After this he was to slay the he-goat as a sin-offering for the nation, for which purpose, of course, he must necessarily come back to the court again, and then take the blood of the goat into the most holy place, and do just the same with it as he had already done with that of the ox. A double sprinkling took place in both cases, first upon or against the capporeth, and then seven times in front of the capporeth. The first sprinkling, which was performed once only, was for the expiation of the sins, first of the high priest and his house, and then of the congregation of Israel (Leviticus 4:7, and Leviticus 4:18); the second, which was repeated seven times, was for the expiation of the sanctuary from the sins of the people. This is implied in the words of Leviticus 16:16, "and so shall he make expiation for the most holy place, on account of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and on account of their transgressions with regard to all their sins," which refer to both the sacrifices; since Aaron first of all expiated the sins of the priesthood, and the uncleanness with which the priesthood had stained the sanctuary through their sin, by the blood of the bullock of the sin-offering; and then the sins of the nation, and the uncleannesses with which it had defiled the sanctuary, by the he-goat, which was also slain as a sin-offering.

(Note: V. Hoffmann's objection to this rests upon the erroneous supposition that a double act of expiation was required for the congregation, and only a single one for the priesthood, whereas, according to the distinct words of the text, a double sprinkling was performed with the blood of both the sin-offerings, and therefore a double expiation effected.)

Leviticus 16:21 Parallel Commentaries

lay

Leviticus 1:4 And he shall put his hand on the head of the burnt offering; and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him.

Exodus 29:10 And you shall cause a bullock to be brought before the tabernacle of the congregation...

confess over

Leviticus 26:40 If they shall confess their iniquity, and the iniquity of their fathers, with their trespass which they trespassed against me...

Ezra 10:1 Now when Ezra had prayed, and when he had confessed, weeping and casting himself down before the house of God...

Nehemiah 1:6,7 Let your ear now be attentive, and your eyes open, that you may hear the prayer of your servant, which I pray before you now...

Nehemiah 9:3 And they stood up in their place, and read in the book of the law of the LORD their God one fourth part of the day...

Psalm 32:5 I acknowledge my sin to you, and my iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions to the LORD...

Psalm 51:3 For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.

Proverbs 28:13 He that covers his sins shall not prosper: but whoever confesses and forsakes them shall have mercy.

Daniel 9:3-20 And I set my face to the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes...

Romans 10:10 For with the heart man believes to righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made to salvation.

putting

Isaiah 53:6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

2 Corinthians 5:21 For he has made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

a fit man [heb] a man of opportunity The man that took the scape-goat into the wilderness, and that burned the sin offering, were to be looked upon as ceremonially unclean, and must not come into the camp till they had washed their clothes and bathed their flesh in water, which signified the defiling nature of sin; even the sacrifice which was made sin, was defiling: also the imperfection of the legal sacrifices, they were so far from taking away sin, that they left some stain even upon those that touched them.