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Exodus 29 Commentary

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Exodus 29:1-3

The LORD summarizes what should be included in the ordination ceremony of the priests. Animals for sacrifice, unleavened food, and oil should be brought to the ritual.

Exodus 29:4

The first step in the ordination ceremony was the washing of the priests, Aaron and his sons had to be cleansed before they could be set aside for service to the LORD.

Exodus 29:5-9

The priestly garments are to be placed on Aaron and his sons in preparation for the ceremony itself. Aaron would be clothed with the High Priest’s garments.

Exodus 29:10-14

The LORD describes the sin offering required to atone for the sins of Aaron and his sons. Sinful and fallen people must be cleansed before they can minister in the presence of the holy God.

Exodus 29:15-18

The LORD describes another sin offering requiring a ram.

Exodus 29:19-21

The LORD describes the sacrifice of the third animal, the second ram.

Exodus 29:22-25

The LORD describes the next part of the ordination ceremony. Aaron and his sons were given parts of the sacrificed animal along with bread cakes

Exodus 29:26-28

The LORD describes what Moses needed to do with the ram’s breast. It was to be a wave offering to the LORD and then given to Aaron and his priests.

Exodus 29:29-30

The LORD describes how the garments of the high priest were to be handed down to the designated replacement. This was to take place during an ordination ceremony that was to last seven days.

Exodus 29:31-35

The LORD describes what to do with the rest of the second ram sacrifice.

Exodus 29:36-37

Now that the priests had been purified and set apart for the ministry, the altar was next. Purifying the altar was also to be a seven-day process. The end result was that the altar was most holy.

Exodus 29:38-46

The discussion now turns from the priests’ ordination ceremony to the sacrifices that were to be performed daily.

Additional Resources

The book of Exodus is the second book of the Torah (“law”). It continues the story of Genesis concerning the migration of the family of Jacob (the Israelites) to Egypt (Genesis 50). It describes the commissioning of Moses and Aaron as God’s representatives on earth to accomplish God’s deliverance of His people from slavery in Egypt and lead them to the Promised Land (the land of Canaan). It also relates the miraculous deliverance from Egypt beginning with the plagues on Egypt and the crossing of the Red Sea. It then describes the journey to Mount Sinai and the establishment of the Mosaic covenant with the Israelites. The last part of the book involves the specifications and building of the tabernacle – the place where the Lord Himself dwelt amongst His people.

In the book of Exodus, the focus shifts to the deliverance of God’s people.

Chapter Context

Exodus 29 is a detailed account of what should occur in the ritual for ordaining the priests into their service to the LORD. It was to last seven days, and during that time the priests were washed, anointed, and sacrifices were made. The ceremony itself is recorded in Leviticus 8.

Exodus 29 can be outlined as follows:

● The Ordination Ceremony of the Priests (29:1 – 35)
- o Preparation for Ordination (29:1 – 3)
- o Washing (29:4)
- o Anointing (29:5 – 9)
- o The Sin Offering (29:10 – 14)
- o The Burnt Offering (29:15 – 18)
- o The Peace Offering (29:19 – 26, 31 – 34)
- o The Wave and Heave Offerings (29:27 – 30)
- o The Ordination Ceremony’s Length (35)
● The Consecration of the Altar (29:36 – 37)
● The Dedication of the Daily Offerings (29:38 – 46)

The fact that the LORD described this ceremony in such detail shows how important it was to the nation. Israel was chosen by God to be in a special covenant relationship with Him, and Aaron and his sons were chosen to be the mediators of this covenant. Such a privileged position required a special ceremony to impress upon all of the people what the LORD required of them in terms of worship and service. It could also be a reminder to the people that they were called to serve as a priestly nation, serving as mediators to other nations (Exodus 19:5-6).

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