Imamat 1:1

Introduction to the Sacrificial Regulations

1:1 Then the Lord called to Moses and spoke to him ¹  from the Meeting Tent: ² 

Imamat 4:1

Sin Offering Regulations

4:1 Then the Lord spoke to Moses: ³ 

Imamat 5:14

Guilt Offering Regulations: Known Trespass

5:14 Then the Lord spoke to Moses: ⁴ 

Imamat 6:1

Trespass by Deception and False Oath

6:1 (5:20) ⁵  Then the Lord spoke to Moses: ⁶ 

Imamat 6:8

Sacrificial Instructions for the Priests: The Burnt Offering

6:8 (6:1) ⁷  Then the Lord spoke to Moses: ⁸ 

Imamat 6:19

The Grain Offering of the Priests

6:19 Then the Lord spoke to Moses: ⁹ 

Imamat 6:24

The Sin Offering

6:24 Then the Lord spoke to Moses: ¹⁰ 

Imamat 7:22

Sacrificial Instructions for the Common People: Fat and Blood

7:22 Then the Lord spoke to Moses: ¹¹ 

Imamat 7:28

Priestly Portions of Peace Offerings

7:28 Then the Lord spoke to Moses: ¹² 

Imamat 7:38--8:1

7:38 which the Lord commanded Moses on Mount Sinai on the day he commanded the Israelites to present their offerings to the Lord in the wilderness of Sinai.

Ordination of the Priests

8:1 Then the Lord spoke to Moses: ¹³ 

Imamat 8:4-10

8:4 So Moses did just as the Lord commanded him, and the congregation assembled at the entrance of the Meeting Tent. 8:5 Then Moses said to the congregation: “This is what the Lord has commanded to be done.”

Clothing Aaron

8:6 So Moses brought Aaron and his sons forward and washed them with water. 8:7 Then he ¹⁴  put the tunic ¹⁵  on Aaron, ¹⁶  wrapped the sash around him, ¹⁷  and clothed him with the robe. ¹⁸  Next he put the ephod on him ¹⁹  and placed on him ²⁰  the decorated band of the ephod, and fastened the ephod closely to him with the band. ²¹  8:8 He then set the breastpiece ²²  on him and put the Urim and Thummim ²³  into the breastpiece. 8:9 Finally, he set the turban ²⁴  on his head and attached the gold plate, the holy diadem, ²⁵  to the front of the turban just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

Anointing the Tabernacle and Aaron, and Clothing Aaron’s Sons

8:10 Then Moses took the anointing oil and anointed the tabernacle and everything in it, and so consecrated them. ²⁶ 

Imamat 8:12-26

8:12 He then poured some of the anointing oil on the head of Aaron and anointed him to consecrate him. 8:13 Moses also brought forward Aaron’s sons, clothed them with tunics, wrapped sashes around them, ²⁷  and wrapped headbands on them ²⁸  just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

Consecration Offerings

8:14 Then he brought near the sin offering bull ²⁹  and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the sin offering bull, 8:15 and he slaughtered it. ³⁰  Moses then took the blood and put it all around on the horns of the altar with his finger and decontaminated the altar, ³¹  and he poured out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar and so consecrated it to make atonement on it. ³²  8:16 Then he ³³  took all the fat on the entrails, the protruding lobe of the liver, and the two kidneys and their fat, ³⁴  and Moses offered it all up in smoke on the altar, ³⁵  8:17 but the rest of the bull – its hide, its flesh, and its dung – he completely burned up ³⁶  outside the camp just as the Lord had commanded Moses. ³⁷ 

8:18 Then he presented the burnt offering ram and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram, 8:19 and he slaughtered it. ³⁸  Moses then splashed the blood against the altar’s sides. 8:20 Then he ³⁹  cut the ram into parts, ⁴⁰  and Moses offered the head, the parts, and the suet up in smoke, 8:21 but the entrails and the legs he washed with water, ⁴¹  and Moses offered the whole ram up in smoke on the altar – it was a burnt offering for a soothing aroma, a gift to the Lord, just as the Lord had commanded Moses. ⁴² 

8:22 Then he presented the second ram, the ram of ordination, ⁴³  and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram 8:23 and he slaughtered it. ⁴⁴  Moses then took some of its blood and put it on Aaron’s right earlobe, ⁴⁵  on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe ⁴⁶  of his right foot. 8:24 Next he brought Aaron’s sons forward, and Moses put some of the blood on their right earlobes, on their right thumbs, and on the big toes of their right feet, and Moses splashed the rest of the blood against the altar’s sides.

8:25 Then he took the fat (the fatty tail, ⁴⁷  all the fat on the entrails, the protruding lobe of the liver, and the two kidneys and their fat ⁴⁸ ) and the right thigh, ⁴⁹  8:26 and from the basket of unleavened bread that was before the Lord he took one unleavened loaf, one loaf of bread mixed with olive oil, and one wafer, ⁵⁰  and placed them on the fat parts and on the right thigh.

