Exodus 40:12
Exodus 40:12 in Multiple Translations
Then bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and wash them with water.
And thou shalt bring Aaron and his sons unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and wash them with water.
And thou shalt bring Aaron and his sons unto the door of the tent of meeting, and shalt wash them with water.
Then let Aaron and his sons come to the door of the Tent of meeting; and after washing them with water,
Take Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting and wash them there with water.
Then thou shalt bring Aaron and his sonnes vnto the doore of the Tabernacle of the Congregation, and wash them with water.
'And thou hast brought near Aaron and his sons unto the opening of the tent of meeting, and hast bathed them with water;
“You shall bring Aaron and his sons to the door of the Tent of Meeting, and shall wash them with water.
And thou shalt bring Aaron and his sons to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and wash them with water.
And thou shalt bring Aaron and his sons to the door of the tabernacle of the testimony, and having washed them with water,
Then bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the Sacred Tent, and wash them ritually with water.
Berean Amplified Bible — Exodus 40:12
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Exodus 40:12 Interlinear (Deep Study)
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Hebrew Word Reference — Exodus 40:12
Study Notes — Exodus 40:12
Context — Setting Up the Tabernacle
12Then bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and wash them with water.
13And you are to clothe Aaron with the holy garments, anoint him, and consecrate him, so that he may serve Me as a priest. 14Bring his sons forward and clothe them with tunics.Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Leviticus 8:1–13 | Then the LORD said to Moses, “Take Aaron and his sons, their garments, the anointing oil, the bull of the sin offering, the two rams, and the basket of unleavened bread, and assemble the whole congregation at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.” So Moses did as the LORD had commanded him, and the assembly gathered at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. And Moses said to them, “This is what the LORD has commanded to be done.” Then Moses presented Aaron and his sons and washed them with water. He put the tunic on Aaron, tied the sash around him, clothed him with the robe, and put the ephod on him. He tied the woven band of the ephod around him and fastened it to him. Then he put the breastpiece on him and placed the Urim and Thummim in the breastpiece. Moses also put the turban on Aaron’s head and set the gold plate, the holy diadem, on the front of the turban, as the LORD had commanded him. Next, Moses took the anointing oil and anointed the tabernacle and everything in it; and so he consecrated them. He sprinkled some of the oil on the altar seven times, anointing the altar and all its utensils, and the basin with its stand, to consecrate them. He also poured some of the anointing oil on Aaron’s head and anointed him to consecrate him. Then Moses presented Aaron’s sons, put tunics on them, wrapped sashes around them, and tied headbands on them, just as the LORD had commanded him. |
| 2 | Leviticus 9:1–24 | On the eighth day Moses summoned Aaron and his sons and the elders of Israel. He said to Aaron, “Take for yourself a young bull for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering, both without blemish, and present them before the LORD. Then speak to the Israelites and say, ‘Take a male goat for a sin offering, a calf and a lamb—both a year old and without blemish—for a burnt offering, an ox and a ram for a peace offering to sacrifice before the LORD, and a grain offering mixed with oil. For today the LORD will appear to you.’” So they took what Moses had commanded to the front of the Tent of Meeting, and the whole congregation drew near and stood before the LORD. And Moses said, “This is what the LORD has commanded you to do, so that the glory of the LORD may appear to you.” Then Moses said to Aaron, “Approach the altar and sacrifice your sin offering and your burnt offering to make atonement for yourself and for the people. And sacrifice the people’s offering to make atonement for them, as the LORD has commanded.” So Aaron approached the altar and slaughtered the calf as a sin offering for himself. The sons of Aaron brought the blood to him, and he dipped his finger in the blood and applied it to the horns of the altar. And he poured out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar. On the altar he burned the fat, the kidneys, and the lobe of the liver from the sin offering, as the LORD had commanded Moses. But he burned up the flesh and the hide outside the camp. Then Aaron slaughtered the burnt offering. His sons brought him the blood, and he sprinkled it on all sides of the altar. They brought him the burnt offering piece by piece, including the head, and he burned them on the altar. He washed the entrails and the legs and burned them atop the burnt offering on the altar. Aaron then presented the people’s offering. He took the male goat for the people’s sin offering, slaughtered it, and offered it for sin like the first one. He presented the burnt offering and offered it according to the ordinance. Next he presented the grain offering, took a handful of it, and burned it on the altar in addition to the morning’s burnt offering. Then he slaughtered the ox and the ram as the people’s peace offering. His sons brought him the blood, and he sprinkled it on all sides of the altar. They also brought the fat portions from the ox and the ram—the fat tail, the fat covering the entrails, the kidneys, and the lobe of the liver— and placed these on the breasts. Aaron burned the fat portions on the altar, but he waved the breasts and the right thigh as a wave offering before the LORD, as Moses had commanded. Aaron lifted up his hands toward the people and blessed them. And having made the sin offering, the burnt offering, and the peace offering, he stepped down. Moses and Aaron then entered the Tent of Meeting. When they came out, they blessed the people, and the glory of the LORD appeared to all the people. Fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed the burnt offering and the fat portions on the altar. And when all the people saw it, they shouted for joy and fell facedown. |
