Leviticus 16:24 kjv
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.
Leviticus 16:24 nkjv
And he shall wash his body with water in a holy place, put on his garments, come out and offer his burnt offering and the burnt offering of the people, and make atonement for himself and for the people.
Leviticus 16:24 niv
He shall bathe himself with water in the sanctuary area and put on his regular garments. Then he shall come out and sacrifice the burnt offering for himself and the burnt offering for the people, to make atonement for himself and for the people.
Leviticus 16:24 esv
And he shall bathe his body in water in a holy place and put on his garments and come out and offer his burnt offering and the burnt offering of the people and make atonement for himself and for the people.
Leviticus 16:24 nlt
Then he must bathe himself with water in a sacred place, put on his regular garments, and go out to sacrifice a burnt offering for himself and a burnt offering for the people. Through this process, he will purify himself and the people, making them right with the LORD.
Leviticus 16 24 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Exo 28:2, 4 | "Make holy garments for Aaron your brother...these are the garments they are to make: a breastpiece, an ephod..." | Details priestly glorious garments |
| Exo 29:4 | "You shall bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the tent of meeting and wash them with water." | Initial priestly cleansing and ordination |
| Exo 30:19-21 | "Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and feet there, lest they die." | Daily priestly ablutions at the laver |
| Lev 1:9 | "He is to wash the inner parts and the legs with water; and the priest is to burn all of it on the altar as a burnt offering..." | Requirement for washing parts of burnt offering |
| Lev 8:6 | "Then Moses brought Aaron and his sons and washed them with water." | Aaron's inaugural washing at ordination |
| Lev 8:7-9 | "Then he put the tunic on him...put the ephod on him...and placed the breastpiece on him." | Aaron's glorious robes during consecration |
| Lev 8:13 | "Moses also brought Aaron’s sons, clothed them with tunics..." | Priestly garments for all priests |
| Lev 16:4 | "He shall put on the holy linen tunic and have the linen undergarments on his body..." | Specific humble garments for Most Holy Place |
| Lev 16:23 | "Then Aaron shall come into the tent of meeting and take off the linen garments..." | Priestly garments removal before re-washing |
| Lev 17:11 | "For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar..." | Blood as means of atonement |
| Deut 12:7 | "And there you shall eat before the Lord your God, and rejoice in all that you put your hand to..." | Feasting and rejoicing after offerings |
| Psa 26:6 | "I wash my hands in innocence, and go about Your altar, O Lord..." | Symbolic purity before approaching God |
| Psa 51:7 | "Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow." | Plea for spiritual cleansing |
| Eze 44:19 | "When they go out to the outer court, to the people, they shall remove the garments..." | Priests change garments to sanctify people |
| Heb 9:7 | "But only the high priest enters the inner room, and that only once a year, and never without blood..." | Day of Atonement, once a year access |
| Heb 9:12 | "He entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood..." | Christ's once-for-all atonement |
| Heb 9:24 | "For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself..." | Christ's entry into heavenly sanctuary |
| Heb 9:26 | "He has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself." | Christ's final sacrifice to remove sin |
| Heb 10:19-22 | "Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus...let us draw near with a true heart..." | New Covenant access, spiritual cleansing |
| Rom 5:11 | "More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation." | Reconciliation after atonement |
| 1 Cor 6:11 | "And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus..." | Spiritual cleansing through Christ |
| 1 Pet 3:21 | "Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience..." | Water symbolizing spiritual commitment |
Leviticus 16 verses
Leviticus 16 24 Meaning
Leviticus 16:24 describes the high priest Aaron's actions on the Day of Atonement following the crucial rites performed within the Most Holy Place. After emerging from the inner sanctuary and having offered the initial sin offerings, he is to physically purify himself by washing his entire body with water in the holy area of the tabernacle. Following this, he is to put on his regular, glorious priestly garments, distinct from the plain linen ones worn for the most solemn rituals. Having re-robed, he then proceeds to offer the burnt offering (olah) for himself and another for the people. This final sacrificial act serves to complete the process of atonement, signifying total dedication and accepted worship after sin has been dealt with.
Leviticus 16 24 Context
Leviticus 16 details the rituals for Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, Israel's most sacred day for national purification. This specific verse (Lev 16:24) follows the pivotal moments of Aaron entering the Most Holy Place, offering the blood for himself and the people, and sending the scapegoat into the wilderness. Verses 4 and 23 highlight Aaron's initial donning of the humble, simple linen garments for the most solemn atonement rites, and their subsequent removal after those rites are complete. Verse 24 marks a transition point. Having accomplished the primary work of sin expiation, Aaron purifies himself and changes back into his magnificent "golden" or glorious priestly garments. This change of attire signifies a shift from sin-bearing and atoning work to re-engagement with normal priestly functions of intercession and worship on behalf of the clean people. The subsequent offering of the burnt offerings (olah) represents complete dedication and fellowship, now possible because atonement for sin has been completed.
