Bible Commentaries

Leviticus 9. The Installation Functions.—These take place at the end of the consecration "octave." Here Aaron, assisted by his sons, as now consecrated, is the officiator, and not Moses, as in Leviticus 8.

Leviticus 9:1-7. Preparation of Priests and People.—The ceremony and its purpose are closely similar to those of the Day of Atonement. For the priests themselves, a sin offering, a bull-calf, and a burnt offering, a ram; for the people, a sin offering, a he-goat, a burnt offering, calf and lamb, and also a peace offering, ox and ram. No choice of animals is given here, as in Leviticus 1, and in Leviticus 4 the goat is for the prince and the bullock for the whole people. The meal offering accompanies, as in Leviticus 2, etc. The altar is the altar of burnt offering, the only altar known to P ("altar of incense," Leviticus 4:7*). Elders (Leviticus 9:1) are mentioned nowhere else in P save Leviticus 4:15. Why is no guilt offering mentioned? Cf. Leviticus 5:17*. "And for the people" (Leviticus 9:7) should be "and for thy house."

Leviticus 9:8-14. The Priests' Offering.—The sin offering naturally preceded the burnt offering. The ritual of the sin offering conforms to that of Leviticus 4:1-12. For the burnt offering, note "piece by piece" (Leviticus 9:13), suggesting the leisurely solemnity of the whole rite.

Leviticus 9:15-21. The People's Offering.—First the sin offering, as before, then the burnt offering; part of the meal offering is consumed on the altar; the rest will be eaten by the priest (Leviticus 10:12). The burnt offering is thought of as the daily sacrifice; "the burnt offering of the morning." The peace offering comes last. Nothing is said here of any participation by the people in this; the part of the priests in the ritual, however, is very fully described. The thigh, as well as the breast, is said to be waved, not heaved (Leviticus 7:32*); in Leviticus 8 the thigh is not mentioned; perhaps here, therefore, it is a gloss, added from Leviticus 7:30. In Leviticus 10:14 the distinction of Leviticus 7:32 is preserved.

Leviticus 9:22-24. The Blessings.—The first blessing immediately follows the sacrifice; the second follows a ceremonial entrance of Aaron, with Moses, into the shrine—the outer chamber, not "within the veil." Consecration gives to Aaron a special power to bless, i.e. to approach the nearer presence of Yahweh, and so to bestow a special blessing on the people. The "glory" of Yahweh, naturally connected with fire, was ordinarily shrouded from the people by day, with a cloud. For fire as consuming the offering, cf. Judges 6:21, 1 Kings 18:38, 1 Chronicles 21:26, 2 Chronicles 7:1. The consuming of the fat is specially mentioned. This appearance of fire must have taken place before the sacrifice and the blessings, unless the author neglects the fact that the offerings had been already burnt.