Leviticus 10 17

Leviticus 10:17 kjv

Wherefore have ye not eaten the sin offering in the holy place, seeing it is most holy, and God hath given it you to bear the iniquity of the congregation, to make atonement for them before the LORD?

Leviticus 10:17 nkjv

"Why have you not eaten the sin offering in a holy place, since it is most holy, and God has given it to you to bear the guilt of the congregation, to make atonement for them before the LORD?

Leviticus 10:17 niv

"Why didn't you eat the sin offering in the sanctuary area? It is most holy; it was given to you to take away the guilt of the community by making atonement for them before the LORD.

Leviticus 10:17 esv

"Why have you not eaten the sin offering in the place of the sanctuary, since it is a thing most holy and has been given to you that you may bear the iniquity of the congregation, to make atonement for them before the LORD?

Leviticus 10:17 nlt

"Why didn't you eat the sin offering in the sacred area?" he demanded. "It is a holy offering! The LORD has given it to you to remove the guilt of the community and to purify the people, making them right with the LORD.

Leviticus 10 verses

Leviticus 10 17 Meaning

Leviticus 10:17 is a direct query from Moses to Eleazar and Ithamar, the surviving sons of Aaron, regarding their failure to consume a specific part of the sin offering. Moses challenges their oversight, emphasizing the sacred nature of the offering as "most holy" and its divinely appointed purpose: for the priests to ritually "bear the iniquity" of the congregation, thereby facilitating atonement before the LORD. This eating was an integral, non-negotiable step in the purification process, underscoring the priest's essential role in dealing with sin and defilement within the covenant community.

Leviticus 10 17 Context

Leviticus 10:17 is situated immediately after the tragic deaths of Nadab and Abihu, Aaron's elder sons, who offered "strange fire" before the LORD (Lev 10:1-2). This judgment profoundly impacts the atmosphere and subsequent divine instructions. Moses is rigorously ensuring that the remaining priests, Eleazar and Ithamar, uphold every detail of the newly established sanctuary laws. The immediate preceding verses (Lev 10:12-15) detail specific instructions from Moses regarding the eating of priestly portions—the wave breast, heave thigh, and grain offering, and specifically, the sin offering. The sin offering of the goat (śə‘ir hā·ḥaṭ·ṭāṯ), which is the subject of this verse, was offered on the inauguration day of the priesthood for the people's sins (Lev 9:15). Its blood was not brought into the Most Holy Place but was sprinkled around the altar of burnt offering, thus requiring the priests to eat its flesh in the holy area. The historical context is the infancy of the Tabernacle and Israel's priestly system, with God establishing rigorous standards for worship and holy living to differentiate Israel from surrounding nations with their profane cultic practices. The deaths of Nadab and Abihu underscore the seriousness of even subtle departures from divine command and the non-negotiable demand for holiness from those who minister to God.

Leviticus 10 17 Word Analysis

• Why have ye not eaten: Moses’ לֹא אֲכַלְתֶּם (lo akaltem) is a direct challenge, questioning a deviation from established ritual law (e.g., Lev 6:26, 29). It signifies a grave omission of duty for a holy rite.
• the sin offering: חַטָּאת (chattat). This specific sacrifice was designed to purify individuals or the community from the ritual defilement caused by unintentional sins, allowing them to remain in fellowship with God. Its function was to remove impediments to relationship rather than addressing willful rebellion.
• in the holy place: בְּמָקוֹם קָדוֹשׁ (b'maqom qadosh). This precise location (likely the courtyard of the Tabernacle near the altar or within the Tent of Meeting's outer chamber) was essential. The sanctity of the offering demanded it be consumed only in an area designated as holy, preventing contamination.
• seeing it is most holy: קֹדֶשׁ קָדָשִׁים (qodesh qodashim). This phrase denotes the highest degree of sanctity. Things designated as "most holy" could only be handled by authorized priests and eaten by male priests within a sacred space. Its extreme holiness implies that every detail concerning its handling, including consumption, was critically important.
• and God hath given it you: וְאֹתָהּ נָתַן לָכֶם אֹתָהּ (wə'otah natan lachem 'otah). This highlights divine ordination. The privilege and responsibility of partaking of this sacred offering were granted by God, not by human will, underscoring the seriousness of their negligence.
• to bear the iniquity: לָשֵׂאת אֶת־עֲוֺן (lashet et-avon). The literal meaning of nasa (to bear) combined with avon (iniquity, guilt, punishment, consequences of sin). This phrase implies that the priest, by consuming the holy flesh of the sin offering, ritually absorbs or carries away the defilement caused by the people's sin. It is a symbolic act where the priest, through his sacred office and ritual action, assumes the ritual consequences of the sin on behalf of the congregation. This is distinct from bearing the moral guilt in a redemptive sense, which ultimately points to Christ's unique role. The priest's action allows the sin-caused impurity to be "taken" from the congregation, making atonement possible.
• of the congregation: הָעֵדָה (ha'edah). Specifies the collective body of Israel, indicating this particular offering was made on behalf of the community, not an individual.
• to make atonement for them: לְכַפֵּר עֲלֵיהֶם (lekapper alehem). To cover, cleanse, purge, or expiate. The eating of the sin offering was an essential and active part of the atonement process. Combined with the blood ritual and the burning of fat, the priestly consumption contributed to the comprehensive act of God cleansing His people from their impurities, making them ceremonially clean to remain in covenant relationship.

