EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries
Leviticus 16:1-34
Leviticus
*Worship the *LORD in the Beauty of *Holiness
Leviticus
Gordon Churchyard
This commentary has been through Advanced Checking.Words in boxes are from the Bible, except for the words in brackets (…).
Chapter 16
The Day of *Atonement, *Yom Kippur and the Goat that Takes *Sin Away
v1 Two of Aaron’s sons died when they came near to the *LORD. After this (had happened), the *LORD spoke to Moses.
v2 The *LORD said (this) to Moses. ‘Tell (this) to your brother Aaron. He must not come into the most holy place whenever he chooses to come. (If he does) he will die. (The most holy place) is behind the curtain which is in front of the (*atonement) cover of the *ark. (He will die) because I (the *LORD) will appear in the cloud over the (*atonement) cover.
v3 This is how Aaron must go into the house of God. He must take (with him) a young *bull for a *sin offering and a *ram for a *whole offering.
v4 He must wear his sacred *linen coat. He must wear *linen *underclothes next to his body. He must tie the *linen belt round him and he must put on the *linen hat. These are sacred clothes. Therefore he must bathe himself in water before he puts them on.
v5 (Aaron) must take two male goats (to the *meeting tent). They will be a *sin offering from the *Israelites. He must also (take from them) a *ram for a *whole offering.
v6 Aaron must offer the *bull for his own *sin offering. It will make an *atonement for himself and for his family.
v7 Then (Aaron) must take the two goats. He must offer them to the *LORD at the entrance of the *meeting tent.
v8 One goat is for the *LORD. The other goat is to be the goat that takes (*sin) away. (Aaron) must (use the *Urim and Thummim to) decide which goat is which.
v9 Aaron must bring the *LORD’s goat and he must offer it for a *sin offering.
v10 But they must give the other goat to the *LORD. (The *Urim and Thummim) chose it as the goat that takes (*sin) away. (It must still be) alive. It will make *atonement (for the people) when they send it into the desert. The goat must go there to take (*sin) away.
v11 Aaron must bring the *bull for his own *sin offering. It will make *atonement for himself and for his family. He must kill the *bull for his own *sin offering.
v12 He must take a *censer full of coal that is burning. He must take (the coal) from the *altar that is in front of the *LORD. He must also take *incense that would fill two hands. It must be (*incense that is) a powder. It must have a nice smell. He must take them behind the curtain (that is in the *meeting tent).
v13 He must put the *incense on the fire in front of the *LORD. The smoke of the *incense will hide the *atonement cover that is over the *ark. So, (Aaron) will not die.
v14 He must put some of the *bull’s blood onto his finger. He must splash it onto the front of the *atonement cover. Then he must splash some of it with his finger 7 times onto the (top of the) *atonement cover.
v15 (Aaron) must then kill the goat for the people’s *sin offering. He must take its blood behind the curtain. He must do the same with it as he did with the *bull’s blood. He must splash it in front of and onto the *atonement cover.
v16 So (Aaron) will make *atonement for the most holy place. This is because the *Israelites are not *clean. Also, they have not obeyed (the *LORD). They may have done many *sins. (Aaron) must do the same for the *meeting tent. (This is because) it has been among *unclean people.
v17 Nobody must be in the *meeting tent when Aaron goes in to make *atonement in the most holy place. (Nobody must be there) until he comes out. He will have made *atonement for himself, for his family and for all the *Israelites.
v18 Then (Aaron) must come out to the *altar that is in front of the *LORD. He must make *atonement for it. He must take some of the *bull’s blood and some of the goat’s blood. He must put it on all the *horns of the *altar.
v19 He must splash some of the blood with his finger on the *altar. He must do it 7 times. This will make (the *altar) *clean. It will make it *clean again after the *Israelites have made it *unclean.
v20 Then Aaron must bring to the front (of the people) the goat that is alive. This is after he has made *atonement for the most holy place, the *meeting tent and the *altar.
v21 He must put both his hands onto the head of the goat (that is) alive. He must confess over it all the *sins of the *Israelites. This will include all the evil things that they have done. (It will also include) the times when they have not obeyed the *LORD. (Aaron) will put these things onto the goat’s head. Then he will send the goat away into the desert. A man (whom the people have) appointed to do it will take the goat away.
