Leviticus 16 - The Day of Atonement

Source: HPB03, Leviticus 16 annotated pages; cross-checked with Mansfield Expositor Chapter 16

Chapter Overview

Leviticus 16 is explicitly placed after the deaths of Nadab and Abihu. Even the high priest may not enter the Most Holy whenever he chooses; access is governed by blood, incense, washing, appointed garments and the fixed annual rite.

The Day of Atonement—Yom ha-Kippurim—cleanses priest, people and sanctuary from Israel’s uncleanness and sins. Hebrews 9–10 gives the controlling New Testament interpretation: the repeated annual entrance points beyond itself to Christ’s effective priestly work.

Access Restricted — Leviticus 16:1–6

Leviticus 16:1–2 — not “at all times” within the veil

The death of Aaron’s sons frames the warning. Aaron must not enter within the paroketh at any time he chooses, lest he die, because Yahweh appears in the cloud over the kapporeth.

Hebrews 9:7 explicitly recalls that the high priest entered the second compartment alone once each year, with blood.

Leviticus 16:3–5 — bull, rams, goats and linen garments

Aaron brings a bull for his own sin/purification offering and a ram for burnt offering. He washes and wears the simple holy linen tunic, breeches, sash and turban rather than the full “glory and beauty” garments. Israel supplies two male goats for one sin-offering complex and a ram for burnt offering.

Leviticus 16:6 — Aaron first atones for himself and his house

The Aaronic mediator must first address his own house. Hebrews 7:26–28 later contrasts Christ, holy and undefiled, with ordinary high priests who needed offerings for their own sins.

The Two Goats And The Lots — Leviticus 16:7–10

Leviticus 16:7–8 — one lot for Yahweh, one la‘azazel

The goats are presented before Yahweh and lots determine their roles: one laYHWH, for Yahweh, and one la‘azazel. Proverbs 16:33 provides the general biblical principle that the lot’s disposal is under Yahweh’s sovereignty.

Azazel is a genuinely disputed term. Major proposals include a “goat of removal/departure,” a wilderness destination/name, or a proper supernatural name in later interpretation. The chapter itself does not identify Azazel as Satan or teach an offering to a demon; no such identification should be inserted into Mansfield’s notes as fact.

Leviticus 16:9–10 — death and living removal

The goat for Yahweh is killed as the people’s sin offering. The other is presented alive before Yahweh to be used in the atonement/removal rite and then sent into the wilderness. The two goats function together in one national sin-removal drama.

Blood And Incense Within The Veil — Leviticus 16:11–19

Leviticus 16:11–14 — bull blood and incense cloud

Aaron kills his bull, takes altar coals and finely beaten fragrant incense within the veil, and creates an incense cloud covering the kapporeth “that he die not.” He then sprinkles bull blood on/eastward before the kapporeth seven times.

Prayer/intercession symbolism for incense is confirmed elsewhere (Psalm 141:2; Revelation 8:3–4), but the immediate function here is protective, appointed priestly approach.

Leviticus 16:15–17 — people’s goat blood cleanses the sanctuary

The goat for Yahweh is killed and its blood carried within exactly as directed. Atonement is made for the holy place “because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions in all their sins.”

No other person remains in the Tent while the high priest performs the inner atonement. The sanctuary itself requires ritual cleansing because it dwells among a defiled people.

Leviticus 16:18–19 — altar cleansed

Combined bull and goat blood is applied to the altar horns and sprinkled seven times, cleansing and hallowing it from Israel’s uncleanness.

The Living Goat Bears Sin Away — Leviticus 16:20–22

Leviticus 16:20–21 — both hands and full confession

Aaron lays both hands upon the living goat and confesses all Israel’s ‘avonot, pesha‘im and chatta’ot—iniquities, transgressions and sins—placing them representatively on the goat’s head.

The ritual dramatizes acknowledged sin being borne away; it is not a zoological or magical transfer of guilt-substance.

Leviticus 16:22 — unto a land cut off

The goat bears the iniquities to eretz gezerah, a cut-off/remote land, and is released in the wilderness by an appointed man. Psalm 103:12 later uses different imagery but expresses the same theological reality of sins removed far away.

Washing, Burnt Offerings And Outside The Camp — Leviticus 16:23–28

Leviticus 16:23–25 — garments changed; burnt offerings follow

Aaron removes the special linen garments, bathes, resumes his other garments and offers burnt offerings for himself and the people. Atonement is followed by renewed dedication.

Leviticus 16:26–28 — cleansing after contact with removal/death

The man who releases the live goat washes before returning. The bull and goat carcasses whose blood entered the sanctuary are carried outside the camp and burned; those doing so wash before re-entry.

Hebrews 13:11–13 explicitly draws Christological significance from sin-offering bodies burned outside the camp and Jesus suffering outside the gate.

Annual Humiliation And Cleansing — Leviticus 16:29–34

Leviticus 16:29–31 — tenth day, afflict your nephesh, no work

On the tenth day of the seventh month Israel must ‘anah its nephesh—humble/afflict oneself—and do no work. The phrase became associated with fasting; Acts 27:9’s “the Fast” is commonly understood as the Day of Atonement.

Nephesh here means person/self/life, not an immortal soul. The day is a shabbat shabbaton, Sabbath of solemn/complete rest.

Leviticus 16:30 — “clean from all your sins before Yahweh”

The purpose is stated directly: atonement is made “to cleanse you, that ye may be clean from all your sins before Yahweh.” Ritual purification and moral covenant forgiveness meet in the national ceremony.

Leviticus 16:32–34 — once every year

The duly anointed high priest repeats the rite annually for sanctuary, Tent, altar, priests and congregation. Hebrews 9:25–28 and 10:1–14 emphasise the contrast between repeated yearly sacrifices and Christ’s once-for-all effective offering.

Principal Themes

• The Day of Atonement is instituted in the shadow of Nadab and Abihu’s deaths.
• Even the high priest’s access to the Most Holy is strictly limited and mediated.
• The Aaronic high priest must first make atonement for himself and his house.
• The two goats jointly portray sacrifice and the bearing-away/removal of sin.
• Azazel is lexically disputed and must not be dogmatically identified with Satan or a demon.
• Blood and incense govern entrance within the veil.
• Israel’s sins ritually defile even the sanctuary dwelling among them.
• The live goat bears confessed sins into a remote/cut-off land.
• The day calls for self-humbling and complete cessation from ordinary work.
• Hebrews 9–10 explicitly contrasts annual repetition with Christ’s once-for-all priestly work.

EDITORIAL VERIFICATION AND RECOVERED READINGS

Residual uncertainties

Azazel remains the chapter’s most disputed lexical item and is intentionally left unresolved beyond the ritual function of the living goat. Exact interpretations of “afflict your selves” and some blood-direction wording also admit nuance. Mansfield’s Christology is retained where controlled by Hebrews, while speculative equations—especially Azazel with a supernatural evil being—are excluded as unproved.