| Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary 29:1-37 Aaron and his sons were to be set apart for the priest's office, with ceremony and solemnity. Our Lord Jesus is the great High Priest of our profession, called of God to be so; anointed with the Spirit, whence he is called Messiah, the Christ; clothed with glory and beauty; sanctified by his own blood; made perfect, or consecrated through sufferings, Heb 2:10. All believers are spiritual priests, to offer spiritual sacrifices,
Pulpit CommentaryVerses 1-37. - THE CONSECRATION OF THE PRIESTS. From the description of the priestly attire, the Divine Law-giver passed to the form of priestly consecration, whereof investiture in the "holy garments" was a part. The ceremony of consecration was to consist of four things: - 1. Ablution; 2. Investiture; 3. Chrism or Anointing with oil; and 4. Sacrifice. In the directions given, we have, first, the preparation of the offerings (vers. 1-3); secondly, directions for the ablutions (ver. 4); thirdly, directions for the investiture of Aaron (vers. 5, 6), of his sons (vers. 8, 9); fourthly, directions for the anointing (ver. 7); and fifthly, directions as to the mode in which the sacrifices should be offered and disposed of (vers. 10-34). A command is then given that the ceremonies should be repeated every day for a week (ver. 35); and another, that the altar should receive consecration at the same time as the priests (vers. 36, 37). Additional light is thrown on most of these matters by the account contained in Leviticus (ch. 8.), of the manner in which Moses carried oat the directions here given to him. Verse 1. - This is the thing that thou shalt do to them - i.e., "This is the ceremonial that thou shalt use on the occasion." There is a tacit reference to verse 41 of ch. 28, which had announced that the priests were to be consecrated. Take one young bullock. The offerings were to be provided beforehand, so as to be in readiness when the investiture and anointing were over. Hence they are mentioned first. Rams without blemish. Literally "perfect." On the offence to God of offering him blemished offerings, see Malachi 1:6-14.
Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleAnd this is the thing that thou shalt do unto them,.... To Aaron and his sons: to "hallow" them; to sanctify them, set them apart, and consecrate them: to minister unto me in the priest's office; for which the Lord had appointed them, to which he had chose, called, and separated them: take one young bullock, and two rams without blemish; a young bullock was an heifer of three years old, according to Kimchi (t), and such an one was used in sacrifice in former times, see Genesis 15:9 though Maimonides (u) says it was one of two years, and so Abendana (w), whose words are,"a bullock is a son of two years, and a ram is after he has entered into the second year thirty one days;''and so Ben Gersom; the bullock was an emblem of the strength, laboriousness, and patience of Christ, and both of them being without blemish, were typical of his purity and perfection in his nature and life, and especially in his sacrifice. (t) Comment. in Psal. lxix. 32. (u) Hilchot Zebachim, c. 1. sect. 14. (w) Not. in Miclol Yophi in loc.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible CommentaryCHAPTER 29 Ex 29:1-35. Consecrating the Priests and the Altar. 1. hallow them, to minister unto me in the priest's office—The act of inaugurating the priests was accompanied by ceremonial solemnities well calculated not only to lead the people to entertain exalted views of the office, but to impress those functionaries themselves with a profound sense of its magnitude and importance. In short, they were taught to know that the service was for them as well as for the people; and every time they engaged in a new performance of their duties, they were reminded of their personal interest in the worship, by being obliged to offer for themselves, before they were qualified to offer as the representatives of the people. this is the thing that thou shalt do—Steps are taken at the beginning of a society, which would not be repeated when the social machine was in full motion; and Moses, at the opening of the tabernacle, was employed to discharge functions which in later periods would have been regarded as sacrilege and punished with instant death. But he acted under the special directions of God.
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