Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Leviticus 16:16
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, 17. for ( in) the holy place ] by ‘the holy place,’ here distinguished from the ‘tent of meeting’ as in Lev 16:20 ; Lev 16:23, is meant the Holy of Holies, and so in Lev 16:2-3 ; Lev 16:27. The tent of meeting which was among an unclean people required periodical cleansing. The altar was cleansed when it was erected (Exo 29:36; Lev 8:15) and also anointed (Lev 8:11), but it required cleansing.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
An atonement for the holy place; of which see below, Lev 16:19,20; Exo 29:36; Lev 8:15; Heb 9:13.
Because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel; for though the people did not enter into that place, yet their sins entered thither, and would hinder the effects of the high priests mediation on their behalf, if God was not reconciled to them.
In the midst of their uncleanness; encompassed with their sins, being in the midst of a sinful people, who defile not themselves only, but also Gods sanctuary, as God complains, Eze 23:38,39.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
And he shall make an atonement for the holy [place],…. Even the holy of holies, as Aben Ezra interprets it, into which the high priest entered with blood for that purpose; the Targum of Jonathan adds, by a verbal confession, that is, of sin; but atonement was not made in that way, but by the blood of the bullock and goat, which was sprinkled towards the mercy seat, above and below: and this was made
because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions in all their sins; which heap of words shows how many and heinous the sins of the people of Israel were, being defections from God, rebellions against him, transgressions of his law, and which brought pollution and guilt upon them, which could only be expiated by blood; and though the people of Israel did not enter so much as into the holy place, where the priests at times went, and much less into the holiest of all, yet their sins in some sense entered there, and came before the Lord that dwelt there; as the sins of men do even reach up to heaven itself, and cry for wrath and vengeance: and so made the Israelites unworthy of such a favour as for the Lord to dwell among them in that most holy place, in so solemn a manner; and for their high priest to enter there, and consult the oracle of God for them, and make intercession on their account, to which atonement was necessary; even as men by their sins render themselves unworthy of entering into the heavenly state, nor can they, without the atonement and sacrifice of Christ; and to this purification of the patterns of heavenly things; and of the heavenly things or places themselves, the apostle refers, Heb 9:23:
and shall he do for the tabernacle of the congregation that remaineth among them, in the midst of their uncleanness; that is, the court of the tabernacle where the Israelites were admitted, and where they often came in their uncleanness, either ignorantly or presumptuously, and yet notwithstanding the tabernacle remained among them; but, it was necessary that atonement should be made for the uncleanness in it, and around it, that it might continue, and they might have the privilege of coming into it, and worshipping in it. This shows that there are sins of holy things, and which attend the most solemn service, which are committed in the sanctuary of the Lord, and while waiting upon him in his house and ordinances; which must be expiated and removed. The same rites were observed, in making the atonement for this part of the sanctuary, as for the most holy place, particularly by sprinkling the blood in like manner, only, elsewhere; so says Jarchi, as he sprinkled of them both within, that is, of the blood of the bullock, and of the goat, within the vail, once above, and seven times below; so he sprinkled, by the vail without, of both of them, once above, and seven times below.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
16. And he shall make an atonement for the holy place. The cleansing of the sanctuary might seem absurd, as if it were in man’s power to pollute what God Himself had consecrated; for we know that God remains true, although all’ the world be unholy, and consequently that whatever God has appointed changes not its nature through the sins of men. Yet, if no contagion from men’s sins had infected the tabernacle, this cleansing would have been superfluous. But although the sanctuary in itself may have contracted no defilement from the guilt of the people, still, in regard to the sin and guilt of the people themselves, it is justly accounted unclean. And thus sin is made more exceeding sinful, inasmuch as men, even though their intention be to serve God, profane His sacred name, if they do so carelessly or irreverently. It was at that time a detestable sacrilege in all to defile the altar and sanctuary of God; and Moses convicts the Israelites of this sacrilege when He commands the sanctuary to be cleansed. Moreover, let us learn that men may so contaminate the sacred things of God as that their nature should still remain unaltered and their dignity inviolate. Wherefore Moses expressly states that the sanctuary is cleansed not from its own uncleanness, but from that of the children of Israel. We must now apply the substance of this type to our own use. By Baptism and the Lord’s Supper, God appears to us in his only-begotten Son: these are the pledges of our holiness; yet such is our corruption that we never cease from profaning, as far as in us lies, these instruments of the Spirit whereby God sanctifies us. Since, however, we have now no victims to kill, we must mourn and humbly pray that Christ, by the sprinkling of His blood, may blot out and cleanse these defilements of ours, by which Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are polluted. The reason of the purification is also to be observed, viz., because the tabernacle “dwelleth among them in the midst of their uncleanness;” (247) by which words Moses signifies that men are so polluted and full of corruptions that they contaminate all that is holy without the intervention of a means of purification; for he takes it for granted that men cannot but bring some impurity with them. What he had said of the inner sanctuary he extends to the altar and the whole of the tabernacle.
