Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Exodus 40:15
And thou shalt anoint them, as thou didst anoint their father, that they may minister unto me in the priest’s office: for their anointing shall surely be an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations.
15a. For the common priests being anointed exactly as the high-priest (not prescribed in ch. 29), see Exo 28:41; and cf. on Exo 30:30.
15b. an everlasting priesthood ] It is to be for ever hereditary in Aaron’s family. A perpetual priesthood is also promised to Aaron’s ‘sons’ in Exo 29:9: but it is not, as here, based upon their being anointed; in fact, no anointing is there prescribed for them at all. The Rabbis, understanding the pron. in ‘their anointing’ to refer to Aaron’s sons alone, inferred that the anointing of Aaron’s actual sons sufficed for the ordinary priests in all future ages, and that in the case of the ordinary priests the ceremony was never afterwards repeated (cf. Di., and Kalisch, Leviticus, pp. 666 8). But this is a forced and artificial interpretation: their and to them refer naturally to Aaron and his sons together (Di.).
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 15. For their anointing shall surely be an everlasting priesthood] By this anointing a right was given to Aaron and his family to be high priests among the Jews for ever; so that all who should be born of this family should have a right to the priesthood without the repetition of this unction, as they should enjoy this honour in their father’s right, who had it by a particular grant from God. But it appears that the high priest, on his consecration, did receive the holy unction; see Le 4:3; Le 6:22; Le 21:10. And this continued till the destruction of the first temple, and the Babylonish captivity; and according to Eusebius, Cyril of Jerusalem, and others, this custom continued among the Jews to the advent of our Lord, after which there is no evidence it was ever practised. See Calmet’s note on chap. xxix. 7. See Clarke on Ex 29:7. The Jewish high priest was a type of Him who is called the high priest over the house of God, Heb 10:21; and when he came, the functions of the other necessarily ceased. This case is worthy of observation. The Jewish sacrifices were never resumed after the destruction of their city and temple, for they hold it unlawful to sacrifice anywhere out of Jerusalem; and the unction of their high priest ceased from that period also: and why? Because the true priest and the true sacrifice were come, and the types of course were no longer necessary after the manifestation of the antitype.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
i.e. A sign or seal that their priesthood shall continue as long as their polity lasts, till the coming of Messias. He signifies that this unction should be sufficient for all succeeding priests; they should not need to be anointed again, except the successive high priests. See Exo 29:7,29; Le 4:3; 16:32; 21:10
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
15. anoint them, as thou didstanoint their fathersThe sacred oil was used, but it does notappear that the ceremony was performed exactly in the same manner;for although the anointing oil was sprinkled over the garments bothof Aaron and his sons (Exo 29:21;Lev 8:30), it was not poured overthe heads of the latter. This distinction was reserved for the highpriest (Exo 29:7; Lev 8:12;Psa 133:2).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And thou shall anoint them as thou didst anoint their father,…. For Aaron was first anointed, and then his sons:
that they may minister unto me in the priest’s office; which they might not do before their anointing, though separated for it, and called unto it:
for their anointing shall surely be an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations; that is, this ceremony of anointing was to be used in all ages at the investiture of the high priest with his office, until the Messiah should come, who would put an end to the Aaronic priesthood; for not common priests, only the successors of the high priest, were anointed in later times; this present unction serving for all the priests that should follow in successive generations, so long as the priesthood continued.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(15) Thou shalt anoint them, as thou didst anoint their father.By the narrative of Leviticus 8, it would seem that Aarons sons were not anointed in the same way as himself. He had the oil poured over his head (Lev. 8:12; Psa. 133:2). They were merely sprinkled with a mixture of oil and blood (Lev. 8:30). The difference implied a lower degree of official holiness.
Their anointing shall surely be an everlasting priesthood.The Jewish commentators maintain that the one anointing of the sons of Aaron sufficed for all time, and was not repeated in the case of any subsequent priests, who became fully possessed of the sacerdotal office without it. Each high priest was, on the contrary, inducted into his office by anointing, whence the high priest came to be spoken of as the anointed priest (Lev. 4:3; Lev. 4:5; Lev. 4:16; Lev. 21:12, &c.).
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Exo 40:15. For their anointing shall surely be an everlasting priesthood Houbigant renders this, And this anointing of theirs shall be for them, as well as for their posterity, for an everlasting right to the priesthood. The successors of the high-priest were personally anointed; see Lev 6:22; Leviticus 21.
10. Some have thought, that this anointing of Aaron and his sons was signified by these words, to be sufficient to consecrate not only them, but their posterity, to the priesthood. “As the priesthood,” says Calmet, “was hereditary in the family of Aaron, there was no necessity to repeat the anointing here spoken of upon every one of that family: it was sufficient that the first priests had once received that anointing for all their successors: they anointed, however, the high-priest, even to the coming of Jesus Christ.”
REFLECTIONS.The whole, being complete, is ordered to be set up.
Here is, 1. The time: on the first day of the new year; and a happy new year’s day it was to them. About a year had elapsed since their departure from Egypt; a year, full of God’s mercies and their unfaithfulness. Now that God is come to dwell in the midst of them, it is to be hoped a new life will begin with a new year. Note; New years should begin with humbling reviews of the past, and humble purposes of amendment for the future.
2. The consecration. The whole was solemnly set apart for God’s use and service. When we are raised from beds of sickness, and when we arise from beds of sleep, we should anew consecrate and devote to his service the tabernacle of our bodies.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
as = according as.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
everlasting: Exo 12:14, Exo 30:31, Exo 30:33, Num 25:13, Psa 110:4, Heb 5:1-14, Heb 7:3, Heb 7:7, Heb 7:17-24, Heb 8:1 – Heb 10:39
Reciprocal: Gen 17:8 – everlasting Exo 28:41 – anoint them Exo 29:29 – anointed Exo 30:30 – anoint Lev 7:36 – in the day Lev 8:13 – Moses Num 3:3 – the priests Num 18:8 – by reason Zec 4:14 – These
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Exo 40:15. Their anointing shall be an everlasting priesthood A seal that their priesthood shall continue as long as the Jewish polity lasts. He signifies that this unction should be sufficient for all succeeding priests. None were afterward anointed but the high-priests.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
40:15 And thou shalt anoint them, as thou didst anoint their father, that they may minister unto me in the priest’s office: for their anointing {d} shall surely be an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations.
(d) Till both the priesthood and the ceremonies should end, which is at Christ’s coming.