Charles Ellicott Commentary Leviticus 16

And the Lord spake unto Moses. —As the observance of the minute regulations given in the preceding chapters about the daily sacrifices and purifications would necessarily be tainted with many imperfections and shortcomings, both on the part of the mediating priests and the offering laity, a general day of atonement is here instituted, when priest and people are both to obtain atonement once a year for the sins which were mixed up even with their sacred worship.

The day of atonement enacted in this chapter is therefore an appropriate conclusion of the laws of purification in the preceding chapters. It is an annual supplement and completion of all the ordinances which were daily practiced, and the design of which was to obtain atonement and reconciliation.

After the death of the two sons of Aaron. —That is, after Nadab and Abihu, his two eldest sons, had died because they had presumptuously entered the sanctuary in a profane manner and at an irregular time (See Leviticus 10:1-2.).

That he come not at all times. —Moses is therefore to warn his brother Aaron, the high priest, that if he wishes to escape a similar fate, he is not to presume to enter the Holy of Holies except on one day of the year, the Day of Atonement.

As Aaron here stands for all those who in the future are to succeed him in the pontificate, so Moses, who teaches him his duty, stands for his successors who in the future are to impart instruction to the high priests on these most solemn occasions. Therefore, during the second Temple, the instruction and preparation of the high priest for his functions devolved upon the Sanhedrin, who prescribed most minute rules for his guidance.

Seven days before the Day of Atonement, he was separated from his wife and lodged in a chamber in the Temple, so that he would not contract defilement, which could make him unfit for the performance of his pontifical duties. The elders or the representatives of the Sanhedrin read and expounded to him the ordinances contained in this chapter, which he had to practice in their presence to ensure that he could correctly perform all the ceremonies. This continued throughout the entire night before the Day of Atonement, when he was kept awake to prevent any pollution arising from a dream or accident during the night.

In the silent hours of darkness, he read the Books of Job, Daniel, Ezra, and Chronicles; and if he was not a scholar and could not read, the elders read them to him. As it was considered important that he should not fall asleep, the priests who surrounded him alternately snapped their fingers and made him walk on the cold pavement of the court. When the chief of the thirteen priests appointed to perform the ordinary duties connected with the service in the sanctuary had ascertained that the morning had dawned, that the ashes had been removed from the brazen altar, and that the time of the early sacrifice had arrived, the high priest was conducted to the baptistery, where he immersed his whole body in water.

Into the holy place. —This is more minutely defined here by within the vail, thus showing that the Holy of Holies is meant. In the following portions of this chapter, however, the expression “holy” is used for “Holy of Holies” without this adjunct. (Leviticus 16:16–17; Leviticus 16:20; Leviticus 16:27.)

Before the mercy seat, which is upon the ark. —Or, according to the accents of the received text, nor come to the mercy seat, which, etc. The present text exhibits the view of the Pharisees—that the high priest, though at some distance from the ark, is yet hidden by the frankincense on the burning coals in the Holy of Holies itself ; while the Sadducees maintained that he must put it on the coals already in the court, because they considered it improper to work in the presence of the Lord, and because the pontiff would otherwise see the ark. The Authorised Version, therefore, here, as elsewhere, follows the view of the Sadducees and departs from the received accents, which are an essential part of the traditional text.

For I will appear in the cloud. —That is, because the Lord appeared over the mercy seat and between the cherubim in the bright, luminous cloud which constituted the symbol of His Divine presence , therefore even the high priest must not approach it except on the occasion prescribed here. The Sadducees, however, render it, only in the cloud of incense will I be seen on the cover, that is, in the cloud arising from the burning incense which the high priest is to produce by fumigation before he enters the Holy of Holies, and which is to conceal the manifested Deity.

Thus shall Aaron come. —A better rendering is, With this shall, etc.; that is, with the following sacrifices, ritual, vestments, and so on, he shall approach the most holy place, after previously offering the daily morning sacrifice and performing the ordinary daily service. During the performance of the morning service, the high priest, at the time of Christ, wore the golden vestments. He changed these for the white garments before he began the special ritual prescribed for this day.

With a young bullock for a sin offering. —This bullock had to be in its second year , and the high priest had to buy it with his own money. It had to be his own property because the victim was to expiate his own sins, since he, like the lowliest sinner, required Divine mercy and forgiveness, though, due to his high office, he had to bring a more costly sacrifice.

He shall put on the holy linen coat. — Better, a holy linen tunic. The four articles of clothing mentioned here, all of which were of white linen, constituted the sacerdotal “white vestments,” in contrast to “the golden garments.” Of the white garments, he possessed two sets: one of Egyptian linen and the other of Indian and less costly linen.

The community allowed the high priest thirty minæ to purchase these garments. He could also add as much as he liked from his own money if he wished them to be more costly, provided the material was linen made of six double-twisted threads and of flax.

It was the more costly vestments of Egyptian linen that the high priest wore on this occasion. He put these on later in the day when he entered the Holy of Holies to bring out the censer. These garments were the same as those of the ordinary priests, except the turban, which was a little taller.

And he shall wash. — He had to bathe his body every time he changed his vestments.

And he shall take of the congregation. —On this occasion the high priest himself had to officiate, by virtue of his being the chief mediator between God and His people.

Two kids of the goats. —Better, two shaggy he-goats. (See Leviticus 4:23.) These two goats, which were the sin offering for the people, and the ram, which was their burnt offering, were purchased with public money some time before the Day of Atonement. During the second Temple the two goats had to be alike in value, equal in size, and of the same colour. If one of them happened to die after the decision of the lot, a new pair had to be purchased, and the surviving one of the original pair was kept and properly fed till it became ritually defective, after which it was sold, and the money paid into the sacred treasury.