Leviticus 16:18
in Leviticus 16Then he shall go out to the altar that is before the LORD and make atonement for it. He is to take some of the bull’s blood and some of the goat’s blood and put it on all the horns of the altar.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And he shall go out unto the altar that is before Jehovah, and make atonement for it, and shall take of the blood of the bullock, and of the blood of the goat, and put it upon the horns of the altar round about.
KJV
And he shall go out unto the altar that is before the Lord, and make an atonement for it; and shall take of the blood of the bullock, and of the blood of the goat, and put it upon the horns of the altar round about.
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This verse in Leviticus 16
Commentary
4 notes on this verseThe altar before the Lord - That is, the altar of incense, where the blood of sacrifices was to be put, particularly the blood of the sin-offerings offered upon this day of atonement, and which is most properly said to be before the Lord, that is, before the place where God in a special manner dwelt.
This site's exposition
go out unto the altar that is before the LORD
on Leviticus 16:18-19
The altar itself is cleansed and hallowed with the blood of both animals. The instrument of atonement needs atonement, and the chapter states that without explaining it. Seven sprinklings again, as on the mercy seat.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
It is certain that the altar of incense had this blood put upon it, for so it is expressly ordered ( Exod. xxx. 10 ); but some think that this directs the high priest to the altar of burnt-offerings, for that also is here called the altar before the Lord (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
And he shall go out unto the altar that is before the Lord,....
How the passage was read
On Leviticus 16:1-34On Leviticus 16:1-34
The day Israel still fasts
This chapter founds the Day of Atonement, in Hebrew Yom Kippur, the most solemn day of the Jewish year: the one day the high priest entered the innermost room of the sanctuary with blood for the nation's sins. With no Temple standing since AD 70, the day is kept now as a full fast: roughly 25 hours with no food or drink, most of it spent in synagogue prayer, many wearing white.
The Mishnah (the first code of Jewish oral law, about AD 200) defines the day's five abstentions: eating and drinking, washing, anointing, leather shoes, and marital relations (Yoma 8:1). It also carries a saying worth any reader's time: the day atones for sins between a person and God, “but for sins between a person and his fellow, the Day of Atonement does not atone until he has appeased his fellow” (Yoma 8:9). Reconciliation with people is homework done before the day.
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.
Sources: Mishnah Yoma 8:1 (the five abstentions) · Mishnah Yoma 8:9 (appease your fellow first) · The Day of Atonement (this site's study)
The words behind it
18 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְיָצָ֗א | veyatza' | and he will go out | H3318 → | 1067 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הַמִּזְבֵּ֛חַ | hamizbeach | the altar | H4196 → | 401 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֥ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| לִפְנֵֽי־ | lifnei- | [is] <to> before | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| יְהוָ֖ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| וְכִפֶּ֣ר | vekhiper | and he will make atonement | H3722 → | 102 times |
| עָלָ֑יו | ʾalav | on it | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| וְלָקַ֞ח | velakach | and he will take | H3947 → | 966 times |
| מִדַּ֤ם | midam | some of [the] blood of | H1818 → | 360 times |
| הַפָּר֙ | hapar | the bull | H6499 → | 132 times |
| וּמִדַּ֣ם | umidam | and some of [the] blood of | H1818 → | 360 times |
| הַשָּׂעִ֔יר | hasair | the male goat | H8163 → | 59 times |
| וְנָתַ֛ן | venatan | and he will put [it] | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| קַרְנ֥וֹת | karnot | [the] horns of | H7161 → | 76 times |
| הַמִּזְבֵּ֖חַ | hamizbeach | the altar | H4196 → | 401 times |
| סָבִֽיב׃ | saviv | all around | H5439 → | 336 times |
וְיָצָ֗אand he will go out
veyatza'H3318 →1067 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
הַמִּזְבֵּ֛חַthe altar
hamizbeachH4196 →401 times
אֲשֶׁ֥רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
לִפְנֵֽי־[is] <to> before
lifnei-H6440 →2123 times
יְהוָ֖הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
וְכִפֶּ֣רand he will make atonement
vekhiperH3722 →102 times
עָלָ֑יוon it
ʾalavH5921 →5755 times
וְלָקַ֞חand he will take
velakachH3947 →966 times
מִדַּ֤םsome of [the] blood of
midamH1818 →360 times
הַפָּר֙the bull
haparH6499 →132 times
וּמִדַּ֣םand some of [the] blood of
umidamH1818 →360 times
הַשָּׂעִ֔ירthe male goat
hasairH8163 →59 times
וְנָתַ֛ןand he will put [it]
venatanH5414 →2011 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
קַרְנ֥וֹת[the] horns of
karnotH7161 →76 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
Leviticus 4:7The priest must then put some of the blood on the horns of the altar of fragrant incense that is before the LORD in the Tent of Meeting. And he is to pour out…
it leads to
- Leviticus 8:15
Moses slaughtered the bull, took some of the blood, and applied it with his finger to all four horns of the altar, purifying the altar. He poured out the rest of the blood at…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Leviticus 9:9
The sons of Aaron brought the blood to him, and he dipped his finger in the blood and applied it to the horns of the altar. And he poured out the rest of the…
- Leviticus 4:34
Then the priest is to take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger, put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and pour out the rest of…
- Leviticus 5:9
then he is to sprinkle some of the blood of the sin offering on the side of the altar, while the rest of the blood is drained out at the base of the altar.…
- Leviticus 4:18
He is also to put some of the blood on the horns of the altar that is before the LORD in the Tent of Meeting, and he must pour out the rest of the…
- Leviticus 8:15
Through
Exodus 30:10Once a year Aaron shall make atonement on the horns of the altar. Throughout your generations he shall make atonement on it annually with the blood of the sin offering of atonement. The altar…
it leads to
- Hebrews 9:22–23
According to the law, in fact, nearly everything must be purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Exodus 29:36–37
Sacrifice a bull as a sin offering each day for atonement. Purify the altar by making atonement for it, and anoint it to consecrate it.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Leviticus 16:29–30
This is to be a permanent statute for you: On the tenth day of the seventh month, you shall humble yourselves and not do any work—whether the native or the foreigner who resides among…
- Hebrews 9:22–23
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies10
On this chapter
About Leviticus
This page draws on John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.