Bible Strands

Leviticus 4:7

The priest must then put some of the blood on the horns of the altar of fragrant incense that is before the LORD in the Tent of Meeting. And he is to pour out the rest of the bull’s blood at the base of the altar of burnt offering at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — The priest performs this rite in the Tent of Meeting immediately after sprinkling blood seven times before the sanctuary veil. This action concludes the blood ritual for the bull of the sin offering.

The words — וְנָתַן (ve./na.Tan) literally means "and he will put," directing the priest to apply blood to the altar of incense. מִזְבַּח קְטֹרֶת (miz.Bach ke.To.ret) translates to "altar of incense," specifying the exact location for this portion of the blood.

The thread — The text's blood application pattern repeats in Leviticus 4:18 for a different sin offering and reappears during the tabernacle's consecration in Leviticus 8:15. Aaron's sons later follow this same procedure in Leviticus 9:9.

Why it lands — The text requires the priest to separate the blood's use by applying part to the incense altar and pouring the remainder at the burnt offering altar's base. A reader must observe how the ritual physically divides the offering's blood between two distinct sacred locations.

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 the priest shall put some of the blood upon the horns of the altar of sweet incense before the Lord, which is in the tabernacle of the congregation; and shall pour all the blood of the bullock at the bottom of the altar of the burnt offering, which is at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

Cross-references