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.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Aaron performs this ritual during the Day of Atonement, acting after applying blood to the altar horns and before presenting the live goat. The directive occurs as he completes the purification sequence for the Most Holy Place, the Tent of Meeting, and the altar.

The words — The verb הִזָּה (hi.Zah) literally means to spatter or sprinkle, denoting the physical application of blood. The phrase שֶׁבַע פְּעָמִים (She.va' pe.'a.Mim) specifies the exact count of seven repetitions required for the act.

The thread — The text establishes blood sprinkling as the prescribed method for ritual purification, a pattern repeated in the altar statutes of Ezekiel 43:18 and referenced in the cleansing fountain of Zechariah 13:1. Both passages use the same conceptual link between blood application and the removal of defilement.

Why it lands — The text demands precise, repeated physical action to address ritual uncleanness before approaching the sacred. It requires the reader to recognize that covenant purification follows a fixed, unalterable procedure rather than subjective feeling.

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

וְהִזָּ֨הve./hi.Zahand/ he will spatter עָלָ֧יו'a.La/von/ it מִן־min-some of הַדָּ֛םha./Damthe/ blood בְּאֶצְבָּע֖וֹbe./'etz.ba.'/Owith/ finger/ his שֶׁ֣בַעShe.va'seven פְּעָמִ֑יםpe.'a.Mimtimes וְטִהֲר֣וֹve./ti.ha.R/oand/ he will purify/ it וְקִדְּשׁ֔וֹve./ki.de.Sh/oand/ he will set apart as holy/ it מִטֻּמְאֹ֖תmi./tum.'Otfrom/ [the] uncleanness<es> of בְּנֵ֥יbe.Nei[the] people of יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃Yis.ra.'ElIsrael

King James Version

And he shall sprinkle of the blood upon it with his finger seven times, and cleanse it, and hallow it from the uncleanness of the children of Israel.

Cross-references

Zechariah 13:1 “On that day a fountain will be opened to the house of David and the people of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and impurity.
Ezekiel 43:18 Then He said to me: “Son of man, this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘These are the statutes for the altar on the day it is constructed, so that burnt offerings may be sacrificed on it and blood may be splattered on it: