BIBLE CHAPTER STUDY
Exodus 29: Consecration of the Priests
God commands Moses to consecrate Aaron and his sons as priests through washing, clothing, anointing, a sin offering, a burnt offering, and a ram of ordination, followed by the daily burnt offering at the tabernacle.
Scripture
1And this is the thing that thou shalt do unto them to hallow them, to minister unto me in the priest's office: take one young bullock and two rams without blemish,
2and unleavened bread, and cakes unleavened mingled with oil, and wafers unleavened anointed with oil: of fine wheaten flour shalt thou make them.
3And thou shalt put them into one basket, and bring them in the basket, with the bullock and the two rams.
4And Aaron and his sons thou shalt bring unto the door of the tent of meeting, and shalt wash them with water.
5And 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 skilfully woven band of the ephod;
6and thou shalt set the mitre upon his head, and put the holy crown upon the mitre.
7Then shalt thou take the anointing oil, and pour it upon his head, and anoint him.
8And thou shalt bring his sons, and put coats upon them.
9And thou shalt gird them with girdles, Aaron and his sons, and bind head-tires on them: and they shall have the priesthood by a perpetual statute: and thou shalt consecrate Aaron and his sons.
10And thou shalt bring the bullock before the tent of meeting: and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands upon the head of the bullock.
11And thou shalt kill the bullock before Jehovah, at the door of the tent of meeting.
12And thou shalt take of the blood of the bullock, and put it upon the horns of the altar with thy finger; and thou shalt pour out all the blood at the base of the altar.
13And thou shalt take all the fat that covereth the inwards, and the caul upon the liver, and the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, and burn them upon the altar.
14But the flesh of the bullock, and its skin, and its dung, shalt thou burn with fire without the camp: it is a sin-offering.
15Thou shalt also take the one ram; and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands upon the head of the ram.
16And thou shalt slay the ram, and thou shalt take its blood, and sprinkle it round about upon the altar.
17And thou shalt cut the ram into its pieces, and wash its inwards, and its legs, and put them with its pieces, and with its head.
18And thou shalt burn the whole ram upon the altar: it is a burnt-offering unto Jehovah; it is a sweet savor, an offering made by fire unto Jehovah.
19And thou shalt take the other ram; and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands upon the head of the ram.
20Then shalt thou kill the ram, and take of its blood, and put it upon the tip of the right ear of Aaron, and upon the tip of the right ear of his sons, and upon the thumb of their right hand, and upon the great toe of their right foot, and sprinkle the blood upon the altar round about.
21And thou shalt take of the blood that is upon the altar, and of the anointing oil, and sprinkle it upon Aaron, and upon his garments, and upon his sons, and upon the garments of his sons with him: and he shall be hallowed, and his garments, and his sons, and his sons' garments with him.
22Also thou shalt take of the ram the fat, and the fat tail, and the fat that covereth the inwards, and the caul of the liver, and the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, and the right thigh (for it is a ram of consecration),
23and one loaf of bread, and one cake of oiled bread, and one wafer, out of the basket of unleavened bread that is before Jehovah:
24and thou shalt put the whole upon the hands of Aaron, and upon the hands of his sons, and shalt wave them for a wave-offering before Jehovah.
25And thou shalt take them from their hands, and burn them on the altar upon the burnt-offering, for a sweet savor before Jehovah: it is an offering made by fire unto Jehovah.
26And thou shalt take the breast of Aaron's ram of consecration, and wave it for a wave-offering before Jehovah: and it shall be thy portion.
27And thou shalt sanctify the breast of the wave-offering, and the thigh of the heave-offering, which is waved, and which is heaved up, of the ram of consecration, even of that which is for Aaron, and of that which is for his sons:
28and it shall be for Aaron and his sons as their portion for ever from the children of Israel; for it is a heave-offering: and it shall be a heave-offering from the children of Israel of the sacrifices of their peace-offerings, even their heave-offering unto Jehovah.
