Leviticus 16:24
New International Version
He shall bathe himself with water in the sanctuary area and put on his regular garments. Then he shall come out and sacrifice the burnt offering for himself and the burnt offering for the people, to make atonement for himself and for the people.

New Living Translation
Then he must bathe himself with water in a sacred place, put on his regular garments, and go out to sacrifice a burnt offering for himself and a burnt offering for the people. Through this process, he will purify himself and the people, making them right with the LORD.

English Standard Version
And he shall bathe his body in water in a holy place and put on his garments and come out and offer his burnt offering and the burnt offering of the people and make atonement for himself and for the people.

Berean Standard Bible
He is to bathe himself with water in a holy place and put on his own clothes. Then he must go out and sacrifice his burnt offering and the people’s burnt offering to make atonement for himself and for the people.

King James Bible
And he shall wash his flesh with water in the holy place, and put on his garments, and come forth, and offer his burnt offering, and the burnt offering of the people, and make an atonement for himself, and for the people.

New King James Version
And he shall wash his body with water in a holy place, put on his garments, come out and offer his burnt offering and the burnt offering of the people, and make atonement for himself and for the people.

New American Standard Bible
And he shall bathe his body with water in a holy place and put on his clothes, and come out and offer his burnt offering and the burnt offering of the people, and make atonement for himself and for the people.

NASB 1995
“He shall bathe his body with water in a holy place and put on his clothes, and come forth and offer his burnt offering and the burnt offering of the people and make atonement for himself and for the people.

NASB 1977
“And he shall bathe his body with water in a holy place and put on his clothes, and come forth and offer his burnt offering and the burnt offering of the people, and make atonement for himself and for the people.

Legacy Standard Bible
And he shall bathe his body with water in a holy place and put on his clothes and come forth, and offer his burnt offering and the burnt offering of the people and make atonement for himself and for the people.

Amplified Bible
He shall bathe his body with water in a holy place and put on his clothes, and come out and offer his burnt offering and that of the people, and make atonement for himself and for the people.

Christian Standard Bible
He will bathe his body with water in a holy place and put on his clothes. Then he must go out and sacrifice his burnt offering and the people’s burnt offering; he will make atonement for himself and for the people.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
He will bathe his body with water in a holy place and put on his clothes. Then he must go out and sacrifice his burnt offering and the people’s burnt offering; he will make atonement for himself and for the people.

American Standard Version
and he shall bathe his flesh in water in a holy place, and put on his garments, and come forth, and offer his burnt-offering and the burnt-offering of the people, and make atonement for himself and for the people.

English Revised Version
and he shall bathe his flesh in water in a holy place, and put on his garments, and come forth, and offer his burnt offering and the burnt offering of the people, and make atonement for himself and for the people.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
He will wash his body in the holy place and put on his other clothes. Then he will come out and sacrifice the burnt offering for himself and for the people to make peace with the LORD for his own sins and the sins of the people.

Good News Translation
He must take a bath in a holy place and put on his own clothes. After that, he shall go out and offer the burnt offering to remove his own sins and those of the people.

International Standard Version
He is to wash his body with water at the sacred place and put on his clothes. Then he is to go out and offer a whole burnt offering for himself and a whole burnt offering for the people, thereby making atonement on account of himself and on account of the people.

Majority Standard Bible
He is to bathe himself with water in a holy place and put on his own clothes. Then he must go out and sacrifice his burnt offering and the people?s burnt offering to make atonement for himself and for the people.

NET Bible
Then he must bathe his body in water in a holy place, put on his clothes, and go out and make his burnt offering and the people's burnt offering. So he is to make atonement on behalf of himself and the people.

New Heart English Bible
Then he shall bathe himself in water in a holy place, and put on his garments, and come out and offer his burnt offering and the burnt offering of the people, and make atonement for himself and for the people.

Webster's Bible Translation
And he shall wash his flesh with water in the holy place, and put on his garments, and come forth, and offer his burnt-offering, and the burnt-offering of the people, and make an atonement for himself, and for the people.

