Leviticus 8:20

In Exodus 28–29, the Lord gave Moses detailed instructions for clothing and ordaining Aaron and his sons as priests. In Exodus 39:1–31; 40:12–16; and Leviticus 8, they followed these commands. Moses did not only tell them the instructions. He performed the ceremonies to show the priests exactly what to do, as the Lord had commanded him (8:9, 13, 17, 21, 29). Since disobedience could lead to death, God ensured the priests understood their duties clearly.

brought the ram, &c.--as a token of their entire dedication to the service of God.

The covenant of priesthood must be made by sacrifice, as well as other covenants, Psa 50:5. And thus Christ was consecrated by the sacrifice of himself, once for all. Sacrifices of each kind must be offered for the priests, that they might with the more tenderness and concern offer the gifts and sacrifices of the people, with compassion on the ignorant, and on those that were out of the way, not insulting over those for whom sacrifices were offered, remembering that they themselves had had sacrifices offered for them, being compassed with infirmity. 1. A bullock, the largest sacrifice, was offered for a sin-offering (Lev 8:14), that hereby atonement might be made, and they might not bring any of the guilt of the sins of their former state into the new character they were now to put on. When Isaiah was sent to be a prophet, he was told to his comfort, Thy iniquity is taken away, Isa 6:7. Ministers, that are to declare the remission of sins to others, should give diligence to get it made sure to themselves in the first place that their own sins are pardoned. Those to whom is committed the ministry of reconciliation must first be reconciled to God themselves, that they may deal for the souls of others as for their own. 2. A ram was offered for a burnt-offering, Lev 8:18-21. By this they gave to God the glory of this great honour which was now put upon them, and returned him praise for it, as Paul thanked Christ Jesus for putting him into the ministry, Ti1 1:12. They also signified the devoting of themselves and all their services to the honour of God. 3. Another ram, called the ram of consecration, was offered for a peace-offering, Lev 8:22, etc. The blood of it was part put on the priests, on their ears, thumbs, and toes, and part sprinkled upon the altar; and thus he did (as it were) marry them to the altar, upon which they must all their days give attendance. All the ceremonies about this offering, as those before, were appointed by the express command of God; and, if we compare this chapter with Ex. 29, we shall find that the performance of the solemnity exactly agrees with the precept there, and in nothing varies. Here, therefore, as in the account we had of the tabernacle and its vessels, it is again and again repeated, As the Lord commanded Moses. And thus Christ, when he sanctified himself with his own blood, had an eye to his Father's will in it. As the Father gave me commandment so I do, Joh 14:31; Joh 10:18; Joh 6:38.

Leviticus 8:4-36

4. And Moses did as the Lord commanded him; and the assembly was gathered together unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

4. Et fecit Moses quemadmodum praecperat ei Jehova. Et congregatus est coetus ad ostium tabernaculi conventionis.

5. And Moses said unto the congregation, This is the thing which the Lord commanded to be done.

5. Tunc dixit Moses ad congregaionem, Hoc est verbum quod praecepit Jehova facere.

6. And Moses brought Aaron and his sons, and washed them with water.

6. Et accedere fecit Moses Aharon et filios ejus, quos lavit aqua.

7. And he put upon him the coat, and girded him with the girdle, and clothed him with the robe, and put the ephod upon him, and he girded him with the curious girdle of the ephod, and bound it unto him therewith.

7. Postea induit eum tunica, et cinxit baltheo, et pallio induit eum, et superimposuit ephod, et cinxit eum cingulo ephod: cinxit inquam illo.

8. And he put the breastplate upon him: also he put in the breastplate the Urim and the Thummim.

8. Et superimposuit ei pectorale, et reposuit in pectorali Urim et Thummim.

9. And he put the mitre upon his head; also upon the mitre, even upon his fore-front, did he put the golden plate, the holy crown; as the Lord commanded Moses.

9. Deinde cidarim imposuit capiti ejus, ponens super cidarim ante faciem ejus laminam auream, coronam sanetam, sicut praceperat Jehova Mosi.

10. And Moses took the anointing oil, and anointed the tabernacle, and all that was therein, and sanctified them.

10. Accepit quoque Moses oleum unctionis, et unxit tabernaculum, et quaecunque erant in eo: et consecravit ilia.

11. And he sprinkled thereof upon the altar seven times, and anointed the altar, and all his vessels, both the laver and his foot, to sanctify them.

