Verse-by-Verse Commentary
The Book of Leviticus
Chapter 8: The Consecration of the Priesthood
The laws of the offerings are given; now the priests who will offer them are ordained. Moses washes Aaron and his sons, clothes them in the holy garments, and pours the anointing oil on Aaron's head. He offers a sin offering and a burnt offering for them, then the ram of consecration, putting its blood on the right ear, the right thumb, and the right toe. For seven days they abide at the door of the tabernacle. Every step, washing, clothing, anointing, atonement, and the blood on ear, hand, and foot, is a picture of Christ our High Priest and of the consecrated life He calls us to.
About This Commentary
This is a verse-by-verse study of Leviticus chapter 8. For each section you will find the KJV text, the Hebrew words that sharpen the meaning, plain explanation, and a Gospel Focus. The chapter records the ordination of Aaron and his sons: their washing, robing, and anointing, the offerings that atoned for them, the ram of consecration whose blood touched ear, hand, and foot, and the seven days of setting apart. It points to Jesus our great High Priest and to the wholly consecrated life. Every Scripture quotation is from the King James Version.
Setting the Stage
Clean, Then Clothed
The priests were washed with water and dressed in the holy garments, then Aaron was anointed with oil: cleansing, clothing, and the Spirit.
Priests Who Needed Blood
Before they could serve, a sin offering and a burnt offering were made for them. Even the priests came as sinners needing atonement.
Blood on the Whole Man
The blood of consecration touched the right ear, thumb, and toe, claiming the whole person for God: hearing, doing, and walking.
Set Apart to Wait
For seven full days they abode at the door of the tabernacle, keeping the charge of the LORD. Consecration was not rushed.
Washed, Clothed, and Anointed (Leviticus 8:1-13)
Moses washes the priests, dresses them in the holy garments, and pours the anointing oil on Aaron's head to sanctify him.
The Oil upon His Head
"And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Take Aaron and his sons with him, and the garments, and the anointing oil, and a bullock for the sin offering, and two rams, and a basket of unleavened bread; And gather thou all the congregation together unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. And Moses did as the LORD commanded him; and the assembly was gathered together unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. And Moses said unto the congregation, This is the thing which the LORD commanded to be done. And Moses brought Aaron and his sons, and washed them with water. And he put upon him the coat, and girded him with the girdle, and clothed him with the robe, and put the ephod upon him, and he girded him with the curious girdle of the ephod, and bound it unto him therewith. And he put the breastplate upon him: also he put in the breastplate the Urim and the Thummim. And he put the mitre upon his head; also upon the mitre, even upon his forefront, did he put the golden plate, the holy crown; as the LORD commanded Moses. And Moses took the anointing oil, and anointed the tabernacle and all that was therein, and sanctified them. And he sprinkled thereof upon the altar seven times, and anointed the altar and all his vessels, both the laver and his foot, to sanctify them. And he poured of the anointing oil upon Aaron's head, and anointed him, to sanctify him. And Moses brought Aaron's sons, and put coats upon them, and girded them with girdles, and put bonnets upon them; as the LORD commanded Moses."
Hebrew Study
"anointed," mashach (מָשַׁח). To smear or pour with oil in order to consecrate. From this verb comes mashiach, Messiah, the Anointed One, which the New Testament renders Christ. The oil poured on the priest was the constant symbol of the Holy Spirit, marking a life set apart and empowered for God's service.
Explanation
Moses gathers the whole congregation to witness the ordination, and it unfolds in a deliberate order. First, "Moses brought Aaron and his sons, and washed them with water." Then he clothed Aaron piece by piece: the coat, the girdle, the robe, the ephod, the breastplate, and the mitre with its golden crown. Next he anointed the tabernacle and its furnishings with oil, and finally "he poured of the anointing oil upon Aaron's head, and anointed him, to sanctify him." Washing, then clothing, then anointing: the man was cleansed, dressed in garments not his own, and set apart by the oil. Nothing here was Aaron's achievement; every step was done to him by another, receiving what he could not provide for himself.
