Bible Strands
Leviticus 16:11
When Aaron presents the bull for his sin offering and makes atonement for himself and his household, he is to slaughter the bull for his own sin offering.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Moses relays God’s command to Aaron during the prescribed sequence of the Day of Atonement rituals. The instruction occurs immediately after the scapegoat is sent away and before Aaron prepares to enter the Holy Place with incense.
The words — וְהִקְרִ֨יב (ve./hik.Riv) translates literally as "and he will present," directing Aaron to bring the bull forward. וְ/כִפֶּ֥ר (ve./khi.Per) means "and he will make atonement," specifying the ritual purpose of that presentation.
The thread — The command to present the bull recurs in Leviticus 16:6 as a parallel directive, while Leviticus 16:3 frames it within the initial entry sequence using a different verb. Hebrews 7:27 later contrasts this repeated priestly duty with the singular, sufficient sacrifice of Christ.
Why it lands — The text commands Aaron to slaughter the bull specifically for his own sins and those of his household before addressing the congregation. This establishes the procedural requirement that the mediator must be cleansed before mediating atonement for others.
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
And Aaron shall bring the bullock of the sin offering, which is for himself, and shall make an atonement for himself, and for his house, and shall kill the bullock of the sin offering which is for himself:
Cross-references
- Leviticus 16:6 Aaron is to present the bull for his sin offering and make atonement for himself and his household.
- Leviticus 16:3 This is how Aaron is to enter the Holy Place: with a young bull for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering.
- Hebrews 7:27 Unlike the other high priests, He does not need to offer daily sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people; He sacrificed for sin once for all when He offered up Himself.
- Hebrews 9:7 But only the high priest entered the second room, and then only once a year, and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance.