Thus shall Aaron come into the holy place: with a young bullock for a sin offering, and a ram for a burnt offering.
Parallel translations
- WEB “Aaron shall come into the sanctuary with a young bull for a sin offering, and a ram for a burnt offering.
- BSB This is how Aaron is to enter the Holy Place: with a young bull for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering.
- NKJV “Thus Aaron shall come into the Holy Place: with the blood of a young bull as a sin offering, and of a ram as a burnt offering.
- NASB Aaron shall enter the Holy Place with this: with a bull as a sin offering and a ram as a burnt offering.
- NLT “When Aaron enters the sanctuary area, he must follow these instructions fully. He must bring a young bull for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering.
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
Aaron is to enter the sanctuary with a bull for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering. He cannot approach God without atoning sacrifice.
Overview
The high priest may come into the holy place only by means of a bull for sin and a ram for ascension to God. Even Aaron, the mediator, needed sacrifice to enter. This underscores that no one approaches God apart from atonement, and it foreshadows Christ, who entered the heavenly sanctuary not with the blood of animals but with His own.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- Lev 4:3If the priest that is anointed do sin according to the sin of the people; then let him bring for his sin, which he hath sinned, a young bullock without blemish unto the LORD for a sin offering.
- Heb 9:24–25For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:
- Lev 1:10And if his offering be of the flocks, namely, of the sheep, or of the goats, for a burnt sacrifice; he shall bring it a male without blemish.
- Lev 8:18And he brought the ram for the burnt offering: and Aaron and his sons laid their hands upon the head of the ram.
- Heb 9:7But into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people:
- Heb 9:12Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.
- Num 29:7–11And ye shall have on the tenth day of this seventh month an holy convocation; and ye shall afflict your souls: ye shall not do any work therein:
- Lev 8:14And he brought the bullock for the sin offering: and Aaron and his sons laid their hands upon the head of the bullock for the sin offering.
- Lev 9:3And unto the children of Israel thou shalt speak, saying, Take ye a kid of the goats for a sin offering; and a calf and a lamb, both of the first year, without blemish, for a burnt offering;
- Lev 1:3If his offering be a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish: he shall offer it of his own voluntary will at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD.
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Christ at the center
Every sacrifice, every priest, and every day of atonement points beyond itself to the one perfect offering and the great High Priest who, by his own blood, makes the unclean holy once for all.
How Leviticus 16:3 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.