Gospel Focus
The making of a priest is the pattern of the making of a believer. First comes the washing, "the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost" (Titus 3:5); then the clothing, for God "hath clothed me with the garments of salvation... the robe of righteousness" (Isaiah 61:10), a righteousness that is not our own; and then the anointing, for "the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you" (1 John 2:27). Cleansed, clothed, and filled with the Spirit, we are made priests unto God, for Christ "hath made us kings and priests unto God" (Revelation 1:6). And notice again that all of it was done to Aaron; he supplied nothing. So our whole standing before God is a gift received, not a status earned. We did not wash ourselves, weave our own robe, or manufacture the Spirit; we were washed, clothed, and anointed by grace, and set apart to serve the living God.
The Sin and Burnt Offerings (Leviticus 8:14-21)
Before the priests could serve, atonement was made for them, a sin offering to cleanse and a burnt offering of full surrender.
Even the Priests Need Blood
"And he brought the bullock for the sin offering: and Aaron and his sons laid their hands upon the head of the bullock for the sin offering. And he slew it; and Moses took the blood, and put it upon the horns of the altar round about with his finger, and purified the altar, and poured the blood at the bottom of the altar, and sanctified it, to make reconciliation upon it. And he took all the fat that was upon the inwards, and the caul above the liver, and the two kidneys, and their fat, and Moses burned it upon the altar. But the bullock, and his hide, his flesh, and his dung, he burnt with fire without the camp; as the LORD commanded Moses. And he brought the ram for the burnt offering: and Aaron and his sons laid their hands upon the head of the ram. And he killed it; and Moses sprinkled the blood upon the altar round about. And he cut the ram into pieces; and Moses burnt the head, and the pieces, and the fat. And he washed the inwards and the legs in water; and Moses burnt the whole ram upon the altar: it was a burnt sacrifice for a sweet savour, and an offering made by fire unto the LORD; as the LORD commanded Moses. And he brought the other ram, the ram of consecration: and Aaron and his sons laid their hands upon the head of the ram."
Hebrew Study
"to make reconciliation," kaphar (כָּפַר), to cover, purge, atone — the same root as the mercy seat and the Day of Atonement. Before the altar could be used, it had to be cleansed: Moses put blood on its horns "and purified the altar... and sanctified it." Even the place of sacrifice needed atoning blood before it could serve. Sin's defilement reaches so far that the very instruments of worship must be purged before a holy God will meet men there.
Explanation
Washing, robes, and oil were not enough; there must be blood. Moses brought "the bullock for the sin offering," and Aaron and his sons "laid their hands upon the head" of it, identifying with the victim that would die in their place. Its blood was put on the horns of the altar to cleanse and consecrate the altar itself, and the offering was made to atone for the priests. Then came a ram "for the burnt offering," wholly consumed on the altar as "a sweet savour," picturing their total surrender to God. Before these men could stand between God and the people, they themselves had to be atoned for and given up wholly to God. The priest could bring no one nearer to God than he had first come himself.
Gospel Focus
That the priests needed a sin offering before they could minister exposes the weakness of that whole priesthood: they were sinners serving sinners, and their ministry had to begin at the altar of their own atonement. This is exactly the contrast the New Testament draws with our great High Priest. Jesus "needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this he did once, when he offered up himself" (Hebrews 7:27). Aaron had to be atoned for; Christ had no sin, and so instead of bringing a bullock He became the offering. Every earthly priest pointed beyond himself to the one sinless Priest who did not need cleansing and who gave Himself once for all. Yet there is a word for us here too: whoever would serve God must first come to God through the blood. We cannot lead others nearer than we have come ourselves, and all true ministry begins at the cross.
The Blood of Consecration (Leviticus 8:22-30)
The blood of the ram of consecration was placed on the right ear, thumb, and toe, claiming the whole person, and then oil and blood were sprinkled to sanctify priests and garments alike.
