Leviticus 16:1

_AND THE LORD SPAKE UNTO MOSES AFTER THE DEATH OF THE TWO SONS OF AARON, WHEN THEY OFFERED BEFORE THE LORD, AND DIED;_ After the death of the two sons of Aaron. It is thought by some that this chapter has been transposed in the sacred record out of its right place, which was immediately after the narrative of the deaths of Nadab and Abihu (Leviticus 10:1). That appalling catastrophe must have filled Aaron with painful apprehensions lest the guilt of those two sons might be entailed on his house, or that other members of his family might share the same fate by some irregularities or defects in the discharge of their sacred functions. And therefore this law was established, by the due observance of whose requirements the Aaronic order would be securely was established, by the due observance of whose requirements the Aaronic order would be securely maintained and accepted i

1._And the Lord spake unto Moses. _A copious description is here given of what we have recently adverted to cursorily, as it were, _i.e., _the solemn atonement which was yearly made in the seventh month; for when Moses was instructing them as to what sacrifices were to be offered on each of the festivals, he expressly excepted, though only in a single word, this sacrifice, where he spoke of the day of atonement itself, on which they afflicted their souls. Now, therefore, a clear and distinct exposition of it is separately given. For although at other seasons of the year also both their public and private sins were expiated, and for this purpose availed the daily sacrifices, still this more solemn rite was meant to arouse the people’s minds, that they might more earnestly apply themselves all the year through to the diligent seeking for pardon and remission. In order, then, that they migh...

1-14 Without entering into particulars of the sacrifices on the great day of atonement, we may notice that it was to be a statute for ever, till that dispensation be at an end. As long as we are continually sinning, we continually need the atonement. The law of afflicting our souls for sin, is a statue which will continue in force till we arrive where all tears, even those of repentance, will be wiped from our eyes. The apostle observes it as a proof that the sacrifices could not take away sin, and cleanse the conscience from it, that in them there was a remembrance made of sin every year, upon the day of atonement, Hebrews 10:1; Hebrews 10:3. The repeating the sacrifices, showed there was in them but a feeble effort toward making atonement; this could be done only by offering up the body of Christ once for all; an...

CHAPTER XVI _The solemn yearly expiation for the high priest, who must not_ _come at all times into the holy place_, 1, 2. _He must take a bullock for a sin-offering, and a ram for a_ _burnt-offering, bathe himself, and be dressed in his sacerdotal_ _robes_, 3, 4. _He shall take two goats, one of which is to be determined by_ _lot to be a sacrifice; the other to be a_ scapegoat, 5-10. _He shall offer a bullock for himself and for his family_, 11-14. _And shall kill the goat as a sin-offering for the people, and_ sprinkle its bl

The reference to the death of Nadab and Abihu is a notice of the occasion on which the instructions were given, well calculated to add point and emphasis to the solemn admonition to the high priest in the second verse. The death of his sons Leviticus 10:2, for drawing near to Yahweh in an unauthorized manner, was to serve as a warning to Aaron himself never to transgress in this respect....

PART III. SECTION II. EXPOSITION THE CEREMONIAL PURIFICATION OF THE WHOLE CONGREGATION ON THE GREAT DAY OF ATONEMENT. This chapter, containing the account of the institution of the ceremonial to be used on the Day of Atonement, would take its place chronologically immediately after the tenth chapter, for the instructions conveyed in it were delivered to Moses _"after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they offered before the Lord and died" _(Leviticus 16:1), when the fate of Nadab and Abihu would naturally have led Aaron to desire a more perfect knowledge than had

AND THE LORD SPAKE UNTO MOSES, AFTER THE DEATH OF THE TWO SONS OF AARON,.... That is, either immediately after their death, and so this chapter would have stood in its natural order next to the tenth; or else after the above laws concerning uncleanness on various accounts were delivered out, designed to prevent the people entering into the tabernacle defiled, whereby they would have incurred the penalty of death; wherefore, as Aben Ezra observes, after the Lord had given cautions to the Israelites, that they might not die, he bid Moses to caution Aaron also, that he might not die as his sons died; these were Nadab and Abihu: WHEN THEY OFFERED BEFORE THE LORD, AND DIED; offered strange fire, and died by flaming fire, as the Targum of Jonathan; or fire sent down from heaven, as Gersom, by lightning; see Leviticus 10:1....

Leviticus 16:1. _And the LORD spake unto Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they offered before the LORD, and died; and the LORD said unto Moses, Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the holy place within the vail before the mercy seat, which is upon the ark; that he die not: for I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy seat._ The way into the heavenly places was not yet made manifest; the inner shrine, called the holy of holies, was specially guarded from human access. No one could have said in those days, «Let us come boldly unto the throne of grace,» for only the high priest could approach the mercy seat at all, and he must go within the vail strictly in accordance with the instructions given to Moses by the Lord. Nadab and Abihu appear to have entered into the presence of God wrongfully. They had probably been drinking, for th

IV. THE DAY OF ATONEMENT: IN THE HOLIEST 1. The Day of Atonement CHAPTER 16 _ 1. The command how Aaron was to enter (Leviticus 16:1)_ 2. The presentation of the offerings (Leviticus 16:6) 3. The blood carried into the Holiest (Leviticus 16:11) 4. The scapegoat (Leviticus 16:20) 5. Aaron's burnt offering and that for the people (Leviticus 16:23) 6. The ceremony outside of the camp ...

ATONEMENT RITE FOR HIGH PRIEST AND HIS FAMILY. The holy place within the veil, _i.e._ the inner of the two compartments of the shrine, is not to be entered at will, but only on New Year's Day (Leviticus 16:29). Otherwise the intruder would be killed by the Shekinah which dwelt there in solitary majesty. (For the veil, see Exodus 26:31 *; for the mercy-seat, see Exodus 25:17 ff.*) The priest, wearing less ornate robes than at his consecration (Leviticus 8:7 ff.), presents the bullock as his own sin offering, and the two goats; on these he casts lots (to make atonement for him ...