Leviticus 16 32

Leviticus 16:32 kjv

And the priest, whom he shall anoint, and whom he shall consecrate to minister in the priest's office in his father's stead, shall make the atonement, and shall put on the linen clothes, even the holy garments:

Leviticus 16:32 nkjv

And the priest, who is anointed and consecrated to minister as priest in his father's place, shall make atonement, and put on the linen clothes, the holy garments;

Leviticus 16:32 niv

The priest who is anointed and ordained to succeed his father as high priest is to make atonement. He is to put on the sacred linen garments

Leviticus 16:32 esv

And the priest who is anointed and consecrated as priest in his father's place shall make atonement, wearing the holy linen garments.

Leviticus 16:32 nlt

In future generations, the purification ceremony will be performed by the priest who has been anointed and ordained to serve as high priest in place of his ancestor Aaron. He will put on the holy linen garments

Leviticus 16 verses

Leviticus 16 32 Meaning

Leviticus 16:32 delineates the precise individual designated to carry out the Day of Atonement rituals for all subsequent years after Aaron. It stipulates that the High Priest, who succeeds his father in office and has been duly anointed and consecrated, is the singular, divinely authorized figure to perform the crucial annual atonement. This ensures the uninterrupted execution of God's prescribed means for cleansing the nation from sin and impurity, highlighting the enduring responsibility placed upon the consecrated leader to wear the specific holy linen garments while engaging in this sacred work.

Leviticus 16 32 Context

Leviticus chapter 16 meticulously details the rites for the most solemn day in the Israelite calendar: Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. This unique annual observance allowed the High Priest alone to enter the Most Holy Place within the Tabernacle, beyond the veil, to offer specific sacrifices for the collective sins and impurities of the Israelite community, as well as for himself and his household. The chapter outlines rigorous purification processes for the High Priest, the offering of a bull for his own sins, and the use of two goats—one sacrificed to the LORD as a sin offering, and the other, the "scapegoat" (for Azazel), laden with the nation's sins and sent into the wilderness.

Verse 32 specifically functions as a directive for the continuation of these sacred rituals beyond the lifetime of Aaron, the first High Priest. While Aaron carried out the initial atonement on this specific day as commanded earlier in the chapter, verse 32 mandates that his successors are the ones responsible for perpetually observing these vital rites. It establishes the rule for future High Priests, ensuring that the critical annual atonement for Israel’s sins and uncleanness would not terminate with Aaron's generation but would persist through his hereditary lineage. This provision underscores the consistent and necessary intercession required for God’s people under the Mosaic covenant, setting the stage for an unbroken priestly line until the fulfillment of a perfect and eternal High Priesthood.

Leviticus 16 32 Word analysis

• And the priest: (הַכֹּהֵן, hak-kohen). This term, when referring to the one performing the Day of Atonement rites, invariably designates the High Priest. He served as the primary mediator between God and the nation.
• who is anointed: (אֲשֶׁר יִמְשַׁח אֹתוֹ, asher yimshaḥ oto). This signifies the ritual act of applying holy anointing oil (שֶׁמֶן מִשְׁחַת קֹדֶשׁ, shemen mishchat qodesh) to consecrate a person for sacred office. For the High Priest, this anointing imparted divine authorization and power to execute his holy duties, paralleling the broader concept of "Messiah," meaning "Anointed One."
• and consecrated: (וְאֲשֶׁר יְמַלֵּא אֶת־יָדוֹ, v’asher y’malle et-yado). Literally, "and whose hand is filled." This is a specific idiom for ordination or installation into the priesthood. It refers to a ritual where certain sacrifices were placed in the hands of the priest being installed, symbolizing the official investiture of priestly authority, duties, and privileges (cf. Exod 29; Lev 8). It confirms a formal, God-ordained appointment.
• to minister in the priest's office: (לְכַהֵן, lekhahēn). This verb clearly defines the function and purpose of the High Priest's anointing and consecration—to actively carry out the prescribed services and rituals associated with the priesthood. It denotes serving in a sacred capacity before God.
• in his father's stead: (תַּחַת אָבִיו, tachat aviv). This clause directly indicates the hereditary nature of the High Priesthood. The office was passed down from father to son within Aaron's lineage (Exod 28:1), establishing a dynastic succession. This ensured stability and continuity in the performance of God's commands, but also revealed the limitations of a system reliant on succession due to mortality, anticipating a High Priest beyond death.
• shall make the atonement: (וְכִפֶּר, v’khipēr). This verb is foundational to the concept of atonement. It implies "to cover," "to purge," "to make propitiation," or "to expiate." On the Day of Atonement, the High Priest’s actions ceremonially covered or removed the sins and defilement of the people, allowing them to remain in covenant relationship with a holy God. It represents the central goal of the entire ritual.
• and shall put on the linen clothes: (וְלָבַשׁ אֶת־בִּגְדֵי הַבָּד, v’lavaš et-bigdey habbad). These are the plain, white linen garments worn by the High Priest exclusively during his entry into the Most Holy Place on Yom Kippur (cf. Lev 16:4). In contrast to the High Priest's regular, ornate "garments of glory and beauty," these simple white garments symbolized humility, purity, and sinlessness, prerequisites for entering God's absolute holiness.
• even the holy garments: (בִּגְדֵי הַקֹּדֶשׁ, bigdey haqqodesh). This phrase re-emphasizes the sanctity of the linen attire. They were specifically set apart and consecrated for the sacred service of Yom Kippur, underscoring the spiritual significance and sacred nature of the garments themselves and the purity required for the momentous task of national atonement.

