Dublin, OH
Commentaries and Other Bible Study Helps - Prayer Tents - Prayer Tents
16:1-34 The Day of Atonement Ritual. Occasioned by the death of Nadab and Abihu (ch. 10), the prescription sets out how--and for what purpose--Aaron the chief priest is to enter the Most Holy Place. The account ends with the institutionalization of the ritual (16:29-34). The nature of the ritual shows that purification for sins and uncleanness must be done from the innermost part of the tabernacle. All the other purificatory rituals hinge on the ceremony of this day. The sin offerings in this chapter in particular point to the work of Christ on the cross (see Heb. 9:7-14).
16:1-2 These verses explain the immediate occasion for the atonement-day ritual, implying that Nadab and Abihu's sin was not simply being drunk (cf. 10:9) but entering (or attempting to enter) the Most Holy Place (inside the veil).
16:3-10 The preparations and the general guideline for the atonement-day ritual are not described. Aaron prepares a bull . . . for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering (atoning for the house of the priests). He also prepares two male goats for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering (atoning for the people). One of the two goats for the people's sin purifies the tent of meeting, while the other is presented alive to be sent away into the wilderness. As the ESV footnote explains, the meaning of Azazel (vv. 8, 10) is uncertain. Many take it to be a proper name (since it is parallel to the Lord in v. 8) and thus conclude that it is the name either of an otherwise unknown demon or of a place. The traditional explanation is that Azazel (Hb. ‘aza’zel) is a compound word, combining "goat" (Hb. ‘ez) with "going away" (Hb. ’azel): the word would then mean "goat that goes away" (hence the conventional "scapegoat"). Each of these explanations has its difficulties; in any event, the idea is clear enough: the goat is sent out in order to take sin away from Israel.
16:11-17 The atonement-day ritual starts with atonement for the priests (vv. 11-14) and then moves to atonement for the people (vv. 15-17). Aaron puts incense on the fire and it creates, literally, a cloud. The purpose of this act is to make the Most Holy Place misty and foggy to prevent Aaron from clearly seeing the presence of God. This is for Aaron's protection. because of the uncleannesses of the people of Israel and because of their transgressions, all their sins (v. 16). Some interpreters assume that this description of sins refers to heinous offenses that have not been dealt with by the rituals on ordinary occasions. But the emphasis of "all their sins" (see also v. 21) appears to require the interpretation that the sins and uncleannesses on the ordinary occasions are once again taken up on this occasion.
16:18-19 Presumably, altar here refers to the altar of burnt offering and not the incense altar (the purification of which is implied in v. 16b). The blood that has purified the mercy seat purifies this altar, thus restoring it to its pristine condition.
16:20-22 This rite of sending the guilt of all Israel into the desert is commonly understood to be another way of cleansing the people, in addition to the prior purification of the sanctuary (vv. 3-20). But it is possible to see the two rites consecutively, based on the understanding that "bearing iniquity" (or guilt) is part of the atonement (Hb. kipper) process. If so, the relationship between the two rites is that Aaron bears the iniquities in purifying the holy objects (cf. 10:17), and then he places them on the Azazel-goat, so that the latter takes them away into the wilderness.
16:23-25 Aaron leaves his Day of Atonement clothes inside the Holy Place because they are holy. They are not to be worn for the normal activity of the high priesthood.
16:26-28 The person who handles the Azazel-goat is assumed to have been defiled, presumably because he had contact with the uncleanness that the goat bore.
16:29-34 On the tenth day of the seventh month (Tishri, i.e., September/October), the Israelites and the strangers are to afflict themselves (v. 29; lit., "afflict or humble their souls"). This term expresses self-denial and self-mortification, connected with fasting and prayer (Ps. 35:13; Isa. 58:3; cf. Ezra 8:21). This is also a day that the people are not to work; it is a day of rest.