Imamat 8:28-31

8:28 Moses then took them from their palms and offered them up in smoke on the altar ⁵¹  on top of the burnt offering – they were an ordination offering for a soothing aroma; it was a gift to the Lord. 8:29 Finally, Moses took the breast and waved it as a wave offering before the Lord from the ram of ordination. It was Moses’ share just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

Anointing Aaron, his Sons, and their Garments

8:30 Then Moses took some of the anointing oil and some of the blood which was on the altar and sprinkled it on Aaron and his garments, and on his sons and his sons’ garments with him. So he consecrated Aaron, his garments, and his sons and his sons’ garments with him. 8:31 Then Moses said to Aaron and his sons, “Boil the meat at the entrance of the Meeting Tent, and there you are to eat it and the bread which is in the ordination offering basket, just as I have commanded, ⁵²  saying, ‘Aaron and his sons are to eat it,’

Imamat 8:33--9:2

8:33 And you must not go out from the entrance of the Meeting Tent for seven days, until the day when your days of ordination are completed, because you must be ordained over a seven-day period. ⁵³  8:34 What has been done ⁵⁴  on this day the Lord has commanded to be done ⁵⁵  to make atonement for you. 8:35 You must reside at the entrance of the Meeting Tent day and night for seven days and keep the charge of the Lord so that you will not die, for this is what I have been commanded.” 8:36 So Aaron and his sons did all the things the Lord had commanded through ⁵⁶  Moses.

Inauguration of Tabernacle Worship

9:1 On the eighth day ⁵⁷  Moses summoned ⁵⁸  Aaron and his sons and the elders of Israel, 9:2 and said to Aaron, “Take for yourself a bull calf for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering, both flawless, and present them before the Lord.

Imamat 9:5-7

9:5 So they took what Moses had commanded to the front of ⁵⁹  the Meeting Tent and the whole congregation presented them and stood before the Lord. 9:6 Then Moses said, “This is what the Lord has commanded you to do ⁶⁰  so that the glory of the Lord may appear ⁶¹  to you.” 9:7 Moses then said to Aaron, “Approach the altar and make your sin offering and your burnt offering, and make atonement on behalf of yourself and on behalf of the people; ⁶²  and also make the people’s offering and make atonement on behalf of them just as the Lord has commanded.”

Imamat 9:10

9:10 The fat and the kidneys and the protruding lobe of ⁶³  the liver from the sin offering he offered up in smoke on the altar just as the Lord had commanded Moses,

Imamat 9:21

9:21 Finally Aaron waved the breasts and the right thigh as a wave offering before the Lord just as Moses had commanded.

Imamat 9:23

9:23 Moses and Aaron then entered into the Meeting Tent. When they came out, they blessed the people, and the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people.

Imamat 10:3-8

10:3 Moses then said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord spoke: ‘Among the ones close to me I will show myself holy, ⁶⁴  and in the presence of all the people I will be honored.’” ⁶⁵  So Aaron kept silent. 10:4 Moses then called to Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Uzziel, Aaron’s uncle, and said to them, “Come near, carry your brothers away from the front of the sanctuary to a place outside the camp.” 10:5 So they came near and carried them away in their tunics to a place outside the camp just as Moses had spoken. 10:6 Then Moses said to Aaron and to Eleazar and Ithamar his other two sons, “Do not ⁶⁶  dishevel the hair of your heads ⁶⁷  and do not tear your garments, so that you do not die and so that wrath does not come on the whole congregation. Your brothers, all the house of Israel, are to mourn the burning which the Lord has caused, ⁶⁸  10:7 but you must not go out from the entrance of the Meeting Tent lest you die, for the Lord’s anointing oil is on you.” So they acted according to the word of Moses.

Perpetual Statutes the Lord Spoke to Aaron

10:8 Then the Lord spoke to Aaron,

Imamat 10:11-12

10:11 and to teach the Israelites all the statutes that the Lord has spoken to them through ⁶⁹  Moses.”

Perpetual Statutes Moses spoke to Aaron

10:12 Then Moses spoke to Aaron and to Eleazar and Ithamar, his remaining sons, “Take the grain offering which remains from the gifts of the Lord and eat it unleavened beside the altar, for it is most holy.

Imamat 10:16-17

The Problem with the Inaugural Sin Offering

10:16 Later Moses sought diligently for the sin offering male goat, ⁷⁰  but it had actually been burnt. ⁷¹  So he became angry at Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron’s remaining sons, saying, 10:17 “Why did you not eat the sin offering in the sanctuary? For it is most holy and he gave it to you to bear the iniquity of the congregation, ⁷²  to make atonement on their behalf before the Lord.

Imamat 10:19--11:1

10:19 But Aaron spoke to Moses, “See here! ⁷³  Just today they presented their sin offering and their burnt offering before the Lord and such things as these have happened to me! If I had eaten a sin offering today would the Lord have been pleased?” ⁷⁴  10:20 When Moses heard this explanation, he was satisfied. ⁷⁵ 

Clean and Unclean Land Creatures

11:1 The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying to them,

Imamat 12:1

Purification of a Woman after Childbirth

12:1 The Lord spoke to Moses:

Imamat 13:1

Infections on the Skin

13:1 The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron:

Imamat 14:1

Purification of Diseased Skin Infections

14:1 The Lord spoke to Moses:

Imamat 14:33

Purification of Disease-Infected Houses

14:33 The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron:

Imamat 15:1

Male Bodily Discharges

15:1 The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron:

Imamat 15:31

Summary of Purification Regulations for Bodily Discharges

15:31 “‘Thus you ⁷⁶  are to set the Israelites apart from their impurity so that they ⁷⁷  do not die in their impurity by defiling my tabernacle which is in their midst.