29And the holy garments of Aaron shall be for his sons after him, to be anointed in them, and to be consecrated in them.
30Seven days shall the son that is priest in his stead put them on, when he cometh into the tent of meeting to minister in the holy place.
31And thou shalt take the ram of consecration, and boil its flesh in a holy place.
32And Aaron and his sons shall eat the flesh of the ram, and the bread that is in the basket, at the door of the tent of meeting.
33And they shall eat those things wherewith atonement was made, to consecrate and to sanctify them: but a stranger shall not eat thereof, because they are holy.
34And if aught of the flesh of the consecration, or of the bread, remain unto the morning, then thou shalt burn the remainder with fire: it shall not be eaten, because it is holy.
35And thus shalt thou do unto Aaron, and to his sons, according to all that I have commanded thee: seven days shalt thou consecrate them.
36And every day shalt thou offer the bullock of sin-offering for atonement: and thou shalt cleanse the altar, when thou makest atonement for it; and thou shalt anoint it, to sanctify it.
37Seven days thou shalt make atonement for the altar, and sanctify it: and the altar shall be most holy; whatsoever toucheth the altar shall be holy.
38Now this is that which thou shalt offer upon the altar: two lambs a year old day by day continually.
39The one lamb thou shalt offer in the morning; and the other lamb thou shalt offer at even:
40and with the one lamb a tenth part of an ephah of fine flour mingled with the fourth part of a hin of beaten oil; and the fourth part of a hin of wine for a drink-offering.
41And the other lamb thou shalt offer at even, and shalt do thereto according to the meal-offering of the morning, and according to the drink-offering thereof, for a sweet savor, an offering made by fire unto Jehovah.
42It shall be a continual burnt-offering throughout your generations at the door of the tent of meeting before Jehovah, where I will meet with you, to speak there unto thee.
43And there I will meet with the children of Israel; and the Tent shall be sanctified by my glory.
44And I will sanctify the tent of meeting, and the altar: Aaron also and his sons will I sanctify, to minister to me in the priest's office.
45And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will be their God.
46And they shall know that I am Jehovah their God, that brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, that I might dwell among them: I am Jehovah their God.
What this passage means
Exodus 29 is a step-by-step ritual for installing priests. It begins with washing (v. 4), clothing Aaron in the priestly garments (vv. 5–6), anointing him with oil (v. 7), and then dressing his sons (vv. 8–9). Verses 10–14 describe a bull as a sin offering whose blood is applied to the altar's horns; the flesh is burned outside the camp. Verses 15–18 give a ram as a burnt offering entirely consumed on the altar. Verses 19–34 present the ordination ram, whose blood is placed on the right ear, thumb, and great toe of Aaron and his sons, and whose flesh is eaten by them at the tabernacle entrance. Verses 35–37 require the entire rite to be repeated for seven days, with daily sin offerings to purify the altar. Verses 38–46 institute the daily burnt offering of two lambs with meal and drink offerings, and conclude with God's promise to dwell among Israel.
The chapter organizes the priesthood around three theological pillars: cleansing, clothing, and sacrifice. Aaron is washed before being dressed, signifying that holiness precedes service. The blood applied to ear, hand, and foot (v. 20) marks the priests as wholly dedicated to hearing, doing, and walking in God's will. The daily lamb at morning and evening (vv. 38–39) establishes a continual rhythm of worship that is later reinforced by later prophets (cf. Ezekiel 46:13–15). The chapter ends not with ritual details but with God's promise: He will sanctify the tabernacle, dwell among Israel, and be known as their God (vv. 43–46).
Theologically, Exodus 29 presents the Levitical priesthood as a mediated relationship: priests stand between a holy God and a sinful people. The sin offering deals with defilement; the burnt offering expresses total dedication; the ordination ram sets the priests apart. The chapter's climax is God's self-disclosure: 'I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will be their God' (v. 45). The tabernacle and its ministry exist so that the redeemed community from Egypt might experience the presence of their Redeemer.
