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LEVITICUS 8

PARAGRAPH DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS

 NASB  NKJV  NRSV  TEV  NJB
(MT versing)
The Consecration of Aaron and His Sons Aaron and His Sons Consecrated Investiture and Induction of Priests (8:1-10:20) The Ordination of Aaron and His Sons Consecration Rites
The Ordination of the Priests
8:1-5 8:1-5 8:1-5 8:1-3 8:1-3
8:4-5 8:4-5
8:6-9 8:6-9 8:6-9 8:6-9 8:6
8:7-9
8:10-13 8:10-13 8:10-13 8:10-13 8:10-12
8:13
8:14-17 8:14-17 8:14-17 8:14-17 8:14-17
8:18-21 8:18-21 8:18-21 8:18-21 8:18-21
8:22-29 8:22-29 8:22-29 8:22-29 8:22-29
8:30 8:30 8:30 8:30 8:30
8:31‒36 8:31‒36 8:31‒36 8:31‒36 8:31‒36

READING CYCLE THREE (see "Bible Interpretation Seminar")
FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S INTENT AT THE PARAGRAPH LEVEL

This is a study guide commentary, which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

Read the chapter in one sitting. Identify the subjects. Compare your subject divisions with the five translations above. Paragraphing is not inspired, but it is the key to following the original author's intent, which is the heart of interpretation. Every paragraph has one and only one subject.
  1. First paragraph
  2. Second paragraph
  3. Etc.

CONTEXTUAL INSIGHTS

  1. The Tabernacle and its furnishings were completed at the end of the book of Exodus. However, it did not begin functioning until the very specific guidelines were established, which are found in the book of Leviticus.

  2. After the golden calf experience of Exodus 2, Aaron is not addressed by God. Even at the dedicatory sacrifices of the new Tabernacle it was Moses who officiated. At the beginning of Leviticus 8, God instructs Moses to describe to Aaron his new functions as High Priest.

  3. As Leviticus 1-7 describes the procedures of sacrifice in detail (see SPECIAL TOPIC: SACRIFICES IN MESOPOTAMIA AND ISRAEL AND THEIR SIGNIFICANCE), Leviticus 8-9 describes the ordination of Aaron and his sons to the priesthood (cf. Exodus 29; see Roland deVaux, Ancient Israel, pp. 346-348).
     The Jewish Study Bible, p. 222, #26, lists the different procedures involved in the consecration of the priesthood.
    1. special bath, Lev. 8:6
    2. investiture ‒ special clothing, Lev. 8:7-9,13
    3. invocation ‒ burnt and cereal offerings, Lev. 8:18-21
    4. consecration ‒ one ram's blood applied, Lev. 8:22-24a
    5. filling of hands ‒ wave offering, Lev. 8:26-29 and meal, 8:31
    6. anointment ‒ applying special oil, Lev. 8:12,20
    7. specific time of separation (i.e., seven days), Lev. 8:31-36

  4. Leviticus 10 is the tragic example of procedures that were not fully followed. It was a warning to both Aaron and his sons and to the people of Israel that God's regulations and laws were to be fulfilled completely.

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 8:1-5
  1Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2"Take Aaron and his sons with him, and the garments and the anointing oil and the bull of the sin offering, and the two rams and the basket of unleavened bread, 3and assemble all the congregation at the doorway of the tent of meeting." 4So Moses did just as the Lord commanded him. When the congregation was assembled at the doorway of the tent of meeting, 5Moses said to the congregation, "This is the thing which the Lord has commanded to do."

8:1 See SPECIAL TOPIC: MOSES' AUTHORSHIP OF THE PENTATEUCH.

8:2-3 This chapter starts out with two commands from YHWH to Moses.

