Leviticus 8:15
in Leviticus 8Moses 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 the base of the altar and consecrated it so that atonement could be made on it.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And he slew it; and Moses took the blood, and put it upon the horns of the altar round about with his finger, and purified the altar, and poured out the blood at the base of the altar, and sanctified it, to make atonement for it.
KJV
And he slew it; and Moses took the blood, and put it upon the horns of the altar round about with his finger, and purified the altar, and poured the blood at the bottom of the altar, and sanctified it, to make reconciliation upon it.
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This verse in Leviticus 8
Commentary
4 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
Moses then brought the bull near for the sin offering
on Leviticus 8:14-15
The first sacrifice at the new tabernacle is a sin offering for the men about to become priests. The blood on the horns purifies the altar, so the instrument of atonement is atoned for before it is used.
This site's exposition
applied it with his finger to all four horns of the altar
The blood has two uses in the verse: a little on the horns and the rest poured out at the base of the altar. The pouring follows the rule for a priest's sin offering at Leviticus 4:7.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And he slew it,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
brought the bullock for the sin offering, &c.--a timely expression of their sense of unworthiness--a public and solemn confession of their personal sins and a transference of their guilt to the typical victim.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
“He cleansed it and purified it from anything ‘strange’ [not holy], so that it might enter into a state of holiness. AND HE SANCTIFIED IT by this rite. TO MAKE ATONEMENT UPON IT — from that time onward for all atonements of sin.” This is the language of Rashi.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
הכבד [AND THE LOBE OF] THE LIVER — i. e. he took it (the lobe) besides some of the liver — it means that he took a little of the liver with it (the lobe).
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.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 4 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
23 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיִּשְׁחָ֗ט | vaiyishchat | and he cut [the] throat of [it] | H7819 → | 81 times |
| וַיִּקַּ֨ח | vaiyikach | and he took | H3947 → | 966 times |
| מֹשֶׁ֤ה | mosheh | Moses | H4872 → | 765 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַדָּם֙ | hadam | the blood | H1818 → | 360 times |
| וַ֠יִּתֵּן | vaiyiten | and he put [it] | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| קַרְנ֨וֹת | karnot | [the] horns of | H7161 → | 76 times |
| הַמִּזְבֵּ֤חַ | hamizbeach | the altar | H4196 → | 401 times |
| סָבִיב֙ | saviv | all around | H5439 → | 336 times |
| בְּאֶצְבָּע֔וֹ | beetzbao | with finger his | H676 → | 31 times |
| וַיְחַטֵּ֖א | vaychate' | and he cleansed from sin | H2398 → | 238 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַמִּזְבֵּ֑חַ | hamizbeach | the altar | H4196 → | 401 times |
| וְאֶת־ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַדָּ֗ם | hadam | the blood | H1818 → | 360 times |
| יָצַק֙ | yatzak | he poured | H3332 → | 50 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| יְס֣וֹד | yesod | [the] base of | H3247 → | 19 times |
| הַמִּזְבֵּ֔חַ | hamizbeach | the altar | H4196 → | 401 times |
| וַֽיְקַדְּשֵׁ֖הוּ | vaykadeshehu | and he set apart as holy it | H6942 → | 171 times |
| לְכַפֵּ֥ר | lekhaper | to make atonement | H3722 → | 102 times |
| עָלָֽיו׃ | ʾalav | on it | H5921 → | 5755 times |
וַיִּשְׁחָ֗טand he cut [the] throat of [it]
vaiyishchatH7819 →81 times
וַיִּקַּ֨חand he took
vaiyikachH3947 →966 times
מֹשֶׁ֤הMoses
moshehH4872 →765 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַדָּם֙the blood
hadamH1818 →360 times
וַ֠יִּתֵּןand he put [it]
vaiyitenH5414 →2011 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
קַרְנ֨וֹת[the] horns of
karnotH7161 →76 times
הַמִּזְבֵּ֤חַthe altar
hamizbeachH4196 →401 times
סָבִיב֙all around
savivH5439 →336 times
בְּאֶצְבָּע֔וֹwith finger his
beetzbaoH676 →31 times
וַיְחַטֵּ֖אand he cleansed from sin
vaychate'H2398 →238 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַמִּזְבֵּ֑חַthe altar
hamizbeachH4196 →401 times
וְאֶת־and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
הַדָּ֗םthe blood
hadamH1818 →360 times
יָצַק֙he poured
yatzakH3332 →50 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
יְס֣וֹד[the] base of
yesodH3247 →19 times
הַמִּזְבֵּ֔חַthe altar
hamizbeachH4196 →401 times
וַֽיְקַדְּשֵׁ֖הוּand he set apart as holy it
vaykadeshehuH6942 →171 times
לְכַפֵּ֥רto make atonement
lekhaperH3722 →102 times
עָלָֽיו׃on it
ʾalavH5921 →5755 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
Ephesians 2:16and reconciling both of them to God in one body through the cross, by which He extinguished their hostility.
it leads to
- Colossians 1:20–22
and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through the blood of His cross.
- Romans 5:10
For if, when we were enemies of God, we were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through His life!
- 2 Corinthians 5:18–21
All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:
- Colossians 2:14
having canceled the debt ascribed to us in the decrees that stood against us. He took it away, nailing it to the cross!
- 1 Peter 4:1–2
Therefore, since Christ suffered in His body, arm yourselves with the same resolve, because anyone who has suffered in his body is done with sin.
- Colossians 1:20–22
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 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…
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 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…
- Leviticus 4:34
Where this verse is studied
About Leviticus
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments; Andrew Bonar, A Commentary on Leviticus; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch.