What does the seven-day consecration require, and what daily offering follows it?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

Moses must carry out the washing, clothing, anointing and sacrifices prescribed for Aaron and his sons, consecrating their hands for seven days and cleansing and sanctifying the altar. Two year-old lambs are then offered continually each day, one in the morning and one in the evening, with the stated flour, oil and wine.

Chapter breakdown

What does the seven-day consecration require, and what daily offering follows it? Moses must carry out the washing, clothing, anointing and sacrifices prescribed for Aaron and his sons, consecrating their hands for seven days and cleansing and sanctifying the altar. Two year-old lambs are then offered continually each day, one in the morning and one in the evening, with the stated flour, oil and wine.

For priestly consecration, Moses takes a calf from the herd and two rams without blemish. He also takes unleavened bread, a cake without leaven mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil, all made of wheat flour. He puts the breads in a basket and offers them with the calf and two rams.

Aaron and his sons are brought to the door of the tabernacle of the testimony and washed with water. Moses clothes Aaron with the linen garment, tunic, ephod and rational, girding it with the girdle. He puts the mitre on Aaron’s head and the holy plate upon it, then pours anointing oil on his head; by this rite Aaron is consecrated. The sons receive linen tunics and girdles, and Aaron and his children receive mitres. They are priests by a perpetual ordinance, with their hands consecrated.

The calf is presented before the tabernacle of the testimony. Aaron and his sons lay their hands on its head, and Moses kills it before the Lord beside the tabernacle door. With his finger he puts some blood on the altar’s horns and pours the rest at its bottom. All the fat covering the entrails, the liver’s caul, the two kidneys and their fat are burned upon the altar. The flesh, hide and dung are burned outside the camp because the calf is for sin.

Aaron and his sons lay their hands on the first ram’s head. Moses kills it and pours its blood around the altar. He cuts it in pieces, washes its entrails and feet, and puts them upon the cut flesh and head. He burns the whole ram upon the altar as an offering to the Lord, described as a most sweet savour of the Lord’s victim.

Aaron and his sons lay their hands on the other ram’s head. After sacrificing it, Moses puts its blood on the tip of Aaron’s and his sons’ right ears, right thumbs and right great toes, and pours blood around the altar. He takes blood from the altar and anointing oil and sprinkles Aaron, his sons and their garments. They and their garments are consecrated.

From this ram of consecration Moses takes its fat, rump, fat covering the lungs, liver’s caul, two kidneys and their fat, and right shoulder. He adds one roll of bread, a cake mixed with oil and a wafer from the basket of unleavened bread set before the Lord. He puts all of these on Aaron’s and his sons’ hands, sanctifying them by raising them before the Lord. He then takes them from their hands and burns them on the altar as a whole burnt offering, a most sweet savour before the Lord, because it is his offering.

Moses takes the breast of the ram with which Aaron was consecrated, raises and sanctifies it before the Lord, and receives it as his share. He sanctifies both the consecrated breast and the shoulder separated from the ram of Aaron’s and his sons’ consecration. These fall to Aaron and his sons by a perpetual right from Israel, because they are the choicest and first portions of the peace victims offered to the Lord.

Aaron’s sons receive his holy garments after him, to be anointed and have their hands consecrated in them. The son appointed high priest in his place, entering the tabernacle of the testimony to minister in the sanctuary, wears them for seven days.

The consecration ram’s flesh is boiled in the holy place. Aaron and his sons eat it, and the basket’s loaves, at the tabernacle entrance, so it may be an atoning sacrifice and the offerers’ hands may be sanctified. A stranger must not eat them because they are holy. Any consecrated flesh or bread left until morning is burned rather than eaten, because it is sanctified.

Moses must do all that the Lord has commanded for Aaron and his sons, consecrating their hands for seven days. Each day he offers a calf for sin for expiation, cleanses the altar after that sacrifice, and anoints it to sanctify it. For seven days he expiates and sanctifies the altar, making it most holy. Everyone who touches it shall be holy.

Two year-old lambs are sacrificed on the altar every day continually, one in the morning and one in the evening. With one lamb goes a tenth part of flour mixed with a quarter hin of beaten oil, and the same measure of wine for a drink offering. The evening lamb follows the morning offering’s rite and the stated instructions, for a savour of sweetness.

This is a perpetual offering to the Lord through their generations, at the door of the tabernacle of the testimony, where he appoints to speak to Moses. There he will command Israel, and the altar will be sanctified by his glory. He will also sanctify the tabernacle, altar, Aaron and his sons for priestly service. He will dwell among Israel and be their God. They will know he is the Lord who brought them out of Egypt so he might abide among them.

