Leviticus 8:34 kjv
As he hath done this day, so the LORD hath commanded to do, to make an atonement for you.
Leviticus 8:34 nkjv
As he has done this day, so the LORD has commanded to do, to make atonement for you.
Leviticus 8:34 niv
What has been done today was commanded by the LORD to make atonement for you.
Leviticus 8:34 esv
As has been done today, the LORD has commanded to be done to make atonement for you.
Leviticus 8:34 nlt
Everything we have done today was commanded by the LORD in order to purify you, making you right with him.
Leviticus 8 34 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Lev 9:7 | "Then Moses said to Aaron, 'Approach the altar and offer your sin offering and your burnt offering and make atonement for yourself and for the people...'" | Atonement for priests required. |
| Lev 16:30 | "For on this day atonement shall be made for you to cleanse you..." | Annual day of atonement for the people. |
| Exod 29:36 | "And every day you shall offer a bull as a sin offering for atonement." | Daily atonement required during consecration. |
| Num 18:23 | "But the Levites shall do the service of the tent of meeting and they shall bear their iniquity, so that there may be no plague among the people of Israel when they come near the sanctuary." | Priestly mediation and responsibility. |
| 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, thus securing an eternal redemption." | Christ's perfect, one-time atonement. |
| Heb 9:22 | "Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins." | Blood sacrifice central to atonement. |
| Heb 10:1-4 | "For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities... those sacrifices never perfect those who draw near." | Old Covenant rituals as shadow. |
| Heb 10:10 | "And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." | Sanctification through Christ. |
| Isa 53:5-6 | "But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities... the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all." | Prophecy of Christ's substitutionary atonement. |
| Rom 3:25 | "whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith." | Christ as the propitiation/atonement. |
| 2 Cor 5:21 | "For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." | Christ's sinless sacrifice for our righteousness. |
| Col 1:20 | "and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross." | Reconciliation through Christ's blood. |
| 1 Pet 2:9 | "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession..." | Believers as a spiritual priesthood. |
| Exod 29:1 | "Now this is what you shall do to them to consecrate them, that they may serve me as priests." | Divine command for priestly consecration. |
| Exod 29:44 | "I will consecrate also the tent of meeting and the altar; Aaron also and his sons I will consecrate to serve me as priests." | God's act of consecrating priests. |
| Deut 6:25 | "And it will be righteousness for us, if we are careful to do all this commandment before the Lord our God, as he has commanded us." | Obedience to divine command as righteousness. |
| Josh 1:7 | "Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you..." | Importance of obedience to commands. |
| John 14:15 | "If you love me, you will keep my commandments." | Love for God demonstrated by obedience. |
| Ps 119:4 | "You have commanded your precepts to be kept diligently." | God's commands for diligence. |
| Jer 31:31 | "Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel..." | Prophecy of New Covenant surpassing Old. |
| Heb 8:6 | "But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better..." | New Covenant mediation through Christ. |
| Lev 10:10-11 | "You are to distinguish between the holy and the common, and between the unclean and the clean... teach the people of Israel all the statutes that the LORD has spoken..." | Priestly duty tied to ritual distinctions. |
Leviticus 8 verses
Leviticus 8 34 Meaning
Leviticus 8:34 states that the precise rituals of purification, sacrifice, and anointing that Moses performed that day for the consecration of Aaron and his sons were not arbitrary human inventions but were commanded directly by the Lord. This divine mandate emphasized the critical need for these specific acts to accomplish atonement and sanctification for the newly appointed priests. Their atonement was a foundational requirement for them to effectively serve as mediators between a holy God and a sinful people, thus enabling the continuation of proper worship and the covering of sin for Israel.
Leviticus 8 34 Context
Leviticus 8 describes the seven-day ceremony of consecrating Aaron and his sons as priests. This elaborate ritual, commanded by God in Exodus 29, marked the official commencement of their priestly duties, allowing them to serve at the recently completed Tabernacle. Moses, following every instruction precisely, performed the rites: washing, clothing, anointing, and offering various sacrifices (sin offerings, burnt offerings, and peace offerings specific to their ordination). Verse 34 comes at the conclusion of the first day's activities, emphasizing that everything performed was directly mandated by God and necessary for their purification ("for your atonement"). The context stresses the divine origin and specific nature of priestly service, contrasting it with human devising and highlighting the meticulous attention to ritual required for approaching a holy God. The entire process aimed to make the priests fit to mediate between a holy God and a sinful people, preparing them to fulfill their essential role in Israel's worship and covenant relationship.
Leviticus 8 34 Word analysis
As has been done today (כַּאֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה הַיּוֹם - ka'asher asah hayom)
- כַּאֲשֶׁר (ka'asher): "as, according to that which." This prepositional phrase refers directly to the meticulously performed rituals of washing, anointing, and sacrifice outlined earlier in the chapter. It highlights that the commanded action is an exact replica of the actions just completed, leaving no room for variation or improvisation.
