Leviticus 16:2
in Leviticus 16And the LORD said to Moses: “Tell your brother Aaron not to enter freely into the Most Holy Place behind the veil in front of the mercy seat on the ark, or else he will die, because I appear in the cloud above the mercy seat.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and Jehovah said unto Moses, Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the holy place within the veil, before the mercy-seat which is upon the ark; that he die not: for I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy-seat.
KJV
And the Lord said unto Moses, Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the holy place within the vail before the mercy seat, which is upon the ark; that he die not: for I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy seat.
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This verse in Leviticus 16
Commentary
7 notes on this verseThat he come not at all times into the holy place - By the holy place we are to understand here what is ordinarily called the Holy of Holies, or most holy place; that place within the veil where the ark of the covenant, etc., were laid up; and where God manifested his presence between the cherubim.
This site's exposition
after the death of the two sons of Aaron
on Leviticus 16:1-2
The chapter is dated by a funeral. Two priests came near in a way they were not told to and died in chapter 10, and the instruction that follows opens by naming them. Aaron may not come inside the vail at all times, and the reason the verse gives for the limit is that he die not.
The record, by era
The Reformation1 voice
The ordinary sprinkling of the altar was sufficient to testify the reconciliation; but this annual ceremony more greatly influenced the people's minds. Again, by this sacrifice, which they saw only once at the end of the year, the one and perpetual sacrifice offered by God's Son was more clearly represented.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
But see what a blessed change is made by the gospel of Christ; all good Christians have now boldness to enter into the holiest, through the veil, every day ( Heb. x. 19, 20 ); and we come boldly (not as Aaron must, with fear and trembling) to the throne of grace, or mercy-seat, Heb. iv.
And the Lord said unto Moses, speak unto Aaron thy brother,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
He was not to attire himself on that occasion in the splendid robes that were proper to his sacred office, but in a plain dress of linen, like the common Levites, for, as he was then to make atonement for his own sins, as well as for those of the people, he was to appear in the humble character of a suppliant.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
The holy place within the vail - See Exo 26:33-34; Heb 9:3. The cloud - Compare Exo 16:10 note. The mercy seat - See Exo 25:17 note.
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.
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
The meaning of the phrase after the death of the two sons of Aaron, is that immediately after the death of his sons He had warned Aaron against [drinking] wine or strong drink [when going into the Tent of Meeting], so that he should not die, 1 Above,:9.
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)
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 7 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
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּ֨אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| יְהוָ֜ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| מֹשֶׁ֗ה | mosheh | Moses | H4872 → | 765 times |
| דַּבֵּר֮ | daber | speak | H1696 → | 1141 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| אַהֲרֹ֣ן | ʾaharon | Aaron | H175 → | 347 times |
| אָחִיךָ֒ | ʾachikha | brother your | H251 → | 630 times |
| וְאַל־ | veal- | and may not | H408 → | 724 times |
| יָבֹ֤א | yavo' | he come | H935 → | 2568 times |
| בְכָל־ | vekhol- | at every | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| עֵת֙ | ʾet | time | H6256 → | 296 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | into | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הַקֹּ֔דֶשׁ | hakodesh | the holy place | H6944 → | 469 times |
| מִבֵּ֖ית | mibeit | from inside | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| לַפָּרֹ֑כֶת | laparokhet | to the curtain | H6532 → | 25 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| פְּנֵ֨י | penei | [the] face of | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| הַכַּפֹּ֜רֶת | hakaporet | the atonement cover | H3727 → | 27 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֤ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | [is] on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| הָאָרֹן֙ | haaron | the ark | H727 → | |
| וְלֹ֣א | velo' | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יָמ֔וּת | yamut | he will die | H4191 → | 839 times |
| כִּ֚י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| בֶּֽעָנָ֔ן | beanan | in the cloud | H6051 → | |
| אֵרָאֶ֖ה | ʾeraeh | I will appear | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | over | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| הַכַּפֹּֽרֶת׃ | hakaporet | the atonement cover | H3727 → | 27 times |
וַיֹּ֨אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
יְהוָ֜הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
מֹשֶׁ֗הMoses
moshehH4872 →765 times
דַּבֵּר֮speak
daberH1696 →1141 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
אַהֲרֹ֣ןAaron
ʾaharonH175 →347 times
אָחִיךָ֒brother your
ʾachikhaH251 →630 times
וְאַל־and may not
veal-H408 →724 times
יָבֹ֤אhe come
yavo'H935 →2568 times
בְכָל־at every
vekhol-H3605 →5413 times
עֵת֙time
ʾetH6256 →296 times
אֶל־into
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
הַקֹּ֔דֶשׁthe holy place
hakodeshH6944 →469 times
מִבֵּ֖יתfrom inside
mibeitH1004 →2046 times
לַפָּרֹ֑כֶתto the curtain
laparokhetH6532 →25 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
פְּנֵ֨י[the] face of
peneiH6440 →2123 times
הַכַּפֹּ֜רֶתthe atonement cover
hakaporetH3727 →27 times
אֲשֶׁ֤רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
עַל־[is] on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
הָאָרֹן֙the ark
haaronH727 →
וְלֹ֣אand not
velo'H3808 →5168 times
יָמ֔וּתhe will die
yamutH4191 →839 times
כִּ֚יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
בֶּֽעָנָ֔ןin the cloud
beananH6051 →
אֵרָאֶ֖הI will appear
ʾeraehH7200 →1300 times
עַל־over
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
הַכַּפֹּֽרֶת׃the atonement cover
hakaporetH3727 →27 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
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
- Leviticus 16:18
Then 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…
- 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.
- 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.
- Leviticus 16:5–6
And he shall take from the congregation of Israel two male goats for a sin offering and one ram for a burnt offering.
- Leviticus 16:18
Through
Hebrews 9:25Nor did He enter heaven to offer Himself again and again, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own.
it leads to
- Hebrews 9:12
He did not enter by the blood of goats and calves, but He entered the Most Holy Place once for all by His own blood, thus securing eternal redemption.
- Hebrews 9:14
how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself unblemished to God, purify our consciences from works of death, so that we may serve the living God!
- Hebrews 9:7
But only the high priest entered the second room, and then only once a year, and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance.
- Hebrews 9:26
Otherwise, Christ would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But now He has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by…
- Hebrews 9:12
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies10
On this chapter
About Leviticus

Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); 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.
