Exodus 29:1
in Exodus 29“Now this is what you are to do to consecrate Aaron and his sons to serve Me as priests: Take a young bull and two rams without blemish,
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And this is the thing that thou shalt do unto them to hallow them, to minister unto me in the priest’s office: take one young bullock and two rams without blemish,
KJV
And this is the thing that thou shalt do unto them to hallow them, to minister unto me in the priest’s office: Take one young bullock, and two rams without blemish,
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This verse in Exodus 29
Commentary
9 notes on this verseHence we gather that true purity and innocence, which was but typical in the Law, is found in Christ alone. "For such an high priest became us," says the Apostle, "who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners," to present Himself before God for us.
This site's exposition
to hallow them, to minister unto me
on Exodus 29:1-3
Chapter 28 made the garments and this chapter fills them. The command runs for seven days, and Exodus never reports it carried out, because the ordination itself is recorded in Leviticus 8, which follows this text almost line by line. The bread brought in the basket is unleavened, the bread of the passover night, carried now for a priesthood rather than for a road.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church1 voice
What follows next explains … the proper manner of consecration which is to be used in dedicating [Aaron and his sons] as well as the tabernacle with all its furnishings. [That manner] is to offer the Lord a calf and two rams and wheat bread …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And this is the thing that thou shalt do unto them,....
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
UNDER the Law, only one family could serve God in the priest's office, but under the Gospel all the saints are "a chosen generation, a royal priesthood" (1 Peter 2:9). In the Christian Church no persons whatever are set apart to the priesthood above the rest of their Brethren, for in us is fulfilled the promise which Israel, by reason of her sin, failed to obtain—"You shall be a kingdom of priests unto Me." Paul, in addressing all the saints, bids them present their bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is their reasonable service.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
hallow them, to minister unto me in the priest's office--The act of inaugurating the priests was accompanied by ceremonial solemnities well calculated not only to lead the people to entertain exalted views of the office, but to impress those functionaries themselves with a profound sense of its magnitude and importance.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
UNDER the Law, only one family could serve God in the priest's office, but under the Gospel all the saints are "a chosen generation, a royal priesthood" (1 Peter 2:9). In the Christian Church no persons whatever are set apart to the priesthood above the rest of their Brethren, for in us is fulfilled the promise which Israel, by reason of her sin, failed to obtain—"You shall be a kingdom of priests unto Me." Paul, in addressing all the saints, bids them present their bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is their reasonable service. It is the grand design of all the works of Divine Grace, both for us and in us, to fit us for the office of the spiritual priesthood, and it will be the crown of our perfection when, with all our Brothers and Sisters, we shall sing unto the Lord Jesus the new song, "Unto Him that loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests unto God and His Father; to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever." All the saints have this honor. According to Peter, in the second chapter of his first Epistle, it belongs even to newborn babes in Grace, for even such are spoken of as forming part of an holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices. Nor is this confined to men as was the Aaronic priesthood, for in Christ Jesus there is neither male nor female. My subject, today, is the consecration of priests, but it does not refer exclusively, or even especially, to persons called clergymen, or ministers—but to all of you who believe in Jesus, for you are God's clergy, His cleros, that is, His inheritance, and you should be all ministers, ministering according to the Divine Grace given to you.
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
Take one young bullock - This consecration did not take place till after the erection of the tabernacle. See Lev 8:9-14.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
The consecration of the priests. See the notes to Lev. 8–9. Exo 29:4 Door of the tabernacle - Entrance of the tent. See Lev 8:3. Exo 29:27 The “waving” was the more solemn process of the two: it was a movement several times repeated, while “heaving” was simply a “lifting up” once. Exo 29:33 A stranger - One of another family, i. e. in this case, one not of the family of Aaron.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
This is what you must do for them to consecrate them to serve [ before ] Me [as kohanim].
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 4 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
17 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְזֶ֨ה | vezeh | and this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
| הַדָּבָ֜ר | hadavar | [is] the thing | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| אֲשֶֽׁר־ | ʾasher- | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| תַּעֲשֶׂ֥ה | taaseh | you will do | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| לָהֶ֛ם | lahem | to <the> them | ||
| לְקַדֵּ֥שׁ | lekadesh | to consecrate | H6942 → | 171 times |
| אֹתָ֖ם | ʾotam | <obj.> them | H853 → | 10935 times |
| לְכַהֵ֣ן | lekhahen | to serve as priests | H3547 → | 23 times |
| לִ֑י | li | <to> <the> me | ||
| לְ֠קַח | lekach | take | H3947 → | 966 times |
| פַּ֣ר | par | a young bull | H6499 → | 132 times |
| אֶחָ֧ד | ʾechad | one | H259 → | 971 times |
| בֶּן־ | ben- | a son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| בָּקָ֛ר | bakar | [the] herd | H1241 → | 183 times |
| וְאֵילִ֥ם | veeilim | and rams | H352 → | 187 times |
| שְׁנַ֖יִם | shenayim | two | H8147 → | 768 times |
| תְּמִימִֽם׃ | temimim | unblemished | H8549 → |
וְזֶ֨הand this
vezehH2088 →1180 times
הַדָּבָ֜ר[is] the thing
hadavarH1697 →1440 times
אֲשֶֽׁר־which
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
תַּעֲשֶׂ֥הyou will do
taasehH6213 →2628 times
לָהֶ֛םto <the> them
lahem
לְקַדֵּ֥שׁto consecrate
lekadeshH6942 →171 times
אֹתָ֖ם<obj.> them
ʾotamH853 →10935 times
לְכַהֵ֣ןto serve as priests
lekhahenH3547 →23 times
לִ֑י<to> <the> me
li
לְ֠קַחtake
lekachH3947 →966 times
פַּ֣רa young bull
parH6499 →132 times
אֶחָ֧דone
ʾechadH259 →971 times
בֶּן־a son of
ben-H1121 →4930 times
בָּקָ֛ר[the] herd
bakarH1241 →183 times
וְאֵילִ֥םand rams
veeilimH352 →187 times
שְׁנַ֖יִםtwo
shenayimH8147 →768 times
תְּמִימִֽם׃unblemished
temimimH8549 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Hebrews 7:26Such a high priest truly befits us—One who is holy, innocent, undefiled, set apart from sinners, and exalted above the heavens.
it leads to
- 2 Corinthians 5:21
God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.
- 1 Peter 2:22
“He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in His mouth.”
- Hebrews 4:14–15
Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we profess.
- 1 John 2:2
He Himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.
- Hebrews 8:1
The point of what we are saying is this: We do have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven,
- 2 Corinthians 5:21
Through
Exodus 12:5Your lamb must be an unblemished year-old male, and you may take it from the sheep or the goats.
it leads to
- Hebrews 9:13–14
For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that their bodies are clean,
- Malachi 1:14
“But cursed is the deceiver who has an acceptable male in his flock and vows to give it, but sacrifices a defective animal to the Lord. For I am a great King,” says the…
- 1 Peter 1:18–19
For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life you inherited from your forefathers,
- Hebrews 9:13–14
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies3
On this verse
About Exodus
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Bede, On the Tabernacle 3.10; Charles Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 1203: “The Consecration of Priests” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Calvin, Commentaries; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.