Bible Strands
Exodus 29:20
Slaughter the ram, take some of its blood, and put it on the right earlobes of Aaron and his sons, on the thumbs of their right hands, and on the big toes of their right feet. Splatter the remaining blood on all sides of the altar.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — God commands Moses to apply ram blood to the right earlobes, thumbs, and big toes of Aaron and his sons. This instruction follows the laying of hands on the second ram and precedes the sprinkling of blood and anointing oil on their garments.
The words — וְשָׁחַטְתָּ (ve./sha.cha.Ta) translates literally as "and you will slaughter," and תְּנוּךְ (te.nuKh) means "lobe." These terms ground the command in the physical act of killing the ram and marking specific body parts.
The thread — The identical blood application on the right earlobes, thumbs, and big toes occurs in Leviticus 8:24 during the initial ordination of the priests. The procedure parallels the cleansing sprinkling in Leviticus 14:7 and stands in contrast to the obedient ear-opening described in Isaiah 50:5.
Why it lands — The text requires exact physical marking of the priests to set them apart for service. It demands precise ritual obedience rather than abstract symbolism.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
Then shalt thou kill the ram, and take of his blood, and put it upon the tip of the right ear of Aaron, and upon the tip of the right ear of his sons, and upon the thumb of their right hand, and upon the great toe of their right foot, and sprinkle the blood upon the altar round about.
Cross-references
- Isaiah 50:5 The Lord GOD has opened My ears, and I have not been rebellious, nor have I turned back.
- Leviticus 8:24 Moses also presented Aaron’s sons and put some of the blood on their right earlobes, on the thumbs of their right hands, and on the big toes of their right feet. Then he splattered the blood on all sides of the altar.
- Leviticus 14:7 Seven times he shall sprinkle the one to be cleansed of the skin disease. Then he shall pronounce him clean and release the live bird into the open field.
- Leviticus 14:14 The priest is to take some of the blood from the guilt offering and put it on the right earlobe of the one to be cleansed, on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot.
- Leviticus 14:16 dip his right forefinger into the oil in his left palm, and sprinkle some of the oil with his finger seven times before the LORD.
- Leviticus 16:14 And he is to take some of the bull’s blood and sprinkle it with his finger on the east side of the mercy seat; then he shall sprinkle some of it with his finger seven times before the mercy seat.
- Leviticus 16:19 He is to sprinkle some of the blood on it with his finger seven times to cleanse it and consecrate it from the uncleanness of the Israelites.
- Isaiah 52:15 so He will sprinkle many nations. Kings will shut their mouths because of Him. For they will see what they have not been told, and they will understand what they have not heard.
- Mark 7:33 So Jesus took him aside privately, away from the crowd, and put His fingers into the man’s ears. Then He spit and touched the man’s tongue.
- Hebrews 9:19 For when Moses had proclaimed every commandment of the law to all the people, he took the blood of calves and goats, along with water, scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled the scroll and all the people,