Exodus 29:1

¹ “Now this is what ²  you are to do for them to consecrate them so that they may minister as my priests. Take a young ³  bull and two rams without blemish; ⁴ 

"This is what you are to do to consecrate them, so that they may serve me as priests: Take a young bull and two rams without defect.

"Now this is what you shall do to them to consecrate them to minister as priests to Me: take one young bull and two rams without blemish,

"This is the ceremony for the dedication of Aaron and his sons as priests: Take a young bull and two rams with no physical defects.

"This is the ceremony for consecrating them as priests. Take a young bull and two rams, healthy and without defects.

This is what you are to do to make them holy, to do the work of priests to me: Take one young ox and two male sheep, without any mark on them,

Now this is what you shall do to them to consecrate them, so that they may serve me as priests. Take one young bull and two rams without blemish,

"And this is what you shall do to them to hallow them for ministering to Me as priests: Take one young bull and two rams without blemish,

¹ “Now this is what ²  you are to do for them to consecrate them so that they may minister as my priests. Take a young ³  bull and two rams without blemish; ⁴ 

¹ sn Chap. 29 is a rather long, involved discussion of the consecration of Aaron the priest. It is similar to the ordination service in Lev 8. In fact, the execution of what is instructed here is narrated there. But these instructions must have been formulated after or in conjunction with Lev 1-7, for they presuppose a knowledge of the sacrifices. The bulk of the chapter is the consecration of the priests: 1-35. It has the preparation (1-3), washing (4), investiture and anointing (5-9), sin offering (10-14), burnt offering (15-18), installation peace offering (19-26, 31-34), other offerings’ rulings (27-30), and the duration of the ritual (35). Then there is the consecration of the altar (36-37), and the oblations (38-46). There are many possibilities for the study and exposition of this material. The whole chapter is the consecration of tabernacle, altar, people, and most of all the priests. God was beginning the holy operations with sacral ritual. So the overall message would be: Everyone who ministers, everyone who worships, and everything they use in the presence of Yahweh, must be set apart to God by the cleansing, enabling, and sanctifying work of God.

² tn Heb “the thing.”

³ tn Literally: “take one bull, a ‘son’ of the herd.”

⁴ tn The word תָּמִים (tamim) means “perfect.” The animals could not have diseases or be crippled or blind (see Mal 1). The requirement was designed to ensure that the people would give the best they had to Yahweh. The typology pointed to the sinless Messiah who would fulfill all these sacrifices in his one sacrifice on the cross.