  1. take, Lev. 8:2 ‒ BDB 542, KB 534, Qal IMPERATIVE
  2. assemble, Lev. 8:3 ‒ BDB 874, KB 1078, Hiphil IMPERATIVE

8:2 "Take Aaron and his sons with him Moses and Aaron were of the tribe of Levi. The Levites would become the special servants of the Tabernacle. In Exodus 13, the redemption of the firstborn is described. All of the firstborn of both cattle and men belonged to God. This was a symbolic way, like the Sabbath and the tithe, of saying that all days belong to God, all income belongs to God, and all children belong to God. The Levites took the official place of this firstborn child in ministry (cf. Num. 3:12; 8:16). Out of the Levites as a whole came one family who would become the priests—this was the family of Aaron. Rashi says that the events of this chapter occurred seven days before the final erection of the Tabernacle in Exodus. However, because of Aaron's sin, I think there may have been a period of time when the tabernacle stood empty.

▣ "the garments and the anointing oil" The directions for making these items are given in great detail in the book of Exodus. For a description of the garments, see Exodus 18; for a description of the anointing oil, see Exod. 30:22-33. See SPECIAL TOPIC: GARMENTS OF THE HIGH PRIEST.

▣ "the anointing oil" See Exod. 30:23-25.

▣ "and the bull of the sin offering, and the two rams and the basket of unleavened bread" This dedicatory sacrifice is also discussed in detail in Exodus 29. Even though Aaron would be the High Priest, he needed a sin offering (cf. Lev. 4:1-13) for himself and his sons.

8:3 "and assemble all the congregation to the doorway of the tent of meeting" Many Hebrew scholars say that because of the large number of people involved this probably refers to the elected or delegated representatives of the people (i.e., elders, cf. Num. 7:2; Lev. 9:1; SPECIAL TOPIC: ELDER).
For "congregation" see SPECIAL TOPIC: CHURCH (ekklesia).

8:4-5 This comment is theologically significant in light of the disobedience of Aaron's oldest two sons in Leviticus 10. See SPECIAL TOPIC: KEEP.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 8:6-9
  6Then Moses had Aaron and his sons come near and washed them with water. 7He put the tunic on him and girded him with the sash, and clothed him with the robe and put the ephod on him; and he girded him with the artistic band of the ephod, with which he tied it to him. 8He then placed the breastpiece on him, and in the breastpiece he put the Urim and the Thummim. 9He also placed the turban on his head, and on the turban, at its front, he placed the golden plate, the holy crown, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

8:6 "and washed them with water" In the OT, washing is seen as a symbol of the removal of sin. It was not so much for hygienic purposes as it was for ceremonial cleanliness. See note online at Titus 3:5; see SPECIAL TOPIC: LAVER and SPECIAL TOPIC: BAPTISM.

8:7-9 "he put the tunic" The complete itemization of the High Priest's garments is also found in Exod. 28:4. For a complete discussion and description of each of these items refer to Exodus 28 and 29.

8:8 "the breastplate" See SPECIAL TOPIC: BREASTPLATE OF THE HIGH PRIEST.

▣ "the Urim and Thummim" These items were also discussed in Exod. 28:30; Num. 27:21; Deut. 33:8; 1 Sam. 14:31. It was a mechanical way to know the will of YHWH. Whether it involved a set of stones with "Yes," "No," or "Uncertain," written on them or a kind of alphabet arrangement or a black or white stone or small sticks is not certain. See SPECIAL TOPIC: URIM AND THUMMIN.

8:9 "the turban" The turban and all of its accouterments are discussed in Exod. 28:36.

▣
NASB, NKJV, NRSV, Peshitta  "the holy crown"
NJB  "this was the symbol of Holy consecration"
JPSOA, NET  "the holy diadem"
REB  "the symbol of holy dedication"
LXX  "the devoted holy object"
The MT has "crown of consecration" (BDB 634 CONSTRUCT BDB 871), which is a NOUN with two distinct connotations.
  1. crown of the king ‒ 2 Sam. 1:10; 2 Kgs. 11:12; 2 Chr. 23:11; Ps. 89:39; 132:18
  2. part of the turban of the High Priest ‒ Lev. 8:9; Exod. 29:6; 39:3
It is possible that it is "the golden plate" (or LXX, "flower"; NJB, "leaf," BDB 847 I; NIDOTTE, vol. 3, p. 785), which is designated as "holy" or "consecrated" to YHWH. In the OT, twice (i.e., Psalm 110; Zechariah 3-4) the leader from Judah (cf. Gen. 49:10) and Levi are seen as joint rulers.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 8:10-13
  10Moses then took the anointing oil and anointed the tabernacle and all that was in it, and consecrated them. 11He sprinkled some of it on the altar seven times and anointed the altar and all its utensils, and the basin and its stand, to consecrate them. 12Then he poured some of the anointing oil on Aaron's head and anointed him, to consecrate him. 13Next Moses had Aaron's sons come near and clothed them with tunics, and girded them with sashes and bound caps on them, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

8:10-12 See Exod. 29:36,37; 30:23-33; Num. 7:1.