Imamat 16:1-2

The Day of Atonement

16:1 The Lord spoke to Moses after the death of Aaron’s two sons when they approached the presence of the Lord ⁷⁸  and died, 16:2 and the Lord said to Moses: “Tell Aaron your brother that he must not enter at any time into the holy place inside the veil-canopy ⁷⁹  in front of the atonement plate ⁸⁰  that is on the ark so that he may not die, for I will appear in the cloud over the atonement plate.

Imamat 16:34--17:1

16:34 This is to be a perpetual statute for you ⁸¹  to make atonement for the Israelites for ⁸²  all their sins once a year.” ⁸³  So he did just as the Lord had commanded Moses. ⁸⁴ 

The Slaughter of Animals

17:1 The Lord spoke to Moses:

Imamat 18:1

Exhortation to Obedience and Life

18:1 The Lord spoke to Moses:

Imamat 19:1

Religious and Social Regulations

19:1 The Lord spoke to Moses:

Imamat 20:1

Prohibitions against Illegitimate Family Worship

20:1 The Lord spoke to Moses:

Imamat 21:1

Rules for the Priests

21:1 The Lord said to Moses: “Say to the priests, the sons of Aaron – say to them, ‘For a dead person ⁸⁵  no priest ⁸⁶  is to defile himself among his people, ⁸⁷ 

Imamat 21:16

Rules for the Priesthood

21:16 The Lord spoke to Moses:

Imamat 21:24--22:1

21:24 So ⁸⁸  Moses spoke these things ⁸⁹  to Aaron, his sons, and all the Israelites.

Regulations for the Eating of Priestly Stipends

22:1 The Lord spoke to Moses:

Imamat 22:17

Regulations for Offering Votive and Freewill Offerings

22:17 The Lord spoke to Moses:

Imamat 22:26

22:26 The Lord spoke to Moses:

Imamat 23:1

Regulations for Israel’s Appointed Times

23:1 The Lord spoke to Moses:

Imamat 23:9

The Presentation of First Fruits

23:9 The Lord spoke to Moses:

Imamat 23:23

The Festival of Horn Blasts

23:23 The Lord spoke to Moses:

Imamat 23:26

The Day of Atonement

23:26 The Lord spoke to Moses:

Imamat 23:33

The Festival of Booths

23:33 The Lord spoke to Moses:

Imamat 23:44--24:1

23:44 So Moses spoke to the Israelites about the appointed times of the Lord. ⁹⁰ 

Regulations for the Lampstand and Table of Bread

24:1 The Lord spoke to Moses:

Imamat 24:10-11

A Case of Blaspheming the Name

24:10 Now ⁹¹  an Israelite woman’s son whose father was an Egyptian went out among the Israelites, and the Israelite woman’s son and an Israelite man ⁹²  had a fight in the camp. 24:11 The Israelite woman’s son misused the Name and cursed, ⁹³  so they brought him to Moses. (Now his mother’s name was Shelomith daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan.)

Imamat 24:13

24:13 Then the Lord spoke to Moses:

Imamat 24:23--25:1

24:23 Then Moses spoke to the Israelites and they brought the one who cursed outside the camp and stoned him with stones. So the Israelites did just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

Regulations for the Sabbatical Year

25:1 The Lord spoke to Moses at Mount Sinai:

Imamat 26:46--27:1

Summary Colophon

26:46 These are the statutes, regulations, and instructions which the Lord established ⁹⁴  between himself and the Israelites at Mount Sinai through ⁹⁵  Moses.

Redemption of Vowed People

27:1 The Lord spoke to Moses:

Imamat 27:34

Final Colophon

27:34 These are the commandments which the Lord commanded Moses to tell the Israelites ⁹⁶  at Mount Sinai.

[1:1]  ¹ tn Heb “And he (the Lord) called (וַיִּקְרָא, vayyiqra’) to Moses and the Lord spoke (וַיְדַבֵּר, vayÿdabber) to him from the tent of meeting.” The MT assumes “Lord” in the first clause but places it in the second clause (after “spoke”). This is somewhat awkward, especially in terms of English style; most English versions reverse this and place “Lord” in the first clause (right after “called”). The Syriac version does the same.

[1:1]  sn The best explanation for the MT of Lev 1:1 arises from its function as a transition from Exod 40 to Lev 1. The first clause, “And he (the Lord) called to Moses,” links v. 1 back to Exod 40:35, “But Moses was not able to enter into the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it and the glory of the Lord had filled the tabernacle” (cf. J. Milgrom, Leviticus [AB], 1:134). Exod 40:36-38 is a parenthetical explanation of the ongoing function of the cloud in leading the people through the wilderness. Since Moses could not enter the tent of meeting, the Lord “called” to him “from” the tent of meeting.