The story inside

The chapter lays out consecration and continuing service as commands to Moses. The calf, two unblemished rams and basket of unleavened breads are prepared; Aaron and his sons are washed and clothed, and Aaron’s head is anointed. The calf’s blood goes on the horns and at the altar’s base, its named fat and organs are burned on the altar, and its flesh, hide and dung outside the camp because it is for sin. The first ram is wholly burned after its washed parts are arranged upon the flesh and head. The second ram supplies blood for the right ears, thumbs and great toes and the altar; altar blood and oil are sprinkled upon the priests and garments. Named portions and breads are raised in their hands and burned. The breast and shoulder rules distinguish Moses’ share and the lasting priestly right. The holy garments pass to Aaron’s successor, who wears them seven days. The holy meal excludes strangers, and leftovers must be burned. Seven days of hand-consecration and altar expiation lead into the continual morning and evening lamb offerings. God promises to speak, command, sanctify and dwell among the people he brought from Egypt. (Exodus 29:1–46.)

Lessons worth keeping

1
The sacrifices have different uses. The calf’s flesh, hide and dung are burned outside the camp because it is for sin; the first ram is wholly burned on the altar; the second supplies the blood and portions named for consecration. Keeping these separate preserves the ordered rite. (29:10–25.)
2
The chapter provides for succession and the holy meal. Aaron’s garments pass to his sons, and his successor as high priest wears them seven days. Aaron and his sons eat the consecration flesh and bread; strangers are excluded because the food is holy, and sanctified leftovers are burned. (29:29–34.)
3
The seven-day rite and daily lamb offering are distinct. Hands and altar are consecrated over seven days with a daily calf. The continuing offering uses two year-old lambs each day, morning and evening, with flour, beaten oil and wine. The closing promise says God brought Israel from Egypt to abide among them. (29:35–46.)

Test your recall

Why is the calf’s flesh, hide and dung burned outside the camp? Because it is for sin. Why may a stranger not eat the consecration meal? Because it is holy. Why are morning leftovers burned instead of eaten? Because they are sanctified. Who wears Aaron’s garments for seven days? His son appointed high priest in his place, entering to minister. What accompanies the daily lamb? A tenth part of flour with a quarter hin of beaten oil and the same measure of wine; the evening rite follows the morning’s. Why did the Lord bring Israel out of Egypt?

Show answer

So he might abide among them. (29:14, 29–34, 40–41, 46.)

