12. And on the fifteenth, day. Amongst their festivals this last was the chief ▼

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“ La plus authentique.” — Fr.

in which they dwelt in tabernacles for seven days; for whereas in the Passover they commemorated the night in which they came forth free from the plagues of Egypt, by dwelling in tabernacles they embraced the whole forty years in which their fathers in the desert experienced the constant and consummate bounty of God. That solemn convention, too, availed for another present purpose, i.e., of thanksgiving to God for the ingathering of the harvest. Hence it was that they offered sacrifices every day and in greater number: on the first day, thirteen bullocks, two rams, and fourteen lambs; on the second, twelve bullocks; on the third, eleven; on the fourth, ten; on the fifth, nine; on the sixth, eight; finally, on the seventh, seven; and on the eighth, one. Nor is it carelessly that Moses expends so many words on the recital; first, that nothing might be done except at God’s command; secondly, lest it should be disagreeable or onerous to be at such great expense, which they would have gladly avoided. Wherefore, that they might cheerfully obey God’s command, he diligently inculcates what victims God would have daily offered to Him. But why the distribution was so unequal, I confess, is not clear to me, and it is better to confess my ignorance than by too subtle speculations to vanish into mere smoke. ▼

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Scott’s conjecture is not without force: “The decrease of the number of the bullocks which were sacrificed on the several days of the feast, until on the last and great day only one was offered, is the most observable circumstance in this law. The reason is not evident, unless it be intimated that the Mosaic institution would gradually wax old, and at length vanish away when the promised Messiah came. (Hebrews 8:7-13.)” As a specimen of the ancient opinions, I subjoin the following, — “The Hebrews say that the offerings were made for other nations; and, therefore, seventy calves were offered altogether, according to the number of the seventy nations, divided into seventy languages. But fourteen calves were offered on the first day, and on the second day thirteen, thus decreasing one every day to the last inclusive; by which is designated that the dominion of the Gentiles was to be diminished and terminated under King Messiah, to whom all nations are to be subdued,” etc. — De Lyra, in loco.

This notion, indeed, is neither curious nor to be rejected, i.e., that, by daily diminishing the number, they came at last on the seventh day to the number seven, which is the symbol of perfection; for the eighth was superadded, merely as a conclusion. Finally, Moses subjoins that in the continual sacrifice, as well as these extraordinary ones, they should hold fast to what God prescribes, so that nothing should be altered according to man’s fancy. The sacrifices which depend on the Commandments of the Second Table, I have designedly postponed to their proper place.

