Chapter Nine

Aaron’s first sacrifice with the miraculous descent of fire from heaven, and the high priest’s first blessing of the people

Leviticus 9:1. On the eighth day, Moses called Aaron and his sons and the elders of Israel Leviticus 9:2. and said to Aaron: Take for yourself a young bull as a sin offering and a ram as a burnt offering, both without blemish, and present them before the Lord After 7 days of the consecration of the tabernacle and the ordination of the Old Testament priests, on the 8th day of Nisan in the 2nd year (Exod 40:17: the tabernacle was set up on the 1st day of the 1st month, Nisan, in the 2nd year after leaving Egypt), the tabernacle was to be shown as a place of gracious presence and the action of Jehovah, and the priests were to appear for the first time in service as mediators between the people and God. As before (cf. Lev 8:2) the representatives of the people are summoned and as before (cf. Lev 8:17-18) the high priest is commanded to present 2 offerings: for sin – a young bull and for a burnt offering – a ram

Leviticus 9:3. and say to the sons of Israel: Take a male goat as a sin offering, [and a ram,] and a calf, and a lamb, each a year old, without blemish, as a burnt offering Leviticus 9:4. and a bull and a ram as a peace offering, so as to make a sacrifice before the Lord, and a grain offering mingled with oil, for today the Lord will appear to you For the people are brought: a) as a sin offering – a male goat, which was brought for the sin specifically of an individual prince of the people (Lev 4:22), – here the representatives of the people – the elders act as if from themselves: b) as a burnt offering – a calf and a ram; c) as a peace offering – apparently made jointly from the people and the priesthood – a bull and a ram. The greatest significance of this offering: the gracious manifestation of the glory of the Lord (Lev 9:4), in the form of a radiant cloud

Leviticus 9:5. And they brought what Moses commanded before the tabernacle of meeting, and all the congregation came near and stood before the Lord Leviticus 9:6. And Moses said: Behold, the Lord has commanded to be done, and his glory shall appear to you Leviticus 9:7. And Moses said to Aaron: Draw near to the altar and perform your sin offering and your burnt offering, and make atonement for yourself and the people, and make an offering for the people, and make atonement for them, as the Lord commanded Leviticus 9:8. And Aaron drew near to the altar and slaughtered the young bull that was for him as a sin offering Moses awakens awareness of the importance of the moment both in all the people and especially in the priesthood when he says to Aaron “draw near to the altar and make atonement for yourself and the people” (Lev 9:7)

Leviticus 9:9. Aaron’s sons brought the blood to him, and he dipped his finger in the blood and put it on the horns of the altar, and poured out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar Leviticus 9:10. and the fat and the kidneys and the caul of the liver from the sin offering he burned on the altar, as the Lord commanded Moses Leviticus 9:11. and the flesh and the skin he burned with fire outside the camp Leviticus 9:12. And he slaughtered the burnt offering, and Aaron’s sons brought the blood to him; and he sprinkled it on the altar on all sides The first offering which Aaron brings for himself – a sin offering for his own sins. The blood of this offering (the young bull), however, is not brought into the sanctuary (according to the ordinance Lev 4:7), which Aaron enters through Moses only later (Lev 9:23), but is placed on the horns of the burnt offering altar (as in the consecration, Lev 8:15). Otherwise the present sin offering is performed according to the ordinance Lev 4:9-12

Leviticus 9:12. And he slaughtered the burnt offering, and Aaron’s sons brought the blood to him; and he sprinkled it on the altar on all sides Leviticus 9:13. and they brought the burnt offering to him in pieces and the head, and he burned it on the altar Leviticus 9:14. and the entrails and the legs he washed and burned with the burnt offering on the altar The burnt offering is performed according to the ordinance Lev 1, as the grain offering (Lev 2:17) according to the ordinance Lev 2, apart from the usual morning grain offering (Exod 29:39)

Leviticus 9:15. And he presented the offering for the people, and took the male goat for sin from the people, and slaughtered it, and brought it as a sin offering, as he had done before The flesh of the people’s sin offering belonged to the priests (Lev 6:26), but on this first day of offering it was burned by mistake (Lev 10:16)

Leviticus 9:18. And he slaughtered the bull and the ram, which were for the peace offering of the people; and Aaron’s sons brought the blood to him, and he sprinkled it on the altar on all sides Leviticus 9:19. and they brought the fat from the bull and the fat tail from the ram, and the fat that covers the entrails, and the kidneys and the caul of the liver Leviticus 9:20. and they placed the fat on the breast, and he burned the fat on the altar Leviticus 9:21. the breast and the right shoulder Aaron presented, waving them before the Lord, as Moses commanded The peace offering is brought according to the ordinance concerning it in Lev 3:2-5

Leviticus 9:22. And Aaron lifted his hands toward the people and blessed them, and came down from offering the sin offering and the burnt offering and the peace offering The concluding act of the offering is Aaron’s blessing, which he gave to the people from the steps of the altar. The act of blessing, when directed to an individual, was accompanied by the laying of hand on his head (Gen 48:14), but toward a multitude it was expressed by extending the hands toward them. Later, Num 6:22-27, a definite formula of the priestly blessing was given. In what words Aaron’s blessing and then, Lev 9:23, that of Moses and Aaron, was spoken is not stated. Jewish tradition referred here to Ps 89:17: “May the favor of the Lord our God be with us” or such a good wish (according to the Targum of Jerusalem): “May your offerings be accepted, and may the Lord dwell in your midst, and may he forgive you your transgressions”

Leviticus 9:23. And Moses and Aaron entered the tabernacle of meeting, and came out, and blessed the people. And the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people Leviticus 9:24. and fire came forth from before the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the fat on the altar; and when all the people saw it, they gave a loud cry and fell on their faces The solemn introduction of Aaron into the sanctuary by Moses, the manifestation of the glory of the Lord to the people (cf. Exod 40:34; 1 Sam 8:10-12; 2 Chr 7:1) in the form of a cloud filling the sanctuary and the appearance of heavenly fire (from the cloud) on the offering, a sign of divine acceptance of it (cf. Judg 6:20-21; 1 Sam 18:38), and the reverent joy of the people concluded the solemn sacred acts