Leviticus 16 32 Bonus section

The consistent use of "linen" (בַּד, baḏ) for the Yom Kippur garments emphasizes not only purity but also the common, earthly material, contrasting with the more valuable gold, blue, purple, and scarlet used in the other priestly garments. This contrast heightens the theological message: while God delights in glory and beauty (symbolized by the more ornate garments worn during other services), approaching Him to deal with the gravity of sin on the Day of Atonement requires humility and an absence of worldly splendor. This simplicity reflected a focus on internal purity and reverence for God's holiness, rather than outward show. It served as a stark reminder that reconciliation with God regarding sin is a profoundly serious and humbling affair, foreshadowing Christ's ultimate humility in taking on human flesh to accomplish salvation (Phil 2:7-8).

Leviticus 16 32 Commentary

Leviticus 16:32 functions as a crucial transition point in the Day of Atonement legislation, extending its requirements beyond Aaron's initial performance to all future generations. It reinforces the perpetuation of this solemn annual rite through the office of the High Priest. The emphasis on "the priest, who is anointed and consecrated" underscores the divine establishment and spiritual empowerment for this unique role, highlighting that this office was not a human invention but a divinely ordained one. The succession "in his father's stead" speaks to the hereditary nature of the Aaronic priesthood, ensuring the consistency of mediator-ship for God's covenant people.

The High Priest's central duty, "shall make the atonement," points to the essential purpose of Yom Kippur: to ritually cleanse and cover the sins of the community, enabling their continued relationship with a holy God. His requirement to don "the linen clothes, even the holy garments," before entering the Most Holy Place is significant. These simpler, pure white vestments, distinct from his elaborate regalia, signify the humility, purity, and reverence necessary for such an encounter with God's absolute holiness concerning sin. They symbolize that approach to God for atonement must be devoid of human glory and rely solely on divine provision.

This perpetual, yet repetitive, system of atonement through an imperfect human high priest serving in a physical sanctuary implicitly foreshadowed the need for a final, perfect, and once-for-all atonement. Jesus Christ fulfills the high priestly office in a superior way (Heb 4:14-16; 7:23-28). He is the truly Anointed One (Messiah), not by human hands but by God the Father (Heb 5:5). He was "consecrated" through His perfect life, suffering, and obedience (Heb 5:8-9), and His Priesthood is eternal, not limited by death (Heb 7:24). Instead of mere linen garments, His very nature is spotless purity. He did not enter an earthly sanctuary but the true heaven itself (Heb 9:24), offering Himself, His own sinless blood, as the ultimate, sufficient sacrifice for the sins of the world (Heb 9:12; 1 Jn 2:2). Thus, the Old Covenant priest's repeated atonement gave way to Christ's singular, all-encompassing redemption, perfecting forever those who are sanctified (Heb 10:14).