The GREAT yearly Atonement

Leviticus 16

Leviticus 16:1-34
1. And the LORD spake unto Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they offered before the LORD, and died;	1. Loquutus est autem Jehova ad Mosen postquam mortui sunt duo ex filiis Aharon: qui dum accederent coram Jehova mortui sunt.
2. And the LORD said unto Moses, Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the holy place within the vail before the mercy seat, which is upon the ark; that he die not: for I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy seat.	2. Dixitque Jellova ad Mosen, Loquere ad Aharon fratrem tuum, ut ne ingrediatnr omni tempore sanctuarium intra velum coram propitiatorio quod est supra arcata, ne moriatur: in nube enim apparebo supra propitiatorium.
3. Thus shall Aaron come into the holy place: with a young bullock for a sin offering, and a ram for a burnt offering.	3. Cum hoc ingredietur Aharon sanctuarium, eum juvenco filio bovis in hostiam pro peccato, et ariete in holocaustum.
4. He shall put on the holy linen coat, and he shall have the linen breeches upon his flesh, and shall be girded with a linen girdle, and with the linen mitre shall he be attired: these are holy garments; therefore shall he wash his flesh in water, and so put them on.	4. Tunica linca saneta induet se, et femoralia linea erunt super carnem ejus, balteoque lineo accinget se, et mitra linea velabit sese: vestes sanctitatis sunt: lavabitque aqua carnem suam, et induct se illis.
5. And he shall take of the congregation of the children of Israel two kids of the goats for a sin offering, and one ram for a burnt offering.	5. A coetu autem filiorum Israel accipiet duos hircos caprarum in hostiam pro peccato, et arietem unum in holocaustum.
6. And Aaron shall offer his bullock of the sin offering which is for himself, and make an atonement for himself, and for his house.	6. Offeretque Aharon juvencum sacrificii pro peccato suum, et expiationem faciet pro se et pro domo sua.
7. And he shall take the two goats, and present them before the LORD at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.	7. Postea caplet duos hircum, quos statuet coram Jehova ad ostium tabernaculi conventionis.
8. And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for the LORD, and the other lot for the scapegoat.	8. Mittetque Aharon super duos illos hircum sortes, sortem unam Jehovae, et sortem alteram pro azazel.
9. And Aaron shall bring the goat upon which the LORD’S lot fell, and offer him for a sin offering.	9. Offeret autem Aharon hircum super quem ceciderit sots pro Jehovae, et faciet eum pro peccato.
10. But the goat, on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat, shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make an atonement with him, and to let him go for a scapegoat into the wilderness.	10. Hircum vero super quem ceciderit sors pro azazel, statuet vivum coram Jehova ad emundandum per illum, ad emittendum illum in azazel in desertum.
11. And Aaron shall bring the bullock of the sin offering, which is for himself, and shall make an atonement for himself, and for his house, and shall kill the bullock of the sin offering which is for himself:	11. Offeret autem Aharon juvencum pro hostia peccati suum, et expiationem faciet pro se et pro domo sua, mactabitque juvencum pro hostia peccati suum.
12. And he shall take a censer full of burning coals of fire from off the altar before the LORD, and his hands full of sweet incense beaten small, and bring it within the vail:	12. Assumet quoque plenum thuribulum prunis ignitis de altari a conspectu Jehovae, et plenas volas suas de incenso aromatico comminuto, et inferet intra velum.
13. And he shall put the incense upon the fire before the LORD, that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy seat that is upon the testimony, that he die not:	13. Ponetque incensum super ignero coram Jehova: operietque nubes incensi propitiatorium quod est super testimonium, et non morietur.
14. And he shall take of the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it with his finger upon the mercy seat eastward; and before the mercy seat shall he sprinkle of the blood with his finger seven times.	14. Deinde accipiet de sanguine juvenei, et asperget digito suo contra faciem propitiatorii ad orientem: coram propitiatorio inquam asperget septem vicibus de sanguine illo, digito suo.
15. Then shall he kill the goat of the sin offering, that is for the people, and bring his blood within the vail, and do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it upon the mercy seat, and before the mercy seat:	15. Mactabit praeterea hircum hostiam pro petcato, qui fuerit populi, et inferet sanguinem ejus intra velum: facietque de sanguine ejus quemadmodum fecit de sanguine juvenci, aspergens scilicet illum supra propitiatorium, et coram propitiatorio.
16. And he shall make an atonement for the holy place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions in all their sins: and so shall he do for the tabernacle of the congregation, that remaineth among them in the midst of their uncleanness.	16. Et emundabit sanctuarium ab immunditiis filiorum Israel, eta praevaricationibus eorum, cunctisque pectaris eorum: sic quoque faciet tabernaculo conventionis quod moratur cum eis in medio immunditiarum corum.
