Moses took half of the blood and put it in bowls, and the other half he sprinkled on the altar.
Parallel translations
- WEB Moses took half of the blood and put it in basins, and half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar.
- KJV And Moses took half of the blood, and put it in basons; and half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar.
- NKJV And Moses took half the blood and put it in basins, and half the blood he sprinkled on the altar.
- NASB Moses took half of the blood and put it in basins, and the other half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar.
- NLT Moses drained half the blood from these animals into basins. The other half he splattered against the altar.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Moses divided the sacrificial blood, putting half in basins and sprinkling half on the altar. The blood, representing life given, consecrates the covenant before God.
Overview
The altar, representing God, receives half the blood, signifying His part in the covenant bond. The reserved half awaits application to the people, joining both parties through the shed blood. This ritual highlights that covenant fellowship with a holy God is established only through atoning blood. It vividly anticipates the blood of Christ, by which the new covenant is ratified.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 15
- 1 Pet 1:19but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or spot.
- Exod 24:8So Moses took the blood, sprinkled it on the people, and said, “This is the blood of the covenant that the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words.”
- Heb 9:18That is why even the first covenant was not put into effect without blood.
- Lev 4:6The priest is to dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle some of it seven times before the LORD, in front of the veil of the sanctuary.
- Lev 3:8He is to lay his hand on the head of his offering and slaughter it in front of the Tent of Meeting. Then Aaron’s sons shall sprinkle its blood on all sides of the altar.
- Heb 12:24to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.
- Exod 12:7They are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs.
- Exod 12:22Take a cluster of hyssop, dip it into the blood in the basin, and brush the blood on the top and sides of the doorframe. None of you shall go out the door of his house until morning.
- Lev 1:11He shall slaughter it on the north side of the altar before the LORD, and Aaron’s sons the priests are to sprinkle its blood against the altar on all sides.
- Exod 29:16You are to slaughter the ram, take its blood, and sprinkle it on all sides of the altar.
- Col 1:20and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through the blood of His cross.
- Lev 3:2He is to lay his hand on the head of the offering and slaughter it at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. Then Aaron’s sons the priests shall sprinkle the blood on all sides of the altar.
- Exod 29:20Slaughter the ram, take some of its blood, and put it on the right earlobes of Aaron and his sons, on the thumbs of their right hands, and on the big toes of their right feet. Sprinkle the remaining blood on all sides of the altar.
- 1 Pet 1:2according to the foreknowledge of God the Father and sanctified by the Spirit for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by His blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance.
- Lev 1:5And he shall slaughter the young bull before the LORD, and Aaron’s sons the priests are to present the blood and sprinkle it on all sides of the altar at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
The Passover lamb whose blood turns away death, the exodus through the sea, the manna, the rock, and the tabernacle where God dwells with his people all foreshadow Jesus — our Passover, our redemption, the bread from heaven, and God-with-us in the flesh.
How Exodus 24:6 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.