Context
Exodus 29 stands within the larger block of instructions for the tabernacle (chs. 25–31) and its operation. Chapters 25–28 describe the sanctuary furnishings and the priestly garments; chapter 29 prescribes the ordination ritual; chapters 30–31 detail the altar of incense, the atonement money, and the skilled craftsmen. The chapter's emphasis on blood application, washing, and anointing establishes a pattern of consecration that recurs when the tabernacle is finally set up in chapters 35–40, especially the repetition of the washing ritual in Exodus 40:12. The closing promise that God will 'dwell among the children of Israel' (v. 45) is the goal toward which the whole tabernacle structure has been building since Exodus 25:8 ('let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them').
The chapter also sets the stage for Leviticus, where many of these rituals are expanded into the regular priestly calendar. The daily burnt offering (vv. 38–41) becomes the foundation of Israel's worship rhythm; the ordination instructions anticipate Leviticus 8–9, where the events commanded here are narrated as actually performed. Cross references such as Leviticus 26:12 and 2 Corinthians 6:16 show how the promise of God's presence becomes a unifying thread across the canon.
Key words in the original
- H6942 The root קָדַשׁ (qāḏaš), 'consecrate,' appears in verse 1 as the central action of the chapter: 'to hallow them, to minister unto me in the priest's office.' The chapter's repeated concern is the transfer of objects and persons from common to sacred status through ritual acts such as washing, clothing, anointing, and the application of blood.
- H8549 תָּמִים (tāmîm), 'without blemish,' in verse 1 qualifies the bull and the two rams. Physical wholeness is required for animals offered in consecration, anticipating the wider sacrificial requirement that only unblemished offerings may approach the altar.
- H3547 כָּהַן (kāhan), 'serve as priest,' appears in verse 1 as 'to minister unto me in the priest's office.' The verb denotes official cultic service at the sanctuary and is the source of the later noun כֹּהֵן ('priest'). The chapter defines what such service requires: separation, garments, anointing, and blood.
Related verses
- Exodus 25:8 The chapter's concluding promise that God will 'dwell among the children of Israel' (29:45) is the realization of the earlier command in Exodus 25:8, 'let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them.' The whole tabernacle project culminates in divine presence.
- Leviticus 26:12 Leviticus 26:12, 'I will walk among you, and will be your God, and ye shall be my people,' echoes Exodus 29:45–46 almost word for word. The priestly institution established here is the means by which God's covenantal presence among Israel is sustained.
- Ezekiel 46:13 Ezekiel 46:13–15 extends the daily burnt offering commanded in Exodus 29:38–41 ('two lambs a year old day by day continually'), showing that the morning-and-evening rhythm established at Sinai governs later expectations of the altar service even in a new temple vision.
Common questions
Why does the ordination ritual last seven days (v. 35)?
Exodus 29:35–37 commands that the entire consecration be repeated for seven days, with a daily sin offering to purify the altar. The seven-day span sets the inauguration of the priesthood apart from ordinary time and produces the status of 'most holy' for the altar. The chapter does not explain why seven is chosen; the text simply requires the repetition.
What is the significance of blood on the ear, thumb, and great toe (v. 20)?
The chapter itself does not explain the symbolism. Verse 20 instructs that the ram's blood be placed on the right ear, the thumb of the right hand, and the great toe of the right foot of Aaron and his sons. Within the chapter, this act is part of the rite that makes them and their garments holy (v. 21). Interpreters commonly connect the three body parts to hearing God's word, doing priestly work, and walking in priestly service, but the chapter does not state this explicitly.
How does Exodus 29 relate to Leviticus 8?
Exodus 29 contains the divine command for the ordination ritual, and Leviticus 8 narrates its execution. Both passages describe the same sequence: washing, clothing, anointing, sin offering, burnt offering, and the ram of ordination. The repetition across the two books shows that what is commanded in Exodus is carried out exactly as instructed when the tabernacle is operational.