Word-Groups Analysis:

• Why have ye not eaten... seeing it is most holy, and God hath given it you: This grouping emphasizes the tension between the holiness of the offering and the priests' failure to fulfill their God-given duty concerning it. Moses questions not their competence, but their obedience to divine instructions for dealing with what is supremely sacred.
• to bear the iniquity of the congregation, to make atonement for them before the LORD: This phrase articulates the dual purpose and consequence of the priestly action. By ritually 'bearing' the effects of sin, they enabled the sacred process of 'atonement' – the covering or purging – which restored the people to a state of ritual purity before God's holy presence. This connection between the priest's actions and the people's standing with God highlights their mediatorial role.

Leviticus 10 17 Bonus Section

• Aaron's Justification and Moses' Acceptance: Moses' severe questioning is met with Aaron's reasoning in verses 19-20. Aaron points out that in their time of personal calamity and ritual impurity due to mourning Nadab and Abihu, eating the sin offering might not have been "acceptable" in the eyes of the LORD, given the severe consequences already experienced. Notably, Moses finds this answer acceptable (Lev 10:20), indicating that there was some room for understanding the context and the spirit of the law, even if it departed from a rigid application. This nuance underscores divine mercy even within strict divine commands.
• The Symbolic Burden: The act of eating the sin offering emphasized the close connection between the priest and the sin for which atonement was being made. It served as a visceral reminder of the burden of sin and the seriousness with which God viewed it, as the very "flesh of sin" (ritually speaking) was to be ingested by His chosen mediators. This served as a constant object lesson for both priests and the community about the consequences of transgressing God's holy standards.
• A Call to Discernment: This incident highlights the profound responsibility of religious leaders to properly discern and apply God's word, especially in times of crisis. It demands not just ritualistic obedience but an understanding of the underlying principles of holiness and reverence, ensuring actions are truly acceptable to the LORD.

Leviticus 10 17 Commentary

Leviticus 10:17 is a pivotal moment following an immediate, severe divine judgment, demanding rigorous adherence to priestly law. Moses' questioning of Aaron's remaining sons reveals the profound importance of their precise fulfillment of ritual duties. The sin offering, being "most holy," required not only specific blood rituals and burning, but also consumption by the priests in the holy place. This eating was not a mere meal; it was an active and vital component of the atonement process.

By consuming the chattat offering, the priests symbolically lashet et-avon – "bore the iniquity" – not in the sense of assuming moral guilt, but by ritually receiving the uncleanness and defilement associated with the sin into their own person. This ritual act purged the impurity from the community, facilitating lekapper – "atonement" – before the LORD. This vicarious, ritual bearing of defilement foreshadows the ultimate work of Christ, who truly bore the moral guilt and spiritual consequences of our sins on the cross (Isa 53:11; 1 Pet 2:24; 2 Cor 5:21). The priests were conduits of purification, maintaining the boundary between a holy God and an imperfect people. Their failure to eat meant the atonement ritual was incomplete, leaving a critical gap in the purification process for the people. Aaron's subsequent explanation (Lev 10:19-20) reveals his inner turmoil after the loss of his sons, where he feared that eating "holy things" while in such a state of grief and potential ritual contamination would be offensive to God. This highlights the ever-present tension between the letter of the law and the spirit of worship, particularly under duress.