Leviticus 9:7
in Leviticus 9Then Moses said to Aaron, “Approach the altar and sacrifice your sin offering and your burnt offering to make atonement for yourself and for the people. And sacrifice the people’s offering to make atonement for them, as the LORD has commanded.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Moses said unto Aaron, Draw near unto the altar, and offer thy sin-offering, and thy burnt-offering, and make atonement for thyself, and for the people; and offer the oblation of the people, and make atonement for them; as Jehovah commanded.
KJV
And Moses said unto Aaron, Go unto the altar, and offer thy sin offering, and thy burnt offering, and make an atonement for thyself, and for the people: and offer the offering of the people, and make an atonement for them; as the Lord commanded.
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This verse in Leviticus 9
Commentary
11 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
It is to be remarked that Aaron offers no peace-offering for himself. It was enough that he should participate in the peace-offerings of the consecration Lev 8:31, and in the two peace-offerings about to be sacrificed for the people. His sin-offering was probably regarded not so much as a sacrifice for his own actual sins as a typical acknowledgment of his sinful nature and of his future duty to offer for his own sins and those of the People.
This site's exposition
Approach the altar and sacrifice your sin offering
on Leviticus 9:7-8
Moses hands the work over, and Aaron goes to the altar for the first time. The order is fixed, atonement for yourself and for the people, and Hebrews 7:27 turns on it.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
It seems that they have not paid sufficient attention to the fact that Zachary was a priest and that all priests at that time were obliged by the law of God to offer sacrifice first for their own sins and then for those of the people. Therefore, as it is now proved by the sacrifice of prayer that we are not sinless, since we are [daily] commanded to say, "Forgive us our debts," so it was proved then by the sacrifice of animal victims that the priests were not sinless, since they were commanded to offer the victim for their own sins.
The Reformation1 voice
And Moses said unto Aaron, Go unto the altar Here is repeated what was stated elsewhere, that the priest, as being himself a sinner, must first make entreaty for himself, before he propitiates God towards others. Hence the Apostle justly infers that the legal priesthood was weak and merely typical.
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Go and offer - Moses had hitherto sacrificed, but now he resigns his work to Aaron, and actually gives him that commission which from God he had received for him. For thyself and for the people - The order is very observable, first for thyself, otherwise thou art unfit to do it for the people.
The meeting is held according to the appointment. Aaron attends on God by sacrifice, offering a sin-offering and burnt-offering for himself (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
Aaron offers for himself, ver. 8-14. Offers for, and blesses the people, ver. 15-22. God signifies his acceptance of their persons and of their sacrifices, ver. 23-24.
quarantine:anchor (2026-07-29) — cites-ver-15/23-anchored-1-7
4 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
And Moses said unto Aaron,....
It is the charge to Timothy, to take care to save himself first, and then those that heard him, 1 Tim. iv. The high priest made atonement for himself, as one that was joined with sinners; but we have a high priest that was separated from sinners, and needed no atonement.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
The first of their official acts was the sacrifice of another sin offering to atone for the defects of the inauguration services; and yet that sacrifice did not consist of a bullock--the sacrifice appointed for some particular transgression, but of a calf, perhaps not without a significant reference to Aaron's sin in the golden calf [Ex 32:22-24].