11. Et aspersit ex eo super altare septera vicibus, unxitque altare atque omnis vasa ejus, et concham et basim ejus, ut consecraret ea.

12. And he poured of the anoint oil upon Aaron's head, and anointed him, to sanctify him.

12. Fudit etiam ex oleo unctionis super caput Aharon, unxitque eum ut consecraret eum.

13. And Moses brought Aaron's sons, and put coats upon them, and girded them with girdles, and put bonnets upon them; as the Lord commanded Moses.

13. Fecit praeterea Moses accedere filios Aharon, induitque filius tunicis, et cinxit filius baltheo, atque alligavit eis mitras, quemadmodum praeceperat Jehova ipsi Mosi.

14. And he brought the bullock for the sin-offering: and Aaron and his sons laid their hands upon the head of the bullock for the sin-offering.

14. Adduxit quoque juvencum in hostium pro peccato, imposuitque Aharon et filii ejus manus suas super caput juvenci hostiae pro peccato.

15. And he slew it; and Moses took the blood, and put it upon the horns of the altar round about with his finger, and purified the altar, and poured the blood at the bottom of the altar, and sanctified it, to make reconciliation upon it.

15. Et mactavit, tulitque Moses sanguinem, posuitque super cornua altaris per circuitum digito suo, et expiavit altare: reliquum vero sanguinem fudit ad basim altaris, et sanctificavit illud ad expiandum illud.

16. And he took all the fat that was upon the inwards, and the caul above the liver, and the two kidneys, and their fat, and Moses burned it upon the altar.

16. Tulit praeterea totum adipem qui erat super intestina, et fibram jecoris et duos renes, adipemque eorum, adolevitque ea Moses super altare.

17. But the bullock and his hide, his flesh and his dung, he burnt with fire without the camp; as the Lord commanded Moses.

17. Juvencum vero et pellem ejus, et carnero ejus, et fimum ejus combussit igni extra castra, quemadmodum praeceperat Jehova ipsi Mosi.

18. And he brought the ram for the burnt-offering: and Aaron and his sons laid their hands upon the head of the ram.

18. Post haec adduxit arietem holocausti, et admoverunt Aharon et filii ejus marius suas super caput arietis.

19. And he killed it; and Moses sprinkled the blood upon the altar round about.

19. Et mactavit, sparsitque Moses sanguinem super altare per circuitum.

20. And he cut the ram into pieces; and Moses burnt the head, and the pieces, and the fat.

20. Arietem quoque concidit in frusta sua, adolevitque Moses caput, et frusta et adipem.

21. And he washed the inwards and the legs in water; and Moses burnt the whole ram upon the altar: it was a burnt sacrifice for a sweet savor, and an offering made by fire unto the Lord; as the Lord commanded Moses.

21. Intestina vero et crura lavit aqua, et adolevit Moses totum arietem super altare: holocaustum est in odorem quietis: oblatio est ignita Jehova, quemadmodum praeceperat Jehova Mosi.

22. And he brought the other ram, the ram of consecration: and Aaron and his sons laid their hands upon the head of the ram.

22. Accedere fecit et arietem secundum, arietem consecrationum: posueruntque Ahaxon et filii ejus marius super caput arietis.

23. And he slew it; and Moses took of the blood of it, and put it upon the tip of Aaron's right ear, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot.

23. Et mactavit, tulitque Moses de sanguine ejus, et posuit super tenerum auris Aharon dextrae, et super pollicem manus ejus dextrae et super pollicem petits ejus dextri.

24. And he brought Aaron's sons, and Moses put of the blood upon the tip of their right ear, and upon the thumbs of their right hands, and upon the great toes of their right feet; and Moses sprinkled the blood upon the altar round about.

24. Adduxit et filius Aharon, posuitque Moses de sanguine super tenerum auris eorum dextrae, et super pollicem marius eorum dextrae, et super pollicem pedis eorum dextri: sparsitque Moses sanguinem super altare per circuitum.

25. And he took the fat, and the rump, and all the fat that was upon the inwards, and the caul above the liver, and the two kidneys, and their fat, and the right shoulder:

25. Tulit deinde adipem, et caudam: totumque adipem qui erat super intestina, et fibram jecoris, duosque renes, et adipem eorum, et armum dextrum.

