Leviticus 16:15
in Leviticus 16Aaron shall then slaughter the goat for the sin offering for the people and bring its blood behind the veil, and with its blood he must do as he did with the bull’s blood: He is to sprinkle it against the mercy seat and in front of it.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Then shall he kill the goat of the sin-offering, that is for the people, and bring his blood within the veil, and do with his blood as he did with the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it upon the mercy-seat, and before the mercy-seat:
KJV
Then shall he kill the goat of the sin offering, that is for the people, and bring his blood within the vail, and do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it upon the mercy seat, and before the mercy seat:
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This verse in Leviticus 16
Commentary
5 notes on this verseThen shall he kill the goat of the sin offering that is for the people,.... That upon which the lot came for the Lord, Lev 16:9; the high priest having sprinkled the blood of the bullock, came out of the most holy place, and went into the court of the tabernacle to the altar of burnt offering, and on the north side of that slew the goat for the sin offering, the place where all such were killed; see Lev 1:
This site's exposition
take some of the bull’s blood and sprinkle it with his finger
on Leviticus 16:14-15
The blood goes on the mercy seat and before it, seven times, applied with a finger. What is sprinkled is the lid of the box that holds the law, so the covering over the commandments receives the blood.
This site's exposition
bring its blood behind the veil
This is the high priest's third entry behind the veil that day, after the incense and the bull's blood, as Matthew Henry counts it. John Wesley explains that once a year meant one day, with several entries in it. John Gill places the killing at the altar in the court.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Then shall he kill the goat - He went out of the holy of holies, and killed it, and then returned thither again with its blood. And whereas the high-priest is said to be allowed to enter into that place but once in a year, that is to be understood, but one day in a year, though there was occasion of going in and coming out more than once upon that day.
) and go the third time into the holy of holies, to sprinkle the blood of the goat, as he had done that of the bullock; and thus he was to make atonement for the holy place (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation
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
25 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְשָׁחַ֞ט | veshachat | and he will cut [the] throat of | H7819 → | 81 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| שְׂעִ֤יר | seir | [the] male goat of | H8163 → | 59 times |
| הַֽחַטָּאת֙ | hachatat | the sin offering | H2403 → | 295 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| לָעָ֔ם | laam | [is] for the people | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| וְהֵבִיא֙ | vehevi' | and he will bring | H935 → | 2568 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| דָּמ֔וֹ | damo | blood its | H1818 → | 360 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| מִבֵּ֖ית | mibeit | from inside | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| לַפָּרֹ֑כֶת | laparokhet | to the curtain | H6532 → | 25 times |
| וְעָשָׂ֣ה | veasah | and he will do | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | with | H854 → | 929 times |
| דָּמ֗וֹ | damo | blood its | H1818 → | 360 times |
| כַּאֲשֶׁ֤ר | kaasher | just as | H834 → | 5497 times |
| עָשָׂה֙ | ʾasah | he did | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| לְדַ֣ם | ledam | to [the] blood of | H1818 → | 360 times |
| הַפָּ֔ר | hapar | the bull | H6499 → | 132 times |
| וְהִזָּ֥ה | vehizah | and he will spatter | H5137 → | 24 times |
| אֹת֛וֹ | ʾoto | <obj.> it | H853 → | 10935 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| הַכַּפֹּ֖רֶת | hakaporet | the atonement cover | H3727 → | 27 times |
| וְלִפְנֵ֥י | velifnei | and <to> before | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| הַכַּפֹּֽרֶת׃ | hakaporet | the atonement cover | H3727 → | 27 times |
וְשָׁחַ֞טand he will cut [the] throat of
veshachatH7819 →81 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
שְׂעִ֤יר[the] male goat of
seirH8163 →59 times
הַֽחַטָּאת֙the sin offering
hachatatH2403 →295 times
אֲשֶׁ֣רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
לָעָ֔ם[is] for the people
laamH5971 →1873 times
וְהֵבִיא֙and he will bring
vehevi'H935 →2568 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
דָּמ֔וֹblood its
damoH1818 →360 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
מִבֵּ֖יתfrom inside
mibeitH1004 →2046 times
לַפָּרֹ֑כֶתto the curtain
laparokhetH6532 →25 times
וְעָשָׂ֣הand he will do
veasahH6213 →2628 times
אֶת־with
ʾet-H854 →929 times
דָּמ֗וֹblood its
damoH1818 →360 times
כַּאֲשֶׁ֤רjust as
kaasherH834 →5497 times
עָשָׂה֙he did
ʾasahH6213 →2628 times
לְדַ֣םto [the] blood of
ledamH1818 →360 times
הַפָּ֔רthe bull
haparH6499 →132 times
וְהִזָּ֥הand he will spatter
vehizahH5137 →24 times
אֹת֛וֹ<obj.> it
ʾotoH853 →10935 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
הַכַּפֹּ֖רֶתthe atonement cover
hakaporetH3727 →27 times
וְלִפְנֵ֥יand <to> before
velifneiH6440 →2123 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
Hebrews 9:12He 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.
it leads to
- Hebrews 10:4
because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
- 1 Peter 1:18–19
For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life you inherited from your forefathers,
- 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 10:4
Through
Hebrews 6:19We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain,
it leads to
- Romans 5:5–10
And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.
- Psalms 43:5
Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why the unease within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God.
- Romans 8:28–39
And we know that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose.
- Romans 5:5–10
Through
Hebrews 2:17For 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…
it leads to
- Philippians 2:7–8
but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in human likeness.
- Hebrews 4:14
Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we profess.
- Philippians 2:7–8
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies18
On this verse
On this chapter
About Leviticus
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on 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; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Sir Robert Anderson, Types in Hebrews.