Leviticus 8

After that Moseh had gathered the assembly of the children of Israel, by God’s command, v. 1, etc. he washeth Aaron and his sons, 6. putteth the high Priestly garments upon Aaron, 7. anointeth the Tabernacle with the Altar and Laver, 10. anointeth Aaron, 12. putteth the holy garments upon his sons, 13. offereth sacrifices for them, 14. addeth thereunto some other ceremonies yet, about some parts of their body and garments, with a meat-offering, 23. gives them some peculiar changes, 31. which they perform, 36.

1. Moreover the LORD spoke unto Moseh, saying:

2. Take Aaron and his sons with him, and the garments, [Understand the holy and the Priestly garments, which God had commanded to be made, Exodus 28:2. and accordingly were ready now, Exodus 39:1.] and the anointing oil: [Heb. oil of anointing, or, unction; and so in the sequel. See thereof further, Exodus 30:23, 24, 25. and chapter 37. 29.] besides the bullock of the sin-offering, [i.e. which was to be offered for a sin-offering. See hereof and the things following, Exodus 29:1, etc.] and the two Rams, and the basket of the unleavened things were laid and carried, which were to be offered to God.]

3. And gathered all the Congregation, at the door of the Tent of the Congregation.

4. Now Moseh did according as the LORD had commanded him: and the assembly was gathered at the door of the Tent of the Congregation.

5. Then said Moseh to the Congregation; This is the matter (or, thing) [Heb. word. See Gen 20. on verse 10.] which the LORD hath commanded to do. [See Exod. 29. and 30. and compare these two chapters with this.]

6. And Moseh made Aaron and his sons draw near, and washed them with that water. [See above chapter 6. on verse 28. and below verse 11.]

7. There he put him [viz. Aaron] on the coat, [of this Priestly array, See Exodus 28:4.] and girded him with the girdle; and put on him the mantle; also he put on him the Ephod: [Of this habit, see Exodus 28:4, 6, 7. it was twofold: one the high Priests made of precious stuff, Exodus 28:6. whereof the Text here speaketh: The other was linen, for the rest of the Priests and the Levites, and the Kings, 1 Samuel 2:18. and 22. 18. and 1 Chronicles 15:27.] and girded the same with the artificial girdle of the Ephod, and bound him about therewith.

8. Further he put on him the breast-plate: and joined to the breast-plate the Urim and the Thummim. [Of these see Exodus 28:30. the words do signify lights and perfections. They were things not made by the art of man, but given by God to Moseh to put in, or set on the holy breast-plate.]

9. And he set the hat on his head: and on the hat, above his face, [Heb. over against. Compare Exodus 28:37, 38. and 29. 6.] he set the golden plate, [or, leaf. Heb. flower of gold] the crown of Holiness; [so called, for that as some do write, it was made somewhat like a Crown. See further, Exodus 29. on verse 6.] according as the LORD had commanded Moseh.

10. Then Moseh took the anointing oil, and anointed the Tabernacle, [the Tent of the Congregation] and all that was therein: and hallowed the same. [i.e. set them apart for an holy use, and so in the two next verse. Item Gen. 2. verse 3. Exodus 2. 41. and 29. 1. 2 Chron. 7. 7. Joel 1:14.]

11. And he sprinkled thereof upon the Altar seven times: and he anointed the Altar, and all his furniture; together with the Laver [A vessel, out of which the Priests, as they went into the Tabernacle, did wash their hands, and their feet; as also the flesh of their sacrifices, and the instruments or utensils appertaining to that holy service. See Exod. 30. verse 18, 19, 20. and chapter 40. 7. 30. and above 6. 28.] and its foot to hallow them.

12. After that he poured of the anointing oil on Aaron’s head; and he anointed him to hallow him.

13. Also the sons of Aaron, Moseh caused to draw near, and put them on coats, and girded them with a girdle, and bound them up caps, according as the LORD had commanded Moseh.

14. Then he caused the Bullock of the sin-offering to come near: and Aaron and his sons laid [Oth. leaned with: and so below verse 18. see above chapter 1. on verse 4.] their hands upon the head of the Bullock of the sin-offering.

15. And they slew (him), and Moseh took the blood, and did with his finger round about horns of the Altar; and purified [Heb. unsinned] the Altar: [i.e. separated the same from common and unholy use. So poured forth the blood [to wit, the rest, or remainder of the blood: see Exod. 29. on verse 12.] at the bottom of the Altar, and hallowed him, to make expiation for him. [i.e. by this sacrifice to fit and dispose him for an holy use; or, to make expiation upon him; i.e. to offer sacrifices upon him for the expiation of men’s transgression. Thus likewise Exodus 29:36.]

16. Moreover he took all the fat, which was on the entrails, [Or, upon, over the entrails] and the cawl of the liver, and both the kidneys, and their fat: and Moseh kindled it upon the Altar.