World English Bible
Then he shall bathe himself in water in a holy place, put on his garments, and come out and offer his burnt offering and the burnt offering of the people, and make atonement for himself and for the people.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and he has bathed his flesh with water in the holy place, and has put on his garments, and has come out, and has made his burnt-offering, and the burnt-offering of the people, and has made atonement for himself and for the people;

Young's Literal Translation
and he hath bathed his flesh with water in the holy place, and hath put on his garments, and hath come out, and hath made his burnt-offering, and the burnt-offering of the people, and hath made atonement for himself and for the people;

Smith's Literal Translation
And he washed his flesh in water in the holy place, and he put on his garments and came forth, and did his burnt-offering, and the burnt-offering of the people, and expiated for himself, and for the people.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
He shall wash his flesh in the holy place, and shall put on his own garments. And after that he has come out and hath offered his own holocaust, and that of the people, he shall pray both for himself, and for the people:

Catholic Public Domain Version
he shall wash his flesh in the holy place, and he shall be clothed in his own garments. And departing afterwards, he shall present his own holocaust and that of the people: he shall pray as much for himself as for the people.

New American Bible
After bathing his body with water in a sacred place, he shall put on his regular vestments, and then come out and offer his own and the people’s burnt offering, in atonement for himself and for the people,

New Revised Standard Version
He shall bathe his body in water in a holy place, and put on his vestments; then he shall come out and offer his burnt offering and the burnt offering of the people, making atonement for himself and for the people.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And he shall bathe his body in water in the holy place and put on his garments, and come forth and offer his burnt offering and the burnt offering of the people, and make an atonement for himself and for the people.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And he shall wash his flesh in water in the holy place and shall put on his garments and he will go out and shall bring his burnt peace offering and a burnt peace offering of the people and he shall atone for himself and for the people.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And he shall bathe his flesh in water in a holy place and put on his other vestments, and come forth, and offer his burnt-offering and the burnt-offering of the people, and make atonement for himself and for the people.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And he shall bathe his body in water in the holy place, and shall put on his raiment, and shall go out and offer the whole-burnt-offering for himself and the whole-burnt-offering for the people: and shall make atonement for himself and for his house, and for the people, as for the priests.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Scapegoat
23Then Aaron is to enter the Tent of Meeting, take off the linen garments he put on before entering the Most Holy Place, and leave them there. 24He is to bathe himself with water in a holy place and put on his own clothes. Then he must go out and sacrifice his burnt offering and the people’s burnt offering to make atonement for himself and for the people. 25He is also to burn the fat of the sin offering on the altar.…

Cross References
Hebrews 9:7
But only the high priest entered the second room, and then only once a year, and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance.

Hebrews 9:11-12
But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that have come, He went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made by hands and is not a part of this creation. / He did not enter by the blood of goats and calves, but He entered the Most Holy Place once for all by His own blood, thus securing eternal redemption.

Hebrews 9:24-25
For Christ did not enter a man-made copy of the true sanctuary, but He entered heaven itself, now to appear on our behalf in the presence of God. / Nor did He enter heaven to offer Himself again and again, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own.

Hebrews 10:19-22
Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, / by the new and living way opened for us through the curtain of His body, / and since we have a great priest over the house of God, ...

Hebrews 7:27
Unlike the other high priests, He does not need to offer daily sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people; He sacrificed for sin once for all when He offered up Himself.

Hebrews 5:1-3
Every high priest is appointed from among men to represent them in matters relating to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. / He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and misguided, since he himself is subject to weakness. / That is why he is obligated to offer sacrifices for his own sins, as well as for the sins of the people.

Hebrews 4:14-16
Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we profess. / For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who was tempted in every way that we are, yet was without sin. / Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Exodus 30:19-21
with which Aaron and his sons are to wash their hands and feet. / Whenever they enter the Tent of Meeting or approach the altar to minister by presenting a food offering to the LORD, they must wash with water so that they will not die. / Thus they are to wash their hands and feet so that they will not die; this shall be a permanent statute for Aaron and his descendants for the generations to come.”

Exodus 29:4
Then present Aaron and his sons at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and wash them with water.

Exodus 40:12-15
Then bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and wash them with water. / And you are to clothe Aaron with the holy garments, anoint him, and consecrate him, so that he may serve Me as a priest. / Bring his sons forward and clothe them with tunics. ...

Numbers 19:7
Then the priest must wash his clothes and bathe his body in water; after that he may enter the camp, but he will be ceremonially unclean until evening.

