Leviticus 9:24 kjv
And there came a fire out from before the LORD, and consumed upon the altar the burnt offering and the fat: which when all the people saw, they shouted, and fell on their faces.
Leviticus 9:24 nkjv
and fire came out from before the LORD and consumed the burnt offering and the fat on the altar. When all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces.
Leviticus 9:24 niv
Fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed the burnt offering and the fat portions on the altar. And when all the people saw it, they shouted for joy and fell facedown.
Leviticus 9:24 esv
And fire came out from before the LORD and consumed the burnt offering and the pieces of fat on the altar, and when all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces.
Leviticus 9:24 nlt
Fire blazed forth from the LORD's presence and consumed the burnt offering and the fat on the altar. When the people saw this, they shouted with joy and fell face down on the ground.
Leviticus 9 24 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 15:17 | "When the sun had gone down...a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed" | God's presence validating covenant; fire as a symbol of His presence. |
| Exod 3:2 | "And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire" | Divine revelation through fire, signifying holiness. |
| Exod 19:16, 18 | "there were thunder...lightning flashes...and a very loud trumpet blast...Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke because the Lord had descended on it in fire." | Divine presence and holiness at Sinai, inducing awe and fear. |
| Exod 24:17 | "Now the appearance of the glory of the Lord was like a devouring fire" | God's glory depicted as consuming fire. |
| Exod 29:43 | "There I will meet with the people of Israel, and it shall be sanctified by my glory." | God promises His glory will consecrate His presence. |
| Exod 40:34-35 | "Then the cloud covered the tent...and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle." | God's glory filling and indwelling His sanctuary. |
| Num 11:1 | "the fire of the Lord burned among them and consumed some outlying parts of the camp." | Divine fire as judgment or consumption. |
| Num 16:22 | "And they fell on their faces and said, 'O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh...'" | Prostration as a response to God's holiness or impending judgment. |
| Deut 4:24 | "For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God." | God's character as a consuming fire, related to holiness and jealousy. |
| 1 Kgs 18:38 | "Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering..." | God consuming Elijah's sacrifice, proving His deity. |
| 1 Chr 21:26 | "And David built an altar there...and called on the Lord, and he answered him by fire" | God accepting David's sacrifice with fire from heaven. |
| 2 Chr 7:1 | "As soon as Solomon finished his prayer, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices..." | God accepting sacrifices and consecrating the Temple at its dedication. |
| Psa 50:3 | "Our God comes...a devouring fire is before him, a mighty tempest all around him." | God's coming often accompanied by consuming fire. |
| Psa 97:3-4 | "Fire goes before him and burns up his adversaries all around...His lightnings light up the world." | Divine fire in relation to His majesty and judgment. |
| Isa 6:6-7 | "Then one of the seraphim flew to me...with a burning coal...and touched my mouth" | Fire from the altar purifying and consecrating for service. |
| Ezek 1:28 | "Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell on my face..." | Vision of God's glory inducing prostration. |
| Joel 2:30 | "I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke." | Prophetic association of fire with divine manifestation and end-times events. |
| Mal 3:2-3 | "For he is like a refiner's fire...He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver..." | Divine presence purifying, like a refiner's fire. |
| Heb 9:11-14 | "But when Christ appeared as a high priest...he entered once for all into the holy places, by means of his own blood..." | Christ's perfect sacrifice, fulfilling the Levitical system, cleansed by a greater spiritual fire. |
| Heb 10:1-4 | "For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form..." | The old sacrifices were a shadow, pointing to Christ's definitive sacrifice. |
| Heb 12:28-29 | "let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire." | Exhortation to proper worship in light of God's nature as consuming fire. |
| 1 Pet 2:5 | "you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." | New Testament priesthood offering spiritual sacrifices, fulfilled in Christ. |
| Rev 1:17 | "When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead." | Prostration in the presence of overwhelming divine glory (of the resurrected Christ). |
Leviticus 9 verses
Leviticus 9 24 Meaning
Leviticus 9:24 describes a dramatic divine act where fire, originating directly from the presence of the Lord, miraculously consumed the inaugural burnt offering and the fat upon the altar. This spontaneous divine ignition served as God's unmistakable affirmation of His acceptance of Aaron's priestly service and the newly consecrated Tabernacle worship system. Witnessing this overwhelming manifestation of divine power and glory, all the people present responded with profound awe, shouting with joy and falling prostrate in worship before the Lord.