v22 The goat will carry on itself all the *sins (of the people). (That goat) will take them to a place where nobody else is. The man (whom the people appointed for this task) will let the goat go free in the desert.
v23 Then Aaron must go into the *meeting tent. He must take off the *linen clothes and he must leave them there. He put on (these clothes) before he went into the most holy place.
v24 (Aaron) must bathe himself in water in a holy place. He must put on his usual clothes. Then he must come out. He must burn the *whole offering for himself. (And he must burn) the *whole offering for the people. So he will make *atonement for himself and for the people.
v25 He must also burn the *fat from the *sin offering on the *altar.
v26 The man who frees the goat to take (*sin) away must afterwards bathe himself. And he must wash his clothes in water. Then he may come into the camp.
v27 (Another man) must take the *bull and the goat outside the camp. These were the *sin offerings. Their blood made *atonement in the most holy place. (The man) must burn their skins, their bodies and the dirt from inside them.
v28 Then the man who burns them must bathe himself. And he must wash his clothes in water. After this, he may come into the camp.
v29 These must be rules that you will always obey. You must not eat food on the 10th day of the 7th month. And you must not do any work. Both *Israelites and foreigners who live among you (must obey these rules).
v30 (This is) because on this day (the chief priest) will make *atonement for you. You will be *clean. You will be *clean from all your *sins in front of the *LORD.
v31 It is (like) a *Sabbath Day when you must rest. You must not eat food (on the Day of *Atonement). You must always obey these rules.
v32 (The chief priest may die.) You will then choose and *anoint his son to be chief priest after his father. He will make *atonement (for you). He will wear the sacred *linen clothes.
v33 He will make *atonement for the most holy place, for the *meeting tent and for the *altar. (He will) also (make *atonement) for the priests and for all the people who live in your country.
v34 You must always obey these rules. (The chief priest) must make *atonement once a year for all the *sins of the *Israelites’.
And they did this as the *LORD had ordered Moses.
About the Day of *Atonement
This is the only chapter in the whole *Old Testament of the Bible about ‘The Day of *Atonement’. But the *Jews today still keep it as a serious and sacred day every year. They call it *Yom Kippur, although this name is not in Leviticus. The *Hebrew word in Leviticus is kapporet. There is a note on this word in verse 2, below. For Christians, Good Friday is their Day of *Atonement. Jesus died on the first Good Friday. A study of the Book of Hebrews will explain this. There is some help in Something to do below. It gives a list of some important verses in Hebrews. Chapter s 8, 9 and 10 of Hebrews refer to the Day of *Atonement. But those Chapter s do not mention the name of that day. There is a note in verse 8 below about the *scapegoat. We have translated that word as ‘the goat that takes (*sin) away’.
Here are some important things about the Day of *Atonement:
It happened exactly 6 months after the *Passover every year.
The people had to be genuinely sorry for their *sins. And they had to act in a humble manner. For example, they did not eat food on that day.
The people would be very aware of their *sins on that day. They remembered that they had done very many wrong things. They did this while the chief priest carried out his duties. Also, they did this by their own humble actions during the day.
The chief priest was alone between God and the people. First, he had to make *atonement for his own *sins. Then he made *atonement for the people’s *sins. Each time, he took blood into the most holy place (verses 14-15).
This was the only day in the year when the chief priest entered the most holy place. (We have shown the most holy place as ‘A’ on our map. You can find the map in the section called ‘What is in the House of God’ near the start of this commentary.)
This was the day when the *Israelites sent a goat into the desert to take away their *sins.
