Leviticus 8:1-36

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 8

The Work of the Priests – Chapter s 8:1 to 10:20

The *ordination of priests

v1 Then the *LORD said (this) to Moses.

v2 ‘Bring Aaron and his sons (here). Also, (bring these things).

• Their special clothes.

• The *oil (with which) to *anoint them.

• The *bull for the *sin offering.

• The two *rams.

• The basket that contains bread. (Somebody) made (this bread) without *yeast.

v3 Gather all the people to the entrance of (the yard round) the *meeting tent.’

v4 So Moses did what the *LORD had ordered him to do. And the people gathered at the entrance to (the yard round) the *meeting tent.

v5 Moses said (this) to all the people. ‘This is what the *LORD has ordered us to do’.

v6 Then Moses brought Aaron and his sons to the front (of everybody who was there). Then he washed them with water.

v7 (Moses) put the special shirt onto Aaron. He tied a belt round him. Then Moses put a long coat onto Aaron. Next, he put the *ephod onto Aaron. He tied the *ephod onto (Aaron) with a special belt, which someone had made skilfully. So (Moses) fastened the *ephod to (Aaron).

v8 Then (Moses) put the *breastpiece onto (Aaron). He put the *Urim and Thummim in the *breastpiece.

v9 Then (Moses) put the special hat onto (Aaron’s) head. And he put onto the front (of the special hat) the gold plate. (It was called) the holy crown. This was what the *LORD had ordered Moses (to do).

v10 Then Moses took the *oil (that the *Jews used) to *anoint people. He *anointed the *tabernacle and everything that was in it. This made them holy and special for God.

v11 (Moses) splashed some of the *oil on the *altar 7 times. He *anointed the *altar and all its tools. This included the basin (of water) and what it stood on. So he made them all holy and special for God.

v12 He poured some of the *oil onto Aaron’s head. This *anointed Aaron and it made him holy and special (to serve God).

v13 Then (Moses) brought Aaron’s sons to the front. He put shirts on them and he tied belts round them. Then he put caps on them, as the *LORD had ordered Moses to do.

v14 Then (Moses) offered the *bull for the *sin offering, and Aaron and his sons put their hands onto its head.

v15 Moses killed the *bull and he took some of (its) blood. With his finger, he put it onto all the *horns of the *altar. This made the *altar *clean. He poured out the rest of the blood at the base of the *altar. So he made the *altar holy and special (for God). He made *atonement for it.

v16 Moses also took all the *fat that was round the inside parts of the animal. (He took the *fat that) covered the *liver. (And he took) both *kidneys and their *fat. He burned all this *fat on the *altar.

v17 But (Moses) burned the *bull outside the camp, with its skin and its meat and the dirt inside it. This was what the *LORD had ordered Moses (to do).

v18 Then (Moses) offered the *ram for the *whole offering. Aaron and his sons put their hands onto its head.

v19 And Moses killed the *ram and he splashed (its) blood against all the sides of the *altar.

v20 (Moses) cut the *ram into pieces. He burned (its) head, the pieces and the *fat.

v21 He washed the inside parts (of the *ram) and (its) legs with water. He burned the whole *ram on the *altar. (It was) a *whole offering and its smell pleased (the *LORD). It was an *offering that they made to the *LORD on the fire. This was what the *LORD had ordered Moses (to do).

v22 (Moses) then offered another *ram; (it was) the *ram for the *ordination. Aaron and his sons put their hands onto its head.

v23 And Moses killed the *ram. Then he put some of its blood on (these places).

• The lower part of Aaron’s right ear.

• The *thumb of (Aaron’s) right hand.

• The big toe of (Aaron’s) right foot.

v24 Moses also brought Aaron’s sons to the front. He put some of the blood on (these places).

• The lower parts of their right ears.

• The *thumbs of their right hands.

• The big toes of their right feet.

