Bible Commentaries

Ceremonies to be used in consecrating Aaron and his sons, Exodus 29:1-3. They are to be washed, Exodus 29:4. Aaron is to be clothed with the holy vestments, Exodus 29:5, Exodus 29:6; to be anointed, Exodus 29:7. His sons to be clothed and girded, Exodus 29:8, Exodus 29:9. They are to offer a bullock for a sin-offering, Exodus 29:10-14; and a ram for a burnt-offering, Exodus 29:15-18; and a second ram for a consecration-offering, Exodus 29:19-22. A loaf, a cake, and a wafer or thin cake, for a wave-offering, Exodus 29:23-25. The breast of the wave-offering and the shoulder of the heave-offering to be sanctified, Exodus 29:26-28. Aaron's vestments to descend to his son, who shall succeed him, Exodus 29:29, Exodus 29:30. Aaron and his sons to eat the flesh of the ram of consecration, Exodus 29:31, Exodus 29:32. No stranger to eat of it, Exodus 29:33. Nothing of it to be left till the morning, but to be burnt with fire, Exodus 29:34. Seven days to be employed in consecrating Aaron and his sons, Exodus 29:35-37. Two lambs, one for the morning and the other for the evening sacrifice, to be offered continually, Exodus 29:38-42. God promises to sanctify Israel with his glory, and to dwell among them, Exodus 29:43-46.

Take one young bullock - This consecration did not take place till after the erection of the tabernacle. See Leviticus 8:9-14.

Unleavened bread - Three kinds of bread as to its form are mentioned here, but all unleavened:

1. מצות matstsoth, unleavened bread, no matter in what shape. See Exodus 12:8.

2. חלת challoth, cakes, pricked or perforated, as the root implies.

3. רקיקי rekikey, an exceeding thin cake, from רק rak, to be attenuated, properly enough translated wafer. The manner in which these were prepared is sufficiently plain from the text, and probably these were the principal forms in which flour was prepared for household use during their stay in the wilderness.

These were all waved before the Lord, Exodus 29:24, as an acknowledgment that the bread that sustains the body, as well as the mercy which saves the soul, comes from God alone.

Thou - shalt wash them - This was done emblematically, to signify that they were to put away all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, and perfect holiness in the fear of God; 2 Corinthians 7:1.

Thou shalt take the garments - As most offices of spiritual and secular dignity had appropriate habits and insignia, hence, when a person was appointed to an office and habited for the purpose, he was said to be invested with that office, from in, used intensively, and vestio, I clothe, because he was then clothed with the vestments peculiar to that office.

Then shalt thou take the anointing oil - It appears, from Isaiah 61:1, that anointing with oil, in consecrating a person to any important office, whether civil or religious, was considered as an emblem of the communication of the gifts and graces of the Holy Spirit. This ceremony was used on three occasions, viz., the installation of prophets, priests, and kings, into their respective offices. But why should such an anointing be deemed necessary? Because the common sense of men taught them that all good, whether spiritual or secular, must come from God, its origin and cause. Hence it was taken for granted,

1. That no man could foretell events unless inspired by the Spirit of God. And therefore the prophet was anointed, to signify the communication of the Spirit of wisdom and knowledge.

2. That no person could offer an acceptable sacrifice to God for the sins of men, or profitably minister in holy things, unless enlightened, influenced, and directed by the Spirit of grace and holiness. Hence the priest was anointed, to signify his being Divinely qualified for the due performance of his sacred functions.

3. That no man could enact just and equitable laws, which should have the prosperity of the community and the welfare of the individual continually in view, or could use the power confided to him only for the suppression of vice and the encouragement of virtue, but that man who was ever under the inspiration of the Almighty.

Hence kings were inaugurated by anointing with oil. Two of these officers only exist in all civilized nations, the sacerdotal and regal; and in some countries the priest and king are still consecrated by anointing. In the Hebrew language משח mashach signifies to anoint, and משיח mashiach, the anointed person. But as no man was ever dignified by holding the three offices, so no person ever had the title mashiach, the anointed one, but Jesus the Christ. He alone is King of kings and Lord of lords: the king who governs the universe, and rules in the hearts of his followers; the prophet, to instruct men in the way wherein they should go; and the great high priest, to make atonement for their sins. Hence he is called the Messias, a corruption of the word המשיח hammashiach, The anointed One, in Hebrew; which gave birth to ὁ Χριστος, ho Christos, which has precisely the same signification in Greek. Of him, Melchizedek, Abraham, Aaron, David, and others were illustrious types. But none of these had the title of The Messiah, or The Anointed of God. This does, and ever will, belong exclusively to Jesus the Christ.

Shall put their hands upon the head of the bullock - By this rite the animal was consecrated to God, and was then proper to be offered in sacrifice. Imposition of hands also signified that they offered the life of this animal as an atonement for their sins, and to redeem their lives from that death which, through their sinfulness, they had deserved. In the case of the sin-offering and trespass-offering, the person who brought the sacrifice placed his hands on the head of the animal between the horns, and confessed his sin over the sin-offering, and his trespass over the trespass-offering, saying, "I have sinned, I have done iniquity; I have trespassed, and have done thus and thus; and do return by repentance before thee, and with this I make atonement." Then the animal was considered as vicariously bearing the sins of the person who brought it - Exodus 29:14

It is a sin-offering - See Clarke's note on Genesis 4:7; See Clarke's note on Genesis 13:13; See Clarke's note on Leviticus 7:1, etc.