This table (arrangement of boxes) will help you to understand this important ceremony:
| Verse number in Leviticus chapter 16 | What happened? | Why did it happen? |
| Verse 29 | On the Day of *Atonement, the *Israelites do not work. They do not eat food. | This is a very serious day when they must be humble in front of the *LORD. |
| Verse 3 | The chief priest brings a *bull and a *ram. | These are his own *sin offering and *whole offering. |
| Verse 4 | The chief priest puts on *linen clothes. | |
| Verse 5 | The *Israelites bring 2 goats and a *ram. | The *ram is their *whole offering. The goats are a special *sin offering. |
| Verse 9 | The chief priest chooses which goat must take *sin away. | |
| Verse 11 | The chief priest kills the *bull as a *sin offering. | It makes *atonement for himself and his family (that is, the priests). |
| Verses 12-14 | The chief priest takes the *bull’s blood into the most holy place. | He splashes the blood in front of the *ark. |
| Verse 15 | The chief priest kills one goat and he takes its blood into the most holy place. | It makes *atonement for the *sins of the *Israelites. He splashes the blood in front of the *ark. |
| Verses 18-19 | The chief priest puts some of the blood of both the *bull and the goat onto the *altar. | This makes the *altar clean. |
| Verse 21 | The chief priest puts his hands on the other goat. He confesses all the *Israelites’ *sins. | That goat (which is still alive) must carry the *Israelites’ *sins away. |
| Verse 21 | A man takes the goat. He leaves it in the desert. | |
| Verse 23 | The chief priest takes off his *linen clothes. He bathes, then he puts on other clothes. Then he offers the 2 *rams. | The *rams are the *whole offerings from the chief priest and the *Israelites. |
| Verse 27 | Another man takes the dead *bull and the dead goat. He burns their bodies outside the camp. | These animals were the *sin offerings. |
| Verses 26 and 28 | The two other men must bathe before they return to the camp. | |
Notes
Verse 1 The account about the deaths of Nadab and Abihu is in Leviticus 10:1-5. The rules in this chapter were so that this did not happen again. These rules would protect the chief priest.
Verse 2 The *Hebrew words for ‘whenever he chooses’ really mean ‘at any time’. Therefore, the chief priest could only go into the most holy place on the Day of *Atonement.
There is an explanation of the words ‘*ark’ and ‘most holy place’ near the start of this commentary. See the note called ‘What is in the house of God?’. Bibles vary in their translations of the *Hebrew word kapporet, which comes twice in this verse. Here are some examples.
*Mercy seat (King James Version, KJV)
*Covenant box (Good News Bible, GNB)
*Atonement cover (New International Version, NIV)
*Throne of *mercy (Jerusalem Bible, JB)
*Atonement *Slate (Word Biblical *Commentary)
A *throne is a special seat that a king sits on. Translations that make ‘kapporet’ into a seat probably depend on verses like Psalms 99:1. This is what it says.
‘The *LORD is king.
The nations (in the world) must tremble (with fear).
He sits on his *throne between the *cherubim.
The (whole) earth must shake (because he is near).’
The *cherubim are special servants of God. There was an image of one on each side of the *ark. But the word ‘kapporet’ may not mean ‘seat’ or ‘*throne’. The KJV and JB translations decided that it did. As in Psalms 99:1, it was the place where God sat. There, he had *mercy (or he did not punish) his people. Other translations, like the NIV, decided that it meant ‘cover’. Notice that there is no word for *atonement in this verse in the *Hebrew Bible. That is why we have put it in brackets (…). Here is part of a note on Leviticus 16:6 by C.I. Scofield. I have translated the note into simpler English.
The meaning of the word ‘*atonement’ in the *Old Testament is not the same as it is for Christians. For Christians, it includes the work of Christ as *sacrifice and *redeemer. In the *Old Testament, *atonement translates *Hebrew words which mean ‘a cover’ or ‘to cover’. The *offerings in Leviticus ‘covered’ the *sins of *Israel until Jesus died on the *cross. They did not take away those *sins, Hebrews 10:4. These are the *sins which God ‘passed over’, Romans 3:25. It was the *cross, not the *offerings in Leviticus, which made a total and complete *redemption. God was able to use the *offerings in Leviticus to continue with his guilty people. This is because these *offerings looked forward to the *cross, Hebrews 10:1.
J.E.Hartley, in the Word Biblical *Commentary on Leviticus, does not agree with either seat or cover. Instead, kapporet comes from a word that means ‘to *atone’, or ‘to forgive *sin’. So, kapporet becomes ‘*atonement *slate’. A *slate is a thin piece of material, probably stone. When God looks down to the *ark, God sees the *slate with blood on it. So this *atones for (or covers) the people’s *sins, until the death of Jesus.