[1:1]  ² sn The second clause of v. 1, “and the Lord spoke to him from the tent of meeting, saying,” introduces the following discourse. This is a standard introductory formula (see, e.g., Exod 20:1; 25:1; 31:1; etc.). The combination of the first and second clauses is, therefore, “bulky” because of the way they happen to be juxtaposed in this transitional verse (J. E. Hartley, Leviticus [WBC], 8). The first clause of v. 1 connects the book back to the end of the Book of Exodus while the second looks forward the ritual legislation that follows in Lev 1:2ff. There are two “Tents of Meeting”: the one that stood outside the camp (see, e.g., Exod 33:7) and the one that stood in the midst of the camp (Exod 40:2; Num 2:2ff) and served as the Lord’s residence until the construction of the temple in the days of Solomon (Exod 27:21; 29:4; 1 Kgs 8:4; 2 Chr 5:5, etc.; cf. 2 Sam 7:6). Exod 40:35 uses both “tabernacle” and “tent of meeting” to refer to the same tent: “Moses could not enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.” It is clear that “tent of meeting” in Lev 1:1 refers to the “tabernacle.” The latter term refers to the tent as a “residence,” while the former refers to it as a divinely appointed place of “meeting” between God and man (see R. E. Averbeck, NIDOTTE 2:873-77 and 2:1130-34). This corresponds to the change in terms in Exod 40:35, where “tent of meeting” is used when referring to Moses’ inability to enter the tent, but “tabernacle” when referring to the Lord taking up residence there in the form of the glory cloud. The quotation introduced here extends from Lev 1:2 through 3:17, and encompasses the burnt, grain, and peace offering regulations. Compare the notes on Lev 4:1; 5:14; and 6:1 [5:20 HT] below.

[4:1]  ³ sn The quotation introduced here extends from Lev 4:2 through 5:13, and encompasses all the sin offering regulations. Compare the notes on Lev 1:1 above, and 5:14 and 6:1 [5:20 HT] below.

[5:14]  ⁴ sn The quotation introduced here extends from Lev 5:14 through 5:19, encompassing the first main section of guilt offering regulations. Compare the notes on Lev 1:1; 4:1; and 6:1 [5:20 HT].

[6:1]  ⁵ sn Beginning with 6:1, the verse numbers through 6:30 in the English Bible differ from the verse numbers in the Hebrew text (BHS), with 6:1 ET = 5:20 HT, 6:2 ET = 5:21 HT, 6:8 ET = 6:1 HT, etc., through 6:30 ET = 6:23 HT. Beginning with 7:1 the verse numbers in the English text and Hebrew text are again the same.

[6:1]  ⁶ sn This paragraph is Lev 6:1-7 in the English Bible but Lev 5:20-26 in the Hebrew text. The quotation introduced by v. 1 extends from Lev 6:2 (5:21 HT) through 6:7 (5:26 HT), encompassing the third main section of guilt offering regulations. Compare the notes on Lev 1:1; 4:1; and 5:14 above.

[6:8]  ⁷ sn Lev 6:8 in the English Bible = 6:1 in the Hebrew text. See also the note on 6:1.

[6:8]  ⁸ sn The following paragraphs are Lev 6:8-30 in the English Bible but 6:1-23 in the Hebrew text. This initial verse makes the special priestly regulations for the people’s burnt and grain offerings into a single unit (i.e., Lev 6:8-18 [6:1-11 HT]; cf. Lev 1-2 above). Note also the separate introductions for various priestly regulations in Lev 6:19 [12 HT], 24 [17 HT], and for the common people in Lev 7:22, 28 below.

[6:19]  ⁹ sn See the note on Lev 6:8 [6:1 HT] above.

[6:24]  ¹⁰ sn See the note on Lev 6:8 [6:1 HT].

[7:22]  ¹¹ sn See the note on Lev 6:8 [6:1 HT] above.

[7:28]  ¹² sn See the note on Lev 6:8 [6:1 HT].

[8:1]  ¹³ sn Lev 8 is the fulfillment account of the ordination legislation recorded in Exod 29, and is directly connected to the command to ordain the tabernacle and priesthood in Exod 40:1-16 as well as the partial record of its fulfillment in Exod 40:17-38.

[8:7]  ¹⁴ sn Here Moses actually clothes Aaron (cf. v. 13 below for Aaron’s sons). Regarding the various articles of clothing see J. E. Hartley, Leviticus (WBC), 111-12 and esp. J. Milgrom, Leviticus (AB), 1:501-13.

[8:7]  ¹⁵ sn The term “tunic” refers to a shirt-like garment worn next to the skin and, therefore, put on first (cf. Exod 28:4, 39-40; 29:5, 8; 39:27). Traditionally this has been translated “coat” (so KJV, ASV), but that English word designates an outer garment.

[8:7]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “on him”; the referent (Aaron) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[8:7]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “girded him with the sash” (so NASB); NCV “tied the cloth belt around him.”

[8:7]  sn The sash fastened the tunic around the waist (Exod 28:4, 39; 29:9; 39:29).

[8:7]  ¹⁸ sn The robe was a long shirt-like over-garment that reached down below the knees. Its hem was embroidered with pomegranates and golden bells around the bottom (Exod 28:4, 31-35; 29:5; 39:22-26).

[8:7]  ¹⁹ sn The ephod was an apron like garment suspended from shoulder straps. It draped over the robe and extended from the chest down to the thighs (Exod 28:4, 6-14, 25-28; 29:5; 39:2-7).

[8:7]  ²⁰ tn Heb “girded him with.”

[8:7]  ²¹ sn The decorated band of the ephod served as a sort of belt around Aaron’s body that would hold the ephod closely to him rather than allowing it to hang loosely across his front (Exod 28:8, 27; 29:5; 39:5, 20).