| 3 | Exodus 29:1–35 | “Now this is what you are to do to consecrate Aaron and his sons to serve Me as priests: Take a young bull and two rams without blemish, along with unleavened bread, unleavened cakes mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil. Make them out of fine wheat flour, put them in a basket, and present them in the basket, along with the bull and the two rams. Then present Aaron and his sons at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and wash them with water. Take the garments and clothe Aaron with the tunic, the robe of the ephod, the ephod itself, and the breastplate. Fasten the ephod on him with its woven waistband. Put the turban on his head and attach the holy diadem to the turban. Then take the anointing oil and anoint him by pouring it on his head. Present his sons as well and clothe them with tunics. Wrap the sashes around Aaron and his sons and tie headbands on them. The priesthood shall be theirs by a permanent statute. In this way you are to ordain Aaron and his sons. You are to present the bull at the front of the Tent of Meeting, and Aaron and his sons are to lay their hands on its head. And you shall slaughter the bull before the LORD at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. Take some of the blood of the bull and put it on the horns of the altar with your finger; then pour out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar. Take all the fat that covers the entrails and the lobe of the liver, and both kidneys with the fat on them, and burn them on the altar. But burn the flesh of the bull and its hide and dung outside the camp; it is a sin offering. Take one of the rams, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on its head. You are to slaughter the ram, take its blood, and sprinkle it on all sides of the altar. Cut the ram into pieces, wash the entrails and legs, and place them with its head and other pieces. Then burn the entire ram on the altar; it is a burnt offering to the LORD, a pleasing aroma, an offering made by fire to the LORD. Take the second ram, and Aaron and his sons are to lay their hands on its head. Slaughter the ram, take some of its blood, and put it on the right earlobes of Aaron and his sons, on the thumbs of their right hands, and on the big toes of their right feet. Sprinkle the remaining blood on all sides of the altar. And take some of the blood on the altar and some of the anointing oil and sprinkle it on Aaron and his garments, as well as on his sons and their garments. Then he and his garments will be consecrated, as well as his sons and their garments. Take the fat from the ram, the fat tail, the fat covering the entrails, the lobe of the liver, both kidneys with the fat on them, and the right thigh (since this is a ram for ordination), along with one loaf of bread, one cake of bread made with oil, and one wafer from the basket of unleavened bread that is before the LORD. Put all these in the hands of Aaron and his sons and wave them before the LORD as a wave offering. Then take them from their hands and burn them on the altar atop the burnt offering as a pleasing aroma before the LORD; it is an offering made by fire to the LORD. Take the breast of the ram of Aaron’s ordination and wave it before the LORD as a wave offering, and it will be your portion. Consecrate for Aaron and his sons the breast of the wave offering that is waved and the thigh of the heave offering that is lifted up from the ram of ordination. This will belong to Aaron and his sons as a regular portion from the Israelites, for it is the heave offering the Israelites will make to the LORD from their peace offerings. The holy garments that belong to Aaron will belong to his sons after him, so they can be anointed and ordained in them. The son who succeeds him as priest and enters the Tent of Meeting to minister in the Holy Place must wear them for seven days. You are to take the ram of ordination and boil its flesh in a holy place. At the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, Aaron and his sons are to eat the meat of the ram and the bread that is in the basket. They must eat those things by which atonement was made for their ordination and consecration. But no outsider may eat them, because these things are sacred. And if any of the meat of ordination or any bread is left until the morning, you are to burn up the remainder. It must not be eaten, because it is sacred. This is what you are to do for Aaron and his sons based on all that I have commanded you, taking seven days to ordain them. |
| 4 | John 3:34 | For the One whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit. |
| 5 | Isaiah 61:1–3 | The Spirit of the Lord GOD is on Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and freedom to the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and the day of our God’s vengeance, to comfort all who mourn, to console the mourners in Zion— to give them a crown of beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, and a garment of praise for a spirit of despair. So they will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified. |
| 6 | Galatians 4:4 | But when the time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, |
| 7 | Matthew 3:16 | As soon as Jesus was baptized, He went up out of the water. Suddenly the heavens were opened, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and resting on Him. |
| 8 | Romans 8:3 | For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful man, as an offering for sin. He thus condemned sin in the flesh, |
| 9 | Isaiah 11:1–5 | Then a shoot will spring up from the stump of Jesse, and a Branch from his roots will bear fruit. The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him— the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and strength, the Spirit of knowledge and fear of the LORD. And He will delight in the fear of the LORD. He will not judge by what His eyes see, and He will not decide by what His ears hear, but with righteousness He will judge the poor, and with equity He will decide for the lowly of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth and slay the wicked with the breath of His lips. Righteousness will be the belt around His hips, and faithfulness the sash around His waist. |
| 10 | Luke 1:35 | The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the Holy One to be born will be called the Son of God. |
Exodus 40:12 Summary
[This verse is about getting ready to serve God. Aaron and his sons needed to be washed with water to be clean before they could be priests. This is like when we need to ask for forgiveness and be washed clean by God's love, as seen in 1 John 1:9. It's an important step before we can serve Him.]