The curtain divided the two parts of the *meeting tent. Exodus 26:31-32 describes it. The kapporet divides God from the chief priest. The chief priest is in the most holy place for the *Israelites. He brings the blood there on behalf of the people. Jesus died at Calvary instead of everybody in the world. And he brought his own blood into the most holy place in heaven (Hebrews 9:12).
Verse 3 Aaron will kill a goat for the *sins of all the people. Before that, he must kill a young *bull for his *sins and his family’s *sins. His family would include all the other priests. The *ram is for his *whole offering. A *bull is a male cow and a *ram is a male sheep. The ‘house of God’ was the whole area round the *meeting tent.
Verse 4 *Linen is a material that people make from a plant called flax. It was probably white. Therefore, the clothes that the chief priest wore were not his beautiful clothes (Leviticus 8:7-9). They were not clothes that showed his importance. They were the simple clothes that all priests wore in order to serve God in God’s house.
Verses 5-7 Aaron must take the two goats and his own *bull. They are the *sin offerings.
Verses 8-10 We do not know how Aaron decided which goat would take the *Israelites’ *sin away. He probably used *Urim and Thummim. We do not know how the priest used *Urim and Thummim. By their use, he found what God wanted him to do. The *Hebrew word which some people translate as ‘*scapegoat’ is azazel. Bible students do not really know what the word means. It may mean ‘removal’. This means that the goat would remove the people’s *sins from them into the desert. So we have translated it ‘the goat that takes (*sin) away’. The important thing is this. People could not take their own *sin away. Something or someone had to do it for them. Christians believe that Jesus was that ‘someone’, John 1:29.
The word azazel appears only 4 times in the *Hebrew Bible. All of them are in this chapter. Bible students have suggested 4 things that it may mean.
‘Goat that goes away’, which is ‘az azel’ in the *Hebrew language.
‘For removal’, which is ‘le azazel’ in the *Hebrew language.
The place to which the goat goes. This was a rocky place. The Arabic word ‘azazu’ means ‘rocky ground’. (Arabic is another language of the region.) After the *exile to Babylon, the *Israelites did throw the goat down to the ground from a rocky place.
A name for a bad spirit, or for the devil himself. This is probably a wrong idea. The people were definitely not giving an *offering to the devil. And the devil does not take away *sin.
Verse 11 Remember that ‘his family’ means all the priests also. Aaron must deal with his own *sins and the priests’ *sins first. Then he can deal with other people’s *sins. Hebrews 7:27 refers to this. It says that Jesus was without *sin. So, unlike other chief priests, he did not need to deal with his own *sin.
Verses 12-13 The *altar that is ‘in front of the *LORD’ is the one outside the *meeting tent. When the chief priest took the coals and the *incense behind the curtain, the smoke would hide God from him. This meant that he would not die. God allowed the chief priest to enter the most holy place on this day only, see verse 2. The *incense must be of the best quality.
Verse 14 Compare this with Leviticus 4:6 and Leviticus 4:17. Leviticus chapter 4 is in front of the curtain. Here it is behind the curtain, in the most holy place.
Verse 15 Aaron would come out of the most holy place. Then he would kill the goat for the people’s *sin offering. And then he would go into the most holy place again.
Verse 16 This verse refers to different kinds of *sin. There are the *sins that people know about. There are the *sins that they do not know about. And there is the *unclean state of people. These are all types of *sin that God forgave (Exodus 34:7). But he did not forgive people who refused to accept his *covenant love, Numbers 15:30. Such people had chosen, on purpose, not to have a relationship with him. So they received none of the benefits that God gave by his *covenant. Remember, the *ark contained signs of God’s *covenant with (or ‘promises to’) his people. God would see these signs as he looked through the ‘*covenant *slate’ onto the *ark. The words ‘*clean’ and ‘*unclean’ here do not mean whether the people were dirty or not. And they do not mean (as elsewhere in Leviticus) whether the people could join in public *worship. These words mean that the people were separate from God because of *sin.
