Discovery BoxLeviticus 16:1-4 
Context16:1 The Lord spoke to Moses after the death of Aaron’s two sons when they approached the presence of the Lord 1 and died, 16:2 and the Lord said to Moses: “Tell Aaron your brother that he must not enter at any time into the holy place inside the veil-canopy 2 in front of the atonement plate 3 that is on the ark so that he may not die, for I will appear in the cloud over the atonement plate.
16:3 “In this way Aaron is to enter into the sanctuary – with a young bull 4 for a sin offering 5 and a ram for a burnt offering. 6 16:4 He must put on a holy linen tunic, 7 linen leggings are to cover his body, 8 and he is to wrap himself with a linen sash 9 and wrap his head with a linen turban. 10 They are holy garments, so he must bathe 11 his body in water and put them on.
Leviticus 16:6
Context16:6 Then Aaron is to present the sin offering bull which is for himself and is to make atonement on behalf of himself and his household.
Leviticus 16:12
Context16:12 and take a censer full of coals of fire from the altar before the Lord 12 and a full double handful of finely ground fragrant incense, 13 and bring them inside the veil-canopy. 14
1 tn Heb “in their drawing near to the faces of the
2 tn Heb “into the holy place from house to the veil-canopy.” In this instance, the Hebrew term “the holy place” refers to “the most holy place” (lit. “holy of holies”), since it is the area “inside the veil-canopy” (cf. Exod 26:33-34). The Hebrew term פָּרֹכֶת (parokhet) is usually translated “veil” or “curtain,” but it seems to have stretched not only in front of but also over the top of the ark of the covenant which stood behind and under it inside the most holy place, and thus formed more of a canopy than simply a curtain (see R. E. Averbeck, NIDOTTE 3:687-89).
3 tn Heb “to the faces of the atonement plate.” The exact meaning of the Hebrew term כַּפֹּרֶת (kapporet) here rendered “atonement plate” is much debated. The traditional “mercy seat” (KJV, ASV, NASB, NRSV) does not suit the cognate relationship between this term and the Piel verb כִּפֶּר (kipper, “to make atonement, to make expiation”). The translation of the word should also reflect the fact that the most important atonement procedures on the Day of Atonement were performed in relation to it. Since the
4 tn Heb “with a bull, a son of the herd.”
5 sn See the note on Lev 4:3 regarding the term “sin offering.”
6 sn For the “burnt offering” see the note on Lev 1:3.
7 sn The term “tunic” refers to a shirt-like garment worn next to the skin and, therefore, put on first (cf. Exod 28:4, 39-40; 29:5, 8; 39:27). It covered the upper body only. For detailed remarks on the terminology for the priestly clothing in this verse (except the “linen leggings”) see the notes on Lev 8:7-9 and the literature cited there.
8 tn Heb “shall be on his flesh.” As in many instances in Lev 15, the term “flesh” or “body” here is euphemistic for the male genitals (J. Milgrom, Leviticus [AB], 1:1017, and J. E. Hartley, Leviticus [WBC], 222; cf. the note on Lev 15:2), which the priest must be careful not to expose during such ritual procedures (see Exod 20:26 with 28:42-43).
9 sn The sash fastened the tunic around the waist (Exod 28:4, 39; 29:9; 39:29).
10 tn Heb “and in a turban of linen he shall wrap.”
sn The turban consisted of wound up linen (cf. Exod 28:4, 37, 39; 29:6; 39:31; Lev 16:4). It is usually thought to be a “turban,” but it might be only a “turban-like headband” wound around the forehead area (HALOT 624 s.v. מִצְנֶפֶת).
11 tn Heb “and he shall bathe….”
12 tn Heb “and he shall take the fullness of the censer, coals of fire, from on the altar from to the faces of the
13 tn Heb “and the fullness of the hollow of his two hands, finely ground fragrant incense.”
14 tn Heb “and he shall bring from house to the veil-canopy.”