[8:8]  ²² sn The breastpiece was made of the same material as the ephod and was attached to it by means of gold rings and chains on its four corners (Exod 28:15-30; 29:5; 39:8-21). It had twelve stones attached to it (representing the twelve tribes of Israel), and a pocket in which the Urim and Thummim were kept (see following).

[8:8]  ²³ sn The Urim and Thummim were two small objects used in the casting of lots to discern the will of God (see Exod 28:30; Num 27:21; Deut 33:8; 1 Sam 14:41 in the LXX and 28:6; Ezra 2:63 and Neh 7:65). It appears that by casting them one could obtain a yes or no answer, or no answer at all (1 Sam 28:6; J. E. Hartley, Leviticus [WBC], 111-12). See the extensive discussion in J. Milgrom, Leviticus (AB), 1:507-11.

[8:9]  ²⁴ tn Although usually thought to be a “turban” (and so translated by the majority of English versions) this object might be only a “turban-like headband” wound around the forehead area (HALOT 624 s.v. מִצְנֶפֶת).

[8:9]  sn The turban consisted of wound-up linen (cf. Exod 28:4, 37, 39; 29:6; 39:31; Lev 16:4).

[8:9]  ²⁵ sn The gold plate was attached as a holy diadem to the front of the turban by means of a blue cord, and had written on it “Holy to the Lord” (Exod 28:36-37; 39:30-31). This was a particularly important article of high priestly clothing in that it served as the main emblem indicating Aaron’s acceptable representation of Israel before the Lord (Exod 28:38).

[8:10]  ²⁶ sn The expression “and consecrated it” refers to the effect of the anointing earlier in the verse (cf. “to consecrate them/him” in vv. 11 and 12). “To consecrate” means “to make holy” or “make sacred”; i.e., put something into the category of holy/sacred as opposed to common/profane (see Lev 10:10 below). Thus, the person or thing consecrated is put into the realm of God’s holy things.

[8:13]  ²⁷ tc The MT has here “sash” (singular), but the context is clearly plural and Smr has it in the plural.

[8:13]  tn Heb “girded them with sashes” (so NAB, NASB); NRSV “fastened sashes around them.”

[8:13]  ²⁸ tn Heb “wrapped headdresses to them”; cf. KJV “bonnets”; NASB, TEV “caps”; NIV, NCV “headbands”; NAB, NLT “turbans.”

[8:13]  sn Notice that the priestly garments of Aaron’s sons are quite limited compared to those of Aaron himself, the high priest (cf. vv. 7-9 above). The terms for “tunic” and “sash” are the same but not the headgear (cf. Exod 28:40; 29:8-9; 39:27-29).

[8:14]  ²⁹ sn See Lev 4:3-12 above for the sin offering of the priests. In this case, however, the blood manipulation is different because Moses, not Aaron (and his sons), is functioning as the priest. On the one hand, Aaron and his sons are, in a sense, treated as if they were commoners so that the blood manipulation took place at the burnt offering altar in the court of the tabernacle (see v. 15 below), not at the incense altar inside the tabernacle tent itself (contrast Lev 4:5-7 and compare 4:30). On the other hand, since it was a sin offering for the priests, therefore, the priests themselves could not eat its flesh (Lev 4:11-12; 6:30 [23 HT]), which was the normal priestly practice for sin offerings of commoners (Lev 6:26[19], 29[22]).

[8:15]  ³⁰ sn Contrary to some English versions (e.g., NAB, NASB, NIV, NLT), Aaron (not Moses) most likely slaughtered the bull, possibly with the help of his sons, although the verb is singular, not plural. Moses then performed the ritual procedures that involved direct contact with the altar. Compare the pattern in Lev 1:5-9, where the offerer does the slaughtering and the priests perform the procedures that involve direct contact with the altar. In Lev 8 Moses is functioning as the priest in order to consecrate the priesthood. The explicit reintroduction of the name of Moses as the subject of the next verb seems to reinforce this understanding of the passage (cf. also vv. 19 and 23 below).

[8:15]  ³¹ tn The verb is the Piel of חָטָא (khata’, “to sin”) and means “to de-sin” the altar. This verse is important for confirming the main purpose of the sin offering, which was to decontaminate the tabernacle and its furniture from any impurities. See the note on Lev 4:3.

[8:15]  ³² tn Similar to v. 10 above, “and consecrated it” refers to the effect of the blood manipulation earlier in the verse. The goal here was to consecrate the altar in order that it might become a place on which it would be appropriate “to make atonement” before the Lord.

[8:16]  ³³ tn Again, Aaron probably performed the slaughter and collected the fat parts (v. 16a), but Moses presented it all on the altar (v. 16b; cf. the note on v. 15 above).

[8:16]  ³⁴ sn See Lev 3:3-4 for the terminology of fat and kidneys here.

[8:16]  ³⁵ tn Heb “toward the altar” (see the note on Lev 1:9).

[8:17]  ³⁶ tn Heb “he burned with fire,” an expression which is sometimes redundant in English, but here means “burned up,” “burned up entirely.”

[8:17]  ³⁷ sn See Lev 4:11-12, 21; 6:30 [23 HT].

[8:19]  ³⁸ tn Aaron probably did the slaughtering (cf. the notes on Lev 8:15-16 above).