Blood on the Ear, the Hand, the Foot
"And he slew it; and Moses took of the blood of it, and put it upon the tip of Aaron's right ear, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot. And he brought Aaron's sons, and Moses put of the blood upon the tip of their right ear, and upon the thumbs of their right hands, and upon the great toes of their right feet: and Moses sprinkled the blood upon the altar round about. And he took the fat, and the rump, and all the fat that was upon the inwards, and the caul above the liver, and the two kidneys, and their fat, and the right shoulder: And out of the basket of unleavened bread, that was before the LORD, he took one unleavened cake, and a cake of oiled bread, and one wafer, and put them on the fat, and upon the right shoulder: And he put all upon Aaron's hands, and upon his sons' hands, and waved them for a wave offering before the LORD. And Moses took them from off their hands, and burnt them on the altar upon the burnt offering: they were consecrations for a sweet savour: it is an offering made by fire unto the LORD. And Moses took the breast, and waved it for a wave offering before the LORD: for of the ram of consecration it was Moses' part; as the LORD commanded Moses. And Moses took of the anointing oil, and of the blood which was upon the altar, and sprinkled it upon Aaron, and upon his garments, and upon his sons, and upon his sons' garments with him; and sanctified Aaron, and his garments, and his sons, and his sons' garments with him. And Moses said unto Aaron and to his sons, Boil the flesh at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: and there eat it with the bread that is in the basket of consecrations, as I commanded, saying, Aaron and his sons shall eat it. And that which remaineth of the flesh and of the bread shall ye burn with fire. And ye shall not go out of the door of the tabernacle of the congregation in seven days, until the days of your consecration be at an end: for seven days shall he consecrate you. As he hath done this day, so the LORD hath commanded to do, to make an atonement for you."
Hebrew Study
"consecration," milluim (מִלֻּאִים). Literally "fillings," from male, to fill. The Hebrew idiom for ordaining a priest was to "fill the hand," picturing hands filled with the portions of the offering and, more deeply, a life filled and taken up wholly into God's service. To be consecrated was to have one's hands, and one's whole self, filled for God.
Explanation
Now came the ram of consecration, and its blood was applied in a striking way. Moses put it "upon the tip of Aaron's right ear, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot," and did the same for Aaron's sons. Portions of the offering and bread were then placed in their hands and waved before the LORD, filling their hands for service. Finally Moses took the anointing oil together with the blood from the altar and "sprinkled it upon Aaron, and upon his garments, and upon his sons," sanctifying them. The blood on ear, hand, and foot was no random gesture. It claimed the whole man for God: the ear that hears, the hand that works, the foot that walks. From the highest point of the body to the lowest, the priest was marked by blood as belonging wholly to the LORD.
Gospel Focus
The blood on the ear, the hand, and the foot is one of the most beautiful pictures of consecration in Scripture. God claims the whole person, not a part. The ear touched with blood is an ear set apart to hear His voice and heed it; the hand, to do His work; the foot, to walk in His ways. Redemption reaches from what we listen to, through what we do, to where we go. And it was blood first and then oil, for the Spirit's anointing follows the blood of atonement; only what the blood has cleansed can the oil sanctify. This is the shape of a holy life: bought by blood, filled by the Spirit, and given over entirely, ears, hands, and feet, to God. Paul makes the same appeal, that we "yield... your members as instruments of righteousness unto God" (Romans 6:13). Ask whether your ears, hands, and feet bear the mark of the blood, consecrated to hear, to serve, and to walk for the One who bought you whole.
Abide at the Door Seven Days (Leviticus 8:31-36)
The priests were to remain at the door of the tabernacle day and night for seven days, keeping the charge of the LORD until their consecration was complete.
Keep the Charge of the LORD
"Therefore shall ye abide at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation day and night seven days, and keep the charge of the LORD, that ye die not: for so I am commanded. So Aaron and his sons did all things which the LORD commanded by the hand of Moses."
Hebrew Study
"seven," sheva (שֶׁבַע). The number of completeness and covenant in Scripture, from the seven days of creation onward. Its root is tied to the word for taking an oath, so that "seven" carries the sense of something bound and finished. The seven days of consecration meant a full, complete setting apart, sealed like a covenant.