26. And out of the basket of unleavened bread that was before the Lord he took one unleavened cake, and a cake of oiled bread, and one wafer, and put them on the fat, and upon the right shoulder:

26. De canistro quoque infermentatorum quae erant coram Jehova, tulit tortam infermentatam unam, et tortam panis oleati unam, et laganum unum, posuitque cum adipe et cum armo dextro.

27. And he put all upon Aaron's hands, and upon his sons' hands, and waved them. for a wave-offering before the Lord.

27. Et posuit omnia haec in manibus Aharon, et in manibus filiorum ejus, et ea agitate fecit agitatione coram Jehova.

28. And Moses took them from off their hands, and burnt them on the altar upon the burnt-offering: they were consecrations for a sweet savor; it is an offering made by fire unto the Lord.

28. Dein accepit Moses ilia ex manibus eorum, adolevitque super altare in holocaustum, consecrationes enim sunt in odorem quietis, oblatio ignita est Jehovae.

29. And Moses took the breast, and waved it for a wave-offering before the Lord: for of the ram of consecration it was Moses' part; as the Lord commanded Moses.

29. Tulitque Moses pectus, et agitavit illud agitatione coram Jehova: et ex ariete consecrationum ipsi Most fuit in partera, quemadmodum praeceperat Jehova ipsi Most.

30. And Moses took of the anointing oil, and of the blood which was upon the altar, and sprinkled it upon Aaron, and upon his garments, and upon his sons, and upon his sons' garments with him; and sanctified Aaron, and his garments, and his sons, and his sons' garments with him.

30. Tulit etiam Moses ex oleo unctionis, et de sanguine qui erat super altare, aspersitque super Aharon, super vestes ejus, et super filios ejus, et super vestes filiorum ejus cum eo: consecravitque Aharonem, et vestes ejus, et filios ejus, et vestes filiorum ejus cum eo.

31. And Moses said unto Aaron and to his sons, Boil the flesh at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation; and there eat it with the bread that is in the basket of consecrations, as I commanded, saying, Aaron and his sons shall eat it.

31. Et dixit Moses ad Aharon et ad filios ejus, Coquite carnes ad ostium tabernaculi conventionis, ibi deniqne comedite eam, et panem qui est in canistro consecrationum, quemadmodum praecepi, dicendo, Aharon et filii ejus comedent eam.

32. And that which remaineth of the flesh and of the bread shall ye burn with fire.

32. Quod vero superfuerit de carne et pane, igni comburetis.

33. And ye shall not go out of the door of the tabernacle of the congregation in seven days, until the days of your consecration be at an end: for seven days shall he consecrate you.

33. Et ex ostio tabernaculi conventionis non egrediemini septem diebus, usque ad diem qua completi fuerint dies consecrationum vestrarum: septem enim diebus consecrabit manum vestram.

34. As he hath done this day, so the Lord hath commanded to do, to make an atonement for you.

34. quemadmodum fecit in die hac, praecepit Jehova facere ad expiandum vos.

35. Therefore shall ye abide at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation day and night seven days, and keep the charge of the Lord, that ye die not: for so I am commanded.

35. Et ad ostium tabernaculi conventionis manebitis die et nocte, septem diebus, observabitisque observationem eoram Jehova, et non moriemini: sic enim jussus sum.

36. So Aaron and his sons did all things which the Lord commanded by the hand of Moses.

36. Fecit itaque Aharon et filii eius omnia verba quae praeceperat Jehova per manum Mosis.

4. And Moses did as the Lord commanded him Although these things relate to the priesthood, the authority and nature of which I expounded under the Second Commandment, yet, inasmuch as they are historical, it is not without reason that I have thought fit to defer them till this place: for, if I had referred to them in connection with the Commandment, unpractised readers would not have easily taken notice of their time. This distinction, however, will be of great assistance to them, that after the doctrine which was properly contained in the Decalogue has been set forth, they will now see how faithfully Moses fulfilled whatever he was commanded, and will be able to compare his obedience with the injunction, as they have done in the whole of the making and dedication of the tabernacle. Besides, there is no question but that the narrative must be thus connected; for it may be readily inferred from many passages, that the priests were anointed on the same day that the tabernacle was consecrated. I will now hastily run through the words. Moses says that he brought near Aaron and his sons, i.e., to set them before God and the people; and then that he "washed them with water," to make it manifest that they did not bring from their homes the purity which befitted the sanctity of their office, and, inasmuch as they were men, that they could not be clean before God, unless their impurity was washed off. A description of their apparel afterwards follows, which I pass over, lest I should weary my readers by twice repeating the same thing.