8:10 "the tabernacle" See SPECIAL TOPIC: TABERNACLE (chart).

8:11 "seven times" See SPECIAL TOPIC: SYMBOLIC NUMBERS IN SCRIPTURE, #4.

▣ "basin and its stand" This refers to the container of water which was used for washing of the priests and the sacrifices. It was placed to the left of the altar of sacrifice between the door of the tent of meeting and the door of the Holy Place. Its stand is rather unique in that it was made of the metal-looking glasses which were taken from Egypt (cf. Exod. 38:8). See SPECIAL TOPIC: LAVER.

8:12 See Psalm 133 and Exod. 29:7; 30:25,30.

8:13
NASB, TEV  "caps"
NKJV  "hats"
NRSV, NJB, REB, NET  "headdresses"
JPSOA, LXX  "turbans"
Peshitta  "mitres"
The MT has "head-gear of the common priest" (BDB 149, cf. Exod. 28:4; 29:9; 39:28; Lev. 8:13). It was less elaborate with no gold plate. Its shape is unknown but the root is related to "cup" or "bowl" (BDB 149).
  1. cup ‒ Genesis 44; Jer. 35:5
  2. top of lampstand extensions (i.e., "cup") ‒ Exod. 25:31-34; 3:17-20
Josephus suggests a bell-shaped cap (Antiq. 3.7.3).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 8:14-17
  14Then he brought the bull of the sin offering, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the bull of the sin offering. 15Next Moses slaughtered it and took the blood and with his finger put some of it around on the horns of the altar, and purified the altar. Then he poured out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar and consecrated it, to make atonement for it. 16He also took all the fat that was on the entrails and the lobe of the liver, and the two kidneys and their fat; and Moses offered it up in smoke on the altar. 17But the bull and its hide and its flesh and its refuse he burned in the fire outside the camp, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

8:14 "laid their hands on the head of the bull of the sin offering" The term "laid" is a very intense Hebrew word which means, "lean heavily against" (cf. Lev. 1:4; 3:2,8; 4:4,15,24,28,33; 8:14,18,22). From all of the uses of this term in the Pentateuch, it seems to refer to the symbolic act of identifying the unblemished animal to be slain with the sinful man (cf. Gen. 2:17) in whose place it stood. Here, it stood for a whole category of people (i.e., the priests)

8:15 "Next Moses slaughtered it and took the blood" Notice that Moses is still acting as priest to Aaron (although the MT does not name him specifically and since usually the offerer in this cast, Aaron and his sons, kill and cut up the animal). It was an involved procedure to kill the animal, skin it, cut it up, collect its blood and place it in certain locations, put the fat of the intestines in a designated place, etc. See SPECIAL TOPIC: BLOOD.

▣ "the horns of the altar" The horns of the altar of sacrifice were the most holy part of the brazen altar (see SPECIAL TOPIC: ALTAR OF SACRIFICE). Archaeologists have found horns on the Canaanite altars of this same period. They are not sure of the exact meaning, but it has been speculated that it refers to (1) the lifting of a sacrifice to God or (2) a symbol of power.

▣ "to make atonement for it" Notice that the atonement is for the altar. This sounds rather ridiculous to modern culture but the Tabernacle and its furnishings somehow were affected by the sins of the people of God and had to be reconsecrated and cleansed from their sin.
The term "atonement" is a Hebrew word that is usually translated "to cover." However, from further etymological discoveries some see it as meaning "to wipe clean" or "to cleanse" as a more proper translation. See SPECIAL TOPIC: ATONEMENT.

