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Leviticus

About this book
Chapter 9

1 On the eighth day Moses summoned Aaron and his sons and the elders of Israel, 2 and said to Aaron, “Take for yourself a bull calf for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering, both flawless, and present them before the Lord. 3 Then tell the Israelites:⁠ ‘Take a male goat for a sin offering and a calf and a lamb, both a year old and flawless, for a burnt offering, 4 and an ox and a ram for peace offerings to sacrifice before the Lord, and a grain offering mixed with olive oil, for today the Lord is going to appear to you.’”⁠ 5 So they took what Moses had commanded to the front of the Meeting Tent, and the whole congregation presented them and stood before the Lord. 6 Then Moses said, “This is what the Lord has commanded you to do so that the glory of the Lord may appear to you.” 7 Moses then said to Aaron, “Approach the altar and make your sin offering and your burnt offering, and make atonement on behalf of yourself and on behalf of the people; and also make the people’s offering and make atonement on behalf of them just as the Lord has commanded.” 8 So Aaron approached the altar and slaughtered the sin-offering calf which was for himself. 9 Then Aaron’s sons presented the blood to him, and he dipped his finger in the blood and put it on the horns of the altar, and the rest of the blood he poured out at the base of the altar. 10 The fat and the kidneys and the protruding lobe of the liver from the sin offering he offered up in smoke on the altar just as the Lord had commanded Moses, 11 but the flesh and the hide he completely burned up outside the camp. 12 He then slaughtered the burnt offering, and his sons handed the blood to him, and he splashed it against the altar’s sides. 13 The burnt offering itself they handed to him by its parts, including the head, and he offered them up in smoke on the altar, 14 and he washed the entrails and the legs and offered them up in smoke on top of the burnt offering on the altar. 15 Then he presented the people’s offering. He took the sin-offering male goat which was for the people, slaughtered it, and performed a purification rite with it like the first one. 16 He then presented the burnt offering, and did it according to the standard regulation. 17 Next he presented the grain offering, filled his hand with some of it, and offered it up in smoke on the altar in addition to the morning burnt offering. 18 Then he slaughtered the ox and the ram—the peace-offering sacrifices which were for the people—and Aaron’s sons handed the blood to him, and he splashed it against the altar’s sides. 19 As for the fat parts from the ox and from the ram (the fatty tail, the fat covering the entrails, the kidneys, and the protruding lobe of the liver), 20 they set those on the breasts, and he offered the fat parts up in smoke on the altar. 21 Finally Aaron waved the breasts and the right thigh as a wave offering before the Lord just as Moses had commanded. 22 Then Aaron lifted up his hands toward the people⁠ and blessed them and descended from making the sin offering, the burnt offering, and the peace offering. 23 Moses and Aaron then entered into the Meeting Tent. When they came out, they blessed the people, and the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people. 24 Then fire went out from the presence of the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the fat parts on the altar, and all the people saw it, so they shouted loudly and fell down with their faces to the ground.⁠

Texts in conversation

Compare Leviticus 9:22 and Samaritan Leviticus 9:22

Hebrew Bible · Samaritan

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Summary

Leviticus 9 says Aaron blessed the people after the offerings, yet versions differ on how he raised his hand. The Masoretic text says he lifted both hands and the Samaritan Pentateuch says he lifted one, perhaps reflecting competing traditions.

Passages

Leviticus 9:22

Hebrew Bible
21 Finally Aaron waved the breasts and the right thigh as a wave offering before the Lord just as Moses had commanded. 22 Then Aaron lifted up his hands toward the people and blessed them and descended from making the sin offering, the burnt offering, and the peace offering. 23 Moses and Aaron then entered into the Meeting Tent. When they came out, they blessed the people, and the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people.
750–400 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Leviticus

Samaritan Leviticus 9:22

Samaritan · Samaritan Penteteuch
21 and Aaron waved the breasts and the right thigh as a wave offering in the presence of Shema, as Shema commanded Moses. 22 And Aaron raised his hand toward the people, and blessed them; and he came down from offering the sin offering, and the burned offering, and the peace offerings. 23 And Moses and Aaron went into the tent of meeting, and came out, and blessed the people; and the glory of Shema appeared to all the people.
130–120 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Samaritan Leviticus

References

"... The passage of Leviticus 9:22 mentions the blessing of the people by Aaron after he offered sacrifices. The posture of the one giving the blessing is particularly notable, as the textual witnesses are not in agreement. According to the reading of one textual witness or another, it is possible to understand that Aaron raised either one hand (ידו) or both hands (ידיו). The textual difference is very minor, involving the presence or absence of the second yod (י). However, this question holds significant interest as it contributes to the understanding of the priest's posture while blessing the people. The divergences between textual witnesses suggest that either the posture evolved over time or it varied among communities. Rabbinic traditions often describe the priestly blessing with two hands raised, which appears to be the standard practice. Conversely, the Samaritan Pentateuch implies that Aaron raised only one hand ..."
Innocent Himbaza, “La Bénédiction d’Aaron en Lévitique 9,22 et le Pentateuque Samaritain,” in The Text of Leviticus: Proceedings of the Third International Colloquium of the Dominique Barthélemy Institute, ed. Innocent Himbaza (Leuven: Peeters, 2020), 69–81.

References are not endorsements of their contents. Read each reference in full to understand its author's intentions in using these texts.

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Leviticus 9:22 and Samaritan Leviticus 9:22

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