10. And Moses took the anointing oil I have stated why God commanded that the priest himself, as well as all the vessels, should be consecrated with oil, viz., because, without the influence of the Spirit, all the sacrifices would be unsavory. And it is by the operation of the same Spirit that Christ was made the peace-maker between God and men; because this dignity would not otherwise belong to flesh and human nature. Aaron was therefore anointed, together with his sons, before he was admitted to the priestly office; for it is afterwards added, that "the bullock for sin" [405] was brought, upon which Aaron laid his hands. Now, although even then he began to discharge his office, yet Moses still occupied the first place, and performed, as it were, the final act. Hence it was that he sprinkled the horns of the altar with the blood; poured the residue at its base for expiation; and burned the sacrifice upon the altar. Now, the imposition of hands in the sacrifices was not only a symbol of presentation, but also a testimony of guilt transferred to the victim. Since, however, this last statement may be obscure on account of its brevity, I will explain it a little more clearly. If any private person offered a victim, the imposition of hands signified that he cast the guilt of his sin upon the victim. Hence the name of piaculum; [406] because it sustained the curse of God, and was substituted in the sinner's stead, who disburdens himself upon it of whatever exposed him to the judgment of God. But, inasmuch as common hands were unworthy to consecrate a victim to God, the sacerdotal office interposed. This is the reason why Aaron and his sons put their hands on each of the sacrifices, in order that this kind of atonement (piaculi) might be the beginning of their consecration, which was completed in the second ram, with the blood of which Moses stained their right ears, the thumbs of their right hands, and the great toes of their right feet. A multitude of questions here arises: Why only one side of the priests was consecrated, as if their left side remained polluted? Why consecration was not also imparted to their eyes, and especially to their mouth, which was to be the organ of the Holy Spirit? But this warning must be always borne in mind, that we should be soberly wise in those points, the certain knowledge of which cannot be elicited from Scripture; for our curiosity is not only frivolous, but also perverse and injurious, when we desire to know more than God has revealed. The conjecture, however, is probable, that the whole body was consecrated in the right side. We have already seen elsewhere, [407] that by the hands and feet the whole life and actions of men are designated. In which view the cleanness of the heart and the purity of the hands comprehend all that is internal and external in man, as the root and the fruit. As to the feet, the metaphor of walking is notorious; and the feet are said to run to evil, and to be swift to shed blood, when the wicked and the despisers of God betake themselves to evil deeds. Besides, since this consecration was not to the office of teaching, but to that of intercession, the ear rather than the tongue is stained with blood; because the chief virtue, which obtains grace in the sacrifices, is obedience. To this the passage in Psalm 40:6, refers, "Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou bored:" [408] to which the words of Jeremiah correspond,

"Did I command anything respecting sacrifices, and not rather that your fathers should obey my voice?" [409] (Jeremiah 7:22, 23.)

And hence Moses commenced the consecration at the ear, in order to devote the priest to God unto obedience. Paul shews how this was fulfilled in Christ, where he celebrates His obedience in the sacrifice of His death, in order to reconcile His Father to us. (Romans 5:19.) I have spoken elsewhere of the kind of wave-offering which they called tnupha. [410]

31. And Moses said unto Aaron and his sons, Boil the flesh This is the universal rule, as we have seen elsewhere. [411] One thing only is special, that God kept them in the tabernacle seven days, that they might learn to subordinate all their domestic cares and worldly business to their sacred duties. It has been elsewhere said, also, [412] that perfection is denoted by the number seven, which this passage confirms, for by the seven days they were reminded that they were no longer their own masters for the rest of their life.

Footnotes:

[405] "For the sin-offering." -- A. V.

[406] "Et voyla pourquoy les bestes ont porte le nom d'offense;" and behold wherefore the beasts bore the name of offence. -- Fr. "Piaculum; sacrum piaculare, et quicquid ad piandum et purgandum pertinet. Metonymice, ipsa res, qum piaculi causa adhibetur; sic AEn. 6:153. Duc nigos pecudes: ea prima piacula sunto." -- Facciolati.

[407] See ante, [63]vol. 2, p. 211.

[408] A. V., "Mine ears hast thou opened." Margin, "Heb., digged." See C.'s translation and note. Cal. Soc. edit., [64]vol. 2, p. 99.