[8:20]  ³⁹ tn Again, Aaron probably cut the ram up into parts (v. 20a), but Moses presented them on the altar (v. 20b; cf. the note on v. 15 above).

[8:20]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “cut it into its parts.” One could translate here, “quartered it” (J. Milgrom, Leviticus [AB], 1:133; cf. Lev 1:6, 12 above).

[8:21]  ⁴¹ tn Again, Aaron probably did the washing (v. 21a), but Moses presented the portions on the altar (v. 21b; cf. the note on v. 15 above).

[8:21]  ⁴² tn See Lev 1:9, 13.

[8:22]  ⁴³ tn For “ordination offering” see Lev 7:37

[8:23]  ⁴⁴ tn Again, Aaron probably did the slaughtering (cf. the notes on Lev 8:15-16 above).

[8:23]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “on the lobe of the ear of Aaron, the right one.”

[8:23]  ⁴⁶ tn The term for “big toe” (בֹּהֶן, bohen) is the same as that for “thumb.” It refers to the larger appendage on either the hand or the foot.

[8:25]  ⁴⁷ tn See Lev 3:9.

[8:25]  ⁴⁸ tn See Lev 8:16.

[8:25]  ⁴⁹ tn See Lev 7:32-34.

[8:26]  ⁵⁰ tn See Lev 2:4.

[8:28]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “toward the altar” (see the note on Lev 1:9).

[8:31]  ⁵² tn Several major ancient versions have the passive form of the verb (see BHS v. 31 note c; cf. Lev 8:35; 10:13). In that case we would translate, “just as I was commanded.”

[8:33]  ⁵³ tn Heb “because seven days he shall fill your hands”; KJV “for seven days shall he consecrate you”; CEV “ends seven days from now.”

[8:33]  sn It is apparent that the term for “ordination offering” (מִלֻּאִים, millu’im; cf. Lev 7:37 and the note there) is closely related to the expression “he shall fill (Piel מִלֵּא, mille’) your hands” in this verse. Some derive the terminology from the procedure in Lev 8:27-28, but the term for “hands” there is actually “palms.” It seems more likely that it derives from the notion of putting the priestly responsibilities (or possibly its associated prebends) under their control (i.e., “filling their hands” with authority; see J. Milgrom, Leviticus [AB], 1:538-39). The command “to keep the charge of the Lord” in v. 35 and the expression “by the hand of Moses” (i.e., under the authoritative hand of Moses, v. 36) may also support this interpretation.

[8:34]  ⁵⁴ tn Heb “just as he has done” (cf. the note on v. 33).

[8:34]  ⁵⁵ tn Heb “the Lord has commanded to do” (cf. the note on v. 33).

[8:36]  ⁵⁶ tn Heb “by the hand of” (so KJV).

[9:1]  ⁵⁷ sn This eighth day is the one after the seven days of ordination referred to in Lev 8:33-35.

[9:1]  ⁵⁸ tn Heb “called to”; CEV, NLT “called together.”

[9:5]  ⁵⁹ tn Heb “to the faces of.”

[9:6]  ⁶⁰ tn Heb “which the Lord commanded you shall/should do.”

[9:6]  ⁶¹ tn Heb “and the glory of the Lord will appear,” but the construction with the simple vav (ו) plus the imperfect/jussive (וְיֵרָא, vÿyera’; literally, “and he will appear”) suggests purpose in this context, not just succession of events (i.e., “so that he might appear”).

[9:7]  ⁶² tn Instead of “on behalf of the people,” the LXX has “on behalf of your house” as in the Hebrew text of Lev 16:6, 11, 17. Many commentaries follow the LXX here (e.g., J. Milgrom, Leviticus [AB], 1:578; J. E. Hartley, Leviticus [WBC], 118) as do a few English versions (e.g., NAB), but others argue that, as on the Day of Atonement (Lev 16), the offerings of the priests also effected the people, even though there was still the need to have special offerings made on behalf of the people as reflected in the second half of the verse (e.g., B. A. Levine, Leviticus [JPSTC], 56).

[9:10]  ⁶³ tn Heb “from.”

[10:3]  ⁶⁴ tn The Niphal verb of the Hebrew root קָדַשׁ (qadash) can mean either “to be treated as holy” (so here, e.g., BDB 873 s.v. קָּדַשׁ, LXX, NASB, and NEB) or “to show oneself holy” (so here, e.g., HALOT 1073 s.v. קדשׁnif.1, NIV, NRSV, NLT; J. Milgrom, Leviticus [AB], 1:595, 601-3; and J. E. Hartley, Leviticus [WBC], 133-34). The latter rendering seems more likely here since, in the immediate context, the Lord himself had indeed shown himself to be holy by the way he responded to the illegitimate incense offering of Nadab and Abihu. They had not treated the Lord as holy, so the Lord acted on his own behalf to show that he was indeed holy.

