translation_id: net-engnet

book_id: EXO

label: NET translator note

text: Heb “the thing.”


text: Literally: “take one bull, a ‘son’ of the herd.”


text: The word תָּמִים ( tamim ) means “perfect.” The animals could not have diseases or be crippled or blind (see ). The requirement was designed to ensure that the people would give the best they had to Yahweh. The typology pointed to the sinless Messiah who would fulfill all these sacrifices in his one sacrifice on the cross.


text: Or “anointed” (KJV, ASV).


text: The “fine flour” is here an adverbial accusative, explaining the material from which these items were made. The flour is to be finely sifted, and from the wheat, not the barley, which was often the material used by the poor. Fine flour, no leaven, and perfect animals, without blemishes, were to be gathered for this service.


text: The verb קָרַב ( qarav ) in the Hiphil means to “bring near” to the altar, or, to offer something to God. These gifts will, therefore, be offered to him for the service of this ritual.


text: Heb “and with.”


text: Here too the verb is Hiphil (now imperfect) meaning “bring near” the altar. The choice of this verb indicates that they were not merely being brought near, but that they were being formally presented to Yahweh as the offerings were.


text: The Hiphil of לָבַשׁ ( lavash , “to clothe”) will take double accusatives; so the sign of the accusative is with Aaron, and then with the articles of clothing. The translation will have to treat Aaron as the direct object and the articles as indirect objects, because Aaron receives the prominence in the verse – you will clothe Aaron.


text: The verb used in this last clause is a denominative verb from the word for ephod. And so “ephod the ephod on him” means “fasten as an ephod the ephod on him” (S. R. Driver, Exodus , 316).


label: NET textual note

text: Hebrew has both the objective pronoun “them” and the names “Aaron and his sons.” Neither the LXX nor Leviticus 8:13 has “Aaron and his sons,” suggesting that this may have been a later gloss in the text.


text: Heb “and you will fill the hand” and so “consecrate” or “ordain.” The verb draws together the individual acts of the process.


text: The verb is singular, agreeing with the first of the compound subject – Aaron.


text: The phrase “rest of” has been supplied in the translation for clarification.


text: S. R. Driver suggests that this is the appendix or an appendix, both here and in v. 22 ( Exodus , 320). “The surplus, the appendage of liver, found with cow, sheep, or goat, but not with humans: Lobus caudatus” ( HALOT 453 s.v. יֹתֶרֶת ).


text: Heb “turn [them] into sweet smoke” since the word is used for burning incense. sn The giving of the visceral organs and the fat has received various explanations. The fat represented the best, and the best was to go to God. If the animal is a substitute, then the visceral organs represent the will of the worshiper in an act of surrender to God.


text: Heb “burn with fire.”


text: Heb “turn to sweet smoke.”


text: The word אִשֶּׁה (’ isheh ) has traditionally been translated “an offering made with fire” or the like, because it appears so obviously connected with fire. But further evidence from Ugaritic suggests that it might only mean “a gift” (see Milgrom, Leviticus 1-16 , 161).


text: Here “it” has been supplied.


text: The verb in this instance is Qal and not Piel, “to be holy” rather than “sanctify.” The result of all this ritual is that Aaron and his sons will be set aside and distinct in their life and their service.


text: S. R. Driver suggests that this is the appendix or an appendix, both here and in v. 13 ( Exodus , 320). “The surplus, the appendage of liver, found with cow, sheep, or goat, but not with humans: Lobus caudatus” ( HALOT 453 s.v. יֹתֶרֶת ).


text: Heb “filling.”


text: Heb “the whole” or “the all.”


text: Heb “palms.”


text: The “wave offering” is תְּנוּפָה ( tÿnufah ); it is, of course, cognate with the verb, but an adverbial accusative rather than the direct object. In this seems to be a sacrificial gesture of things that are for the priests – but they present them first to Yahweh and then receive them back from him. So the waving is not side to side, but forward to Yahweh and then back to the priest. Here it is just an induction into that routine, since this is the ordination of the priests and the gifts are not yet theirs. So this will all be burned on the altar.


text: “turn to sweet smoke.”


text: “them” has been supplied.


text: The construction is an infinitive construct with a lamed ( ל ) preposition. The form simply means “for anointing,” but it serves to express the purpose or result of their inheriting the sacred garments.


text: This form is a Piel infinitive construct with a lamed ( ל ) preposition. It literally reads “for filling the hands,” the idiom used throughout this chapter for ordination or installation. Here too it has a parallel use of purpose or result.


text: Heb “after him”; NCV, NLT “after Aaron.”


text: The text just has the relative pronoun and the imperfect tense. It could be translated “who comes/enters.” But the context seems to indicate that this would be when he first comes to the tent to begin his tenure as High Priest, and so a temporal clause makes this clear. “First” has been supplied.


text: “Seven days” is an adverbial accusative of time. The ritual of ordination is to be repeated for seven days, and so they are to remain there in the court in full dress.


text: Or “boil” (see Lev 8:31 ).