Leviticus 16 24 Word analysis
- And he shall wash (רָחַץ - rachatz): Implies a full body immersion or comprehensive cleansing. This is not a partial ablution of hands and feet (Exo 30:19), but a complete purification after contact with sin and holy things. Symbolically, it indicates absolute removal of ritual defilement.
- his flesh (בָּשָׂר - basar): Refers to his physical body. The washing is personal and thorough, emphasizing the priest's renewed state of ritual purity.
- with water (מַיִם - mayim): Water is universally a symbol of cleansing and purification. In ritual, it marks the boundary between defilement and purity.
- in the holy place (מָקוֹם קֹדֶשׁ - maqom qodesh): This refers to a consecrated area within the tabernacle precincts, but not necessarily the Most Holy Place. It distinguishes the ritual washing location from common areas, maintaining reverence for the act. This likely means within the Courtyard or Tent of Meeting area, rather than the Most Holy Place itself.
- and put on (לָבַשׁ - lavash): To dress or clothe. Indicates a deliberate act of resuming the role signified by the clothing.
- his garments (בְּגָדִיו - begadav): Refers to the elaborate, "glorious and beautiful" (Exo 28:2) priestly garments (ephod, breastpiece, etc.). These were distinct from the simple white linen garments (Lev 16:4) worn for the direct sin-atoning work in the Most Holy Place, which signified humility and ritual purity for contact with the ultimate holiness. Changing back to these glorious garments symbolizes his return to a state of being properly attired for representing a reconciled people before God, indicative of God's renewed favor.
- and come forth (יָצָא - yatza): To go out, emerge. Signifies a shift from an internal ritual space or a more intense state of sacredness to a less restricted, yet still holy, external space.
- and offer (עָשָׂה - 'asah / alternatively related to bringing near - קָרַב - qarab): To make, to prepare, to bring forward for sacrifice. This action is the concluding ritual on the altar outside the Tent of Meeting.
- his burnt offering (עֹלָה - 'olah): An offering that "goes up" in smoke, entirely consumed by fire, symbolizing complete devotion, consecration, and surrender to God. Unlike the sin offering which covered specific transgressions, the burnt offering signified general propitiation and worshiper's acceptance by God, emphasizing renewed fellowship after reconciliation. It was an expression of worship.
- and the burnt offering of the people: Indicates that this offering covers both the high priest's renewed commitment and that of the entire Israelite community.
- and make an atonement (כָּפַר - kaphar): To cover, to purge, to reconcile. In this context, it marks the completion of the entire day's atonement process. The main work of "covering" for sin had been done with the sin offerings; the burnt offerings here complete the full reconciliation, establishing restored fellowship between God and His people, allowing worship to proceed.
Leviticus 16 24 Bonus section
The ritual transformation from plain linen garments to glorious priestly robes (Lev 16:4 vs. 16:23-24) underscores the multifaceted nature of the priestly role and the work of atonement. The simple linen represents humility, purity, and the unblemished state required for dealing directly with sin and God's absolute holiness in the inner sanctuary. The splendid golden garments, adorned with precious stones and craftsmanship (Exo 28), signify glory, authority, and beauty—appropriate for representing a redeemed people before a glorious God in more public and regular ministry. This sartorial shift emphasizes that access to God transitions from covering sin (humility) to dwelling in His presence in renewed glory and fellowship, highlighting God's grace in making a way for relationship after sin is dealt with. This act by Aaron provides a powerful shadow of Jesus, who emptied Himself, took on humble flesh (Phil 2:7), bore our sins in humility on the cross, and then, after completing the ultimate atonement, ascended into glory to mediate for us and allow us to approach God's throne.
Leviticus 16 24 Commentary
Leviticus 16:24 portrays a critical procedural and symbolic transition on the Day of Atonement. After Aaron, as High Priest, performs the specific, unique atonement rites in the Most Holy Place using humble linen garments to deal with the nation's sin (Lev 16:4), this verse outlines his ritual return to normal priestly functions and a state of fellowship with God. His complete washing symbolizes the definitive removal of any ritual defilement from his proximity to sin. Donning his magnificent, "golden" garments signifies his re-entering a state of glory and dignity appropriate for God's minister in a restored relationship. The final burnt offerings, for both himself and the people, are offerings of devotion and thanksgiving, not for sin itself (which has already been purged), but for acceptance and renewed access to God's presence. This emphasizes that true worship and dedicated living can only occur once atonement for sin has been accomplished. It subtly teaches that holiness and access to God are granted through the prescribed divine process of purification and reconciliation, foreshadowing Christ's single, perfect sacrifice enabling believers to draw near with confidence (Heb 10:19-22).