Leviticus 4:6
in Leviticus 4The priest is to dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle some of it seven times before the LORD, in front of the veil of the sanctuary.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and the priest shall dip his finger in the blood, and sprinkle of the blood seven times before Jehovah, before the veil of the sanctuary.
KJV
And the priest shall dip his finger in the blood, and sprinkle of the blood seven times before the Lord, before the vail of the sanctuary.
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This verse in Leviticus 4
Commentary
8 notes on this verseSeven times - See Clarke’s note on Exo 29:30. The blood of this sacrifice was applied in three different ways: 1. The priest put his finger in it, and sprinkled it seven times before the veil, Lev 4:6. 2. He put some of it on the horns of the altar of incense. 3. He poured the remaining part at the bottom of the altar of burnt-offerings, Lev 4:7.
This site's exposition
the anointed priest shall take some of the bull’s blood
on Leviticus 4:5-7
Clarke counts three places: in front of the veil, on the horns of the altar of fragrant incense, and at the base of the altar. The incense altar is where the priest served day by day, so the blood touches the furniture his own sin touched.
This site's exposition
sprinkle some of it seven times before the LORD
The priest sprinkles with his finger seven times in front of the veil that closed off the Most Holy Place. Matthew Henry notes that the blood was directed toward the mercy seat behind it, though the veil hid it from view.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Some of the blood of the high-priest's sin-offering was to be sprinkled seven times before the veil, with an eye towards the mercy-seat, though it was veiled: some of it was to be put upon the horns of the golden altar, because at that altar the priest himself ministered; and thus was signified the putting away of that pollution which from his sins did cleave to his services.
And the priest shall dip his finger in the blood,....
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
I HAVE preached, before, to you upon the types of our Lord's Sacrifice—the subject is as large as it is important. We began with the laying of the hands upon the offering and we went on to the all-important matter of the slaying of the victim [See Sermon Nos. 1771 and 1772.] Now we come to the use which was made of the blood of the sacrifice after it had been slain. In thinking upon this subject, I seem to hear a voice saying to me, "Put off your shoes from off your feet, for the place whereon you stand is holy ground." This is the central mystery of our religion. It becomes us to be reverent in heart as we approach it. The Doctrine of Substitution is the heart of the whole matter—our whole heart needs to be awakened while we speak upon it. The Son of God, Himself, assuming human nature and, in that Nature bleeding and dying in our place, is the Revelation of Revelation, the wonder of wonders, the Glory of the glorious God! Solemnity and awe may well fill us while we meditate on such a theme. Oh, that the Spirit of God may rest upon us now! May His melting power be over this vast assembly! May the speaker feel it and may the hearers experience it, so that we may, with one consent, in spirit and in truth, look to Him who, by the Eternal Spirit, offered up Himself without spot unto God! The sacrifices under the Law of God were varied according to the uppermost thoughts in the offerers' minds and their peculiar conditions before God. A burnt offering, a peace offering, or a sin offering might be brought, according as men wished to give unto the Lord, to have fellowship with Him, or to confess their sin to Him.
I HAVE preached, before, to you upon the types of our Lord's Sacrifice—the subject is as large as it is important. We began with the laying of the hands upon the offering and we went on to the all-important matter of the slaying of the victim [See Sermon Nos. 1771 and 1772.] Now we come to the use which was made of the blood of the sacrifice after it had been slain.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Before the vail of the sanctuary - This is generally understood to mean the floor of the holy place in front of the veil.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְטָבַ֧ל | vetaval | and he will dip | H2881 → | 16 times |
| הַכֹּהֵ֛ן | hakohen | the priest | H3548 → | 750 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אֶצְבָּע֖וֹ | ʾetzbao | finger his | H676 → | 31 times |
| בַּדָּ֑ם | badam | in the blood | H1818 → | 360 times |
| וְהִזָּ֨ה | vehizah | and he will spatter | H5137 → | 24 times |
| מִן־ | min- | some of | H4480 → | 1188 times |
| הַדָּ֜ם | hadam | the blood | H1818 → | 360 times |
| שֶׁ֤בַע | sheva' | seven | H7651 → | 394 times |
| פְּעָמִים֙ | peamim | times | H6471 → | 118 times |
| לִפְנֵ֣י | lifnei | <to> before | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| יְהוָ֔ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | with | H854 → | 929 times |
| פְּנֵ֖י | penei | [the] face of | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| פָּרֹ֥כֶת | parokhet | [the] curtain of | H6532 → | 25 times |
| הַקֹּֽדֶשׁ׃ | hakodesh | the holy place | H6944 → | 469 times |
וְטָבַ֧לand he will dip
vetavalH2881 →16 times
הַכֹּהֵ֛ןthe priest
hakohenH3548 →750 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
אֶצְבָּע֖וֹfinger his
ʾetzbaoH676 →31 times
בַּדָּ֑םin the blood
badamH1818 →360 times
וְהִזָּ֨הand he will spatter
vehizahH5137 →24 times
מִן־some of
min-H4480 →1188 times
הַדָּ֜םthe blood
hadamH1818 →360 times
שֶׁ֤בַעseven
sheva'H7651 →394 times
פְּעָמִים֙times
peamimH6471 →118 times
לִפְנֵ֣י<to> before
lifneiH6440 →2123 times
יְהוָ֔הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֶת־with
ʾet-H854 →929 times
פְּנֵ֖י[the] face of
peneiH6440 →2123 times
פָּרֹ֥כֶת[the] curtain of
parokhetH6532 →25 times
הַקֹּֽדֶשׁ׃the holy place
hakodeshH6944 →469 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
Joshua 6:4Have seven priests carry seven rams’ horns in front of the ark. Then on the seventh day, march around the city seven times, while the priests blow the horns.
it leads to
- 2 Chronicles 20:17
You need not fight this battle. Take up your positions, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid or discouraged. Go out…
- Revelation 16:1
Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, “Go, pour out on the earth the seven bowls of God’s wrath.”
- Revelation 8:2
And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and they were given seven trumpets.
- 1 Kings 18:43
“Go and look toward the sea,” he said to his servant. So the servant went and looked, and he said, “There is nothing there.” Seven times Elijah said, “Go back.”
- Revelation 1:4
John, To the seven churches in the province of Asia: Grace and peace to you from Him who is and was and is to come, and from the seven Spirits before His throne,
- 2 Chronicles 20:17
Through
Leviticus 14:18The rest of the oil in his palm, the priest is to put on the head of the one to be cleansed, to make atonement for him before the LORD.
it leads to
- Leviticus 4:26
He must burn all its fat on the altar, like the fat of the peace offerings; thus the priest will make atonement for that man’s sin, and he will be forgiven.
- Leviticus 4:26
Through
Leviticus 16:14And he is to take some of the bull’s blood and sprinkle it with his finger on the east side of the mercy seat; then he shall sprinkle some of it with his finger…
it leads to
- Hebrews 9:25
Nor 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.
- Leviticus 4:5–6
Then the anointed priest shall take some of the bull’s blood and bring it into the Tent of Meeting.
- Hebrews 9:25
Where this verse is studied
About Leviticus
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Charles Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 1780: “The Sprinkling of the Blood of the Sacrifice” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition); 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.