Leviticus 9:1-6

Inauguration of Tabernacle Worship

9:1 On the eighth day ¹  Moses summoned ²  Aaron and his sons and the elders of Israel, 9:2 and said to Aaron, “Take for yourself a bull calf for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering, both flawless, and present them before the Lord. 9:3 Then tell the Israelites: ‘Take a male goat ³  for a sin offering and a calf and lamb, both a year old and flawless, ⁴  for a burnt offering, 9:4 and an ox and a ram for peace offerings to sacrifice before the Lord, and a grain offering mixed with olive oil, for today the Lord is going to appear ⁵  to you.’” 9:5 So they took what Moses had commanded to the front of ⁶  the Meeting Tent and the whole congregation presented them and stood before the Lord. 9:6 Then Moses said, “This is what the Lord has commanded you to do ⁷  so that the glory of the Lord may appear ⁸  to you.”

[9:1]  ¹ sn This eighth day is the one after the seven days of ordination referred to in Lev 8:33-35.

[9:1]  ² tn Heb “called to”; CEV, NLT “called together.”

[9:3]  ³ tn Heb “a he-goat of goats.”

[9:3]  ⁴ tn Heb “and a calf and a lamb, sons of a year, flawless”; KJV, ASV, NRSV “without blemish”; NASB, NIV “without defect”; NLT “with no physical defects.”

[9:4]  ⁵ tn The verb is either a prophetic perfect (“will appear to you”) as in the MT (cf. IBHS §30.5.1.e; so many English versions), or a futurum instans participle (“is going to appear to you”) as in the LXX and several other versions (see the BHS footnote; cf. IBHS 627 §37.6f). In either case, the point is that Moses was anticipating that the Lord would indeed appear to them on this day (cf. vv. 6, 22-24).

[9:5]  ⁷ tn Heb “to the faces of.”

[9:6]  ⁹ tn Heb “which the Lord commanded you shall/should do.”

[9:6]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “and the glory of the Lord will appear,” but the construction with the simple vav (ו) plus the imperfect/jussive (וְיֵרָא, vÿyera’; literally, “and he will appear”) suggests purpose in this context, not just succession of events (i.e., “so that he might appear”).