Frequently Asked Questions
Why was it necessary to wash Aaron and his sons with water before they could serve as priests?
The washing with water was a symbol of spiritual cleansing, as seen in Ezekiel 36:25, where God promises to sprinkle clean water on His people to cleanse them from their impurities. This physical act represented a spiritual cleansing, preparing them for their sacred roles.
What is the significance of the Tent of Meeting in this context?
The Tent of Meeting was the place where God dwelled among His people, as described in Exodus 29:42-43, and where the priests would minister to Him. Bringing Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting signified their transition from ordinary men to consecrated priests.
How does this verse relate to the concept of baptism in the New Testament?
While the washing of Aaron and his sons is not directly equivalent to Christian baptism, it does share similarities with the baptism described in 1 Corinthians 6:11, where believers are washed and sanctified in the name of Jesus Christ. Both acts symbolize spiritual cleansing and purification.
What can we learn from the order of events in this verse, specifically the washing of Aaron and his sons before they are clothed with holy garments?
The order of events emphasizes the importance of spiritual preparation before taking on a role of spiritual leadership, as seen in Isaiah 61:10, where the prophet describes being clothed with garments of salvation and robes of righteousness after being anointed by God.
Reflection Questions
- What are some areas in my life where I need spiritual cleansing, and how can I apply the principle of washing with water to my daily walk with God?
- How can I, like Aaron and his sons, prepare myself for service to God, and what are the spiritual garments that I need to put on to be effective in my role?
- In what ways can I, as a believer, identify with the priests of the Old Testament, and what are my responsibilities as a priest of the New Covenant, as described in 1 Peter 2:9?
- What does it mean to be 'consecrated' or set apart for God's service, and how can I live a life that reflects this consecration, as seen in Romans 12:1-2?
Gill's Exposition on Exodus 40:12
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Exodus 40:12
Ellicott's Commentary on Exodus 40:12
Cambridge Bible on Exodus 40:12
Whedon's Commentary on Exodus 40:12
Sermons on Exodus 40:12
| Sermon | Description | |
|---|---|---|
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Eternity by J. Wesley Adcock | In this sermon, the preacher uses various illustrations to emphasize the brevity of life and the importance of recognizing the limited time we have on Earth. He compares life to a |
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(Through the Bible) Leviticus 1-10 by Chuck Smith | In this sermon, the speaker discusses the meal offering as a form of worship to God. The meal offering consists of fine flour mixed with oil and frankincense, symbolizing the work |
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God Directs His Children [Part 2] by Bertha Smith | Bertha Smith emphasizes the significance of dedication to God through the sacrificial system, illustrating how the priests had to offer perfect sacrifices, such as a bullock and sh |
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K-510 Priestly Ministry by Art Katz | In this sermon, the speaker expresses his inability to fully comprehend and explain the significance of the chapter he is about to read. He emphasizes the importance of preserving |
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Holy of Holies Part Ii by Bertha Smith | Bertha Smith emphasizes the significance of the sacrificial system in the Old Testament, particularly the role of the priests and the offerings they made, which foreshadowed the ul |
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(Through the Bible) Exodus 26-29 by Chuck Smith | In this sermon, the speaker discusses the story of Samuel and his encounters with God. Samuel, as a young boy, heard his name being called multiple times and went to Eli, the high |
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Study Notes - the Priesthood by Walter Beuttler | Walter Beuttler delves into the significance of the priesthood, tracing its origins from the patriarchs to the appointment of Aaron and his sons as the first high priests. He empha |