Verse 17 Remember, Jesus was alone when he *atoned for the *sins of the whole world, Matthew 27:46 and Mark 15:34.
Verses 18-19 This was the *altar that was outside the *meeting tent. In Leviticus 4:7 and Leviticus 4:18 we read that the priest put blood onto it. And the chief priest did this on this special day to make it *clean and ready for use. This blood was for the *Israelites. Their *sin had made it *unclean.
Verses 20-22 The goat will take away the people’s *sins. Read the note on verse 16. The goat must not come back into the camp, because it carried all the *sins of the people. So they appointed a man to take it away from the camp. After the *exile, they took the goat to a cliff. Then a man threw it over the cliff. This links with the ‘rocky place’ in the note on verses 8-10.
Verses 23-25 Aaron’s ‘usual clothes’ were not the ones that other priests usually wore. (See Leviticus 8:7-9 and 8:13.) Aaron’s clothes showed everybody that he was the chief priest. He had to wear these clothes for what he did in verses 24 and 25. The *altar in verse 25 was the one that was outside the *meeting tent.
Verses 26-28 Two other men had special tasks. We do not know if they were priests or not. They also had to wash after they had completed their tasks. This was usual for people who were *unclean, Numbers 19:8. Notice the words ‘outside the camp’ in verse 27. Jesus died ‘outside the camp’, that is, outside the city called Jerusalem (Hebrews 13:11-12).
Verses 29-31 The *Hebrew words for ‘you must not eat food’ really mean this: ‘You must hurt yourselves’. But the meaning is not that people should cause themselves pain. Most people translate it as we have done. But the book is describing an attitude, not an action. People must be humble in front of God. They must confess their *sins to God. And they must really be sorry about their *sins. The *Israelites showed this by the things that they did. The rules that the *Israelites used said this: ‘You must not eat or drink. You must not pour *oil onto yourselves. You must not wear shoes. You must not have sex with your wife.’ Also, they probably had to wear rough clothes and to put ashes onto their heads. Today, this is one of the most important days in the year for *Jews.
Verses 32-34 When Aaron dies, the people must make another chief priest. This will be one of his sons. They must always do this when the chief priest dies. They must always obey the rules for the Day of *Atonement.
Something to do
1. Look again at the map near the start of this commentary. It is in the section called, ‘What is in the house of God?’ Find the *meeting tent, the most holy place and the *altar.
2. Make a list of the order in which the chief priest did these things.
Kill a *bull for his own *sin offering.
Wear his special clothes.
Take a *censer full of coal that is burning.
Bathe himself in water.
Splash the *bull’s blood onto the *atonement cover.
Put *incense on the fire in front of the *LORD.
Take a young *bull for a *sin offering and a *ram for a *whole offering to the house of God.
Take two male goats in front of the *meeting tent.
Use *Urim and Thummim to decide which goat is which.
Send the goat that takes *sin away into the desert.
Kill a goat for the people’s *sin offering.
3. Read carefully Chapter s 8, 9 and 10 of Hebrews. Make a special note of these verses:
Hebrews 8:1-2. Jesus did not go into the most holy place in the *meeting tent or in the *temple.
Hebrews 8:8-12. These words refer to a promise that God made in Jeremiah 31:31-34.
Hebrews 9:2-5. These words describe the holy place and the most holy place.
Hebrews 9:7 and Hebrews 9:12. Jesus was alone when he died, Matthew 27:46.
Hebrews 9:13-15. What the chief priest did on the Day of *Atonement was temporary. What Jesus did was permanent.
Hebrews 10:4 and Hebrews 10:12. *Bulls and goats cannot take away *sin; but Jesus can!
worship ~ to praise someone (usually God). You tell him that you believe him to be very, very great. Also, you love him and you will obey him.
LORD ~ a special name for God. In the Hebrew Bible it translates YHWH. YHWH probably means ‘he is always alive’. So the word LORD (which means ‘master’) is not a proper translation.
Hebrew ~ the language that the Jews spoke.
Jews ~ another word for the Israelites.
Israelites ~ the LORD’s people whom Moses led out of Egypt. Afterwards, they lived in the countries called Judah and Israel.
Judah ~ the name of the southern part of the country where the Jews went to live.
