Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Exodus 29:20
Then shalt thou kill the ram, and take of his blood, and put [it] upon the tip of the right ear of Aaron, and upon the tip of the right ear of his sons, and upon the thumb of their right hand, and upon the great toe of their right foot, and sprinkle the blood upon the altar round about.
20. The organs of hearing, handling, and walking are touched by the blood, implying that the priest is to have hallowed ears to listen to God’s commands, hallowed hands to perform his sacred offices, and hallowed feet to tread lightly the sacred places, as also to walk generally in holy ways (Kn. Di. B). Cf. Lev 8:23-24.
and sprinkle ] and toss: see on v. 16.
21 (cf. Lev 8:30). A mixture of the sacrificial blood, and of the anointing oil ( v. 7), to be sprinkled upon Aaron and his sons, and also upon their garments.
sprinkle ] here this rend. is correct (Heb. hizzh from nzh).
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 20. Take of his blood] The putting the blood of the sacrifice on the tip of the right ear, the thumb of the right hand, and the great toe of the right foot, was doubtless intended to signify that they should dedicate all their faculties and powers to the service of God; their ears to the hearing and study of his law, their hands to diligence in the sacred ministry and to all acts of obedience, and their feet to walking in the way of God’s precepts. And this sprinkling appears to have been used to teach them that they could neither hear, work, nor walk profitably, uprightly, and well-pleasing in the sight of God, without this application of the blood of the sacrifice. And as the blood of rams, bulls, and goats, could never take away sin, does not this prove to us that something infinitely better is shadowed out, and that we can do nothing holy and pure in the sight of a just and holy God, but through the blood of atonement? See Clarke on Ex 30:20.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
These parts are consecrated in the name and stead of all the rest; the ear, as the instrument of hearing and receiving the mind and will of God in all their sacred administrations, and in their whole conversation; the hand and foot, as the instruments of action and execution of that which they hear and understand to be the mind of God; and the right parts are chosen rather than the left, as being usually more vigorous and expeditious. And all these parts are sprinkled with this blood, to show the absolute necessity of Christs blood to qualify them for an acceptable and successful discharge of their office.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
Then shall thou kill the ram,…. As the other:
and take of his blood, some part of it being received into a basin:
and put it upon the tip of the right ear of Aaron, and upon the tip of the right ear of his sons; according to Jarchi, this is the middle gristle within the ear; but Saadiah more rightly says it is the tender part which joins to the orb of the ear. The blood was put upon this part to sanctify it, and cleanse from sins that come thereby, and to teach the high priest that he ought attentively to listen to what should be said unto him of the Lord, that he might faithfully report it to the people; and as our great High Priest had his ear opened and awakened, to hear as the learned; and happy are his people who have ears to hear the joyful sound, and take pleasure in it, and who are cleansed from their hearing sins, by his precious blood:
and upon the thumb of their right hand; on the middle joint of it, as Jarchi:
and upon the great toe of the right foot; the hands and fingers being the instruments of action, and the feet and toes of walking, show that the life and conversation of the priests of the Lord ought to be pure and holy, and so their antitype perfectly was; and whereas there is imperfection in all the actions, and even in the best righteousness of the saints, and their walk and conversation is not without sin, they have need to have them sprinkled with, and their conversation garments washed and made white in the blood of the Lamb:
and sprinkle the blood upon the altar round about; as was done with the blood of the other ram, Ex 29:16.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(20) Take of his blood.The blood was regarded as the life (Gen. 9:4). The life consecrated to God and accepted by Him was given back by Him to His ministers, that it might consecrate them wholly to His service, and so fit them for it. Placed upon the tip of the right ear, it reminded them that their ears were to be ever open and attentive to the whispers of the Divine voice; placed on the thumb of the right hand, it taught that they should take in hand nothing but what was sanctified; placed upon the great toe of the right foot, it was a warning that they were to walk thenceforth in the paths of holiness.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
20, 21. His blood right ear thumb toe Thus this peace offering for the priests served an exceptional purpose in consecrating them to their holy office and work . Their ears were thus consecrated to listen to the commandments of Jehovah; their hands to a faithful discharge of sacred functions, and their feet to an obedient walking in the ordinances of the house of God. The sprinkling of the blood, and also the anointing oil upon the garments of Aaron and his sons, was a like consecration of these to the holy services of the priesthood. Also, as in the burnt offering, the blood was sprinkled about the altar.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Exo 29:20. Thou shalt kill the ramtake of his blood, and put it upon the tip, &c. This extraordinary ceremony is enjoined (Lev 14:14.) in the curing of the leper; and from thence, as well as from the sprinkling of the blood and the oil upon the priests and their garments, Exo 29:21 that they might be hollowed, one would be apt to conclude, that the total, entire purification and sanctification of their persons, from head to foot, was implied: or, in other words, that they were hereby taught, as being now sanctified and set apart to the Lord, that they should dedicate all their faculties and powers to his service; their ear to the hearing and study of the law; their hands to diligence in the sacred ministry, and their feet to walking in the way of God’s precepts. See Jer 6:10. Ecclesiastes 9 l0. Pro 1:15. The blood upon the altar, and the anointing oil, Exo 29:21 were to be sprinkled upon their garments, to represent the purification of our souls by the virtues of the blood of Christ and the efficacy of the Divine Spirit.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Was not this emblematical, to show that the whole, and every part, being unclean, is in need of cleansing? Joh 13:10 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Exo 29:20 Then shalt thou kill the ram, and take of his blood, and put [it] upon the tip of the right ear of Aaron, and upon the tip of the right ear of his sons, and upon the thumb of their right hand, and upon the great toe of their right foot, and sprinkle the blood upon the altar round about.
Ver. 20. Upon the tip of the right ear. ] To set the holy obedience required of them in all senses, actions, and motions. Joh 13:5-6 ; Joh 13:9
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
and. Note the Figure of speech Polysyndeton (App-6), calling our attention to the several parts touched by the atoning blood. All were consecrated, and each one is singled out and emphasised by the several “and”.
Aaron. The Antitype, Christ, so anointed and set apart “on the holy mount” (2Pe 1:16-18). See notes on Exo 28:1, Exo 28:2. Compare Psa 45:7. Heb 1:9. Note “thy fellows”, but “above” them, infinitely “above”.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
put it upon the tip: All this doubtless was intended to signify, that the priest should dedicate all his faculties and powers to the service of God; his ear to the hearing and study of the law; his hands to diligence in the sacred ministry, and to all acts of obedience; and his feet to walking in the way of God’s precepts; for the ear is the symbol of obedience, the hand of action, and the foot of the path or conduct in life. And the sprinkling might further teach him, that he could neither hear, work, nor walk profitably, uprightly, and well pleasingly in the sight of God, without the application of the blood of the sacrifice. Lev 8:24, Lev 14:14, Isa 50:5, Mar 7:33
sprinkle: Lev 14:7, Lev 14:16, Lev 16:14, Lev 16:15, Lev 16:19, Isa 52:15, Heb 9:19-23, Heb 10:22, Heb 12:24, 1Pe 1:2
Reciprocal: Exo 24:6 – on the altar Lev 8:23 – Moses took Lev 14:17 – General Heb 9:21 – General
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
29:20 Then shalt thou kill the ram, and take of his blood, and put [it] {e} upon the tip of the right ear of Aaron, and upon the tip of the right ear of his sons, and upon the thumb of their right hand, and upon the great toe of their right foot, and sprinkle the blood upon the altar round about.
(e) Meaning the soft and lower part of the ear.