1.
And the LORD spake unto Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they offered before the LORD, and died;
spake. See note on Leviticus 5:14 .
offered = brought near. Hebrew. karab . App-43 . Targum of Onkelos, The Targum of Jonathan ben Uzziel Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate, add "strange fire", as in Leviticus 10:1 .
2.
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.
all times = any time: i.e. just at any time.
holy place = sanctuary or holy of holies. In this chapter "holy" is used for "holy of holies" without this adjunct. See verses: Leviticus 16:3 , Leviticus 16:16 , Leviticus 16:17 , Lev 3:20 , Lev 3:23 , Lev 3:27 . Compare note on Exodus 3:8 .
mercy seat. Figure of speech Antemereia (of Noun), App-6 , noun, "mercy", used as adjective. See note on Exodus 25:17 .
I will appear = I am wont to appear. See Exodus 25:22 .
3.
Thus shall Aaron come into the holy place: with a young bullock for a sin offering, and a ram for a burnt offering.
Thus = with this.
sin. Hebrew. chat'a . App-44 .
4.
He shall put on the holy linen coat, and he shall have the linen breeches upon his flesh, and shall be girded with a linen girdle, and with the linen mitre shall he be attired: these are holy garments; therefore shall he wash his flesh in water, and so put them on.
wash = bathe. See note on Leviticus 14:9 .
5.
And he shall take of the congregation of the children of Israel two kids of the goats for a sin offering, and one ram for a burnt offering.
children = sons.
kids. Hebrew shaggy he-goats.
6.
And Aaron shall offer his bullock of the sin offering, which is for himself, and make an atonement for himself, and for his house.
offer = bring near. Hebrew. karab . App-43 .
make an atonement. See note on Exodus 29:33 .
7.
And he shall take the two goats, and present them before the LORD at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
door = entrance.
tabernacle of the congregation = tent ( 'ohel ) of meeting.
8.
And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for the LORD, and the other lot for the scapegoat.
for the scapegoat. Hebrew for 'Azazel . This "for" looks like a personality answering to "for Jehovah". If it be the Evil one who is meant, then it is for his defiance. For in Leviticus 16:10 atonement is made for this goat, and he is to go free. Where there is atonement there must be forgiveness. See note on Leviticus 16:22 below.
9.
And Aaron shall bring the goat upon which the LORD's lot fell, and offer him for a sin offering.
fell. Hebrew "came up": i.e. out of the bag containing the Urim and Thummim. No other means of taking Jehovah ' s lot, or judgment. (See note on Exodus 28:30 .)
offer = "make him [sin]". (2 Corinthians 5:21 .)
10.
But the goat, on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat, shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make an atonement with him, and to let him go for a scapegoat into the wilderness.
to be the scapegoat. Hebrew "to be for 'Azazel " (see Leviticus 16:8 and Leviticus 16:22 ).
presented = made to stand.
with him. Hebrew "for him". See verses: Leviticus 16:16 , Leviticus 16:18 . The scapegoat was not used to make atonement, but atonement was made for it. Hence he was to be "let go" free. See Leviticus 16:22 .
wilderness: or desert, symbol of abode of all evil things (Isaiah 13:21 ; Isaiah 34:14 .Matthew 12:43 .Luke 8:27 ; Luke 11:24 .Revelation 18:2; Revelation 18:2 ). 'Azazel probably the personification of all that is "great and terrible" there (Deuteronomy 1:19 ; Deuteronomy 8:15 .Jeremiah 2:6; Jeremiah 2:6 ).
11.
And Aaron shall bring the bullock of the sin offering, which is for himself, and shall make an atonement for himself, and for his house, and shall kill the bullock of the sin offering which is for himself:
12.
And he shall take a censer full of burning coals of fire from off the altar before the LORD, and his hands full of sweet incense beaten small, and bring it within the vail:
fire. Only fire from the brazen altar of burnt offering, where atonement had been made, could be used for kindling the incense on the golden altar in the holy place. See note on Leviticus 10:1 . All other fire was "strange fire". See note on Leviticus 10:1 , Leviticus 10:7 .
13.
And he shall put the incense upon the fire before the LORD, that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy seat that is upon the testimony, that he die not:
14.
And he shall take of the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it with his finger upon the mercy seat eastward; and before the mercy seat shall he sprinkle of the blood with his finger seven times.
15.
Then shall he kill the goat of the sin offering, that is for the people, and bring his blood within the vail, and do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it upon the mercy seat, and before the mercy seat:
as = according as.
16.
And he shall make an atonement for the holy place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions in all their sins: and so shall he do for the tabernacle of the congregation, that remaineth among them in the midst of their uncleanness.
17.
And there shall be no man in the tabernacle of the congregation when he goeth in to make an atonement in the holy place, until he come out, and have made an atonement for himself, and for his household, and for all the congregation of Israel.
man = 'adam . App-14 . no human being. This effectually disposes of all priestly pretensions now, while the Antitype is "within the vail". See Hebrews 4:14 ; Hebrews 6:20 ; Hebrews 9:24 .
18.