Israel ~ the name of the country where the Jews went to live, especially the northern part of that country.
holiness ~ the quality of somebody who is holy, or very, very good.
holy ~ very, very good; only God is really holy. Or, a description of something that belongs to God.
atonement ~ another word for what happens when God forgives us. After God forgives us, we are ‘at one’ with him. In other words, we are united as friends (or have friendly relations) with him.'Yom Kippur ~ the Jewish name for the Day of Atonement. It is the special day to remember that God forgives sin.
Jewish ~ a word that describes Jews and what they do.
atonement ~ another word for what happens when God forgives us. After God forgives us, we are ‘at one’ with him. In other words, we are united as friends (or have friendly relations) with him.
sin ~ to do wrong things; not to obey God’s rules. Or, the things we do when we sin. Evil thoughts, words and deeds are all sin, whether we do them on purpose or not.
Jews ~ another word for the Israelites.
Israelites ~ the LORD’s people whom Moses led out of Egypt. Afterwards, they lived in the countries called Judah and Israel.
LORD ~ a special name for God. In the Hebrew Bible it translates YHWH. YHWH probably means ‘he is always alive’. So the word LORD (which means ‘master’) is not a proper translation.
Judah ~ the name of the southern part of the country where the Jews went to live.
Israel ~ the name of the country where the Jews went to live, especially the northern part of that country.
Hebrew ~ the language that the Jews spoke.
sin ~ to do wrong things; not to obey God’s rules. Or, the things we do when we sin. Evil thoughts, words and deeds are all sin, whether we do them on purpose or not.
atonement ~ another word for what happens when God forgives us. After God forgives us, we are ‘at one’ with him. In other words, we are united as friends (or have friendly relations) with him.
ark ~ another word for box. In Leviticus, the ark was a sacred box where the Jews kept special things.
Jews ~ another word for the Israelites.
Israelites ~ the LORD’s people whom Moses led out of Egypt. Afterwards, they lived in the countries called Judah and Israel.
LORD ~ a special name for God. In the Hebrew Bible it translates YHWH. YHWH probably means ‘he is always alive’. So the word LORD (which means ‘master’) is not a proper translation.
Judah ~ the name of the southern part of the country where the Jews went to live.
Israel ~ the name of the country where the Jews went to live, especially the northern part of that country.
Hebrew ~ the language that the Jews spoke.
bull ~ the male animal of the same kind as a cow.
sin ~ to do wrong things; not to obey God’s rules. Or, the things we do when we sin. Evil thoughts, words and deeds are all sin, whether we do them on purpose or not.
ram ~ a male sheep.'whole offering ~ an offering that the priests burned completely on the altar. See the explanation in the note called ‘The 5 sacrifices’ near the beginning of this commentary.
offering ~ gift.
altar ~ a special table where the priests burned incense, grain and animals.
sacrifice ~ something that people burned on an altar for God; or to burn on an altar for God. People also gave sacrifices to false gods.
incense ~ a material that gives a good smell when people burn it.
linen ~ a material that people make from a plant called flax: it was usually white.
underclothes ~ clothes that people wear next to their bodies.'meeting tent ~ the special tent where God met with Moses. The priests could enter it to worship; they burnt sacrifices on the altar in front of it.
worship ~ to praise someone (usually God). You tell him that you believe him to be very, very great. Also, you love him and you will obey him.
sacrifice ~ something that people burned on an altar for God; or to burn on an altar for God. People also gave sacrifices to false gods.
altar ~ a special table where the priests burned incense, grain and animals.
incense ~ a material that gives a good smell when people burn it.
Israelites ~ the LORD’s people whom Moses led out of Egypt. Afterwards, they lived in the countries called Judah and Israel.
LORD ~ a special name for God. In the Hebrew Bible it translates YHWH. YHWH probably means ‘he is always alive’. So the word LORD (which means ‘master’) is not a proper translation.
Judah ~ the name of the southern part of the country where the Jews went to live.
Israel ~ the name of the country where the Jews went to live, especially the northern part of that country.
Hebrew ~ the language that the Jews spoke.
Jews ~ another word for the Israelites.
'Urim and Thummim ~ special objects that the chief priest used to find out what God wanted. ‘Urim’ means lights; ‘Thummim’ means perfect (truths). Together, the two words mean ‘perfect light’. The Urim and Thummim were probably precious stones. But we do not know how the chief priest used them.censer ~ a flat pan that carried fire.
altar ~ a special table where the priests burned incense, grain and animals.
incense ~ a material that gives a good smell when people burn it.
incense ~ a material that gives a good smell when people burn it.
clean ~ suitable for God or for God’s people. A clean person could go to God’s house to worship him.
worship ~ to praise someone (usually God). You tell him that you believe him to be very, very great. Also, you love him and you will obey him.
unclean ~ unsuitable for God or for God’s people. When someone was unclean, that person was unable to worship at God’s house.
worship ~ to praise someone (usually God). You tell him that you believe him to be very, very great. Also, you love him and you will obey him.
horn ~ hard material that grows on the heads of some animals like cows and goats. Or, the points that were on the corners of the altars.
altar ~ a special table where the priests burned incense, grain and animals.
incense ~ a material that gives a good smell when people burn it.
fat ~ part of an animal’s body that is not red meat, nor skin, nor bone. Fat is an oily substance.
anoint ~ to pour oil onto someone in order to appoint that person for a special task. The Jews did this when they made someone into a priest or king.
oil ~ a type of oil that comes from an oily fruit called the olive. People used this oil in their food and they burnt it in lamps.
Jews ~ another word for the Israelites.
Israelites ~ the LORD’s people whom Moses led out of Egypt. Afterwards, they lived in the countries called Judah and Israel.
LORD ~ a special name for God. In the Hebrew Bible it translates YHWH. YHWH probably means ‘he is always alive’. So the word LORD (which means ‘master’) is not a proper translation.
Judah ~ the name of the southern part of the country where the Jews went to live.
Israel ~ the name of the country where the Jews went to live, especially the northern part of that country.
Hebrew ~ the language that the Jews spoke.
'Old Testament ~ the first 39 books in the Bible.Jews ~ another word for the Israelites.
Israelites ~ the LORD’s people whom Moses led out of Egypt. Afterwards, they lived in the countries called Judah and Israel.
LORD ~ a special name for God. In the Hebrew Bible it translates YHWH. YHWH probably means ‘he is always alive’. So the word LORD (which means ‘master’) is not a proper translation.
Judah ~ the name of the southern part of the country where the Jews went to live.
Israel ~ the name of the country where the Jews went to live, especially the northern part of that country.
Hebrew ~ the language that the Jews spoke.
Hebrew ~ the language that the Jews spoke.
Jews ~ another word for the Israelites.
Israelites ~ the LORD’s people whom Moses led out of Egypt. Afterwards, they lived in the countries called Judah and Israel.
LORD ~ a special name for God. In the Hebrew Bible it translates YHWH. YHWH probably means ‘he is always alive’. So the word LORD (which means ‘master’) is not a proper translation.
Judah ~ the name of the southern part of the country where the Jews went to live.
Israel ~ the name of the country where the Jews went to live, especially the northern part of that country.
scapegoat ~ the goat that takes away sin on the Day of Atonement (or Yom Kippur).
sin ~ to do wrong things; not to obey God’s rules. Or, the things we do when we sin. Evil thoughts, words and deeds are all sin, whether we do them on purpose or not.
atonement ~ another word for what happens when God forgives us. After God forgives us, we are ‘at one’ with him. In other words, we are united as friends (or have friendly relations) with him.
Yom Kippur ~ the Jewish name for the Day of Atonement. It is the special day to remember that God forgives sin.
Jewish ~ a word that describes Jews and what they do.
Jews ~ another word for the Israelites.
Israelites ~ the LORD’s people whom Moses led out of Egypt. Afterwards, they lived in the countries called Judah and Israel.
LORD ~ a special name for God. In the Hebrew Bible it translates YHWH. YHWH probably means ‘he is always alive’. So the word LORD (which means ‘master’) is not a proper translation.
Judah ~ the name of the southern part of the country where the Jews went to live.
Israel ~ the name of the country where the Jews went to live, especially the northern part of that country.