[409] This quotation is much abbreviated. C.'s exposition of the passage, (Cal. Soc. edit., [65]vol. 1, p. 393,) and Mr. Owen's [66]note, are worthy of consultation.

[410] Heb., tnvphh, thenuphah. See ante, [67]vol. 2, p. 132, and [68]note

[411] See ante, [69]vol. 2, p. 133.

[412] Ibid., [70]p.26.

The bullock for the sin-offering - This was offered each day during the seven days of consecration. See Exo 29:36.

And he cut the ram into pieces,.... Cut off its head and quartered it:

and Moses burnt the head, and the pieces, and the fat; even all of it, as the following verse shows.

The sacrificial ceremony with which the consecration was concluded, consisted of a threefold sacrifice, the materials for which were not supplied by the persons about to be installed, but were no doubt provided by Moses at the expense of the congregation, for which the priesthood was instituted. Moses officiated as the mediator of the covenant, through whose service Aaron and his sons were to be consecrated as priests of Jehovah, and performed every part of the sacrificial rite-the slaughtering, sprinkling of the blood, and burning of the altar gifts, - just as the priests afterwards did at the public daily and festal sacrifices, the persons to be consecrated simply laying their hands upon the sacrificial animals, to set them apart as their representatives.
Lev 8:14-17
The first sacrifice was a sin-offering, for which a young ox was taken (Exo 29:1), as in the case of the sin-offerings for the high priest and the whole congregation (Lev 4:3, Lev 4:14): the highest kind of sacrificial animal, which corresponded to the position to be occupied by the priests in the Israelitish kingdom of God, as the ἐκλογή of the covenant nation. Moses put some of the blood with his finger upon the horns of the altar of burnt-offering, and poured the rest at the foot of the altar. The far portions (see Lev 3:3-4) he burned upon the altar; but the flesh of the ox, as well as the hide and dung, he burned outside the camp. According to the general rule of the sin-offerings, whose flesh was burnt outside the camp, the blood was brought into the sanctuary itself (Lev 6:23); but here it was only put upon the altar of burnt-offering to make this sin-offering a consecration-sacrifice. Moses was to take the blood to "purify (יחטּא) and sanctify the altar, to expiate it." As the altar had been sanctified immediately before by the anointing with holy oil (Lev 8:11), the object of the cleansing or sanctification of it through the blood of the sacrifice cannot have been to purify it a second time from uncleanness, that still adhered to it, or was inherent in it; but just as the purification or expiation of the vessels or worship generally applied only to the sins of the nation, by which these vessels had been defiled (Lev 16:16, Lev 16:19), so here the purification of the altar with the blood of the sin-offering, upon which the priests had laid their hands, had reference simply to pollutions, with which the priests defiled the altar when officiating at it, through the uncleanness of their sinful nature. As the priests could not be installed in the functions of the priesthood, notwithstanding the holiness communicated to them through the anointing, without a sin-offering to awaken the consciousness in both themselves and the nation that the sinfulness which lay at the root of human nature was not removed by the anointing, but only covered in the presence of the holy God, and that sin still clung to man, and polluted all his doings and designs; so that altar, upon which they were henceforth to offer sacrifices, still required to be purified through the blood of the bullock, that had been slaughtered as a sin-offering for the expiation of their sins, to sanctify it for the service of the priests, i.e., to cover up the sins by which they would defile it when performing their service. For this sanctification the blood of the sin-offering, that had been slaughtered for them, was taken, to indicate the fellowship which was henceforth to exist between them and the altar, and to impress upon them the fact, that the blood, by which they were purified, was also to serve as the means of purifying the altar from the sins attaching to their service. Although none of the blood of this sin-offering was carried into the holy place, because only the anointed priests were to be thereby inducted into the fellowship of the altar, the flesh of the animal could only be burnt outside the camp, because the sacrifice served to purify the priesthood (see Lev 4:11-12). For the rest, the remarks made on Lev 4:4 are also applicable to the symbolical meaning of this sacrifice.
Lev 8:18-21
The sin-offering, through which the priests and the altar had been expiated, and every disturbance of the fellowship existing between the holy God and His servants at the altar, in consequence of the sin of those who were to be consecrated, had been taken away, was followed by a burnt-offering, consisting of a ram, which was offered according to the ordinary ritual of the burnt-offering (Lev 1:3-9), and served to set forth the priests, who had appointed it as their substitute through the laying on of hands, as a living, holy, and well-pleasing sacrifice to the Lord, and to sanctify them to the Lord with all the faculties of both body and soul.