Then (Moses) splashed blood against all the sides of the *altar.

v25 (Moses) took the *fat, the *fat tail and all the *fat round the inside parts (of the *ram. He also took the *fat) that covered the *liver. (And he took) both the *kidneys with their *fat and the right upper leg.

v26 There was a basket of bread in front of the *LORD. (Someone had) made the bread without *yeast. (Moses) took a cake of bread (from the basket) and a cake (that someone had) made with *oil. (He also took) a thin, flat biscuit. He put these on the *fat parts (of the *ram) and on its right upper leg.

v27 He put all these things into the hands of Aaron and his sons. They lifted them up and they waved them in front of the *LORD. This was a *wave offering.

v28 Then Moses took these things from their hands and he burned them on the *altar. He put them on top of the *whole offering. They were an *ordination offering. Its smell pleased (the *LORD). It was an *offering that they made to the *LORD on the fire.

v29 Moses also took his share of the *ordination offering. This was the breast of the *ram. He lifted it up and he waved it in front of the *LORD. It was a *wave offering. This was what the *LORD had ordered Moses (to do).

v30 Then Moses took some of the *oil that he used to *anoint (Aaron). He also took some of the blood from the *altar. He splashed both (the *oil and the blood) onto Aaron and his clothes. (He also splashed them) onto (Aaron’s) sons and their clothes. So he made them all special to God, (that is,) Aaron and his clothes, and also his sons and their clothes.

v31 Then Moses said (this) to Aaron and to his sons. ‘Cook the meat at the entrance of the *meeting tent. Eat it there, with the bread from the basket of *ordination offerings. I ordered this when I said, “Aaron and his sons must eat it.”

v32 Then burn the rest of the meat and the bread.

v33 You must not leave the entrance of the *meeting tent for 7 days. Then the days of your *ordination will be complete. Your *ordination must last for 7 days.

v34 The *LORD has given us a command. Today, we have done what (he told us to do). It will make *atonement for you.

v35 You must remain at the entrance of the *meeting tent for 7 days and 7 nights. You must do what the *LORD wants you to do. Then you will not die. This is what (the *LORD has) ordered me.’

v36 So Aaron and his sons did everything that the *LORD had ordered them to do, by (the words of) Moses.

Notes

Aaron was Moses’ brother. God told Moses to appoint Aaron and his *descendants to be the priests for the *Israelites. In Exodus chapter 29, God told Moses how he should appoint Aaron. All the instructions for the ceremony are in that chapter. And here, in Leviticus chapter 8, Moses obeys these instructions.

Everything that happened during this ceremony was very important. The ceremony gave the priests authority to act on behalf of both God and the *Israelites. Without priests, there could be no *sacrifices. And the priests would be unable to carry out *sacrifices until the ceremony was complete.

The table (series of boxes) below shows what happened at the ceremony.

What happened?	Why?
The *Israelites gathered at the *meeting tent.	God wanted them to see that he had appointed Aaron and his sons to be their priests.
Moses washed Aaron and his sons. (They probably bathed their whole bodies.)	This part of the ceremony was to show that they had to be *clean (free) from *sin.
Moses put splendid clothes on Aaron.	These splendid clothes showed that he was the chief priest. God had separated him to carry out holy duties.
Moses poured *oil on Aaron.	*Oil is a word picture of the Holy Spirit. So the Holy Spirit came on Aaron, to give Aaron the power to do his work.
Moses put clothes on Aaron’s sons.	These were also special clothes. These clothes showed that they too were priests. But they were not the chief priest.
Moses offered the *bull as a *sin offering.	It was necessary to deal with the priests’ *sins before they could deal with other people’s *sins.
Moses offered the first *ram as a *whole offering.	This showed that the priests had to give themselves completely to God for his service.
Moses offered the second *ram.	This was a special *sacrifice for the *ordination.
Moses put blood on the priests’ right ears, hands and feet.	This showed that they must obey God. They must obey what he tells them. They must do what he says. And they must go where he sends them.
Moses splashed *oil and blood onto the priests and their clothes.	This showed that they and their clothes were only holy because of *sacrifice.
They had to repeat the ceremonies for 7 days.	At the end of the week, they would be ready to begin their work as priests.

Verse 2 There is a list of the special clothes in Exodus 28:4. They were called holy in Exodus 28:2. This meant that the chief priest could only use them in the *meeting tent. Only the chief priest wore them. The clothes did not mean that the chief priest was special. They meant that God was special. The *oil was from a fruit called the olive. When they *anointed (poured *oil onto) a priest, they mixed special materials with the *oil (Exodus 30:22-33). These materials gave a special smell to the *oil. These materials included the substances called myrrh, sweet calamus, sweet cinnamon and cassia. They all came from plants.

Verse 4 Moses told all the *Israelites to gather for this important occasion. They would all be witnesses that God had appointed Aaron and his sons to be their priests.

