Exodus 29:33
in Exodus 29They must eat those things by which atonement was made for their ordination and consecration. But no outsider may eat them, because these things are sacred.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And they shall eat those things wherewith atonement was made, to consecrate and to sanctify them: but a stranger shall not eat thereof, because they are holy.
KJV
And they shall eat those things wherewith the atonement was made, to consecrate and to sanctify them: but a stranger shall not eat thereof, because they are holy.
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This verse in Exodus 29
Commentary
6 notes on this verseBut a stranger shall not eat thereof - That is, no person who was not of the family of Aaron - no Israelite, and not even a Levite.
This site's exposition
take the ram of the consecration, and seethe
on Exodus 29:31-34
The word atonement occurs for the first time in Scripture at verse 33, seventeen chapters after the passover and four after the tabernacle instructions began. It arrives with the priesthood, and the priests eat the very offering by which the atonement was made, so their first meal in office is the sacrifice that put them there. Nothing may remain until the morning, which is the rule Exodus 12:10 laid down for the passover lamb.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
He supped with them, and they with him. Their eating of the things wherewith the atonement was made signified their receiving the atonement, as the expression is ( Rom. v. 11 ), their thankful acceptance of the benefit of it, and their joyful communion with God thereupon, which was the true intent and meaning of a feast upon a sacrifice.
And they shall eat those things wherewith the atonement was made,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Charles Spurgeon1834–1892
The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 2528: “Eating the Sacrifice” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition) · Written before 1892.
proposed
On the last two Sabbath mornings I have spoken concerning the sacrifices under the Law. Our first sermon was, "Putting the Hand upon the Head of the Sacrifice,," and the next was, "Slaying the Sacrifice" (Nos. 1771 and 1772—Volume 30). Now we are to make an advance and to speak about the eating of the sacrifice, for in certain cases the offerer ate a portion of that which had been presented to God.
A commentator
Charles Spurgeon1834–1892
The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 2528: “Eating the Sacrifice” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition) · Written before 1892.
proposed
On the last two Sabbath mornings I have spoken concerning the sacrifices under the Law. Our first sermon was, "Putting the Hand upon the Head of the Sacrifice,," and the next was, "Slaying the Sacrifice" (Nos. 1771 and 1772—Volume 30). Now we are to make an advance and to speak about the eating of the sacrifice, for in certain cases the offerer ate a portion of that which had been presented to God. It has been said by some people who are very particular in drawing nice distinctions, that there was no eating of a sacrifice in which there was any connection with sin. I beg to differ from that opinion and I have showed you that every sacrifice had something to do with sin, since no sacrifice would have been needed if the man bringing it had not been a sinner. And here, in this case, I might have selected many texts to teach the Truth of God I want to bring out just now, but I have especially chosen this one because it says, "They shall eat those things wherewith the atonement was made." You all know that a covering is only needed for those who are naked, or who have something that requires to be hidden. So, the atonement, or the covering, is evidently intended for the guilty—and has something to do with sin—yet of the things wherewith the atonement was made, Aaron's sons were to eat, so that there is to be an eating, a joyous reception into ourselves even of those things which have a connection with the putting away of sin! The first thing that an offerer did with his victim when he brought it was to appropriate it to himself by laying his hands upon it. So, when a sinner comes to Christ, his first act is to lay his hands upon Christ, that Christ may be shown to belong to the sinner and that the sinner's guilt may be transferred to Christ and borne by Him as the sinner's Substitute.
The words behind it
16 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְאָכְל֤וּ | veakhelu | and they will eat | H398 → | 810 times |
| אֹתָם֙ | ʾotam | <obj.> them | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| כֻּפַּ֣ר | kupar | it was atoned | H3722 → | 102 times |
| בָּהֶ֔ם | bahem | by <the> them | ||
| לְמַלֵּ֥א | lemale' | to fill | H4390 → | 249 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| יָדָ֖ם | yadam | hand their | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| לְקַדֵּ֣שׁ | lekadesh | to consecrate | H6942 → | 171 times |
| אֹתָ֑ם | ʾotam | <obj.> them | H853 → | 10935 times |
| וְזָ֥ר | vezar | and a stranger | H2114 → | 77 times |
| לֹא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יֹאכַ֖ל | yokhal | he will eat [them] | H398 → | 810 times |
| כִּי־ | ki- | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| קֹ֥דֶשׁ | kodesh | [are] a holy thing | H6944 → | 469 times |
| הֵֽם׃ | hem | they | H1992 → | 553 times |
וְאָכְל֤וּand they will eat
veakheluH398 →810 times
אֹתָם֙<obj.> them
ʾotamH853 →10935 times
אֲשֶׁ֣רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
כֻּפַּ֣רit was atoned
kuparH3722 →102 times
בָּהֶ֔םby <the> them
bahem
לְמַלֵּ֥אto fill
lemale'H4390 →249 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
יָדָ֖םhand their
yadamH3027 →1618 times
לְקַדֵּ֣שׁto consecrate
lekadeshH6942 →171 times
אֹתָ֑ם<obj.> them
ʾotamH853 →10935 times
וְזָ֥רand a stranger
vezarH2114 →77 times
לֹא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
יֹאכַ֖לhe will eat [them]
yokhalH398 →810 times
כִּי־for
ki-H3588 →4482 times
קֹ֥דֶשׁ[are] a holy thing
kodeshH6944 →469 times
הֵֽם׃they
hemH1992 →553 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
Numbers 16:5Then he said to Korah and all his followers, “Tomorrow morning the LORD will reveal who belongs to Him and who is holy, and He will bring that person near to Himself. The one…
it leads to
- Psalms 65:4
Blessed is the one You choose and bring near to dwell in Your courts! We are filled with the goodness of Your house, the holiness of Your temple.
- Numbers 17:5
The staff belonging to the man I choose will sprout, and I will rid Myself of the constant grumbling of the Israelites against you.”
- Leviticus 10:3
Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the LORD meant when He said: ‘To those who come near Me I will show My holiness, and in the sight of all the people I…
- 2 Timothy 2:19
Nevertheless, God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord must turn away from iniquity.”
- Numbers 16:3
They came together against Moses and Aaron and told them, “You have taken too much upon yourselves! For everyone in the entire congregation is holy, and the LORD is in their midst. Why then…
- Psalms 65:4
Through
Numbers 18:4They are to join you and attend to the duties of the Tent of Meeting, doing all the work at the Tent; but no outsider may come near you.
it leads to
- 2 Samuel 6:6–7
When they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah reached out and took hold of the ark of God, because the oxen had stumbled.
- Numbers 1:51
Whenever the tabernacle is to move, the Levites are to take it down, and whenever it is to be pitched, the Levites are to set it up. Any outsider who goes near it must…
- 1 Samuel 6:19
But God struck down some of the people of Beth-shemesh because they looked inside the ark of the LORD. He struck down seventy men, and the people mourned because the LORD had struck them…
- 2 Samuel 6:6–7
Where this verse is studied
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About Exodus

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Charles Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 2528: “Eating the Sacrifice” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition); Chuck Missler, Learn the Bible in 24 Hours; 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.
