Leviticus 9:18 kjv
He slew also the bullock and the ram for a sacrifice of peace offerings, which was for the people: and Aaron's sons presented unto him the blood, which he sprinkled upon the altar round about,
Leviticus 9:18 nkjv
He also killed the bull and the ram as sacrifices of peace offerings, which were for the people. And Aaron's sons presented to him the blood, which he sprinkled all around on the altar,
Leviticus 9:18 niv
He slaughtered the ox and the ram as the fellowship offering for the people. His sons handed him the blood, and he splashed it against the sides of the altar.
Leviticus 9:18 esv
Then he killed the ox and the ram, the sacrifice of peace offerings for the people. And Aaron's sons handed him the blood, and he threw it against the sides of the altar.
Leviticus 9:18 nlt
Then Aaron slaughtered the bull and the ram for the people's peace offering. His sons brought him the blood, and he splattered it against all sides of the altar.
Leviticus 9 18 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Lev 3:1 | "If his offering be a sacrifice of peace offering... he shall offer it without blemish before the Lord." | Establishes the general laws for the peace offering. |
| Lev 17:11 | "For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul." | Clarifies the theological significance of blood in atonement. |
| Exod 20:24 | "An altar of earth thou shalt make unto me... and shalt sacrifice thereon thy burnt offerings, and thy peace offerings..." | Mandates the construction of altars for such offerings. |
| Exod 29:16 | "And thou shalt slay the ram... and thou shalt take his blood, and sprinkle it round about upon the altar." | Parallels the application of blood during priestly ordination. |
| Lev 8:24 | "And he brought Aaron's sons... and Moses put of the blood upon the tip of their right ear..." | Illustrates specific blood applications during the priests' own consecration. |
| Exod 27:1-2 | "And thou shalt make an altar of shittim wood... four square: and the height thereof shall be three cubits." | Describes the physical bronze altar used for sacrifices. |
| Exod 29:36-37 | "And thou shalt offer every day a bullock for a sin offering... thou shalt cleanse the altar, when thou hast made an atonement for it..." | Highlights the consecration and ongoing atonement of the altar itself. |
| Deut 12:7 | "And there ye shall eat before the Lord your God, and ye shall rejoice in all that ye put your hand unto..." | Emphasizes the communal meal aspect of peace offerings. |
| Ps 116:17 | "I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the Lord." | Connects peace offerings to acts of thanksgiving and worship. |
| Isa 53:5 | "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed." | Prophetic shadow of Christ as the ultimate peace provider through sacrifice. |
| Rom 3:25 | "Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins..." | Christ's blood as the true propitiation for sin. |
| Rom 5:1 | "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." | Fulfillment: peace with God now achieved through Christ. |
| Eph 2:13-14 | "But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace..." | Christ's blood bridging the gap and being our very peace. |
| Col 1:19-20 | "For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself..." | Christ's blood reconciling all creation. |
| Heb 7:26-27 | "For such an high priest became us, who is holy... who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice first for his own sins... for this he did once, when he offered up himself." | Contrast with earthly high priests, pointing to Christ's superior sacrifice. |
| Heb 9:12 | "Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us." | Christ's ultimate blood sacrifice far surpassing animal blood. |
| Heb 9:22 | "And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission." | Reaffirms the necessity of blood for remission of sins. |
| Heb 10:1-4 | "For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices... make the comers thereunto perfect." | Old Covenant sacrifices as a temporary, imperfect shadow of Christ. |
| 1 Pet 1:18-19 | "Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things... But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot." | Believers redeemed by the unblemished blood of Christ. |
| 1 Pet 2:5, 9 | "Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices... But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood..." | Believers now constitute a spiritual priesthood offering spiritual sacrifices. |
Leviticus 9 verses
Leviticus 9 18 Meaning
Leviticus 9:18 details Aaron's performance of the peace offerings (also known as fellowship offerings) on behalf of the Israelite people, marking his official commencement as High Priest. It specifically describes the ritual slaughter of a bull and a ram, and the subsequent act of Aaron applying their blood by splashing it onto the sides of the altar, with assistance from his sons. This act was crucial for achieving atonement, purification, and establishing fellowship with God, allowing His holy presence to dwell among His people.
Leviticus 9 18 Context
Leviticus chapter 9 details the inauguration of Aaron and his sons into the priesthood. Following a week of consecration (Leviticus 8), this eighth day marks their first active service on behalf of the community. The sequence of sacrifices — a sin offering and a burnt offering for Aaron and his sons, followed by similar offerings and a peace offering for the people — culminates in the manifestation of God's glory and divine fire consuming the offerings, signaling God's acceptance and His presence among them. Verse 18 specifically describes the final public sacrifice for the people, the peace offering, which completed the ritual of atonement and set the stage for joyous communion. Historically, these elaborate and precise rituals underscored God's holiness and His demand for an ordered, specific approach from His people, sharply contrasting with the arbitrary and often depraved sacrificial practices of surrounding pagan nations, thereby establishing Israel's unique relationship with their Creator.
Leviticus 9 18 Word analysis
- He slaughtered (וַיִּשְׁחַט, vayyishḥaṭ): A specialized verb signifying ritual slaughter, not merely killing. This term denotes the sacred, precise manner in which the animals were to be dispatched for cultic purposes. The subject, "He," refers to Aaron, highlighting his central, active role as the newly inaugurated High Priest performing this critical communal act. This was a physical action of immense theological import.
