Leviticus 16:24

He is to bathe himself with water in a holy place and put on his own clothes. Then he must go out and sacrifice his burnt offering and the people’s burnt offering to make atonement for himself and for the people.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Aaron performs this ritual immediately after leaving the Most Holy Place and depositing his sacred linen garments in the Tent of Meeting.

The words — The text commands וְרָחַץ (ve-raḥatz, “he will wash”) his בְּשָׂרוֹ (besaro, “his body”) in water and וְלָבַשׁ (ve-labash, “he will put on”) his own garments in a קָדוֹשׁ (qadosh, “holy”) place.

The thread — This washing and garment change directly precedes the altar sacrifices detailed in Leviticus 16:25 and establishes a ritual boundary later contrasted with Hebrews 10:19’s description of direct access to God.

Why it lands — The verse mandates a concrete transition from ritual purity to public atonement, requiring the priest to restore his ordinary clothing before offering burnt offerings for himself and the congregation.

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 he shall wash his flesh with water in the holy place, and put on his garments, and come forth, and offer his burnt offering, and the burnt offering of the people, and make an atonement for himself, and for the people.

Cross-references

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 10:19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus,
Exodus 28:4 These are the garments that they shall make: a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a woven tunic, a turban, and a sash. They are to make these holy garments for your brother Aaron and his sons, so that they may serve Me as priests.
Exodus 29:4 Then present Aaron and his sons at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and wash them with water.
Leviticus 8:6 Then Moses presented Aaron and his sons and washed them with water.
Leviticus 14:9 On the seventh day he must shave off all his hair—his head, his beard, his eyebrows, and the rest of his hair. He must wash his clothes and bathe himself with water, and he will be clean.
Leviticus 22:6 the man who touches any of these will remain unclean until evening. He must not eat from the sacred offerings unless he has bathed himself with water.
Hebrews 9:10 They consist only in food and drink and special washings—external regulations imposed until the time of reform.
Revelation 1:5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and has released us from our sins by His blood,