Hebrew ~ the language that the Jews spoke.
Passover ~ the special day when the Israelites remembered that God led them out of Egypt.
Israelites ~ the LORD’s people whom Moses led out of Egypt. Afterwards, they lived in the countries called Judah and Israel.
LORD ~ a special name for God. In the Hebrew Bible it translates YHWH. YHWH probably means ‘he is always alive’. So the word LORD (which means ‘master’) is not a proper translation.
Judah ~ the name of the southern part of the country where the Jews went to live.
Israel ~ the name of the country where the Jews went to live, especially the northern part of that country.
Hebrew ~ the language that the Jews spoke.
Jews ~ another word for the Israelites.
mercy ~ kindness.
covenant ~ the special promise or agreement that God made with the Jews.
Jews ~ another word for the Israelites.
Israelites ~ the LORD’s people whom Moses led out of Egypt. Afterwards, they lived in the countries called Judah and Israel.
LORD ~ a special name for God. In the Hebrew Bible it translates YHWH. YHWH probably means ‘he is always alive’. So the word LORD (which means ‘master’) is not a proper translation.
Judah ~ the name of the southern part of the country where the Jews went to live.
Israel ~ the name of the country where the Jews went to live, especially the northern part of that country.
Hebrew ~ the language that the Jews spoke.
throne ~ a special seat that a king sits on.
mercy ~ kindness.
slate ~ a thin piece, probably of stone.
commentary ~ notes about a book in the Bible.
throne ~ a special seat that a king sits on.
cherubim ~ special servants of God; also called angels.
sacrifice ~ something that people burned on an altar for God; or to burn on an altar for God. People also gave sacrifices to false gods.
altar ~ a special table where the priests burned incense, grain and animals.
incense ~ a material that gives a good smell when people burn it.
offering ~ gift.
Israel ~ the name of the country where the Jews went to live, especially the northern part of that country.
Jews ~ another word for the Israelites.
Israelites ~ the LORD’s people whom Moses led out of Egypt. Afterwards, they lived in the countries called Judah and Israel.
LORD ~ a special name for God. In the Hebrew Bible it translates YHWH. YHWH probably means ‘he is always alive’. So the word LORD (which means ‘master’) is not a proper translation.
Judah ~ the name of the southern part of the country where the Jews went to live.
Hebrew ~ the language that the Jews spoke.
cross ~ the wooden object on which Jesus died.
redemption ~ what happens to you when somebody redeems you.
redeem ~ to buy back.
atone ~ to forgive.
slate ~ a thin piece, probably of stone.
linen ~ a material that people make from a plant called flax: it was usually white.
exile ~ the time when the Israelites had to live in Babylon.
Israelites ~ the LORD’s people whom Moses led out of Egypt. Afterwards, they lived in the countries called Judah and Israel.
LORD ~ a special name for God. In the Hebrew Bible it translates YHWH. YHWH probably means ‘he is always alive’. So the word LORD (which means ‘master’) is not a proper translation.
Judah ~ the name of the southern part of the country where the Jews went to live.
Israel ~ the name of the country where the Jews went to live, especially the northern part of that country.
Hebrew ~ the language that the Jews spoke.
Jews ~ another word for the Israelites.
covenant ~ the special promise or agreement that God made with the Jews.
Jews ~ another word for the Israelites.
Israelites ~ the LORD’s people whom Moses led out of Egypt. Afterwards, they lived in the countries called Judah and Israel.
LORD ~ a special name for God. In the Hebrew Bible it translates YHWH. YHWH probably means ‘he is always alive’. So the word LORD (which means ‘master’) is not a proper translation.
Judah ~ the name of the southern part of the country where the Jews went to live.
Israel ~ the name of the country where the Jews went to live, especially the northern part of that country.
Hebrew ~ the language that the Jews spoke.
worship ~ to praise someone (usually God). You tell him that you believe him to be very, very great. Also, you love him and you will obey him.
oil ~ a type of oil that comes from an oily fruit called the olive. People used this oil in their food and they burnt it in lamps.
temple ~ God’s house in Jerusalem.
bull ~ the male animal of the same kind as a cow.