Explanation
The consecration was not the work of a single ceremony. God commanded the priests to eat the flesh of the ram at the door, to burn what remained, and then to "abide at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation day and night seven days." For a full week they were not to leave, but to "keep the charge of the LORD, that ye die not." Only when the seven days were complete would their ordination be finished. It was a time of waiting, of staying near the presence of God, of learning to keep His charge before they took up their public ministry. And the chapter ends with the quiet mark of true consecration: "Aaron and his sons did all things which the LORD commanded by the hand of Moses." They obeyed, fully and exactly.
Gospel Focus
The seven days at the door teach that consecration takes time and nearness, and cannot be hurried. Before the priests served the people, they had to abide in the presence of God, keeping His charge, learning to stay. There is a New Testament echo of this in the upper room. Before the disciples went out to their ministry, the risen Lord told them to wait: "tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high" (Luke 24:49). They abode together in prayer until the day of Pentecost was fully come, and only then, filled with the Spirit, did they go forth. We are often eager to serve before we have learned to abide, but God's order is the same: first the door of His presence, then the work. Do not despise the days of waiting and keeping His charge; they are not delay but preparation. The priest who has learned to abide at the door will be the servant fit to go out and minister. And let the final verse be the aim of every consecrated life: to do "all things which the LORD commanded."
Chapter 8 in Review
Leviticus 8 ordains the priests who will offer the sacrifices. Moses washes Aaron and his sons, clothes them in the holy garments, and pours the anointing oil on Aaron's head. He offers a sin offering and a burnt offering to atone for them, then the ram of consecration, placing its blood on the right ear, thumb, and toe, filling their hands with portions of the offering, and sprinkling oil and blood on the priests and their garments. Finally they are commanded to abide at the door of the tabernacle for seven days, keeping the charge of the LORD, and they do "all things which the LORD commanded."
For the Apostolic reader, the whole chapter is a portrait of Christ and of the consecrated life. The washing, clothing, and anointing show how a believer-priest is made: cleansed, robed in a righteousness not his own, and filled with the Spirit, all received by grace. The offerings reveal both the weakness of Aaron, who needed atonement, and the glory of Christ, who needed none and offered Himself. The blood on ear, hand, and foot claims the whole person for God, to hear, to serve, and to walk for Him. And the seven days at the door call us to abide in God's presence before we go out to serve. Bought by blood, filled with the Spirit, and given wholly to God, we are made priests unto Him.
- A priest was made by being washed, clothed, and anointed, the pattern of the believer cleansed, robed in righteousness, and filled with the Spirit.
- Everything was done to Aaron; consecration is received by grace, not achieved.
- Even the priests needed a sin offering, unlike Christ, who had no sin and offered Himself once for all.
- Blood on the ear, hand, and foot claims the whole person for God: hearing, doing, and walking.
- Seven days at the door teach that consecration takes time and nearness; we abide before we serve.
Questions for Reflection
- Do you rest in a standing before God that was given to you, washed, clothed, and anointed by grace?
- Do the blood-marked ear, hand, and foot describe you, consecrated to hear, serve, and walk for God?
- Are you willing to abide at the door and keep God's charge, or do you rush to serve without first learning to wait on Him?
References & Sources
Scripture is quoted from the King James Version (KJV). The Hebrew terms are standard and can be checked in any Hebrew lexicon. Supporting passages are listed so every claim can be verified in its own setting. If anything here does not look right, a verse, a reference, or a wording, please tell us at info@FruitBearers.net. Thank you for helping us keep Bible Learning error free.
- Washed, clothed, anointed, and made priests: Leviticus 8:1-13; Titus 3:5; Isaiah 61:10; 1 John 2:27; Revelation 1:6.
- The priests atoned for, and Christ who needed no atonement: Leviticus 8:14-21; Hebrews 7:27.
- Blood on ear, hand, and foot, the whole person consecrated: Leviticus 8:22-30; Romans 6:13.
- Seven days abiding, and tarrying for power: Leviticus 8:31-36; Luke 24:49.