And he shall go out unto the altar that is before the LORD, and make an atonement for it; and shall take of the blood of the bullock, and of the blood of the goat, and put it upon the horns of the altar round about.
19.
And he shall sprinkle of the blood upon it with his finger seven times, and cleanse it, and hallow it from the uncleanness of the children of Israel.
hallow. See note on Exodus 3:5 .
20.
And when he hath made an end of reconciling the holy place, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar, he shall bring the live goat:
reconciling = making atonement. See note on Exodus 29:33 .
21.
And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness:
both his hands. This for solemnity; and only here, on this occasion.
live goat. The two goats complete the one type of Christ. One could not, for He was "put to death as to the flesh", but made alive [again] as to the spirit", i.e. in resurrection (1 Peter 3:17 . 1 Corinthians 15:45 ). He was " made sin" for us, that we might be come divinely righteous in Him" (2 Corinthians 5:21 ).
all. Note the four "alls" in verses: Leviticus 16:21 , Leviticus 16:22 . Figure of speech Repetitio ( App-6 ) to emphasize the completeness of our deliverance from sins, and their entire removal.
iniquities. Hebrew. 'avah. App-44 . t
ransgressions. Hebrew. pash'a. App-44 .
a fit man. The phrase occurs only here.
22.
And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness.
shall bear = shall bear away, as Isaiah 53:4 .
land not inhabited. Hebrew "a land cut off".
let go. This is the point of the type. The live goat was sent away, not in judgment or atonement, but in peace and at liberty. "All" had already been atoned for in the death of the other goat (Leviticus 16:10 ). Now he was free to go into the land of forgetfulness, where their "sins and iniquities are remembered no more" (Isaiah 43:25 .Jeremiah 31:34; Jeremiah 31:34 ). The scapegoat goes forth to 'Azazel, all enemies thus personified (Hebrews 2:14 ), proclaiming, "Who is he that condemneth? "(Romans 8:33 , Romans 8:34 ). Not in fear of death, but saying, "Who dares to kill me? "It is the lesson, over again, of the "two birds" in Ch. Leviticus 14:51-53 , applied to the whole nation. It is a type of those who are "risen with Christ" (Colossians 3:1 ), i.e. made alive again in His resurrection life. Tradition treats this second goat as loaded with sin and sent out to destruction; whereas "all" is "atoned" for and is therefore "forgiven" and liberty enjoyed before it was sent away.
23.
And Aaron shall come into the tabernacle of the congregation, and shall put off the linen garments, which he put on when he went into the holy place, and shall leave them there:
24.
And he shall wash his flesh with water in the holy place, and put on his garments, and come forth, and offer his burnt offering, and the burnt offering of the people, and make an atonement for himself, and for the people.
25.
And the fat of the sin offering shall he burn upon the altar.
burn = burn as incense. Hebrew. katar. App-43 . Compare Leviticus 16:27 .
26.
And he that let go the goat for the scapegoat shall wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in water, and afterward come into the camp.
he that let go = he that leadeth away the goat to, or for, ' Azazel , Leviticus 16:10 .
27.
And the bullock for the sin offering, and the goat for the sin offering, whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the holy place, shall one carry forth without the camp; and they shall burn in the fire their skins, and their flesh, and their dung.
without the camp. Compare Leviticus 6:11 .Hebrews 13:11 .
burn. Hebrew. saraph. App-43 .
28.
And he that burneth them shall wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in water, and afterward he shall come into the camp.
29.
And this shall be a statute for ever unto you: that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, ye shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether it be one of your own country, or a stranger that sojourneth among you:
afflict = fast. See Isaiah 58:3 , Isaiah 58:5 , Isaiah 58:10 .
souls. Hebrew. nephesh. App-13 .
do no work at all. Hebrew "no manner of work". This legal expression occurs five times ( App-10 ) in the Pentateuch, but is differently rendered. See Leviticus 23:3 , Leviticus 23:28 , Leviticus 23:31 .Numbers 29:7 . Work on the Sabbath day incurred stoning: on this day, excommunication.
30.
For on that day shall the priest make an atonement for you, to cleanse you, that ye may be clean from all your sins before the LORD.
31.
It shall be a sabbath of rest unto you, and ye shall afflict your souls, by a statute for ever.
sabbath of rest. Hebrew "sabbath of sabbatizing". See note on Exodus 16:23 . = "Most holy sabbath", Figure of speech Polyptoton or Enallage. App-6 .
32.
And the priest, whom he shall anoint, and whom he shall consecrate to minister in the priest's office in his father's stead, shall make the atonement, and shall put on the linen clothes, even the holy garments:
consecrate. See note on Exodus 28:41 .Exodus 9:17 .
holy. See note on Exodus 3:5 .
33.
And he shall make an atonement for the holy sanctuary, and he shall make an atonement for the tabernacle of the congregation, and for the altar, and he shall make an atonement for the priests, and for all the people of the congregation.
34.
And this shall be an everlasting statute unto you, to make an atonement for the children of Israel for all their sins once a year. And he did as the LORD commanded Moses.
as = according as.