Exodus 29:20
in Exodus 29Slaughter the ram, take some of its blood, and put it on the right earlobes of Aaron and his sons, on the thumbs of their right hands, and on the big toes of their right feet. Sprinkle the remaining blood on all sides of the altar.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Then shalt thou kill the ram, and take of its blood, and put it upon the tip of the right ear of Aaron, and upon the tip of the right ear of his sons, and upon the thumb of their right hand, and upon the great toe of their right foot, and sprinkle the blood upon the altar round about.
KJV
Then shalt thou kill the ram, and take of his blood, and put it upon the tip of the right ear of Aaron, and upon the tip of the right ear of his sons, and upon the thumb of their right hand, and upon the great toe of their right foot, and sprinkle the blood upon the altar round about.
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This verse in Exodus 29
Commentary
4 notes on this verseThen shall thou kill the ram,.... As the other: and take of his blood, some part of it being received into a basin: and put it upon the tip of the right ear of Aaron, and upon the tip of the right ear of his sons; according to Jarchi, this is the middle gristle within the ear; but Saadiah more rightly says it is the tender part which joins to the orb of the ear.
This site's exposition
Take the second ram
on Exodus 29:19-21
Blood goes on “the right earlobes,” “the thumbs of their right hands,” and “the big toes of their right feet”. What a priest hears, handles and walks on is marked, and Leviticus 14:14 puts the same marks on a cleansed leper.
The record, by era
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
Take of his blood - The putting the blood of the sacrifice on the tip of the right ear, the thumb of the right hand, and the great toe of the right foot, was doubtless intended to signify that they should dedicate all their faculties and powers to the service of God; their ears to the hearing and study of his law, their hands to diligence in the sacred ministry and to all acts of obedience, and their feet to walking in the way of God’s precepts.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
And there was a marked peculiarity in the manner in which this other ram was to be disposed of. The former was for the glory of God--this was for the comfort of the priest himself; and as a sign of a mutual covenant being ratified, the blood of the sacrifice was divided--part sprinkled on the altar round about, and part upon the persons and garments of the priests.
The words behind it
29 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְשָׁחַטְתָּ֣ | veshachata | and you will slaughter | H7819 → | 81 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הָאַ֗יִל | haayil | the ram | H352 → | 187 times |
| וְלָקַחְתָּ֤ | velakachta | and you will take | H3947 → | 966 times |
| מִדָּמוֹ֙ | midamo | some of blood its | H1818 → | 360 times |
| וְנָֽתַתָּ֡ה | venatatah | and you will put [it] | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| תְּנוּךְ֩ | tenukh | [the] lobe of | H8571 → | |
| אֹ֨זֶן | ʾozen | [the] ear of | H241 → | 187 times |
| אַהֲרֹ֜ן | ʾaharon | Aaron | H175 → | 347 times |
| וְעַל־ | veal- | and on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| תְּנ֨וּךְ | tenukh | [the] lobe of | H8571 → | |
| אֹ֤זֶן | ʾozen | [the] ear of | H241 → | 187 times |
| בָּנָיו֙ | banav | sons his | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| הַיְמָנִ֔ית | haymanit | <the> right | H3233 → | 32 times |
| וְעַל־ | veal- | and on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| בֹּ֤הֶן | bohen | [the] thumb of | H931 → | |
| יָדָם֙ | yadam | hand their | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| הַיְמָנִ֔ית | haymanit | <the> right | H3233 → | 32 times |
| וְעַל־ | veal- | and on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| בֹּ֥הֶן | bohen | [the] big toe of | H931 → | |
| רַגְלָ֖ם | raglam | foot their | H7272 → | 247 times |
| הַיְמָנִ֑ית | haymanit | <the> right | H3233 → | 32 times |
| וְזָרַקְתָּ֧ | vezarakta | and you will sprinkle | H2236 → | 35 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַדָּ֛ם | hadam | the blood | H1818 → | 360 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| הַמִּזְבֵּ֖חַ | hamizbeach | the altar | H4196 → | 401 times |
| סָבִֽיב׃ | saviv | all around | H5439 → | 336 times |
וְשָׁחַטְתָּ֣and you will slaughter
veshachataH7819 →81 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הָאַ֗יִלthe ram
haayilH352 →187 times
וְלָקַחְתָּ֤and you will take
velakachtaH3947 →966 times
מִדָּמוֹ֙some of blood its
midamoH1818 →360 times
וְנָֽתַתָּ֡הand you will put [it]
venatatahH5414 →2011 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
תְּנוּךְ֩[the] lobe of
tenukhH8571 →
אֹ֨זֶן[the] ear of
ʾozenH241 →187 times
אַהֲרֹ֜ןAaron
ʾaharonH175 →347 times
וְעַל־and on
veal-H5921 →5755 times
תְּנ֨וּךְ[the] lobe of
tenukhH8571 →
אֹ֤זֶן[the] ear of
ʾozenH241 →187 times
בָּנָיו֙sons his
banavH1121 →4930 times
הַיְמָנִ֔ית<the> right
haymanitH3233 →32 times
וְעַל־and on
veal-H5921 →5755 times
בֹּ֤הֶן[the] thumb of
bohenH931 →
יָדָם֙hand their
yadamH3027 →1618 times
הַיְמָנִ֔ית<the> right
haymanitH3233 →32 times
וְעַל־and on
veal-H5921 →5755 times
בֹּ֥הֶן[the] big toe of
bohenH931 →
רַגְלָ֖םfoot their
raglamH7272 →247 times
הַיְמָנִ֑ית<the> right
haymanitH3233 →32 times
וְזָרַקְתָּ֧and you will sprinkle
vezaraktaH2236 →35 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַדָּ֛םthe blood
hadamH1818 →360 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
הַמִּזְבֵּ֖חַthe altar
hamizbeachH4196 →401 times
סָבִֽיב׃all around
savivH5439 →336 times
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 10:22let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
it leads to
- Ezekiel 36:25
I will also sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. I will cleanse you from all your impurities and all your idols.
- John 3:5
Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.
- Ephesians 5:26
to sanctify her, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word,
- 1 Peter 3:21
And this water symbolizes the baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body, but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
- 1 Corinthians 6:11
And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
- Ezekiel 36:25
Through
Hebrews 12:24to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.
it leads to
- Hebrews 9:15
Therefore Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, now that He has died to redeem them from the transgressions committed under…
- Hebrews 11:28
By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch Israel’s own firstborn.
- Hebrews 11:4
By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous when God gave approval to his gifts. And by faith he still speaks, even though he…
- Hebrews 9:15
Where this verse is studied
About Exodus

Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Alfred Edersheim, The Temple: Its Ministry and Services; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible and John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763).
