Exodus 30:10

An annual rite of atonement to be performed for it. The law presupposes Leviticus 16 (which prescribes the ceremonial of the annual Day of Atonement), and is thus later than it. Leviticus 16:16; Leviticus 16:18; Leviticus 16:20 prescribes a rite of atonement for the Holy place, the Tent of Meeting, and the altar of burnt-offering, but none for the altar of incense: the present verse supplies the deficiency.

upon the horns of it by putting some of the blood of the sin-offering of atonement(the goat for the people of Leviticus 16:5; Leviticus 16:15-19) upon them: cf. Leviticus 4:7; Leviticus 4:18. The marg. formay be disregarded.

for it to preserve it, like the other sacred objects, in its ideal holiness: cf. Exodus 29:36, with the note.

most holy see on Exodus 29:37.

make atonement both here and elsewhere make propitiation would be a better rend. of kipper, and propitiation, &c., of its derivatives (cf. propitiatory, suggested on Exodus 25:17 for kappôreth): not only is this the idea of the word, but kipperand its derivatives are usually represented in LXX. by (ἐξ) ιλάσκομαι ‚ ἱλασμός, &c., which in the NT. are expressed in English by -(make) propitiation" (Romans 3:25; 1 John 2:2; 1 John 4:10; Hebrews 2:17 RV.): an important link of connexion between OT. and NT. is thus lost, when, of the two corresponding terms, the rend. is atonementin the OT. and propitiationin the NT. (note that in NT. -atonement" occurs in AV. Romans 5:11 only, RV. reconciliation; in RV. never). For a fuller discussion of the meaning and use of the Heb. term, reference must be made to the notes on Leviticus 4, and to the writer's art. Propitiation in DB.; see also H. M. P. Smith's arts. in the Biblical World(Chicago), Jan., Feb., Mar., 1908. Here it can only be briefly explained that kipperis used in twoapplications: (1) with a humansubject, to make appeasementor propitiation, Exodus 32:30 (see the note), Gen 32:20, 2 Samuel 21:3 (cf. in the passive, the implicit subject being some act or rite, 1 Samuel 3:14; Deuteronomy 21:8 b, Isaiah 6:7; Isaiah 22:14; Isaiah 27:9; Proverbs 16:6); so in P, where the subject is always either the priest, or (rarely) an offering, and the means of effecting the propitiation usually a sacrifice (as ch. Exodus 29:36-37; Leviticus 1:4), but occasionally some other act or offering (as below, vv.15, 16, Numbers 25:13: see further details in DB.iv. 130); (2) with Godas subject, to treat propitiously(EVV. to be merciful, forgive, &c.) either an offender (Deuteronomy 21:8 a, Deuteronomy 32:43; Ezekiel 16:63; 2 Chronicles 30:18) or an offence (Jeremiah 18:23; Psalms 65:3; Psalms 78:38; Psalms 79:9; Daniel 9:24). The actual meanings, and usages, of kippercan be determined from the OT. itself (see DB.l.c.). Whether, however, as used to be supposed, its primarymeaning was either (Arab.) to cover, or (Syr.) to wipe away, is very doubtful. In Ass. kapâru, it seems, means properly to remove; kuppuruis to remove ritual impurityfrom a person or thing; and the word appears to have come into Heb. with the sense of ritual purgationattaching to it, and to have been developed there so as to express the ideas of purge away(sin) ritually, declare purged, remove guiltor cause of offence, appease, &c. See Langdon, Exp. Times, April 1911, p. 320 ff.; cf. Zimmern, KAT.3 [212] 601 f.

[212] Die Keilinschriften und das A T., 1903, by H. Zimmern (pp. 345 653) and H. Winckler (pp. 1 342).

11 16 (cf. Exodus 38:24-31). The ransom of souls at a census. When a census of the people is taken, every man is to pay half a (silver) shekel to Jehovah as a ransom for his life, that no -plague" break out among the people: the proceeds of the tax to be applied to the maintenance of the daily services in the sanctuary. It must have been a popular belief, current at the time when this law was drawn up, that a census was dangerous to the lives of the persons numbered (cf. 2 Samuel 24), whether because it was likely to give rise to feelings of self-satisfaction and pride, or because it tended to bring the sins and imperfections of individuals prominently before God's notice: every adult male of the community was therefore to pay a -ransom" (Exodus 21:30) for his life, by which he, as it were, purchased it for himself and secured it against peril of death. The Gallas of E. Africa believe that to count their cattle impedes the increase of the flock; and the Lapps, at least formerly, would not count themselves, for fear of the great mortality which they supposed would ensue (Frazer, p. 174 of the volume cited on Exodus 23:19 b). And an Arab is averse to counting the tents, or horsemen, or cattle of his tribe, lest some misfortune befal them (Burckhardt, Travels, p. 74 f.). In 2 Chronicles 24:6; 2 Chronicles 24:9 (in two passages addedby the Chronicler to the original narrative of 2 Kings 12:7-9) it is stated that the tax here imposed was enforced though not apparently upon occasion of a census by Joash.