Limitless Word
“You shall also take the one ram; and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the ram.
Exodus 29:15 · World English Bible
Parallel translations
  • KJV Thou shalt also take one ram; and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands upon the head of the ram.
  • BSB Take one of the rams, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on its head.
  • NKJV “You shall also take one ram, and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands on the head of the ram;
  • NASB “You shall also take the one ram, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the ram;
  • NLT “Next Aaron and his sons must lay their hands on the head of one of the rams.

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

The first ram was brought, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on its head. They again identified with the sacrifice offered for them.

Overview

This ram would be a burnt offering, and the laying on of hands joined the priests to it. The gesture signified dedication and substitution. The repeated act underscores that approaching God requires both atonement and wholehearted consecration, both met perfectly in Christ.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 5

  • Exod 29:19“You shall take the other ram; and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the ram.
  • Exod 29:10“You shall bring the bull before the Tent of Meeting: and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the bull.
  • Exod 29:3You shall put them into one basket, and bring them in the basket, with the bull and the two rams.
  • Lev 8:18–21He presented the ram of the burnt offering: and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram.
  • Lev 1:4–9He shall lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (2)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Exodus videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Exodus 29:15YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on ExodusMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    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 29:15 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.