8:16 "He also took all the fat that was on the entrails and the lobe of the liver, and the two kidneys and their fat" The fat was a symbol of the life force and health of these unblemished animals. Therefore, the fat uniquely belonged to God as a symbol of the best of the animal. In a similar way the blood belonged to God as a symbol of the life of th animal (cf. Lev. 17:11).

8:17
NASB  "refuse"
NKJV, NJB, REB  "offal"
NRSV, JPSOA, NET, LXX, Peshitta  "dung"
TEV  "intestines"
 The MT has BDB 831 I, KB 977 (cf. Exod. 29:14; Lev. 4:11; 8:17; 16:27; Num. 19:5)., which can denote
  1. the contents of the intestines
  2. the contents of the stomach
  3. dung, refuse
 When an animal was offered to God the inner cavity had to be cleaned out. Part of this (i.e., fat and certain internal organs) was given to God on the altar and the rest burned and taken outside the camp.
Malachi 2:3 shows how this imagery can be used in a judgment context.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 8:18-21
  18Then he presented the ram of the burnt offering, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram. 19Moses slaughtered it and sprinkled the blood around on the altar. 20When he had cut the ram into its pieces, Moses offered up the head and the pieces and the suet in smoke. 21After he had washed the entrails and the legs with water, Moses offered up the whole ram in smoke on the altar. It was a burnt offering for a soothing aroma; it was an offering by fire to the Lord, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

8:18 "the ram of the burnt offering" The burnt offering often followed the sin offering. As we learned from Leviticus 1-7, these sacrifices were often offered in a series. The burnt offering symbolized commitment to God after the sin offering removed any barriers between God and man.

8:19 "sprinkled the blood" See full note at Lev. 1:5; NIDOTTE, vol. 1, pp. 1152-1154.

8:21 "It was a burnt offering for a soothing aroma" As the smoke ascended from the altar it symbolically went up to God. If the sacrifice was accepted, it was called a "soothing aroma." It does not seem to imply that the sacrifice was food for God, as it did in other ANE sacrificial systems, but that God accepted the symbol of the sacrifice on behalf of the man. See SPECIAL TOPIC: A SOOTHING AROMA.
 The NIDOTTE, vol. 1, p. 543, has a good list of how "an offering by fire" (BDB 77) is used.

  1. whole burnt offerings ‒ Exod. 29:18; Lev. 1:9,13,17; 8:21
  2. grain/cereal offerings ‒ Lev. 23:13 (of memorial portion, Lev. 2:2,9,16; 6:17-18)
  3. combination of #1 and #2 ‒ Exod. 29:41; Lev. 6:20,23; Num. 28:3-8 (sacrifices often offered in a series)
  4. fat parts of peace offerings ‒ Lev. 3:3,5,9,11,14,16; 7:25
  5. fat parts of guilt offerings ‒ Lev. 7:5 (many of the procedures were done with each sacrifice, though not always specified)

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 8:22-29
  22Then he presented the second ram, the ram of ordination, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram. 23Moses slaughtered it and took some of its blood and put it on the lobe of Aaron's right ear, and on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot. 24He also had Aaron's sons come near; and Moses put some of the blood on the lobe of their right ear, and on the thumb of their right hand and on the big toe of their right foot. Moses then sprinkled the rest of the blood around on the altar. 25He took the fat, and the fat tail, and all the fat that was on the entrails, and the lobe of the liver and the two kidneys and their fat and the right thigh. 26From the basket of unleavened bread that was before the Lord, he took one unleavened cake and one cake of bread mixed with oil and one wafer, and placed them on the portions of fat and on the right thigh. 27He then put all these on the hands of Aaron and on the hands of his sons and presented them as a wave offering before the Lord. 28Then Moses took them from their hands and offered them up in smoke on the altar with the burnt offering. They were an ordination offering for a soothing aroma; it was an offering by fire to the Lord. 29Moses also took the breast and presented it for a wave offering before the Lord; it was Moses' portion of the ram of ordination, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

8:22 "the second ram, the ram of ordination" This follows the stipulations given more fully in Exod. 29:20-21. One of the rams was for a special dedicatory offering.

