Leviticus 16:23

The Concluding Rituals

16:23 “Aaron must then enter ¹  the Meeting Tent and take off the linen garments which he had put on when he entered the sanctuary, and leave them there.

Leviticus 16:4

16:4 He must put on a holy linen tunic, ²  linen leggings are to cover his body, ³  and he is to wrap himself with a linen sash ⁴  and wrap his head with a linen turban. ⁵  They are holy garments, so he must bathe ⁶  his body in water and put them on.

[16:23]  ¹ tn Heb “And Aaron shall enter.”

[16:4]  ² sn The term “tunic” refers to a shirt-like garment worn next to the skin and, therefore, put on first (cf. Exod 28:4, 39-40; 29:5, 8; 39:27). It covered the upper body only. For detailed remarks on the terminology for the priestly clothing in this verse (except the “linen leggings”) see the notes on Lev 8:7-9 and the literature cited there.

[16:4]  ³ tn Heb “shall be on his flesh.” As in many instances in Lev 15, the term “flesh” or “body” here is euphemistic for the male genitals (J. Milgrom, Leviticus [AB], 1:1017, and J. E. Hartley, Leviticus [WBC], 222; cf. the note on Lev 15:2), which the priest must be careful not to expose during such ritual procedures (see Exod 20:26 with 28:42-43).

[16:4]  ⁴ sn The sash fastened the tunic around the waist (Exod 28:4, 39; 29:9; 39:29).

[16:4]  ⁵ tn Heb “and in a turban of linen he shall wrap.”

[16:4]  ⁶ tn Heb “and he shall bathe….”