Numbers 8:6-7
“Take the Levites from among the Israelites and make them ceremonially clean. / This is what you must do to cleanse them: Sprinkle them with the water of purification. Have them shave their whole bodies and wash their clothes, and so purify themselves.

Numbers 8:21
The Levites purified themselves and washed their clothes, and Aaron presented them as a wave offering before the LORD. Aaron also made atonement for them to cleanse them.

1 Peter 3:21
And this water symbolizes the baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body, but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

1 John 1:7
But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.


Treasury of Scripture

And he shall wash his flesh with water in the holy place, and put on his garments, and come forth, and offer his burnt offering, and the burnt offering of the people, and make an atonement for himself, and for the people.

wash

Leviticus 16:4
He shall put on the holy linen coat, and he shall have the linen breeches upon his flesh, and shall be girded with a linen girdle, and with the linen mitre shall he be attired: these are holy garments; therefore shall he wash his flesh in water, and so put them on.

Leviticus 8:6
And Moses brought Aaron and his sons, and washed them with water.

Leviticus 14:9
But it shall be on the seventh day, that he shall shave all his hair off his head and his beard and his eyebrows, even all his hair he shall shave off: and he shall wash his clothes, also he shall wash his flesh in water, and he shall be clean.

his garments

Leviticus 8:7-9
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…

Exodus 28:4
And these are the garments which they shall make; a breastplate, and an ephod, and a robe, and a broidered coat, a mitre, and a girdle: and they shall make holy garments for Aaron thy brother, and his sons, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office.

Exodus 29:5
And thou shalt take the garments, and put upon Aaron the coat, and the robe of the ephod, and the ephod, and the breastplate, and gird him with the curious girdle of the ephod:

his burnt

Leviticus 16:3,5
Thus shall Aaron come into the holy place: with a young bullock for a sin offering, and a ram for a burnt offering…

and make

Leviticus 16:17
And there shall be no man in the tabernacle of the congregation when he goeth in to make an atonement in the holy place, until he come out, and have made an atonement for himself, and for his household, and for all the congregation of Israel.

Jump to Previous
Atonement Bathe Bathing Body Burned Burnt Burnt-Offering Clothes Clothing Flesh Forth Garments Holy Offer Offering Regular Sacrifice Sin Vestments Wash Water
Jump to Next
Atonement Bathe Bathing Body Burned Burnt Burnt-Offering Clothes Clothing Flesh Forth Garments Holy Offer Offering Regular Sacrifice Sin Vestments Wash Water
Leviticus 16
1. how the high priest must enter into the holy place
11. The sin offering for himself
15. The sin offering for the people
20. The scapegoat
29. The yearly feast of the expiations














He is to bathe himself with water in a holy place
This phrase refers to the ritual purification required of the high priest, emphasizing the importance of cleanliness before approaching God. Bathing in a holy place signifies the separation from impurity and the preparation for sacred duties. This act of washing is symbolic of spiritual cleansing, a theme echoed in the New Testament, where baptism represents purification and new life (Acts 22:16). The holy place, likely the tabernacle or a designated area within it, underscores the sanctity required for approaching God.

and put on his own clothes
After bathing, the high priest changes from the special linen garments worn during the Day of Atonement rituals back into his regular priestly attire. This change of clothing signifies a transition from the unique duties of the Day of Atonement back to his regular priestly functions. The garments symbolize the priest's role and identity, and the act of changing clothes reflects the completion of a specific sacred task. This can be seen as a type of Christ, who, after completing His sacrificial work, returned to His glory (John 17:5).

Then he must go out and sacrifice his burnt offering and the people’s burnt offering
The burnt offering, a sacrifice entirely consumed by fire, represents total dedication to God. The high priest offers a burnt offering for himself and another for the people, signifying the need for atonement and reconciliation with God. This dual offering highlights the priest's role as a mediator between God and the people, a role ultimately fulfilled by Jesus Christ, who offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice (Hebrews 9:14). The act of going out to perform the sacrifice indicates the public nature of this ritual, reinforcing the communal aspect of atonement.

to make atonement for himself and for the people
Atonement involves the covering or removal of sin, restoring the relationship between God and humanity. The high priest's need to make atonement for himself underscores the imperfection of the Levitical priesthood, pointing to the necessity of a perfect high priest, Jesus Christ, who is sinless and able to make a once-for-all atonement (Hebrews 7:27). This phrase encapsulates the central theme of Leviticus 16, the Day of Atonement, which foreshadows the ultimate atonement achieved through Christ's sacrifice on the cross.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Aaron
The high priest who performs the rituals of atonement. He represents the people before God and is responsible for carrying out the sacred duties prescribed by God.

