# Leviticus 16 📖: The Day of Atonement [[📚 Explore the Bible Books]] [[-Leviticus Overview]] | [[Leviticus 15]] | [[Leviticus 17]] > [!info] Table of Contents > [[#📜 Scripture Text (NET)]] > [[#📖 Verse-by-Verse Commentary]] > [[#🤔 Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights]] > [[#🧠 Chapter Summary]] > [[#✝️ Christ in This Chapter]] > [[#🔎 Key Principles / 🛟 Life Application]] > [[#💬 Discussion Questions]] > [[#✍️ Key Verses to Remember]] > [[#🔗 Related Passages/Cross Reference]] > [[#🙏 Devotional Reflection]] > [[#📂 Internal Notes]] ## 📜 Scripture Text (NET) (The NET Bible: New English Translation. Biblical Studies Press, 2005) ### The Day of Atonement [[#Verse 01.]] The Lord spoke to Moses after the death of Aaron’s two sons when they approached the presence of the Lord and died,  [[#Verse 02.]] and the Lord said to Moses: “Tell Aaron your brother that he must not enter at any time into the Holy Place inside the special curtain in front of the atonement lid that is on the ark so that he may not die, for I will appear in the cloud over the atonement lid. ### Day of Atonement Offerings [[#Verse 03.]] “In this way Aaron is to enter into the sanctuary—with a young bull for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering.  [[#Verse 04.]] He must put on a holy linen tunic, linen leggings are to cover his body, and he is to wrap himself with a linen sash and wrap his head with a linen turban. They are holy garments, so he must bathe his body in water and put them on.  [[#Verse 05.]] He must also take two male goats from the congregation of the Israelites for a sin offering and one ram for a burnt offering.  [[#Verse 06.]] Then Aaron is to present the sin offering bull which is for himself and is to make atonement on behalf of himself and his household.  [[#Verse 07.]] Next he must take the two goats and stand them before the Lord at the entrance of the Meeting Tent,  [[#Verse 08.]] and Aaron is to cast lots over the two goats, one lot for the Lord and one lot for Azazel.  [[#Verse 09.]] Aaron must then present the goat which has been designated by lot for the Lord, and he is to make it a sin offering,  [[#Verse 10.]] but the goat which has been designated by lot for Azazel is to be stood alive before the Lord to make atonement on it by sending it away into the desert to Azazel. ### The Sin-Offering Sacrificial Procedures [[#Verse 11.]] “Aaron is to present the sin-offering bull which is for himself, and he is to make atonement on behalf of himself and his household. He is to slaughter the sin-offering bull which is for himself,  [[#Verse 12.]] and take a censer full of coals of fire from the altar before the Lord and a full double handful of finely ground fragrant incense, and bring them inside the curtain.  [[#Verse 13.]] He must then put the incense on the fire before the Lord, and the cloud of incense will cover the atonement lid which is above the ark of the testimony, so that he will not die.  [[#Verse 14.]] Then he is to take some of the blood of the bull and sprinkle it with his finger on the eastern face of the atonement lid, and in front of the atonement lid he is to sprinkle some of the blood seven times with his finger. [[#Verse 15.]] “Aaron must then slaughter the sin-offering goat which is for the people. He is to bring its blood inside the curtain, and he is to do with its blood just as he did to the blood of the bull: He is to sprinkle it on the atonement lid and in front of the atonement lid.  [[#Verse 16.]] So he is to make atonement for the Holy Place from the impurities of the Israelites and from their transgressions with regard to all their sins, and thus he is to do for the Meeting Tent which resides with them in the midst of their impurities.  [[#Verse 17.]] Nobody is to be in the Meeting Tent when he enters to make atonement in the Holy Place until he goes out, and he has made atonement on his behalf, on behalf of his household, and on behalf of the whole assembly of Israel. [[#Verse 18.]] “Then Aaron is to go out to the altar which is before the Lord and make atonement for it. He is to take some of the blood of the bull and some of the blood of the goat, and put it all around on the horns of the altar. [[#Verse 19.]] Then he is to sprinkle on it some of the blood with his finger seven times, and cleanse and consecrate it from the impurities of the Israelites. ### The Live Goat Ritual Procedures [[#Verse 20.]] “When Aaron has finished purifying the Holy Place, the Meeting Tent, and the altar, he is to present the live goat.  [[#Verse 21.]] Aaron is to lay his two hands on the head of the live goat and confess over it all the iniquities of the Israelites and all their transgressions in regard to all their sins, and thus he is to put them on the head of the goat and send it away into the desert by the hand of a man standing ready.  [[#Verse 22.]] The goat is to bear on itself all their iniquities into an inaccessible land, so he is to send the goat away into the desert. ### The Concluding Rituals [[#Verse 23.]] “Aaron must then enter the Meeting Tent and take off the linen garments which he had put on when he entered the sanctuary, and leave them there. [[#Verse 24.]] Then he must bathe his body in water in the Holy Place, put on his clothes, and go out and make his burnt offering and the people’s burnt offering. So he is to make atonement on behalf of himself and the people. [[#Verse 25.]] “Then he is to offer up the fat of the sin offering in smoke on the altar,  [[#Verse 26.]] and the one who sent the goat away to Azazel must wash his clothes, bathe his body in water, and afterward he may reenter the camp.  [[#Verse 27.]] The bull of the sin offering and the goat of the sin offering, whose blood was brought to make atonement in the Holy Place, must be brought outside the camp and their hide, their flesh, and their dung must be burned up,  [[#Verse 28.]] and the one who burns them must wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and afterward he may reenter the camp. ### Review of the Day of Atonement [[#Verse 29.]] “This is to be a perpetual statute for you. In the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you must humble yourselves and do no work of any kind, both the native citizen and the resident foreigner who lives in your midst,  [[#Verse 30.]] for on this day atonement is to be made for you to cleanse you from all your sins; you must be clean before the Lord.  [[#Verse 31.]] It is to be a Sabbath of complete rest for you, and you must humble yourselves. It is a perpetual statute. [[#Verse 32.]] “The priest who is anointed and ordained to act as high priest in place of his father is to make atonement. He is to put on the linen garments, the holy garments,  [[#Verse 33.]] and he is to purify the Most Holy Place, he is to purify the Meeting Tent and the altar, and he is to make atonement for the priests and for all the people of the assembly.  [[#Verse 34.]] This is to be a perpetual statute for you to make atonement for the Israelites for all their sins once a year.” So he did just as the Lord had commanded Moses. ## 📖 Verse-by-Verse Commentary ###### Overall. ###### Verse 01. ###### Verse 02. ###### Verse 03. ###### Verse 04. ###### Verse 05. ###### Verse 06. ###### Verse 07. ###### Verse 08. ###### Verse 09. ###### Verse 10. ###### Verse 11. ###### Verse 12. ###### Verse 13. ###### Verse 14. ###### Verse 15. ###### Verse 16. ###### Verse 17. ###### Verse 18. ###### Verse 19. ###### Verse 20. ###### Verse 21. ###### Verse 22. ###### Verse 23. ###### Verse 24. ###### Verse 25. ###### Verse 26. ###### Verse 27. ###### Verse 28. ###### Verse 29. ###### Verse 30. ###### Verse 31. ###### Verse 32. ###### Verse 33. ###### Verse 34. ## 🤔 Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights 1. This is the Day of Atonement, *Yom Kippur*, held on the tenth day of the seventh month (16:29). 2. "Humble yourselves" (16:29) has traditionally been understood as fasting. Acts 27:9 calls this day "the fast." 3. The chapter is set right after the deaths of Nadab and Abihu (16:1). 4. The high priest wore plain linen garments for this ritual instead of his golden garments (16:4). 5. Two goats were chosen by lot, one for the Lord and one "for Azazel" (16:8). The meaning of Azazel is debated. 6. The English word "scapegoat" comes from William Tyndale's translation in the 1500s. 7. A cloud of incense covered the atonement lid so the high priest would not die (16:13). 8. Blood was sprinkled on and in front of the atonement lid, before the Lord (16:14-15). 9. Aaron laid both hands on the live goat and confessed all of Israel's sins (16:21). 10. This ritual took place only once a year (16:34; Hebrews 9:7). ## 🧠 Chapter Summary > [!note] 🌱 Still growing. This section is on its way. ## ✝️ Christ in This Chapter Christ is our great High Priest who entered the true Most Holy Place with His own blood and secured eternal redemption (Hebrews 9:11-12). Like the goat that carried Israel's sins away (16:21-22), He bore our sins. ## 🔎 Key Principles / 🛟 Life Application > [!note] 🌱 Still growing. This section is on its way. ## 💬 Discussion Questions 1. Aaron could not enter the Most Holy Place whenever he wanted (16:2). What does that teach about God's holiness, and how does Hebrews 10:19-22 change our access? 2. The live goat carried the people's sins into the wilderness (16:21-22). How does Psalm 103:12 encourage you about forgiven sin? 3. The people were to humble themselves on this day (16:29-31). What place do humility and repentance have in your walk with God? ## ✍️ Key Verses to Remember - 📖 verse 2: Aaron may not enter the Most Holy Place whenever he wishes. - 📖 verses 21-22: Aaron confesses Israel's sins over the live goat, which carries them into the wilderness. - 📖 verse 30: On this day atonement is made to cleanse the people from all their sins. ## 🔗 Related Passages/Cross Reference - 🔗 [[Hebrews 09#Verse 07.|Hebrews 9:7-12]] - Christ entered once for all with His own blood. - 🔗 [[Hebrews 10#Verse 19.|Hebrews 10:19-22]] - We have confidence to enter the holy place. - 🔗 [[Romans 03#Verse 25.|Romans 3:25]] - God displayed Christ as the mercy seat. - 🔗 [[Psalm 103#Verse 12.|Psalm 103:12]] - As far as the east is from the west. - 🔗 [[Isaiah 53#Verse 06.|Isaiah 53:6]] - The Lord laid on Him the iniquity of us all. ## 🙏 Devotional Reflection > [!note] 🌱 Still growing. This section is on its way. ## 📂 Internal Notes