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 9143–9148
Exodus Chapter 29 The manner of consecrating Aaron and other priests; the institution of the daily sacrifice of two lambs, one in the morning, the other at evening.
Lines 9149–9158
29:1. And thou shalt also do this, that they may be consecrated to me in priesthood. Take a calf from the herd, and two rams without blemish, 29:2. And unleavened bread, and a cake without leaven, tempered with oil, wafers also unleavened, anointed with oil: thou shalt make them all of wheaten flour. 29:3. And thou shalt put them in a basket, and offer them: and the calf and the two rams.
Lines 9159–9179
29:4. And thou shalt bring Aaron and his sons to the door of the tabernacle of the testimony. And when thou hast washed the father and his sons with water, 29:5. Thou shalt clothe Aaron with his vestments, that is, with the linen garment and the tunic, and the ephod and the rational, which thou shalt gird with the girdle. 29:6. And thou shalt put the mitre upon his head, and the holy plate upon the mitre, 29:7. And thou shalt pour the oil of unction upon his head: and by this rite shall he be consecrated. 29:8. Thou shalt bring his sons also, and shalt put on them the linen tunics, and gird them with a girdle: 29:9. To wit, Aaron and his children, and thou shalt put mitres upon them; and they shall be priests to me by a perpetual ordinance. After thou shalt have consecrated their hands,
Lines 9180–9196
29:10. Thou shalt present also the calf before the tabernacle of the testimony. And Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands upon his head, 29:11. And thou shalt kill him in the sight of the Lord, beside the door of the tabernacle of the testimony. 29:12. And taking some of the blood of the calf, thou shalt put it upon the horns of the altar with thy finger, and the rest of the blood thou shalt pour at the bottom thereof. 29:13. Thou shalt take also all the fat that covereth the entrails, and the caul of the liver, and the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, and shalt offer a burnt offering upon the altar: 29:14. But the flesh of the calf, and the hide and the dung, thou shalt burn abroad, without the camp, because it is for sin.
Lines 9197–9210
29:15. Thou shalt take also one ram, upon the head whereof Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands. 29:16. And when thou hast killed him, thou shalt take of the blood thereof, and pour round about the altar. 29:17. And thou shalt cut the ram in pieces, and having washed his entrails and feet, thou shalt put them upon the flesh that is cut in pieces, and upon his head. 29:18. And thou shalt offer the whole ram for a burnt offering upon the altar: it is an oblation to the Lord, a most sweet savour of the victim of the Lord.
Lines 9211–9223
29:19. Thou shalt take also the other ram, upon whose head Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands. 29:20. And when thou hast sacrificed him, thou shalt take of his blood, and put upon the tip of the right ear of Aaron and of his sons, and upon the thumbs and great toes of their right hand and foot, and thou shalt pour the blood upon the altar round about. 29:21. And when thou hast taken of the blood that is upon the altar, and of the oil of unction, thou shalt sprinkle Aaron and his vesture, his sons and their vestments. And after they and their vestments are consecrated,
Lines 9224–9238
29:22. Thou shalt take the fat of the ram, and the rump, and the fat that covereth the lungs, and the caul of the liver, and the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, and the right shoulder, because it is the ram of consecration: 29:23. And one roll of bread, a cake tempered with oil, a wafer out of the basket of unleavened bread, which is set in the sight of the Lord: 29:24. And thou shalt put all upon the hands of Aaron and of his sons, and shalt sanctify them elevating before the Lord. 29:25. And thou shalt take all from their hands; and shalt burn them upon the altar for a holocaust, a most sweet savour in the sight of the Lord, because it is his oblation.
Lines 9239–9250
29:26. Thou shalt take also the breast of the ram, wherewith Aaron was consecrated, and elevating it thou shalt sanctify it before the Lord, and it shall fall to thy share. 29:27. And thou shalt sanctify both the consecrated breast, and the shoulder that thou didst separate of the ram, 29:28. Wherewith Aaron was consecrated and his sons, and they shall fall to Aaron’s share, and his sons’, by a perpetual right from the children of Israel: because they are the choicest and the beginnings of their peace victims which they offer to the Lord.
Lines 9251–9258
29:29. And the holy vesture, which Aaron shall use, his sons shall have after him, that they may be anointed, and their hands consecrated in it. 29:30. He of his sons that shall be appointed high priest in his stead, and that shall enter into the tabernacle of the testimony to minister in the sanctuary, shall wear it seven days.
Lines 9259–9273
29:31. And thou shalt take the ram of the consecration, and shalt boil the flesh thereof in the holy place: 29:32. And Aaron and his sons shall eat it. The loaves also, that are in the basket, they shall eat in the entry of the tabernacle of the testimony, 29:33. That it may be an atoning sacrifice, and the hands of the offerers may be sanctified. A stranger shall not eat of them, because they are holy. 29:34. And if there remain of the consecrated flesh, or of the bread, till the morning, thou shalt burn the remainder with fire: they shall not be eaten, because they are sanctified.
Lines 9274–9283
29:35. All that I have commanded thee, thou shalt do unto Aaron and his sons. Seven days shalt thou consecrate their hands: 29:36. And thou shalt offer a calf for sin every day for expiation. And thou shalt cleanse the altar when thou hast offered the victim of expiation, and shalt anoint it to sanctify it. 29:37. Seven days shalt thou expiate the altar and sanctify it, and it shall be most holy. Every one, that shall touch it, shall be holy.
Lines 9284–9295
29:38. This is what thou shalt sacrifice upon the altar: Two lambs of a year old every day continually, 29:39. One lamb in the morning, and another in the evening. 29:40. With one lamb a tenth part of flour tempered with beaten oil, of the fourth part of a hin, and wine for libation of the same measure. 29:41. And the other lamb thou shalt offer in the evening, according to the rite of the morning oblation, and according to what we have said, for a savour of sweetness:
Lines 9296–9313
29:42. It is a sacrifice to the Lord, by perpetual oblation unto your generations, at the door of the tabernacle of the testimony before the Lord, where I will appoint to speak unto thee. 29:43. And there will I command the children of Israel, and the altar shall be sanctified by my glory. 29:44. I will sanctify also the tabernacle of the testimony with the altar, and Aaron with his sons, to do the office of priesthood unto me. 29:45. And I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel, and will be their God: 29:46. And they shall know that I am the Lord their God, who have brought them out of the land of Egypt, that I might abide among them, I the Lord their God.