Charles Ellicott Commentary Leviticus 16:2

"and Jehovah said unto Moses, Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the holy place within the veil, before the mercy-seat which is upon the ark; that he die not: for I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy-seat." — Leviticus 16:2 (ASV)

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.