Exodus 40:15
in Exodus 40Anoint them just as you anointed their father, so that they may also serve Me as priests. Their anointing will qualify them for a permanent priesthood throughout their generations.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and thou shalt anoint them, as thou didst anoint their father, that they may minister unto me in the priest’s office: and their anointing shall be to them for an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations.
KJV
And thou shalt anoint them, as thou didst anoint their father, that they may minister unto me in the priest’s office: for their anointing shall surely be an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations.
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This verse in Exodus 40
Commentary
7 notes on this verseFor their anointing shall surely be an everlasting priesthood - By this anointing a right was given to Aaron and his family to be high priests among the Jews for ever; so that all who should be born of this family should have a right to the priesthood without the repetition of this unction, as they should enjoy this honor in their father’s right, who had it by a particular grant from God. But it appears that the high priest, on his consecration, did receive the holy unction; see Lev 4:3; Lev 6:22; Lev 21:
This site's exposition
Bring his sons forward and clothe them with tunics
on Exodus 40:14-15
The sons are clothed and anointed as their father was, and the anointing brings a permanent priesthood throughout their generations. Hebrews 7:23 says there were many priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office. Two of these sons offer unauthorized fire and die at Leviticus 10:1 and 2.
This site's exposition
a permanent priesthood throughout their generations
Adam Clarke reads the verse as a grant to the sons of Aaron, so later priests served by birth and were not anointed again. Each new high priest was still anointed with the oil, he adds, citing Leviticus 4:3. John Wesley holds this anointing sufficient for all their generations.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Their anointing shall be an everlasting priesthood - A seal that their priesthood shall continue as long as the Jewish polity lasts. He signifies that this unction should be sufficient for all succeeding priests.
And thou shall anoint them as thou didst anoint their father,....
The law which was now ordered to be put in execution we had before, ch. xxix. Thus in the visible church, which is God's tabernacle among men, it is requisite that there be ministers to keep the charge of the sanctuary, and that they receive the anointing.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
anoint them, as thou didst anoint their fathers--The sacred oil was used, but it does not appear that the ceremony was performed exactly in the same manner; for although the anointing oil was sprinkled over the garments both of Aaron and his sons (Ex 29:21;
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase+unbalanced-parens
The words behind it
15 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וּמָשַׁחְתָּ֣ | umashachta | and you will anoint | H4886 → | 70 times |
| אֹתָ֗ם | ʾotam | <obj.> them | H853 → | 10935 times |
| כַּאֲשֶׁ֤ר | kaasher | just as | H834 → | 5497 times |
| מָשַׁ֙חְתָּ֙ | mashachta | you anointed | H4886 → | 70 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אֲבִיהֶ֔ם | ʾavihem | father their | H1 → | 1212 times |
| וְכִהֲנ֖וּ | vekhihanu | and they will serve as priests | H3547 → | 23 times |
| לִ֑י | li | <to> <the> me | ||
| וְ֠הָיְתָה | vehayetah | and it will become | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| לִהְיֹ֨ת | lihyot | to be | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| לָהֶ֧ם | lahem | for <the> them | ||
| מָשְׁחָתָ֛ם | mashechatam | anointing their | H4888 → | 26 times |
| לִכְהֻנַּ֥ת | likhhunat | <into> a priesthood of | H3550 → | |
| עוֹלָ֖ם | olam | perpetuity | H5769 → | 438 times |
| לְדֹרֹתָֽם׃ | ledorotam | to generations their | H1755 → | 167 times |
וּמָשַׁחְתָּ֣and you will anoint
umashachtaH4886 →70 times
אֹתָ֗ם<obj.> them
ʾotamH853 →10935 times
כַּאֲשֶׁ֤רjust as
kaasherH834 →5497 times
מָשַׁ֙חְתָּ֙you anointed
mashachtaH4886 →70 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
אֲבִיהֶ֔םfather their
ʾavihemH1 →1212 times
וְכִהֲנ֖וּand they will serve as priests
vekhihanuH3547 →23 times
לִ֑י<to> <the> me
li
וְ֠הָיְתָהand it will become
vehayetahH1961 →3559 times
לִהְיֹ֨תto be
lihyotH1961 →3559 times
לָהֶ֧םfor <the> them
lahem
מָשְׁחָתָ֛םanointing their
mashechatamH4888 →26 times
לִכְהֻנַּ֥ת<into> a priesthood of
likhhunatH3550 →
עוֹלָ֖םperpetuity
olamH5769 →438 times
לְדֹרֹתָֽם׃to generations their
ledorotamH1755 →167 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
Psalms 110:4The LORD has sworn and will not change His mind: “You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.”
it leads to
- Hebrews 7:17
For it is testified: “You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.”
- Hebrews 5:6
And in another passage God says: “You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.”
- Hebrews 7:21
but Jesus became a priest with an oath by the One who said to Him: “The Lord has sworn and will not change His mind: ‘You are a priest forever.’”
- Genesis 14:18
Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine—since he was priest of God Most High—
- Hebrews 7:11
Now if perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood (for on this basis the people received the law), why was there still need for another priest to appear—one in the order of…
- Hebrews 7:17
Through
Numbers 25:13It will be a covenant of permanent priesthood for him and his descendants, because he was zealous for his God and made atonement for the Israelites.”
it leads to
- Hebrews 2:17
For this reason He had to be made like His brothers in every way, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, in order to make atonement…
- Psalms 106:31
It was credited to him as righteousness for endless generations to come.
- 1 Chronicles 6:4–15
Eleazar was the father of Phinehas, Phinehas was the father of Abishua,
- Hebrews 2:17
Where this verse is studied
On this page
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On this verse
About Exodus
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Sir Robert Anderson, Types in Hebrews.