2. Holy Place
The designated area within the tabernacle where Aaron must bathe and change his garments. This signifies the sanctity and purity required in approaching God.

3. Burnt Offering
A sacrificial offering made to God, symbolizing atonement and dedication. It is a key component of the Day of Atonement rituals.

4. Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur)
An annual event in the Jewish calendar where the high priest makes atonement for the sins of the people of Israel.

5. Atonement
The process of reconciling with God, involving confession, repentance, and sacrifice. It is central to the relationship between God and His people.
Teaching Points
Purity and Preparation
The act of bathing and changing garments signifies the need for purity when approaching God. In our spiritual lives, we must prepare our hearts and minds, seeking forgiveness and cleansing through Christ.

Role of the High Priest
Aaron's role as a mediator foreshadows Christ's ultimate priesthood. Jesus is our high priest who intercedes for us, having made the final atonement through His sacrifice.

Symbolism of Sacrifice
The burnt offering represents total dedication to God. As believers, we are called to live sacrificially, dedicating our lives to God's service and glory.

Communal Atonement
The high priest makes atonement not only for himself but also for the people. This highlights the communal aspect of faith, where we support and intercede for one another.(24) And he shall wash his flesh.--That is, immerse his whole body. The baptistery, where the high priest performed these ablutions, was on the roof of a building in the sacred precincts. According to the authorities and practice during the second Temple the act described in this verse preceded the one ordered in the foregoing verse. The burnt offering, both for himself and for the people, the high priest offered in the golden garments. These he changed for the white robes when he afterwards went into the Holy of Holies to fetch the censer and the incense cup. The sacrifice consisted first of his own ram, then the ram of the people, and lastly the bullock of the people, and their seven lambs. (Comp. Numbers 29:8).



Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
He is to bathe
וְרָחַ֨ץ (wə·rā·ḥaṣ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7364: To wash, wash off or away, bathe

himself
בְּשָׂר֤וֹ (bə·śā·rōw)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 1320: Flesh, body, person, the pudenda of a, man

with water
בַמַּ֙יִם֙ (ḇam·ma·yim)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 4325: Water, juice, urine, semen

in a holy
קָד֔וֹשׁ (qā·ḏō·wōš)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 6918: Sacred, God, an angel, a saint, a sanctuary

place
בְּמָק֣וֹם (bə·mā·qō·wm)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4725: A standing, a spot, a condition

and put on
וְלָבַ֖שׁ (wə·lā·ḇaš)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3847: Wrap around, to put on a, garment, clothe

his own clothes.
בְּגָדָ֑יו (bə·ḡā·ḏāw)
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 899: A covering, clothing, treachery, pillage

Then he must go out
וְיָצָ֗א (wə·yā·ṣā)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3318: To go, bring, out, direct and proxim

and sacrifice
וְעָשָׂ֤ה (wə·‘ā·śāh)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6213: To do, make

his burnt offering
עֹֽלָתוֹ֙ (‘ō·lā·ṯōw)
Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5930: Whole burnt offering

and the people’s
הָעָ֔ם (hā·‘ām)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5971: A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock

burnt offering
עֹלַ֣ת (‘ō·laṯ)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 5930: Whole burnt offering

to make atonement
וְכִפֶּ֥ר (wə·ḵip·per)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3722: To cover, to expiate, condone, to placate, cancel

for
בַּעֲד֖וֹ (ba·‘ă·ḏōw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's 1157: In up to, over against, at, beside, among, behind, for

himself
וּבְעַ֥ד (ū·ḇə·‘aḏ)
Conjunctive waw | Preposition
Strong's 1157: In up to, over against, at, beside, among, behind, for

and for the people.
הָעָֽם׃ (hā·‘ām)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5971: A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock


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OT Law: Leviticus 16:24 Then he shall bathe himself in water (Le Lv Lev.)
Leviticus 16:23
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