[10:3]  ⁶⁵ tn In this context the Niphal of the Hebrew root כָּבֵד (kaved) can mean “to be honored” (e.g., NASB and NIV here), “be glorified” (ASV, NRSV and NLT here), or “glorify oneself, show one’s glory” (cf. NAB; e.g., specifically in this verse HALOT 455 s.v. כבדnif.3; J. Milgrom, Leviticus [AB], 1:595, 603-4; and J. E. Hartley, Leviticus [WBC], 126, 134). Comparing this clause with the previous one (see the note above), the point may be that when the Lord shows himself to be holy as he has done in 10:1-2, this results in him being honored (i.e., reverenced, feared, treated with respect) among the people. This suggests the passive rendering. It is possible, however, that one should use the reflexive rendering here as in the previous clause. If so, the passage means that the Lord showed both his holiness and his glory in one outbreak against Nadab and Abihu.

[10:6]  ⁶⁶ tc Smr has “you must not” (לֹא, lo’) rather than the MT’s “do not” (אַל, ’al; cf. the following negative לֹא, lo’, in the MT).

[10:6]  ⁶⁷ tn Heb “do not let free your heads.” Some have taken this to mean, “do not take off your headgear” (cf. NAB, NASB), but it probably also involves leaving one’s hair unkempt as a sign of mourning (see J. Milgrom, Leviticus [AB], 1:608-9; cf. NCV, TEV, CEV, NLT).

[10:6]  ⁶⁸ tn Heb “shall weep [for] the burning which the Lord has burned”; NIV “may mourn for those the Lord has destroyed by fire.”

[10:11]  ⁶⁹ tn Heb “by the hand of” (so KJV).

[10:16]  ⁷⁰ sn This is the very same male goat offered in Lev 9:15 (cf. the note on Lev 10:1 above).

[10:16]  ⁷¹ tn Heb “but behold, it had been burnt” (KJV and NASB both similar).

[10:17]  ⁷² sn This translation is quite literal. On the surface it appears to mean that the priests would “bear the iniquity” of the congregation by the act of eating the sin offering (so J. Milgrom, Leviticus [AB], 1:622-25, 635-40). Such a notion is, however, found nowhere else in the Levitical regulations and seems unlikely (so J. E. Hartley, Leviticus [WBC], 136). A more likely interpretation is reflected in this interpretive rendering: “he gave it to you [as payment] for [your work of] bearing the iniquity of the congregation.” The previous section of the chapter deals with the prebends that the priests received for performing the ministry of the tabernacle (Lev 10:12-15). Lev 10:16-18, therefore, seems to continue the very same topic in the light of the most immediate situation (see R. E. Averbeck, NIDOTTE 2:702-4).

[10:19]  ⁷³ tn Or “Behold!” (so KJV, ASV, NASB); NRSV “See.”

[10:19]  ⁷⁴ tn Heb “today they presented their sin offering and their burnt offering before the Lord, and like these things have happened to me, and (if) I had eaten sin offering today would it be good in the eyes of the Lord?” The idiom “would it be good in the eyes of [the Lord]” has been translated “would [the Lord] have been pleased.” Cf. NRSV “would it have been agreeable to the Lord?”; CEV, NLT “Would the Lord have approved?”

[10:20]  ⁷⁵ tn Heb “it was good in his eyes” (an idiom). Cf. KJV “he was content”; NLT “he approved.”

[15:31]  ⁷⁶ tn Heb “And you shall.” The Hebrew conjunction ו (vav, “and”) can be considered to have resultative force here (cf. KJV, ASV, NASB, NCV, NRSV).

[15:31]  ⁷⁷ tn Heb “and they.” Here the Hebrew conjunction ו (vav, “and”) indicates a negative purpose (“lest,” so NAB, NASB).

[16:1]  ⁷⁸ tn Heb “in their drawing near to the faces of the Lord.” The rendering here relies on the use of this expression for the very “presence” of God in Exod 33:14-15 and in the Lev 9:24-10:2 passage, where the Nadab and Abihu catastrophe referred to here is narrated.

[16:2]  ⁷⁹ tn Heb “into the holy place from house to the veil-canopy.” In this instance, the Hebrew term “the holy place” refers to “the most holy place” (lit. “holy of holies”), since it is the area “inside the veil-canopy” (cf. Exod 26:33-34). The Hebrew term פָּרֹכֶת (parokhet) is usually translated “veil” or “curtain,” but it seems to have stretched not only in front of but also over the top of the ark of the covenant which stood behind and under it inside the most holy place, and thus formed more of a canopy than simply a curtain (see R. E. Averbeck, NIDOTTE 3:687-89).

[16:2]  ⁸⁰ tn Heb “to the faces of the atonement plate.” The exact meaning of the Hebrew term כַּפֹּרֶת (kapporet) here rendered “atonement plate” is much debated. The traditional “mercy seat” (KJV, ASV, NASB, NRSV) does not suit the cognate relationship between this term and the Piel verb כִּפֶּר (kipper, “to make atonement, to make expiation”). The translation of the word should also reflect the fact that the most important atonement procedures on the Day of Atonement were performed in relation to it. Since the Lord would “appear in the cloud over the atonement plate,” and since it was so closely associated with the ark of the covenant (the ark being his “footstool”; cf. 1 Chr 28:2 and Ps 132:7-8), one could take it to be the place of his throne at which he accepts atonement. See J. Milgrom, Leviticus (AB), 1:1014; J. E. Hartley, Leviticus (WBC), 234-35; and R. E. Averbeck, NIDOTTE 2:691, 699. Cf. NIV “the atonement cover”; NCV “the lid on the Ark”; NLT “the Ark’s cover – the place of atonement.”