Lev 8:22-30
This was followed by the presentation of a peace-offering, which also consisted of a ram, called "the ram of the filling," or "of the fill-offering," from the peculiar ceremony performed with the flesh, by which this sacrifice became a consecration-offering, inducting the persons consecrated into the possession and enjoyment of the privileges of the priesthood. A ram was offered as a peace-offering, by the nation as a whole (Lev 9:4, Lev 9:18), the tribe-princes (Num 7:17.), and a Nazarite (Num 6:14, Num 6:17), who also occupied a higher position in the congregation (Amo 2:11-12); but it was never brought by a private Israelite for a peace-offering. The offering described here differed from the rest of the peace-offerings, first of all, in the ceremony performed with the blood (Lev 8:23 and Lev 8:24, cf. Exo 29:20-21). Before sprinkling the blood upon the altar, Moses put some of it upon the tip of the right ear, upon the right thumb, and upon the great toe of the right foot of Aaron and his sons. Thus he touched the extreme points, which represented the whole, of the ear, hand, and foot on the right, or more important and principal side: the ear, because the priest was always to hearken to the word and commandment of God; the hand, because he was to discharge the priestly functions properly; and the foot, because he was to walk correctly in the sanctuary. Through this manipulation the three organs employed in the priestly service were placed, by means of their tips, en rapport with the sacrificial blood; whilst through the subsequent sprinkling of the blood upon the altar they were introduced symbolically within the sphere of the divine grace, by virtue of the sacrificial blood, which represented the soul as the principle of life, and covered it in the presence of the holiness of God, to be sanctified by that grace to the rendering of willing and righteous service to the Lord. The sanctification was at length completed by Moses' taking some of the anointing oil and some of the blood upon the altar, and sprinkling Aaron and his sons, and also their clothes; that is to say, by his sprinkling the persons themselves, as bearers of the priesthood, and their clothes, as the insignia of the priesthood, with a mixture of holy anointing oil and sacrificial blood taken from the altar (Lev 8:30). The blood taken from the altar shadowed forth the soul as united with God through the medium of the atonement, and filled with powers of grace. The holy anointing oil was a symbol of the Spirit of God. Consequently, through this sprinkling the priests were endowed, both soul and spirit, with the higher powers of the divine life. The sprinkling, however, was performed, not upon the persons alone, but also upon their official dress. For it had reference to the priests, not in their personal or individual relation to the Lord, but in their official position, and with regard to their official work in the congregation of the Lord.
(Note: In the instructions in Exo 29:21 this ceremony is connected with the sprinkling of the blood upon the altar; but here, on the contrary, it is mentioned after the burning of the flesh. Whether because it was not performed till after this, or because it is merely recorded here in a supplementary form, it is difficult to decide. The latter is the more probable, because the blood upon the altar would soon run off; so that if Moses wanted to take any of it off, it could not be long delayed.)
In addition to this, the following appointment is contained in Exo 29:29, Exo 29:30 : "The holy garments of Aaron shall be his sons' after him," i.e., pass to his successors in the high-priesthood, "to anoint them therein and fill their hands therein. Seven days shall the priest of his sons in his stead put them on (ילבּשׁם with the suffix - ם as in Gen 19:19), who shall go into the tabernacle to serve in the sanctuary." Accordingly, at Aaron's death his successor Eleazar was dressed in his robes (Num 20:26-28). It by no means follows from this, that a formal priestly consecration was repeated solely in the case of the high priest as the head of the priesthood, and that with the common priests the first anointing by Moses sufficed for all time. We have already observed at p. 545 that this is not involved in Exo 40:15; and the fact that it is only the official costume of the high priest which is expressly said to have passed to his successor, may be explained on the simple ground, that as his dress was only worn when he was discharging certain special functions before Jehovah, it would not be worn out so soon as the dress of the ordinary priests, which was worn in the daily service, and therefore would hardly last long enough to be handed down from father to son.
(Note: It no more follows from the omission of express instructions concerning the repetition of the ceremony in the case of every priest who had to be consecrated, that the future priests were not invested, anointed, and in all respects formally consecrated, than the fact that the anointing is not mentioned in Lev 8:13 proves that the priests were not anointed at all.)