Make an atonement for thyself - This showed the imperfection of the Levitical law; the high priest was obliged to make an expiation for his own sins before he could make one for the sins of the people. See the use made of this by the apostle, Heb 5:3; Heb 7:27; Heb 9:7.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּ֨אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| מֹשֶׁ֜ה | mosheh | Moses | H4872 → | 765 times |
| אֶֽל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| אַהֲרֹ֗ן | ʾaharon | Aaron | H175 → | 347 times |
| קְרַ֤ב | kerav | draw near | H7126 → | 280 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הַמִּזְבֵּ֙חַ֙ | hamizbeach | the altar | H4196 → | 401 times |
| וַעֲשֵׂ֞ה | vaaseh | and offer | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| חַטָּֽאתְךָ֙ | chatatekha | sin offering your | H2403 → | 295 times |
| וְאֶת־ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| עֹ֣לָתֶ֔ךָ | ʾolatekha | burnt offering your | H5930 → | 287 times |
| וְכַפֵּ֥ר | vekhaper | and make atonement | H3722 → | 102 times |
| בַּֽעַדְךָ֖ | baadkha | for yourself | H1157 → | 105 times |
| וּבְעַ֣ד | uvead | and for | H1157 → | 105 times |
| הָעָ֑ם | haam | the people | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| וַעֲשֵׂ֞ה | vaaseh | and offer | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| קָרְבַּ֤ן | kareban | [the] present of | H7133 → | 82 times |
| הָעָם֙ | haam | the people | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| וְכַפֵּ֣ר | vekhaper | and make atonement | H3722 → | 102 times |
| בַּֽעֲדָ֔ם | baadam | for them | H1157 → | 105 times |
| כַּאֲשֶׁ֖ר | kaasher | just as | H834 → | 5497 times |
| צִוָּ֥ה | tzivah | he has commanded | H6680 → | 494 times |
| יְהוָֽה׃ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
וַיֹּ֨אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
מֹשֶׁ֜הMoses
moshehH4872 →765 times
אֶֽל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
אַהֲרֹ֗ןAaron
ʾaharonH175 →347 times
קְרַ֤בdraw near
keravH7126 →280 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
הַמִּזְבֵּ֙חַ֙the altar
hamizbeachH4196 →401 times
וַעֲשֵׂ֞הand offer
vaasehH6213 →2628 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
חַטָּֽאתְךָ֙sin offering your
chatatekhaH2403 →295 times
וְאֶת־and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
עֹ֣לָתֶ֔ךָburnt offering your
ʾolatekhaH5930 →287 times
וְכַפֵּ֥רand make atonement
vekhaperH3722 →102 times
בַּֽעַדְךָ֖for yourself
baadkhaH1157 →105 times
וּבְעַ֣דand for
uveadH1157 →105 times
הָעָ֑םthe people
haamH5971 →1873 times
וַעֲשֵׂ֞הand offer
vaasehH6213 →2628 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
קָרְבַּ֤ן[the] present of
karebanH7133 →82 times
הָעָם֙the people
haamH5971 →1873 times
וְכַפֵּ֣רand make atonement
vekhaperH3722 →102 times
בַּֽעֲדָ֔םfor them
baadamH1157 →105 times
כַּאֲשֶׁ֖רjust as
kaasherH834 →5497 times
צִוָּ֥הhe has commanded
tzivahH6680 →494 times
יְהוָֽה׃Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 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 5:1Every high priest is appointed from among men to represent them in matters relating to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.
it leads to
- Hebrews 7:27
Unlike the other high priests, He does not need to offer daily sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people; He sacrificed for sin once for all when…
Reached by 3 separate paths from here.
- Hebrews 8:3
And since every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices, it was necessary for this One also to have something to offer.
- Hebrews 10:11
Day after day every priest stands to minister and to offer again and again the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.
- Leviticus 9:15–21
Aaron then presented the people’s offering. He took the male goat for the people’s sin offering, slaughtered it, and offered it for sin like the first one.
- Hebrews 7:27
Through
Hebrews 9:7But 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.
it leads to
- Leviticus 16:34
This is to be a permanent statute for you, to make atonement once a year for the Israelites because of all their sins.” And all this was done as the LORD had commanded Moses.
- Leviticus 5:18
He is to bring to the priest an unblemished ram of proper value from the flock as a guilt offering. Then the priest will make atonement on his behalf for the wrong he has…
- Leviticus 16:34
Through
Hebrews 5:3That is why he is obligated to offer sacrifices for his own sins, as well as for the sins of the people.
it leads to
- Leviticus 16:6
Aaron is to present the bull for his sin offering and make atonement for himself and his household.
- 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.
- Leviticus 16:6
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Leviticus
Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Augustine of Hippo, LETTER 177; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Calvin, Commentary on the Four Last Books of Moses Arranged in the Form of a Harmony; John Calvin, Commentaries; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Sir Robert Anderson, Types in Hebrews.