- also the bullock and the ram (אֶת־הַפָּר וְאֶת־הָאַיִל, et-hapār wᵉ’et-hā’ayil): These are specific male animals, bullocks and rams, commonly prescribed for communal offerings. Their value and purity were important. The use of two different animals suggests comprehensive coverage and significance of the offering for the entire assembly.
- for a sacrifice of peace offerings (לְזֶבַח הַשְּׁלָמִים, lᵉzevaḥ haššᵉlāmîm): The "peace offering" (zevah haššᵉlāmîm) derives from the root š-l-m (shalom), meaning "completeness," "wholeness," or "peace." Unlike the sin or burnt offerings which focused on atonement or devotion, the peace offering's primary purpose was to express fellowship, thanksgiving, or fulfill a vow, celebrating restored harmony and communion with God. A unique feature was the participation of the worshipper in a sacred meal, signifying sharing God's table.
- which was for the people (אֲשֶׁר לָעָם, ’ašer lāʿām): This emphasizes the representative nature of the sacrifice. Aaron acted on behalf of the entire community of Israel, not just for himself. This communal aspect underscores the shared access to God's presence and the corporate establishment of peace with Him.
- and Aaron's sons (וַיַּקְרִיבוּ בְּנֵי אַהֲרֹן, wayyaqrîḇū bᵉnê ’ahărōn): The assistant priests, recently consecrated, played a vital supporting role. This signifies their integration into active priestly duty and the ordered structure of Tabernacle service. Their act of presenting the blood shows cooperation under Aaron's leadership.
- presented unto him the blood (אֵלָיו אֶת־הַדָּם, ’ēlāyw ’et-haddām): The "blood" (dām) carried the "life" of the animal (Lev 17:11) and was the divinely appointed agent for atonement and purification. The sons "presented it unto him" (Aaron), indicating his supreme authority in the ultimate application of this sacred substance.
- which he sprinkled (וַיִּזְרְקֵהוּ, wayyizrequehū): The verb zāraq (to splash or sprinkle) is a specific technical term for the ceremonial application of blood. It was not a casual act but a precise, ritually significant distribution of the blood upon the altar, essential for purification and consecration.
- upon the altar round about (עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּחַ סָבִיב, ʿal-hammizbēaḥ sāḇîḇ): The "altar" (mizbēaḥ), specifically the Bronze Altar in the Tabernacle courtyard, was the focal point of all sacrificial atonement and communion. The phrase "round about" signifies a thorough and complete application of the blood, consecrating the entire structure and by extension, the means of interaction with God. This act sealed the reconciliation and consecrated the very space for divine encounter.
Words-group analysis:
- "He slaughtered... for a sacrifice of peace offerings, which was for the people": This sequence details the High Priest's action (slaughtering) and the specific nature and beneficiary of the sacrifice (peace offering for the entire nation). It highlights that divine acceptance and communion for the people were achieved through a ritual act performed by the designated mediator, a powerful demonstration of corporate worship.
- "Aaron's sons presented unto him the blood, which he sprinkled upon the altar round about": This phrase captures the hierarchical cooperation of the priesthood and the crucial step of blood application. The sons’ role was vital in preparation, but Aaron retained the unique high priestly authority for the most significant act: applying the atonement-making blood directly to the sacred altar. This ensured the complete consecration of the altar and facilitated the people’s access to God's presence.
Leviticus 9 18 Bonus section
- The ceremonial acts detailed in Leviticus 9, including the peace offering in verse 18, serve as divinely inspired pedagogical tools. They were visual and visceral lessons for the Israelites on the gravity of sin, the necessity of substitutionary atonement, and God's pathway to reconciliation. They ingrained the truth that peace with a holy God is not attained by human merit but through shedding of innocent blood.
- The ritual's meticulousness implicitly stood in sharp contrast to the often chaotic, self-conceived, and idolatrous sacrificial practices of pagan religions in the ancient Near East. The precise, orderly, and divinely mandated system of the Mosaic Law validated Israel's unique covenant relationship with Yahweh and His absolute sovereignty, distinguishing their worship.
- The visible divine acceptance following these initial sacrifices (fire consuming the offerings, Lev 9:24) served as a profound vindication of Aaron's priesthood and the entire Tabernacle system. It affirmed that God Himself sanctioned these rites as the legitimate means of approaching Him, giving the people confidence in their divinely appointed spiritual leaders.
Leviticus 9 18 Commentary
Leviticus 9:18 captures a pivotal moment in Israelite worship: the High Priest Aaron's performance of the communal peace offering, foundational for fellowship with a holy God. Following sin and burnt offerings for cleansing and devotion, the peace offering culminated the inaugural sacrifices, symbolizing holistic reconciliation and communion. The details — the specific animals (bullock and ram), the collective beneficiaries ("for the people"), the collaboration with Aaron's sons in preparing the blood, and Aaron's definitive act of splashing it onto the altar — were all divinely ordained. This precision underscored God's absolute holiness, requiring exact obedience and a substitute life (the blood) for proximity and peace. This ritual was not merely symbolic; it was God's prescribed means of enabling a sinful people to live in covenant fellowship with Him, foreshadowing the perfect and permanent peace secured by Jesus Christ, the ultimate High Priest and Peace Offering, whose blood cleanses completely and reconciles all who believe.