text: The clause is a relative clause modifying “those things,” the direct object of the verb “eat.” The relative clause has a resumptive pronoun: “which atonement was made by them” becomes “by which atonement was made.” The verb is a Pual perfect of כִּפֵּר ( kipper , “to expiate, atone, pacify”).


text: The Hebrew word is “stranger, alien” ( זָר , zar ). But in this context it means anyone who is not a priest (see S. R. Driver, Exodus , 324).


text: Or “ordination offerings” ( Heb “fillings”).


text: The verb in the conditional clause is a Niphal imperfect of יָתַר ( yatar ); this verb is repeated in the next clause (as a Niphal participle) as the direct object of the verb “you will burn” (a Qal perfect with a vav [ ו ] consecutive to form the instruction).


text: Heb “burn with fire.”


text: The verb is a Niphal imperfect negated. It expresses the prohibition against eating this, but in the passive voice: “it will not be eaten,” or stronger, “it must not be eaten.”


text: Heb “you will fill their hand.”


text: The “seven days” is the adverbial accusative explaining that the ritual of the filling should continue daily for a week. Leviticus makes it clear that they are not to leave the sanctuary.


text: The construction uses a genitive: “a bull of the sin offering,” which means, a bull that is designated for a sin (or better, purification) offering.


text: The verb is וְחִטֵּאתָ ( vÿhitte ’ ta ), a Piel perfect of the word usually translated “to sin.” Here it may be interpreted as a privative Piel (as in Ps 51:7 [9]), with the sense of “un-sin” or “remove sin.” It could also be interpreted as related to the word for “sin offering,” and so be a denominative verb. It means “to purify, cleanse.” The Hebrews understood that sin and contamination could corrupt and pollute even things, and so they had to be purged.


text: The construction is a Piel infinitive construct in an adverbial clause. The preposition bet ( ב ) that begins the clause could be taken as a temporal preposition, but in this context it seems to express the means by which the altar was purged of contamination – “in your making atonement” is “by [your] making atonement.”


text: Once again this is an adverbial accusative of time. Each day for seven days the ritual at the altar is to be followed.


text: The construction is the superlative genitive: “holy of holies,” or “most holy.”


text: The verb is “you will do,” “you will make.” It clearly refers to offering the animals on the altar, but may emphasize all the preparation that was involved in the process.


text: Heb “between the two evenings” or “between the two settings” ( בֵּין הָעַרְבָּיִם , ben ha ’ arbayim ). This expression has had a good deal of discussion. (1) Tg. Onq. says “between the two suns,” which the Talmud explains as the time between the sunset and the time the stars become visible. More technically, the first “evening” would be the time between sunset and the appearance of the crescent moon, and the second “evening” the next hour, or from the appearance of the crescent moon to full darkness (see Deut 16:6 – “at the going down of the sun”). (2) Saadia, Rashi, and Kimchi say the first evening is when the sun begins to decline in the west and cast its shadows, and the second evening is the beginning of night. (3) The view adopted by the Pharisees and the Talmudists ( b. Pesahim 61a) is that the first evening is when the heat of the sun begins to decrease, and the second evening begins at sunset, or, roughly from 3-5 p.m. The Mishnah ( m. Pesahim 5:1) indicates the lamb was killed about 2:30 p.m. – anything before noon was not valid. S. R. Driver concludes from this survey that the first view is probably the best, although the last view was the traditionally accepted one ( Exodus , 89-90). Late afternoon or early evening seems to be intended, the time of twilight perhaps.


text: The phrase “of an ephah” has been supplied for clarity (cf. Num 28:5 ). The ephah was a commonly used dry measure whose capacity is now uncertain: “Quotations given for the ephah vary from ca. 45 to 20 liters” (C. Houtman, Exodus , 2:340-41).


text: “Hin” is a transliterated Hebrew word that seems to have an Egyptian derivation. The amount of liquid measured by a hin is uncertain: “Its presumed capacity varies from about 3,5 liters to 7,5 liters” (C. Houtman, Exodus , 3:550).


text: The translation has “regular” instead of “continually,” because they will be preparing this twice a day.


text: The relative clause identifies the place in front of the Tent as the place that Yahweh would meet Moses. The main verb of the clause is אִוָּעֵד (’ ivva ’ ed ), a Niphal imperfect of the verb יָעַד ( ya ’ ad ), the verb that is cognate to the name “tent of meeting” – hence the name. This clause leads into the next four verses.


text: The verb now is a Niphal perfect from the same root, with a vav ( ו ) consecutive. It simply continues the preceding verb, announcing now that he would meet the people.


text: Or “will be sanctified by my glory” (KJV and ASV both similar). sn The tabernacle, as well as the priests and the altar, will be sanctified by the power of Yahweh’s presence. The reference here is to when Yahweh enters the sanctuary in all his glory (see Exod 40:34 f.).


text: This verse affirms the same point as the last, but now with an active verb: “I will set apart as holy” (or “I will sanctify”). This verse, then, probably introduces the conclusion of the chapter: “So I will….”


text: The verb has the root שָׁכַן ( shakan ), from which came the word for the dwelling place, or sanctuary, itself ( מִשְׁכָּן , mishkan ). It is also used for the description of “the Shekinah glory.” God is affirming that he will reside in the midst of his people.