This was a public ceremony, because the priests served everybody. There was not room inside the yard, so the people had to stay outside the entrance. Perhaps they stood on something, so that they could see inside!

Verse 6 The *Hebrew word for ‘brought’ means ‘put in front of’. The priests did that with the animals that they offered to God. Here, it shows that Moses offered Aaron and his sons to God as priests. Some Bible students think that Moses only washed the hands and feet of the priests, Exodus 30:19-21. Other Bible students think that he washed their whole bodies on this occasion, Leviticus 16:4. But normally, before the priests served God, they would just wash their hands and feet (Exodus 30:19). Jesus seems to refer to this in John 13:10.

Verse 7 Moses put the clothes on Aaron. This was a special part of the ceremony. Moses was acting on behalf of God. His actions showed that God had appointed Aaron. The chief priest would be able to do his duties because God had made him *holy. His special clothes, which God had provided, were evidence of that fact.

The *ephod was a short coat, which fitted round the chief priest’s body. It fastened over the shoulders. The chief priest wore the *ephod under the *breastpiece, Exodus 28:6-8.

Verse 8 The *breastpiece covered the upper part of the priest’s body. It contained the *Urim and Thummim. Bible students are not sure what these were. All that we know is this. They helped the chief priest to know God’s purposes, as in 1 Samuel 14:41. The words ‘*Urim and Thummim’ mean ‘perfect light’ in the *Hebrew language. So many Bible students think that the *Urim and Thummim were some sort of precious stones. But we do not know how the chief priest used them.

Verse 9 The gold plate had words on it. They said, ‘Holy to the *LORD’ (Exodus 28:36). This did not mean that the chief priest’s special clothes were very, very good. It meant that the chief priest took the people’s *sin on himself (Exodus 28:38). That was why he alone could go into the most holy place (see chapter 16).

Verses 10-12 ‘*Anoint’ means ‘pour *oil on’. They used a special *oil, see note on verse 2. The *tabernacle was the place where the *meeting tent, the outside *altar, the basin of water and the yard were. There is a plan near the start of this commentary. (See the section called ‘What is in the house of God?’) Later, the *tabernacle was called the *temple. This was after Solomon built the *temple in Jerusalem. The *temple was God’s house in Jerusalem. Exodus 30:22-29 and Exodus 40:9-11 tells Moses to *anoint these things. He did it here, before he *ordained the priests. ‘Special for God’ means that the priests could only use these things to serve God.

Aaron was now wearing clothes that were beautiful and impressive. But the ceremony to appoint him was not complete. He needed to receive the *oil before he would be the chief priest. In the Bible, *oil is often a word picture for the Holy Spirit. Here, the Holy Spirit is separating Aaron for his special work for God. As the chief priest, he alone will be able to enter the most holy place (see chapter 16).

You can read another description of this event in Psalms 133.

Verse 13 The ceremony for Aaron’s sons was simpler and Moses did not *anoint them.

Verses 14-17 This follows the directions for the *sin offering in Leviticus 4:1-5. The Bible teaches that everyone since Adam is guilty of *sin (Romans 3:10-19). So it is clear that the priests – and even the chief priest – needed a *sacrifice for *sin.

Verse 15 There were 4 *horns on the *altar. Animals like cows and *bulls have *horns on their heads. The *horns were at the corners of the *altar. The *horns pointed upward, to where God lives in heaven. Notice that not only must the priests be *clean. Everything else must be *clean also. So Moses made *atonement for the *altar.

Verses 18-21 This follows the directions for the *whole offering in Leviticus 1:3-13.

Verse 22 *Ordination is a special word. It comes from an old word … 3500 years old … that means ‘to fill up’. This happens in verse 27, where Moses ‘fills up’ the hands of Aaron and his sons. But the word ‘*ordain’ now means ‘to appoint someone to be a priest’. We still use this word in the Church. But when we *ordain a priest or a minister (church leader), we still ‘fill up’ his hands … with a Bible! The ceremony is called ‘*ordination’.

Verses 23-24 Notice that Moses puts blood on three important parts of the priests’ bodies.

• The priest’s ear: he must always listen to what God is saying to him.

• The priest’s hand: he must always do what God wants him to do.

• The priest’s foot: he must always go where God tells him to go.

