they exist, and is to be observed by them annually. IN THE SEVENTH MONTH, ON THE TENTH DAY. — This mont... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR ON THAT DAY SHALL THE PRIEST MAKE AN ATONEMENT. — Literally, _For on that day he shall make atonement for you,_ which may either be the Lord, who is mentioned in the next clause, or, more probably, the high priest, who is mentioned five verses before. (See Leviticus 16:25, and especially Levitic... [ Continue Reading ]
IT SHALL BE A SABBATH OF REST UNTO YOU. — Literally, _a resting day of solemn resting, a Sabbath of Sabbaths, i.e.,_ a day of complete and perfect rest. This phrase, which occurs six times in the Bible, is only applied to weekly Sabbaths (Exodus 16:23; Exodus 31:15; Exodus 35:2; Leviticus 23:3), the... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE PRIEST, WHOM HE SHALL ANOINT. — Better, _And the priest who shall be anointed._ Not only is Aaron to make atonement on this occasion, but, in future, the priest who shall be consecrated by the proper authorities as his successor to the pontificate shall perform this act of expiation on the D... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE SHALL MAKE AN ATONEMENT. — Like Aaron, the successor to the pontificate is to perform the service of expiation as detailed in this chapter, a summary of which is here given.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THIS SHALL BE AN EVERLASTING STATUTE. — Better, _And this shall be a statute for ever,_ as the Authorised Version has it in Leviticus 16:29. Here, again, we have an instance of how the same phrase which occurs three times within four verses (see Leviticus 16:29; Leviticus 16:31; Leviticus 16:34)... [ Continue Reading ]