Leviticus 16 18

Leviticus 16:18 kjv

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.

Leviticus 16:18 nkjv

And he shall go out to the altar that is before the LORD, and make atonement for it, and shall take some of the blood of the bull and some of the blood of the goat, and put it on the horns of the altar all around.

Leviticus 16:18 niv

"Then he shall come out to the altar that is before the LORD and make atonement for it. He shall take some of the bull's blood and some of the goat's blood and put it on all the horns of the altar.

Leviticus 16:18 esv

Then he shall go out to the altar that is before the LORD and make atonement for it, and shall take some of the blood of the bull and some of the blood of the goat, and put it on the horns of the altar all around.

Leviticus 16:18 nlt

"Then Aaron will come out to purify the altar that stands before the LORD. He will do this by taking some of the blood from the bull and the goat and putting it on each of the horns of the altar.

Leviticus 16 verses

Leviticus 16 18 Meaning

Leviticus 16:18 describes a specific ritual performed by the High Priest on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur). After ritually cleansing the Most Holy Place and the Holy Place with blood, the High Priest was to come out to the bronze altar (the altar of burnt offering) located in the tabernacle courtyard. He was then to take a portion of the combined blood from the bullock (his own sin offering) and the goat (the sin offering for the people) and apply it to the horns of this altar. This act symbolically atoned for or purified the altar itself, which had become defiled by the sins and impurities of the Israelites that had accumulated over the year, enabling the continued holy function of the sanctuary system.

Leviticus 16 18 Context

Leviticus chapter 16 describes the detailed rituals for Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, the most sacred day in ancient Israel. This annual observance was crucial for purging the sins and impurities of the entire Israelite community, enabling God to continue dwelling among His people in the tabernacle without consuming them in His holiness. Verse 18 occurs within the sequence of purification ceremonies. Having performed atonement for the Holy of Holies and the Holy Place, the High Priest now turns his attention to the outer Bronze Altar, the large altar where burnt offerings were regularly sacrificed in the tabernacle courtyard. This altar, although holy, was susceptible to the defilement caused by the proximity of a sinful people and their numerous offerings. The cleansing of this altar ensures the integrity and holiness of the entire sanctuary system for the coming year, underscoring the pervasive nature of sin's defilement and the necessity of precise, God-ordained rituals for dealing with it.

Leviticus 16 18 Word analysis

• And he shall go out: The pronoun "he" refers specifically to the High Priest (Aaron or his successor), who is the sole authorized figure to perform these solemn rites on the Day of Atonement. "Go out" signifies his emergence from the Holy Place, where he had just performed atonement, back into the tabernacle courtyard.
• unto the altar: The Hebrew word for "altar" is mizbeakh (מִזְבֵּחַ). Here, it specifically denotes the large, square Bronze Altar (also known as the altar of burnt offering or the outer altar) located in the tabernacle's courtyard, distinguished from the golden incense altar within the Holy Place. This altar served as the primary place of sacrifice for the people.
• that is before the Lord: This phrase, lifney YHWH (לִפְנֵי יְהוָה), indicates its position in relation to the tabernacle entrance and the Most Holy Place, emphasizing its presence within the sacred precinct where God manifested His presence.
• and make an atonement for it: The Hebrew verb is kipper (כָּפַר), often translated as "to cover," "to purge," "to expiate," or "to atone." In this context, it refers to the ritual purification and cleansing of the altar, removing the defilement accumulated from the people's sins that were brought into its proximity through sacrifices throughout the year. Even sacred objects needed ritual cleansing due to human sin.
• and shall take of the blood: The Hebrew word is dam (דָם). Blood is divinely appointed in the Old Covenant as the means for atonement and cleansing because "the life of the flesh is in the blood" (Lev 17:11). It symbolically represented life offered to make expiation for sin.
• of the bullock, and of the blood of the goat: This signifies a mixture of two distinct blood portions: blood from the bullock offered as the High Priest's own sin offering, and blood from the goat designated as the sin offering for the entire congregation. The combined use underscores the comprehensive nature of the atonement, addressing both priestly and communal defilement, which affected the altar.
• and put it upon the horns of the altar: The "horns" (qarnot, קַרְנֹת) were protrusions at each of the altar's four corners. These were considered sacred and represented the strength, power, or prominent points of the altar. Applying blood to them was a highly significant act of purification and consecration, symbolizing the channeling of cleansing power to the most potent parts of the altar.
• round about: This indicates that the blood was applied thoroughly and completely to all the horns of the altar, emphasizing the comprehensive nature of the purification and leaving no part unaddressed.

Leviticus 16 18 Bonus section

• The ritual on the Day of Atonement, as described in Leviticus 16, distinguished between the cleansing of the inner sanctum (Most Holy Place and Holy Place with the incense altar, vv. 16-17) and the outer burnt offering altar (vv. 18-19). This meticulous detail underscores God's absolute demand for holiness in all areas of interaction with Him, moving from the most holy to the less holy parts of the sanctuary.
• The fact that the altar needed cleansing highlights the concept that sin's defilement has a cumulative effect, impacting even the objects used for reconciliation. This demonstrates that holiness is not static; it must be perpetually maintained or renewed when continually exposed to fallen humanity.
• While the altar could offer refuge to those seeking asylum in certain cases (1 Kgs 1:50-51), this cleansing ritual indicated that its sanctity and power to mediate atonement itself needed periodic renewal through blood, symbolizing that no part of the created order, when interacting with fallen humanity, remains untouched by the effects of sin.
• The entire sequence of blood applications—first to the Most Holy Place, then the Holy Place, and finally the brazen altar—illustrates a progressive movement of purification, from God's dwelling place outward to the place where daily interactions with Him occurred.

Leviticus 16 18 Commentary

Leviticus 16:18 reveals a vital truth about the nature of sin and God's holiness: even sacred objects and places, like the brazen altar, become tainted by the mere presence or proximity of a sinful people. This verse is not about atoning for the altar's sins, but about cleansing it from the ceremonial impurity it absorbed by facilitating thousands of sacrifices from an imperfect nation. The High Priest's action of applying the mingled blood of his own sin offering and that of the people highlights the shared defilement of both leaders and laypeople. The chosen point of application, the "horns," underscored the need to sanctify the very seat of power and efficacy on the altar, from which divine fire consumed offerings. This annual ritual emphasized the inability of animal blood to permanently eradicate sin's stain; it was a repeated shadow pointing to the perfect, single sacrifice of Jesus Christ, whose own blood truly purifies our consciences, cleansing us from dead works to serve the living God (Heb 9:14). It prefigured Christ's work in cleansing humanity's altars of worship—our very hearts—for all time.