So Aaron came near to the altar, and killed the calf of the sin offering, which was for himself.
Parallel translations
- KJV Aaron therefore went unto the altar, and slew the calf of the sin offering, which was for himself.
- BSB So Aaron approached the altar and slaughtered the calf as a sin offering for himself.
- NKJV Aaron therefore went to the altar and killed the calf of the sin offering, which was for himself.
- NASB So Aaron came near to the altar and slaughtered the calf of the sin offering which was for himself.
- NLT So Aaron went to the altar and slaughtered the calf as a sin offering for himself.
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 approaches the altar and kills the calf as his own sin offering. The high priest begins by dealing with his personal guilt.
Overview
Aaron's first act is to address his own sin, a sober reminder that even the holiest human leader stands in need of atonement. The careful, literal obedience of the ritual stresses that God alone defines how he may be approached. Christ, by contrast, needed no sin offering for himself and could therefore offer a perfect sacrifice for others.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 3
- Lev 1:4–5He shall lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him.
- Lev 4:29He shall lay his hand on the head of the sin offering, and kill the sin offering in the place of burnt offering.
- Lev 4:1–12Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
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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 9:8 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.