Exodus 29:15 kjv

Thou shalt also take one ram; and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands upon the head of the ram.

Exodus 29:15 nkjv

"You shall also take one ram, and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands on the head of the ram;

Exodus 29:15 niv

"Take one of the rams, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on its head.

Exodus 29:15 esv

"Then you shall take one of the rams, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the ram,

Exodus 29:15 nlt

"Next Aaron and his sons must lay their hands on the head of one of the rams.

Exodus 29 verses

Exodus 29 15 Meaning

Exodus 29:15 describes a crucial step in the consecration ceremony of Aaron and his sons for the priesthood. Following a sin offering for their purification, this verse details the process for a subsequent sacrifice: the burnt offering ram. The instruction for Aaron and his sons to "lay their hands on the head of the ram" signifies their identification with the animal. This act symbolized their complete dedication and surrender to Yahweh, becoming fully accepted and consecrated for their divine service as priests.

Exodus 29 15 Context

Exodus chapter 29 details the seven-day consecration ceremony for Aaron and his sons, designed by God to set them apart for sacred service as priests in the Tabernacle. This meticulous ritual underscores the seriousness of approaching a holy God and the necessity of divine appointment and purification for such a role. The chapter begins with instructions for priestly garments, followed by the specific sacrifices and anointing.

The verse (29:15) occurs after the presentation and sacrifice of a bull as a sin offering (vv. 10-14), which cleansed the priests from their sin. Now, another animal, one of the two rams specified in the ritual, is introduced for a different purpose: a burnt offering ('olah). The context of the entire ceremony highlights God's demand for holiness, meticulous obedience to His instructions, and the understanding that priests cannot simply choose to serve but must be ritually prepared and consecrated by divine mandate. This strict ritual also served as a powerful distinction between the precise, God-ordained worship of Israel and the chaotic or man-made pagan worship practices prevalent in the ancient Near East, where unauthorized individuals might officiate and animal sacrifice often occurred without a profound understanding of substitutionary atonement or complete devotion to one true God.

Exodus 29 15 Word analysis

• You shall also take: The initial phrase refers to Moses ('atta), indicating God's direct command to him as the officiant of this consecration. It emphasizes the divine origin and imperative nature of the ritual.
• one of the rams:
  • Hebrew: וְהָאֵיל הָאֶחָד (vəhā'êl hā'eḥāḏ) - literally "and the ram, the one." This specifies the particular ram, distinguishing it from the ram for the sin offering (v. 10) and the "ram of ordination" (v. 19).
  • Significance: Rams were valuable animals, denoting strength and often used in high-value sacrifices. The distinction between "the one" ram implies a specific purpose for this particular animal, setting it apart as a burnt offering ('olah), signifying complete devotion and ascension.
• and Aaron and his sons: The plural "sons" (Hebrew: וּבָנָיו, uvānāyw) confirms that this act applies to all designated priests. This corporate action underscores their joint responsibility and shared consecration as a priestly line, not just individually.
• shall lay their hands:
  • Hebrew: וְסָמְכוּ אֶת־יְדֵיהֶם (vəsamḵū 'et-yəḏêhem) - "and they shall lean their hands." The root verb סמך (samakh) implies resting, leaning, or pressing one's weight upon.
  • Significance: This act held multi-faceted symbolic meaning in ancient Israelite ritual:
    • Identification: It established a spiritual connection between the offerer (Aaron and his sons) and the sacrifice (the ram). The ram was seen as acting on their behalf.
    • Devotion/Presentation: In the context of a burnt offering ('olah), laying hands signified dedication. It meant that the priests were presenting themselves, their whole being, to God through this animal, which would be entirely consumed on the altar.
    • Delegation/Substitution: The ram symbolically becomes the priests, completely given over to God. Unlike sin offerings where sin was symbolically transferred, here it is the dedication, value, and commitment of the priests that are bound to the ram's total consumption. This sets them apart as wholly belonging to God for His service.
• on the head of the ram: The "head" (Hebrew: רֹאשׁ, ro'š) often represents the entire being or the seat of identity. Placing hands on the head therefore indicated that the entirety of Aaron and his sons, their mind, will, and identity, was identified with this act of complete surrender and devotion embodied by the ram's whole burning. It emphasizes a complete dedication of the self for divine service.

Exodus 29 15 Bonus section

The specific choice of the ram as the animal for both the sin offering (the first ram) and the burnt offering (this ram in Exo 29:15) during the priestly ordination is noteworthy. Rams are often associated with strength, leadership, and considerable value, making them appropriate and substantial offerings. The precision of God's instructions regarding each animal and its distinct role in the sequence of sacrifices (sin offering for atonement/purification, burnt offering for total dedication, and the "ram of ordination" for covenant and communion) reveals that the various elements of the priestly consecration were not merely arbitrary rituals but were imbued with specific theological meanings. The meticulous attention to detail in these ancient Near Eastern rituals (especially regarding "laying on of hands") also served as a stark contrast to pagan practices where arbitrary actions often replaced divine mandate, underscoring the ordered and holy nature of Yahweh's worship. This specific ram's identity as a 'burnt offering' underlines that, after purification, what God seeks from His servants is absolute and unreserved devotion, completely consumed by His divine will and purpose.

Exodus 29 15 Commentary

Exodus 29:15, though a single verse within a detailed ritual, is profoundly significant. The laying on of hands by Aaron and his sons on the ram destined for a burnt offering represents a deep theological concept: the unreserved self-consecration of those called to serve God. After purification through the sin offering, this second step focuses not on cleansing from sin, but on total devotion. The burnt offering ('olah) was distinct from other sacrifices in that the entire animal, save the hide, was consumed by fire, ascending as "a pleasing aroma to the Lord." This total consumption symbolizes complete surrender, unreserved devotion, and unconditional acceptance.

For Aaron and his sons, this act sealed their identity not as mere officials, but as men wholly yielded to Yahweh for the mediation of His presence. It speaks to the seriousness and the cost of entering God's service—a surrender of the entire self, symbolized by the consumed ram. This devotion enabled them to function as true intercessors between a holy God and His people, foreshadowing the perfect surrender and complete sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Just as the ram was fully dedicated to God's purpose, so too was Christ completely offered for our sanctification. Moreover, it subtly echoes in the New Covenant's call for believers to present their bodies as "living sacrifices" (Rom 12:1), a spiritual parallel to the physical burnt offering, urging total devotion to God in daily life as a mark of a New Testament "royal priesthood."