1 Peter 2:9 tells us that all Christians are priests. All Christians must therefore use their ears, hands and feet for Jesus. Notice also that the blood touches the priests and the *altar. Therefore it linked the priests with their job. Their job was to help people come to God. That is still the job of a Christian. Look at Something to do number 4, below.

Verse 25 Some translations have ‘shoulder’ instead of ‘upper leg’.

Verses 26-28 What happened here is not in the rest of Leviticus. This was only for the *ordination ceremony. Usually, the priests could eat part of the *corn offering, Leviticus 2:10, but not here. Neither could they eat any of the meat here. Usually they could eat part of the meat, Leviticus 7:14.

Verse 29 Moses acted as the chief priest for a short time. After this ceremony, Moses was not the chief priest. Now Aaron was the chief priest. As Moses was for a time the chief priest, he had to have a share. The breast is the front part of a *ram or a sheep.

Verse 30 Even after this ceremony, the priests could only serve God because of the blood of the *sacrifice. Even the wonderful and beautiful clothes of the chief priest would not be holy without a *sacrifice.

Verse 33 Here they were separate from the people.

Verse 35 Moses had to repeat these *offerings for the next 7 days. During this time, Aaron and his sons could not leave the entrance of the *meeting tent. If they left, they would become *unclean. Then God would not accept the ceremonies, and so they would die. The ceremony to appoint a priest was a very serious matter because God is completely *holy. In other words, he is separate. And because the priests would serve him, they had to be separate too.

During those 7 days, Aaron and his sons ate at the entrance of the *meeting tent. All the *Israelites saw them there, as they had *fellowship with God.

Something to do

1. Moses was still the leader of his people when he *ordained the priests. Read Numbers 12:7 and Hebrews 3:2. Read about the way in which God expects leaders to serve their people, Matthew 20:27 and Mark 10:44.

2. The chief priest’s clothes were magnificent to see. Clothes are important in the Bible. Read these verses: Psalms 132:9; Isaiah 61:10; Job 29:14, Colossians 3:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:8.

3. In Romans 1:1, Paul says that God separated him for the purpose of God’s good news. In which verse or verses of Leviticus chapter 8 did God separate the priests for their work?

4. Read Revelation 1:5-6. Notice that this is similar to Leviticus 8:23-24.

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.
ordination ~ the ceremony to appoint a man to be a priest.
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.
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.
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.
yeast ~ the substance that makes bread ‘rise’, that is, to get bigger in the oven.'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.
ephod ~ special clothes for the chief priest. The ephod was a short coat, which fitted round his body. It fastened over the shoulders.
breastpiece ~ something that covered the upper part of the priest’s body.'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.
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.
anointed ~ the past form of the word ‘anoint’; also, a description of someone whom people have appointed to do a special task by a ceremony with oil.

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.
tabernacle ~ the place where the meeting tent, the outside altar, the basin of water and the yard were. See the plan in the section called ‘What is in the house of God?’ You will find it near the beginning of this commentary.

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.

altar ~ a special table where the priests burned incense, grain and animals.

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.

incense ~ a material that gives a good smell when people burn it.
altar ~ a special table where the priests burned incense, grain and animals.

incense ~ a material that gives a good smell when people burn it.
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.
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.
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.
fat ~ part of an animal’s body that is not red meat, nor skin, nor bone. Fat is an oily substance.
liver ~ an important inner part of an animal’s body.
kidney ~ an important inner part of an animal’s body.'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.
offering ~ gift.
thumb ~ the thumb is next to the 4 fingers on a person’s hand.'wave offering ~ a gift that the priest waves in front of the LORD.

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.
descendant ~ members of your family who live after you live.
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.
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.
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.
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.
holy ~ very, very good; only God is really holy. Or, a description of something that belongs to God.
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.
temple ~ God’s house in Jerusalem.
ordain ~ make into a priest.
ordination ~ the ceremony to appoint a man to be a priest.'corn offering ~ a gift of grain to the LORD. See the explanation in the note called ‘The 5 sacrifices’ near the beginning of this commentary.

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.

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.

Hebrew ~ the language that the Jews spoke.

altar ~ a special table where the priests burned incense, grain and animals.

Jews ~ another word for the Israelites.

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.

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.
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.
fellowship ~ a special type of friendship between God and his people. Or, the special type of friendship that God’s people have with each other.