- עָשָׂה (asah): "has been done, performed, made." This verb emphasizes the completion of the physical actions involved in the consecration. It grounds the theological truth in the tangible acts of obedience that have just occurred, confirming their fulfillment of divine instruction.
- הַיּוֹם (hayom): "today." This indicates the present day's actions, which formed the first installment of a seven-day cycle (Lev 8:33, 35). The specific acts performed on this day set the pattern for the continuous, ritualistic purification required. Its inclusion underlines the immediate relevance and ongoing nature of the divine requirement, establishing a precedent for future priestly activity.
the Lord (יְהוָה - YHWH)
- יְהוָה (YHWH): The tetragrammaton, the personal, covenantal name of God. This divine name underscores the supreme authority and unchangeable nature of the One giving the command. It signifies that the instructions are not mere suggestions or human traditions, but binding decrees from the sovereign God who chose Israel as His people and established the terms of their covenant relationship.
has commanded (צִוָּה - tzivah)
- צִוָּה (tzivah): "to command, order, instruct, ordain." This strong verb indicates a direct, explicit, and non-negotiable divine mandate. It implies the absolute authority of God and the necessary obedience required from Moses and the priests. This reinforces the sanctity and mandatory nature of the consecration rituals, emphasizing that these actions are divinely initiated and divinely required for the atonement process.
to do (לַעֲשׂוֹת - la'asot)
- לַעֲשׂוֹת (la'asot): Infinitive construct of asah, meaning "to perform, to do, to make." It refers to the future and ongoing performance of these rites. The phrase signifies that the actions just completed serve as a blueprint, not merely for the remaining six days of consecration (Lev 8:33, 35) but also for the subsequent, enduring priestly service, ensuring that future acts align with the divine original pattern.
for your atonement (לְכַפֵּר עֲלֵיכֶם - lekhapper aleikhem)
- לְכַפֵּר (lekhapper): "to atone, to purge, to make propitiation, to make reconciliation, to cover." This is the infinitive of the verb kaphar, which means to cover or purge, fundamentally addressing the problem of sin. It highlights the purpose of the entire elaborate consecration ceremony: to render the priests acceptable before a holy God, covering their defilement and making them pure enough to carry out their sacred duties without incurring divine wrath. It speaks to both the ritual cleansing and the theological act of reconciling the consecrated with God.
- עֲלֵיכֶם (aleikhem): "upon you (plural)." This refers specifically to Aaron and his sons, the priests being consecrated. This makes it clear that the atonement described is first and foremost for the mediators themselves, as even they, despite being chosen by God, were sinful and required cleansing to perform their duties on behalf of others. This established the foundational truth that no one, not even the priest, can approach God without a divinely provided means of purification.
Leviticus 8 34 Bonus section
- The seven-day period mentioned in adjacent verses (Lev 8:33, 35) for these rituals indicates a period of complete purification and preparation, symbolizing divine thoroughness. This lengthy process signifies the immense sacredness and the comprehensive transformation required for priestly service under the old covenant.
- This verse illustrates God's unyielding standard of holiness and His insistence on precise obedience in worship. It warns against human invention or negligence in approaching Him. Any deviation would not achieve the divinely intended atonement but would rather invite divine judgment.
- The atonement for the priests foreshadows the need for a sinless High Priest in the New Covenant (Heb 7:26-27), one who would not need to offer sacrifices for His own sins before ministering for others, thus providing a perfect and enduring atonement for all who believe.
Leviticus 8 34 Commentary
Leviticus 8:34 underscores a foundational principle of the Old Covenant priesthood: the meticulous performance of divinely prescribed rituals was not arbitrary but absolutely essential "for your atonement." This verse follows the detailed account of Aaron and his sons' consecration, emphasizing that every act – from washing and anointing to offering sacrifices – was a direct "command" from "the Lord." This divine mandate conveyed the gravity of their office and the prerequisite holiness for serving in God's presence.
The repeated emphasis on what "has been done today" highlights that the immediate acts of consecration were the template for all subsequent priestly activity. The purpose, "to make atonement," signifies a covering or purging of defilement. Crucially, this atonement was first for the priests themselves, demonstrating that even those who would mediate for the people needed prior cleansing to approach a holy God. This reiterates the human weakness inherent in the Levitical system, constantly requiring sacrifice. The verse points to the temporary and repetitive nature of the Old Covenant rituals, which were a "shadow" pointing forward to the ultimate, once-for-all, perfect atonement provided by Jesus Christ, our great High Priest, whose own sacrifice fully purged sin and permanently consecrated believers.