Leviticus 9 24 Context
Leviticus Chapter 9 marks the culmination of the consecration ceremonies for Aaron and his sons as priests and the official inauguration of Tabernacle worship. Following the meticulous instructions detailed in Leviticus 8 regarding their anointing, vestments, and offerings, chapter 9 describes Aaron's first official priestly service on the eighth day. He offers sacrifices first for himself to atone for his own sins, and then for the whole congregation, including a burnt offering, sin offering, and peace offerings, as commanded by the Lord. Verse 23 states that Moses and Aaron then entered the Tent of Meeting, came out, and blessed the people, and the glory of the Lord appeared. Leviticus 9:24 is the powerful divine validation of this entire process, demonstrating God's acceptance and presence. This moment was crucial for establishing the legitimacy of the newly instituted priesthood and the system of sacrificial worship. It solidified Israel's understanding that access to God was strictly by His ordained means and according to His holy character.
Leviticus 9 24 Word analysis
- And there came a fire (וַתֵּצֵא אֵשׁ, _vatteze eish_): This emphasizes the spontaneous, active coming forth of the fire. It did not originate from human hands or already existing altar coals, but directly from the divine presence, making it a miraculous event. The Hebrew verb implies an outward movement from within.
- out from before the Lord (מִלִּפְנֵי יְהוָה, _mil-lifney YHWH_): "Before the Lord" signifies not just location, but active origination from His very person or presence. This divine source distinguishes it from common fire or even the sacred fire maintained by the priests, affirming God's direct agency and authentication.
- and consumed (וַתֹּאכַל, _vat-to'khal_): Literally "and it ate" or "devoured." This action signifies complete and total consumption, signifying God's full acceptance of the offering. It also speaks to the intense heat and power of the divine fire.
- upon the altar the burnt offering (הָעֹלָה, _ha'olah_): The "burnt offering" (עֹלָה, _olah_) was entirely consumed by fire, symbolizing complete dedication to God and the whole person. This primary offering demonstrated total surrender and atonement.
- and the fat (וְאֶת-הַחֲלָבִים, _ve'et-ha'khalavim_): The fat was considered the richest and choicest part, reserved for God (Lev 3:16). Its consumption by divine fire further emphasized God's specific acceptance of the offerings and His claim to the very best.
- which when all the people saw (וַיַּרְא כָּל-הָעָם, _vayyar kol-ha'am_): Emphasizes the public nature of the miracle. This was not a private vision but a manifest event witnessed by the entire congregation, ensuring their collective testimony and understanding.
- they shouted (וַיִּרְנּוּ, _vayir'nu_): From the root "ranan," meaning to shout for joy, exult, sing loudly. This expresses immediate, overflowing praise and jubilation in response to God's presence and acceptance. It reflects uninhibited adoration.
- and fell on their faces (וַיִּפְּלוּ עַל-פְּנֵיהֶם, _vayipplu al-penehem_): A posture of profound reverence, humility, awe, and submission. It demonstrates their overwhelming fear of the Lord's majesty combined with adoration for His goodness in accepting their worship. It signifies both worship and holy terror.
Leviticus 9 24 Bonus section
- Immediate Contrast and Consequence: This powerful affirmation in Leviticus 9:24 sets up a stark contrast with the events of Leviticus 10, where Aaron's sons, Nadab and Abihu, offered "strange fire" before the Lord. The consequence of their disobedience was death by fire from the Lord, emphasizing the crucial distinction between acceptable and unacceptable worship and underscoring the severe requirements for approaching a holy God.
- Typology and Fulfillment: The Levitical fire from the Lord consuming the sacrifices foreshadows the ultimate, perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ. While literal fire consumed animals in the Old Testament, Christ's self-sacrifice on the cross satisfied God's justice entirely, acting as the once-for-all atonement for sin. This spiritual "consuming" fulfilled the temporary shadows of the Mosaic Law, making access to God possible not through animal sacrifices, but through faith in the crucified and risen Savior.
- Divine Initiation and Confirmation: This verse emphasizes that the efficacy of the Tabernacle system rested not on human ritual, but on divine acceptance. The fire proved that God was truly present and delighted in their obedient worship, authenticating the priests and their service.
Leviticus 9 24 Commentary
Leviticus 9:24 records a climactic moment: God's visible, fiery endorsement of the newly consecrated priesthood and Tabernacle worship. The fire originating "from before the Lord" signifies that acceptable worship is ultimately initiated and affirmed by God Himself. This divine act demonstrated His immediate acceptance of Aaron's offerings for himself and the people, confirming that the new sacrificial system provided a legitimate path for a holy God to dwell among His sinful people. The people's response—a mix of exuberant shouting and humble prostration—highlights the dual nature of encountering divine holiness: profound joy in His presence and reverent fear before His power. This event solidified their faith in Moses and Aaron's leadership and the divine institution of the Levitical law, serving as a powerful and undeniable sign for the nascent nation of Israel.