17. And there shall be no man in the tabernacle of the congregation when he goeth in to make an atonement in the holy place, until he come out, and have made an atonement for himself, and for his household, and for all the congregation of Israel.	17. Nullus autem homo erit in tabernaculo conventionis dum egredietur ipse ad emundandum in sanctuario, donec egrediatur ipse: et expiationem fecerit pro se et pro domo sua, et pro universo coetu Israel.
18. And he shall go out unto the altar that is before the LORD, and make an atonement for it; and shall take of the blood of the bullock, and of the blood of the goat, and put it upon the horns of the altar round about.	18. Exibit autem ad altare quod est coram Jehova: et expiabit illud: tolletque de sanguine juvenci, ac de sanguine hirci, et ponet super cornua altaris per circuitum.
19. 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.	19. Aspergetque super illud de sanguine illo, digito suo, septem vicibus, ac mundabit illud, sanctificabitque ab immunditiis filiorum Israel.
20. And when he hath made an end of reconciling the holy place, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar, he shall bring the live goat:	20. Qunm autem finierit expiare sanctuarium tabernaculumque conventionis et altare, tune offeret hircum vivum.
21. And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness:	21. Imponetque Aharon ambas manus suas super caput hirei vivi, et confitebitur super illud onmes iniquitates filiorum Israel, et omnes praevaricationes eorum cum omnibus peccatis eorum: et ponet illa super caput hirci, ac emitter ilium per manum viri praeparati in desertum.
22. And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness.	22. Et portabit hircus ille super se omnes iniquitates eorum in terram inhabitabilem: et abire sinet hircum ilium in deserto.
23. And Aaron shall come into the tabernacle of the congregation, and shall put off the linen garments, which he put on when he went into the holy place, and shall leave them there:	23. Veniet post haec Aharon in tabernaculmunconventionis, et exuet se vestibus lineis, quibus induerat se dum ingrederetur sanctuarium, et ponet eas ibi.
24. 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.	24. Lavabitque carnem suam aqua in loco sancto: et induct se vestibus suis: egredietur autem et faciet holocaustum populi, et expiationem faciet pro se et pro populo.
25. And the fat of the sin offering shall he burn upon the altar.	25. Adipem vero hostira pro peccato adolebit super altare.
26. And he that let go the goat for the scapegoat shall wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in water, and afterward come into the camp.	26. Qui veto deduxerit hircum in azazel, lavabit vestimenta sua, postea quam laverit carnem suam aqua, et postea ingredietur castra ipsa.
27. And the bullock for the sin offering, and the goat for the sin offering, whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the holy place, shall one carry forth without the camp; and they shall burn in the fire their skins, and their flesh, and their dung.	27. Juvencum autem pro peccato, et hircum pro delicto quorum illatus fuerit sanguis ad emundandum in sanctuario, educet extra castra, et comburent igni pellem eorum, et carnes eorum, et fimum eorum.
28. And he that burneth them shall wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in water, and afterward he shall come into the camp.	28. Et qui combusserit ea, lavabit, vestimenta sua, postquam laverit carnem suam aqua, et postea ingredietur castra.
29. And this shall be a statute for ever unto you: that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, ye shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether it be one of your own country, or a stranger that sojourneth among you:	29. Eritque vobis in statutum perpetuum: mense septimo decima die mensis affligetis animas vestras: neque opus ullum facietis, indigena et peregrinus qui peregrinatur in medio vestri.
30. For on that day shall the priest make an atonement for you, to cleanse you, that ye may be clean from all your sins before the LORD.	30. In hac enim die expiabit vos ut emundet vos ab omnibus peccatis vestris, coram Jehova mundabimini.
31. It shall be a sabbath of rest unto you, and ye shall afflict your souls, by a statute for ever.	31. Sabbathum quietis est vobis, et affligetis animas vestras statuto perpetuo.
32. And the priest, whom he shall anoint, and whom he shall consecrate to minister in the priest’s office in his father’s stead, shall make the atonement, and shall put on the linen clothes, even the holy garments:	32. Expiabit enim sacerdos quem unxerit ungens, et cujus consecraverit manum ad fungendum sacrificio pro patre suo, inductque se vestibus lineis, vestibus sanctis.
33. And he shall make an atonement for the holy sanctuary, and he shall make an atonement for the tabernacle of the congregation, and for the altar; and he shall make an atonement for the priests, and for all the people of the congregation.	33. Et expiabit sanctuarium sanctitatis et tabernaculum conventionis, altare quoqne expiabit et sacerdotes, et cunctum populum congregationis expiabit.
34. And this shall be an everlasting statute unto you, to make an atonement for the children of Israel for all their sins once a year. And he did as the LORD commanded Moses.	34. Eritque hoe vobis in statutum perpetuum, ad emundandum filios Israel ab omnibus peccatis suis, semel quotannis. Et fecit Moses secundum quod praeceperat ei Jehova.