The ceremony performed with the flesh of this sacrifice was also peculiarly significant (Lev 8:25-29). Moses took the fat portions, which were separated from the flesh in the case of the ordinary peace-offerings and burned upon the altar, and the right leg, which was usually assigned to the officiating priest, and then laid by the pieces of flesh (or upon them) another cake of each of the three kinds of pastry, which fell to the portion of the priest in other cases, as a heave-offering for Jehovah, and put all this into the hands of Aaron and his sons, and waved it as a wave-offering for Jehovah, after which he took it from their hands and burned it upon the altar, "as a filling (מלּאים) for a savour of satisfaction, as a firing for Jehovah." These last words, which are attached to the preceding without a conjunction, and, as the הם and הוּא show, form independent clauses (lit., "filling are they...a firing is it for Jehovah"), contain the reason for this unusual proceeding, so that Luther's explanation is quite correct, "for it is a fill-offering," etc. The ceremony of handing the portions mentioned to Aaron and his sons denoted the filling of their hands with the sacrificial gifts, which they were afterwards to offer to the Lord in the case of the peace-offerings, viz., the fat portions as a firing upon the altar, the right leg along with the bread-cake as a wave-offering, which the Lord then relinquished to them as His own servants. The filling of their hands with these sacrificial gifts, from which the offering received the name of fill-offering, signified on the one hand the communication of the right belonging to the priest to offer the fat portions to the Lord upon the altar, and on the other hand the enfeoffment of the priests with gifts, which they were to receive in future for their service. This symbolical signification of the act in question serves to explain the circumstance, that both the fat portions, which were to be burned upon the altar, and also the right leg with the bread-cakes which formed the priests' share of the peace-offerings, were merely placed in the priests's hands in this instance, and presented symbolically to the Lord by waving, and then burned by Moses upon the altar. For Aaron and his sons were not only to be enfeoffed with what they were to burn unto the Lord, but also with what they would receive for their service. And as even the latter was a prerogative bestowed upon them by the Lord, it was right that at their consecration they should offer it symbolically to the Lord by waving, and actually by burning upon the altar. But as the right leg was devoted to another purpose in this case, Moses received the breast-piece, which was presented to the Lord by waving (Lev 8:29), and which afterwards fell to the lot of the priests, as his portion for the sacrificial meal, which formed the conclusion of this dedicatory offering, as it did of all the peace-offerings. In Exo 29:27-28, we also find the command, that the wave-breast of the ram of the fill-offering, and the heave-leg which had been lifted off, should afterwards belong to Aaron and his sons on the part of the children of Israel, as a perpetual statute, i.e., as a law for all time; and the following reason is assigned: "for it is a heave-offering (terumah, a lifting off), and shall be a heave-offering on the part of the children of Israel of their peace-offerings, their heave-offering for Jehovah," i.e., which they were to give to the Lord from their peace-offerings for the good of His servants. The application of the word terumah to both kinds of offering, the wave-breast and the heave-shoulder, may be explained on the simple ground, that the gift to be waved had to be lifted off from the sacrificial animal before the waving could be performed.
Lev 8:31-32
For the sacrificial meal, the priests were to boil the flesh in front of the door of the tabernacle, or, according to Exo 29:31, "at the holy place," i.e., in the court, and eat it with the bread in the fill-offering basket; and no stranger (i.e., layman or non-priest) was to take part in the meal, because the flesh and bread were holy (Exo 29:33), that is to say, had served to make atonement for the priests, to fill their hands and sanctify them. Atoning virtue is attributed to this sacrifice in the same sense as to the burnt-offering in Lev 1:4. Whatever was left of the flesh and bread until the following day, that is to say, was not eaten on the day of sacrifice, was to be burned with fire, for the reason explained at Lev 7:17. The exclusion of laymen from participating in this sacrificial meal is to be accounted for in the same way as the prohibition of unleavened bread, which was offered and eaten in the case of the ordinary peace-offerings along with the unleavened sacrificial cakes (see at Lev 7:13). The meal brought the consecration of the priests to a close, as Aaron and his sons were thereby received into that special, priestly covenant with the Lord, the blessings and privileges of which were to be enjoyed by the consecrated priests alone. At this meal the priests were not allowed to eat leavened bread, any more than the nation generally at the feast of Passover (Exo 12:8.).