8:23-24 "put it on the lobe of Aaron's right ear, and on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot" As the priest stood between man and God, it is uncertain if the anointing of the ear, the hand, and the foot stands for (1) the whole persons as he listens to God; (2) the whole person as he represents the people; or (3) as imagery for cleansing (cf. Lev. 14:14; possibly same image as Ezek. 43:20).
The right side of man would symbolize his power and organizational abilities. Therefore, it means that Aaron and his sons are completely dedicated to the tasks of being intermediaries between man and God.

8:26 "took one unleavened cake and one cake of bread mixed with oil and one wafer" This grain offering is also discussed in Leviticus 2 and it usually accompanied the other sacrifices. It was a way of providing more than just meat for the diet of the priest. Only a small portion of the grain was offered on the altar; the remainder was returned to the priest who was officiating to be eaten.

8:27-29 "wave offering" See notes at Lev. 7:30,34.
The wave offering is discussed somewhat in Lev. 7:21-24. We are uncertain about the exact difference between a wave and a heave offering. Some would say that (1) it was waved back and forth as a symbol of giving it to God and God giving it back to man or (2) it was waved from side to side. However, the exact meaning is uncertain (NIDOTTE, vol. 3, pp. 64-65).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 8:30
  30So Moses took some of the anointing oil and some of the blood which was on the altar and sprinkled it on Aaron, on his garments, on his sons, and on the garments of his sons with him; and he consecrated Aaron, his garments, and his sons, and the garments of his sons with him.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 8:31-36
  31Then Moses said to Aaron and to his sons, "Boil the flesh at the doorway of the tent of meeting, and eat it there together with the bread which is in the basket of the ordination offering, just as I commanded, saying, 'Aaron and his sons shall eat it.' 32The remainder of the flesh and of the bread you shall burn in the fire. 33You shall not go outside the doorway of the tent of meeting for seven days, until the day that the period of your ordination is fulfilled; for he will ordain you through seven days. 34The Lord has commanded to do as has been done this day, to make atonement on your behalf. 35At the doorway of the tent of meeting, moreover, you shall remain day and night for seven days and keep the charge of the Lord, so that you will not die, for so I have been commanded." 36Thus Aaron and his sons did all the things which the Lord had commanded through Moses.

8:31 "Aaron and his sons shall eat it" The purpose of eating this meat symbolized a peace offering. In the sin offering a portion of the meat belonged to Moses, as he was the officiating priest. But this peace offering involved Aaron and his sons who, by eating it, showed that fellowship was restored and that God symbolically ate with them (cf. the peace offering in Leviticus 3).

8:33 "you shall not go outside the doorway of the tent of meeting for seven days" This period of time involved a series of sacrifices that were offered every day. Seven, the number of perfection, showed that the priests were completely ordained and cleansed by this extended period of dedicatory sacrifices. See SPECIAL TOPIC: SYMBOLIC NUMBERS IN SCRIPTURE.

8:35 "that you may not die" This seems to be a foreshadowing of the tragedy of Leviticus 10. To whom much is given, much is required. Those who knew and ministered to God were especially responsible for their knowledge and actions. See SPECIAL TOPIC: KEEP.

8:36 "Thus Aaron and his sons did all the things which the Lord had commanded through Moses" At this point Aaron would take over the officiating of the sacrifices. Leviticus 9 is a discussion of Aaron offering the sacrifices in the exact way as was described by Moses. It is interesting to note that at this point Aaron is still dealing only with the altar of sacrifice. No one at this point had entered the inner shrine of the Tabernacle.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

This is a study guide commentary which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

These discussion questions are provided to help you think through the major issues of this section of the book. They are meant to be thought-provoking, not definitive.

  1. How does Leviticus 8 set the literary stage for chapter 10?
  2. Was the sin offering for
    1. Aaron and his sons
    2. the tabernacle and its various parts
    3. both?
  3. What was
    1. ephod
    2. Urim and Thummim
    3. golden plate?
  4. Why sprinkle seven times (Lev. 8:11)?
  5. Why both a bull and 2 rams?
  6. Explain Lev. 8:23 in your own words.
  7. Explain the imagery of Lev. 8:27.
  8. How does Lev. 8:35 relate to chapter 10?

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