(247) Margin, A.V.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(16) Make an atonement for the holy place.The transgressions of the Israelites during the year not only defiled them, but also drew defilement upon the very sanctuary with its utensils, which was pitched in the midst of them. For this purpose the high priest during the second Temple thoroughly mixed the blood of the bullock with that of the goat, and went out into the Holy place which he inspected first.
And so shall he do for the tabernacle of the congregation.Better, and so shall he do for the tent of meeting. He next cleansed by the same process the tent of meeting, or the court of the sanctuary, where the Israelites were usually admitted; that is, the high priest sprinkled the court and the altar of burnt offering which was in it eight times with the mingled blood of the bullock and goat.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
16. Atonement for the holy place The holy of holies is viewed as polluted by the impurities of the people and by the imperfect priesthood, and therefore it needs the cleansing blood of sprinkling.
Uncleanness Not depravity or inbred sin, but ceremonial impurity.
Transgressions Actual sins entailing guilt were not pardoned but passed over. Rom 3:25, margin. “The great annual ceremonies of expiation, though powerless to remove spiritual uncleanness, and securing no actual pardon, had this effect, that every man was free to enter the tabernacle and appeal to the divine mercy. They removed whatever external hinderances might have otherwise excluded the sinful nation from the external service of God. They sanctified “to the purifying of the flesh.” Dall. See Heb 9:13.
The tabernacle of the congregation The priests’ apartment without the vail. The manner of its purification may be inferred from Lev 4:6-7. See note.
Remaineth Dwells.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
“And he shall make atonement for the holy place, because of the uncleannesses of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions, even all their sins, and so shall he do for the tent of meeting, which dwells with them in the midst of their uncleannesses.”
And the purpose of all this is to make atonement for the holy place because it has been polluted by the uncleannesses of the children of Israel (as depicted in the previous five chapters) and also because of their transgressions and their sins revealed by consideration of the Law, both evil doings and evil thoughts. Thus on this day is the pollution removed from the holy tent of meeting which is dwelling with them in their uncleannesses.
This special Day above all days is in order to allow the dwellingplace of God to be able to still continue to dwell among them, by dealing with all their uncleannesses and their sins which have affected it. The holiness of God is such that even with all the precautions for the prevention of the defilement of that holy place, they have not been enough. But on this Day He will remedy that by these ceremonies, despatching the uncleannesses and the sins into the far off wilderness. It is because this will be done on the Day of Atonement that He can deal so lightly with their uncleannesses during the year.
But these were all but shadows until He should come Who would in Himself fulfil all this and more, making a way open for ever into the full presence of God for all who are in Him. He would enter but once and remain there for ever, for His sacrifice was eternally complete, and nothing else remained to be done. It was a completed and eternal work.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Lev 16:16 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.
Ver. 16. In the midst of their uncleanness. ] Which did cleave to the tabernacle, as the sins of spiritual Babylon are said to be glued ( ) to heaven. Rev 18:5
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
atonement (See Scofield “Exo 29:33”).
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes
an atonement: Lev 16:18, Lev 8:15, Exo 29:36, Exo 29:37, Eze 45:18, Eze 45:19, Joh 14:3, Heb 9:22, Heb 9:23
remaineth: Heb. dwelleth
Reciprocal: Lev 16:20 – reconciling Lev 16:33 – General Num 8:12 – atonement Heb 9:13 – if
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Lev 16:16. Because of the uncleanness of Israel For though the people did not enter into that place, yet their sins entered thither, and would have hindered the effects of the high-priests mediation on their behalf, if God had not been reconciled to them. In the midst of their uncleanness In the midst of a sinful people, who defile not themselves only, but also Gods sanctuary. And God hereby showed them how much their hearts needed to be purified, when even the tabernacle, only by standing in the midst of them, needed this expiation.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Lev 16:16-19. The Atonement for the People.The priest has now to offer the goat assigned by lot for the atonement of the people; less valuable than the bullock, as the holiness of the priest is more important than that of the people. With the people is joined the holy place, and the shrine, which will suffer by infractions of ritual duty (cf. the defilement of the land by disobedience, Eze 36:18). The atonement is made within the shrine, as before (the prohibition in Lev 16:17 is curious; but a priest, who might enter the outer shrine, might have wished to see the passage of the High Priest within). The altar is also atoned for, un-sinned (cf. Lev 8:15), by sprinkling it with the blood seven times. The altar of burnt offering is, of course, the altar referred to here.
Fuente: Peake’s Commentary on the Bible
16:16 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 {e} remaineth among them in the midst of their uncleanness.
(e) Placed among them who are unclean.