Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Exodus 40:12
And thou shalt bring Aaron and his sons unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and wash them with water.
12 15. Aaron and his sons (i.e. the high-priest and the ordinary priests) to be washed, clothed in their sacred vestments, and anointed. See Exo 29:4-6 (much abridged here), 7 9; and Exo 30:30.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Ver. 12-14. And thou shalt bring Aaron and his sons to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation,…. To wash, anoint, and clothe them, as in the two following verses Ex 40:13, that they might minister in the priest’s office, according to Ex 28:41
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Verses 12-16:
It is not likely that the anointing of Aaron and his sons to the priesthood was carried out on the same day as the erection and anointing of the tabernacle. They were probably anointed on the next day.
The washing was ceremonial, signifying cleansing from the defilement of the world. Aaron was first ceremonially cleansed, then invested with the beautiful garments prepared for the high priest’s office, then anointed with the holy anointing ointment. Following this, his sons were clothed with the garments for the ordinary priests and anointed for service.
The office of Israel’s priesthood was to be permanently vested in the descendants of Aaron.
Verse 16 points to the faithfulness of Moses in his service to Jehovah. This corresponds to Nu 12:7; Heb 3:2-5. It illustrates the principle that the most important requirement of stewardship is faithfulness, see 1Co 4:2; 15:58; Ga 6:9; 2Ti 4:7, 8; Re 2:10.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
12. And thou shalt bring Aaron and his sons I have already expounded all that might seem to be profitable with respect to the garments and the mode of anointing; only let; my readers remember that the priest, (398) who had been before appointed, is now at length inaugurated, in order that he may begin the discharge of his office. At the same time, let them also bear in mind that this oil was consecrated by God. Hence it appears how foolishly the Popish bishops, as it were, ape Moses, when, in imitation of him, they sprinkle their priests and altars and other rubbish with stinking oil, since it is abundantly clear that this ceremony of anointing, belonging as it did to the ancient shadows of the Law, ceased at the coming of Christ. What Augustine (399) reminds us of is also worthy of observation, that Moses, who is commissioned to anoint the others, was never consecrated himself by any visible symbol, in order that we may understand that outward signs are not to be estimated by the dignity of the minister, but only by the ordinance of God; and again, that invisible grace has profited some without visible sacraments, whilst visible sanctification may be imparted, but cannot profit, without invisible.
(398) “Aaron, ayant este cree auparavant Sacrificateur.” — Fr.
(399) Quaest. in Lev 84:0. Edit. Bened. tom. 3, p. 524.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(12) Thou shalt bring Aaron and his sons . . . and wash them.See Note on Exo. 29:4. Ablution, investiture, and anointing had all of them been previously appointed to be parts of the consecration service (Exo. 29:4-5; Exo. 29:7, &c.).
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
The Installing of ‘the Priest’ and His Assistants ( Exo 40:12-15 ).
Exo 40:12-15
‘And you shall bring Aaron and his sons to the door of the Tent of Meeting, and shall wash them with water. And you shall put on Aaron the holy garments; and you shall anoint him, and sanctify him, that he may minister to me in the priest’s office. And you shall bring his sons, and put coats upon them; and you shall anoint them, as you anointed their father, that they may minister to me in the priest’s office: and their anointing shall be to them for an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations.’
The installing of the priests follows. Firstly ‘The Priest’, and then his assistants in the priestly office. It commences with the washing of water to remove earthiness and physical defilement. Then Aaron is clothed by Moses in the holy garments set apart for ‘The Priest’, and Moses anoints him with the holy anointing oil and ‘sanctifies’ him, that is, sets him apart to a holy purpose and as belonging to Yahweh.
After this the sons are brought forward and Moses is to dress them in their priestly robes, and anoint them so that they too may minister in the priestly office as assistants to ‘the Priest’. And this anointing is to be seen as setting them and their descendants apart for ever in an everlasting priesthood, as long as the anointing continues. The provision is always that if they prove unworthy the anointing will cease. There are no genuine anointed Aaronic priests today.
In Leviticus 8 only Aaron is specifically anointed on the head (Exo 40:12), although his sons share in that anointing by the sprinkling on them of the oil (Exo 40:30). This may be what is in mind here.
The point is not that their anointing will follow the same pattern as their father’s, but that they too will be anointed with the holy anointing oil. He was exclusively ‘the anointed Priest’ (Lev 4:5; Lev 4:16; Lev 6:22; Lev 16:32 etc.). The oil was poured on him (Exo 29:7; Lev 8:12) but only sprinkled on his sons (Exo 29:21; Lev 8:30). Eleazar would have oil poured on him when he later became ‘The Priest’.
However it may be that ‘and you shall anoint them (when you anoint them as Priest), as you anointed their father, that they may minister to me in the priest’s office: and their anointing shall be to them for an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations’, refers to the future when each Priest will be anointed from among the sons of Aaron on his inauguration as High Priest.
Today it is all who are truly His who are set apart as priests in accordance with His promise to make His people a kingdom of priests (Exo 19:5-6; 1Pe 2:5; 1Pe 2:9), and all, both male and female, are anointed with the Holy Spirit (1Jn 2:20; 1Jn 2:27; 2Co 1:21), and sanctified as set apart to a holy purpose and as belonging to Him ( 1Co 1:2 ; 1Co 6:11; Heb 10:14). And all are assistants to the One Who uniquely and for ever is ‘The Priest’, our great High Priest (Heb 9:11; Heb 10:21). And that priesthood does not involve a continuation of physical sacrifices, for the final sacrifice was offered once for all in Christ (Hebrew 10:12), but a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving and dutiful service (Rom 12:1-2; Heb 13:15; 1Pe 2:5), and involves showing forth the excellencies of Him Who has called us out of darkness into His marvellous light (1Pe 2:9).
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Exo 28:41 ; Num 25:13 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
tabernacle = tent. Hebrew. ‘ohel (App-40).
wash = bathe. Compare Exo 29:1-4. with, or in.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Exo 29:1-35, Lev 8:1-13, Lev 9:1-24, Isa 11:1-5, Isa 61:1-3, Mat 3:16, Luk 1:35, Joh 3:34, Rom 8:3, Gal 4:4
Reciprocal: Exo 29:4 – wash them Exo 29:35 – thus shalt thou do Lev 8:2 – anointing Lev 8:6 – washed Lev 16:4 – therefore Num 8:9 – thou shalt bring 1Ki 7:38 – ten lavers Heb 9:10 – divers