Leviticus 4:3

For the Priest

4:3 “‘If the high priest ¹  sins so that the people are guilty, ²  on account of the sin he has committed he must present a flawless young bull to the Lord ³  for a sin offering. ⁴ 

Leviticus 21:10-12

Rules for the High Priest

21:10 “‘The high ⁵  priest – who is greater than his brothers, on whose head the anointing oil is poured, who has been ordained ⁶  to wear the priestly garments – must neither dishevel the hair of his head nor tear his garments. ⁷  21:11 He must not go where there is any dead person; ⁸  he must not defile himself even for his father and his mother. 21:12 He must not go out from the sanctuary and must not profane ⁹  the sanctuary of his God, because the dedication of the anointing oil of his God is on him. I am the Lord.

Exodus 28:41

28:41 “You are to clothe them – your brother Aaron and his sons with him – and anoint them ¹⁰  and ordain them ¹¹  and set them apart as holy, ¹²  so that they may minister as my priests.

Exodus 29:7

29:7 You are to take the anointing oil and pour it on his head and anoint him. ¹³ 

Exodus 30:30

30:30 “You are to anoint Aaron and his sons and ¹⁴  sanctify them, so that they may minister as my priests.

Psalms 133:2

133:2 It is like fine oil poured on the head

which flows down the beard ¹⁵  –

Aaron’s beard,

and then flows down his garments. ¹⁶ 

[4:3]  ¹ tn Heb “the anointed priest” (so ASV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV). This refers to the high priest (cf. TEV, CEV, NLT).

[4:3]  ² tn Heb “to the guilt of the people”; NRSV “thus bringing guilt on the people.”

[4:3]  ³ tn Heb “and he shall offer on his sin which he sinned, a bull, a son of the herd, flawless.”

[4:3]  ⁴ sn The word for “sin offering” (sometimes translated “purification offering”) is the same as the word for “sin” earlier in the verse. One can tell which rendering is intended only by the context. The primary purpose of the “sin offering” (חַטָּאת, khatta’t) was to “purge” (כִּפֶּר, kipper, “to make atonement,” see 4:20, 26, 31, 35, and the notes on Lev 1:4 and esp. Lev 16:20, 33) the sanctuary or its furniture in order to cleanse it from any impurities and/or (re)consecrate it for holy purposes (see, e.g., Lev 8:15; 16:19). By making this atonement the impurities of the person or community were cleansed and the people became clean. See R. E. Averbeck, NIDOTTE 2:93-103.

[21:10]  ⁵ tn The adjective “high” has been supplied in the translation for clarity, as in many English versions.

[21:10]  ⁶ tn Heb “and he has filled his hand.” For this expression see the note on Lev 8:33.

[21:10]  ⁷ tn Regarding these signs of mourning see the note on Lev 10:6. His head had been anointed (v. 10a) so it must not be unkempt (v. 10b), and his garments were special priestly garments (v. 10a) so he must not tear them (v. 10b). In the translation “garments” has been employed rather than “clothes” to suggest that the special priestly garments are referred to here; cf. NRSV “nor tear his vestments.”

[21:11]  ⁸ tc Although the MT has “persons” (plural), the LXX and Syriac have the singular “person” corresponding to the singular adjectival participle “dead” (cf. also Num 6:6).

[21:12]  ⁹ sn Regarding “profane,” see the note on Lev 10:10 above.

[28:41]  ¹⁰ sn The instructions in this verse anticipate chap. 29, as well as the ordination ceremony described in Lev 8 and 9. The anointing of Aaron is specifically required in the Law, for he is to be the High Priest. The expression “ordain them” might also be translated as “install them” or “consecrate them”; it literally reads “and fill their hands,” an expression for the consecration offering for priesthood in Lev 8:33. The final instruction to sanctify them will involve the ritual of the atoning sacrifices to make the priests acceptable in the sanctuary.

[28:41]  ¹¹ tn Heb “fill their hand.” As a result of this installation ceremony they will be officially designated for the work. It seems likely that the concept derives from the notion of putting the priestly responsibilities under their control (i.e., “filling their hands” with work). See note on the phrase “ordained seven days” in Lev 8:33.

[28:41]  ¹² tn Traditionally “sanctify them” (KJV, ASV).

[29:7]  ¹³ sn The act of anointing was meant to set him apart for this holy service within the house of Yahweh. The psalms indicate that no oil was spared in this ritual, for it ran down his beard and to the hem of his garment. Oil of anointing was used for all major offices (giving the label with the passive adjective “mashiah” (or “messiah”) to anyone anointed. In the further revelation of Scripture, the oil came to signify the enablement as well as the setting apart, and often the Holy Spirit came on the person at the anointing with oil. The olive oil was a symbol of the Spirit in the OT as well (Zech 4:4-6). And in the NT “anointing” signifies empowerment by the Holy Spirit for service.

[30:30]  ¹⁴ tn The perfect tense with vav (ו) consecutive follows the imperfect of instruction; it may be equal to the instruction, but more likely shows the purpose or result of the act.

[133:2]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “[it is] like the good oil on the head, going down on the beard.”

[133:2]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “which goes down in accordance with his measured things.” The Hebrew phrase מִדּוֹתָיו (middotayv, “his measured things”) refers here to the robes worn by Aaron. HALOT 546 s.v. *מַד derives the form from מַד (midah, “robe”) rather than מִדָּה (middah, “measured thing”). Ugaritic md means “robe” and is pluralized mdt.