[16:34]  ⁸¹ tn Heb “And this shall be for you to a statute of eternity” (cf. v. 29a above). cf. NASB “a permanent statute”; NIV “a lasting ordinance.”

[16:34]  ⁸² tn Heb “from”; see note on 4:26.

[16:34]  ⁸³ tn Heb “one [feminine] in the year.”

[16:34]  ⁸⁴ tn The MT of Lev 16:34b reads literally, “and he did just as the Lord had commanded Moses.” This has been retained here in spite of the fact that it suggests that Aaron immediately performed the rituals outlined in Lev 16 (see, e.g., J. E. Hartley, Leviticus [WBC], 224 and 243; J. Milgrom, Leviticus [AB], 1:1059; note that Aaron was the one to whom Moses was to speak the regulations in this chapter, v. 2). The problem is that the chapter presents these procedures as regulations for “the tenth day of the seventh month” and calls for their fulfillment at that time (Lev 16:29; cf. Lev 23:26-32 and the remarks in P. J. Budd, Leviticus [NCBC], 237), not during the current (first) month (Exod 40:2; note also that they left Sinai in the second month, long before the next seventh month, Num 10:11). The LXX translates, “once in the year it shall be done as the Lord commanded Moses,” attaching “once in the year” to this clause rather than the former one, and rendering the verb as passive, “it shall be done” (cf. NAB, NIV, etc.). We have already observed the passive use of active verbs in this context (see the note on v. 32 above). The RSV (cf. also the NRSV, TEV, CEV, NLT) translates, “And Moses did as the Lord commanded him,” ignoring the fact that the name Moses in the Hebrew text has the direct object indicator. Passive verbs, however, regularly take subjects with direct object indicators (see, e.g., v. 27 above). The NIV renders it “And it was done, as the Lord commanded Moses,” following the LXX passive translation. The NASB translates, “And just as the Lord had commanded Moses, so he did,” transposing the introductory verb to the end of the sentence and supplying “so” in order to make it fit the context.

[21:1]  ⁸⁵ tn The Hebrew term נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh, “soul, person, life”) can sometimes refer to a “dead person” (cf. Lev 19:28 above and the literature cited there).

[21:1]  ⁸⁶ tn Heb “no one,” but “priest” has been used in the translation to clarify that these restrictions are limited to the priests, not to the Israelites in general (note the introductory formula, “say to the priests, the sons of Aaron”).

[21:1]  ⁸⁷ tc The MT has “in his peoples,” but Smr, LXX, Syriac, Targum, and Tg. Ps.-J. have “in his people,” referring to the Israelites as a whole.

[21:24]  ⁸⁸ tn Heb “And.” The Hebrew conjunction ו (vav, “and”) introduces a concluding statement for all the preceding material.

[21:24]  ⁸⁹ tn The words “these things” are not in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[23:44]  ⁹⁰ sn E. S. Gerstenberger (Leviticus [OTL], 352) takes v. 44 to be an introduction to another set of festival regulations, perhaps something like those found in Exod 23:14-17. For others this verse reemphasizes the Mosaic authority of the preceding festival regulations (e.g., J. E. Hartley, Leviticus [WBC], 390).

[24:10]  ⁹¹ tn Heb “And.”

[24:10]  ⁹² tn Heb “the Israelite man,” but Smr has no article, and the point is that there was a conflict between the man of mixed background and a man of full Israelite descent.

[24:11]  ⁹³ tn The verb rendered “misused” means literally “to bore through, to pierce” (HALOT 719 s.v. נקב qal); it is from נָקַב (naqav), not קָבַב (qavav; see the participial form in v. 16a). Its exact meaning here is uncertain. The two verbs together may form a hendiadys, “he pronounced by cursing blasphemously” (B. A. Levine, Leviticus [JPSTC], 166), the idea being one of the following: (1) he pronounced the name “Yahweh” in a way or with words that amounted to “some sort of verbal aggression against Yahweh himself” (E. S. Gerstenberger, Leviticus [OTL], 362), (2) he pronounced a curse against the man using the name “Yahweh” (N. H. Snaith, Leviticus and Numbers [NCBC], 110; G. J. Wenham, Leviticus [NICOT], 311), or (3) he pronounced the name “Yahweh” and thereby blasphemed, since the “Name” was never to be pronounced (a standard Jewish explanation). In one way or another, the offense surely violated Exod 20:7, one of the ten commandments, and the same verb for cursing is used explicitly in Exod 22:28 (27 HT) prohibition against “cursing” God. For a full discussion of these and related options for interpreting this verse see P. J. Budd, Leviticus (NCBC), 335-36; J. E. Hartley, Leviticus (WBC), 408-9; and Levine, 166.

[26:46]  ⁹⁴ tn Heb “gave” (so NLT); KJV, ASV, NCV “made.”

[26:46]  ⁹⁵ tn Heb “by the hand of” (so KJV).

[27:34]  ⁹⁶ tn Most of the commentaries and English versions translate, “which the Lord commanded Moses for the children of Israel.” The preposition אֶל (’el), however, does not usually mean “for.” In this book it is commonly used when the Lord commands Moses “to speak [un]to” a person or group of persons (see, e.g., Lev 1:2; 4:2, etc.). The translation “to tell” here reflects this pattern in the book of Leviticus.