17. But the Bullock with his skin, and his flesh, and his dung, he burnt without the camp with fire: according as the LORD had commanded Moseh.

18. After that he caused the Ram of the burnt-offering to be bought near, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands upon the head of the Ram.

19. And they slew (him), and Moseh sprinkled the blood upon the Altar round about.

20. He likewise divided the Ram into his parts; [See above chapter 1. 6.] and Moseh kindled the head, and those parts of the grease:

21. But the entrails and the legs he washed with water: [See above on verse 11.] and Moseh kindled that whole Ram upon the Altar; it was a burnt-offering of a pleasant smell, [See above chapter 1. on verse 9. and Gen. 8 verse 21.] a fire-offering it was unto the LORD; according as the LORD had commanded Moseh.

22. Then he caused the second Ram, the Ram of the fill-offering; [Heb. of the fillings, or, fulfilling; i.e. that, by the offering whereof they were completed or confirmed in their Priesthood. See above chapter 7. on verse 37.] to be brought near, and Aaron with his sons did lay their hands upon the Ram’s head.

23. And they slew (him), and Moseh took of his blood; and did it upon the tip of Aaron’s right ear, [Understand the tender and sort part of the lower part of the ear, called otherwise, ear-lap, or ear-tip] and upon the thumb of his right hand, upon the great toe of his right foot.

24. He caused likewise the sons of Aaron to approach; and Moseh did of that blood upon the tip of their right ear, and upon the thumb of their right hand, and upon the great toe of their right foot: after that Moseh sprinkled that blood [viz. the rest or remainder of the blood of that sacrifice, and so above verse 15.] round about upon the Altar.

25. And he took the fat of the rump, and all the fat that is at the entrails, and the cawl of the liver, and both the kidneys, and their fat, besides the right shoulder.

26. He took likewise out of the basket of unleavened (bread), which was before the face of the LORD, [See above chapter 1. on verse 3.] one unleavened cake, and an oiled bread-cake, [Heb. a cake of the bread of the oil] and a wafer, he laid them upon the fat, and upon the right shoulder.

27. And he gave all that into the hands of Aaron, [Heb. palms of Aaron, and so in the sequel] and into the hands of his sons: and waved the same for a wave-offering, [See above chapter 7. on verse 30.] before the face of the LORD.

28. After that, Moseh took them out of their hands; and kindled them upon the Altar, upon the burnt-offering, those were fill-offerings [Heb. fillings, or fulfilling, and so in the sequel; see above chapter 7. on verse 37.] of a pleasant smell; it was a fire-offering to the LORD.

29. Moreover Moseh took the breast, and waved them for a wave-offering, before the face of the LORD: it fell to Moseh his share, from the Ram of the fill-offering: [This was in reference to that time, when the Priesthood was first instituted, and Moseh administered the Priest’s office, extraordinarily. For afterwards he did it no more, keeping himself to the Political and Prophetical office, and putting his own children too among the common Levites] according as the LORD had commanded Moseh.

30. Moseh took likewise of the anointing-oil, and of the blood, which was upon the Altar, and sprinkled upon Aaron, upon his garments, and upon his sons, and upon the garments of his sons with him: and he hallowed Aaron, [See above on verse 10.] his garments, and his sons, and the garments of his sons with him.

31. And Moseh said to Aaron, and to his sons; Boil that flesh before the Tent of the Congregation, and eat the same there, together with the bread that is in the basket of the fill-offerings: according as I commanded saying; Aaron and his sons shall eat that. [viz. the remainder of the flesh and bread that is in the basket.]

32. But that which remaineth over of the flesh, and of the bread, ye shall burn with fire.

33. Also ye shall not go forth out of the door of the Tent of the Congregation, for seven days, until the day that the days of your fill-offerring be fulfilled: for seven days your hands shall be filled, [i.e. so long shall ye be confirming in your Priestly office, by several Ceremonies: see above chapter 7. verse 37.]

34. According as was done this day, the LORD commanded to do, for to make expiation for you.

35. Ye shall therefore abide seven days, day and night, at the door of the Tent of the Congregation, and shall observe the watch of the LORD. [Or, keep this Ordinance of the LORD. Understand the Priest’s duty in observing and keeping all that was commanded them to do in Tabernacle, and especially that which concerned their present Consecration: Compare Numbers 3:7, 8. and chapter 9. 19. 2 Kings 11:5.] that ye die not: [as happened afterwards to Nadab and Abihu, when they, contrary to the Ordinance offered strange fire to the LORD] for thus I am commanded.

36. Aaron now and his sons did all the things which the LORD had commanded, through the Ministry of Moseh. [Heb. through the hand of Moseh, i.e. through his Ministry and direction. See Exod. 4. on verse 13. see below chapter 10. 11. Numbers 16:40. Joshua 14:2.]