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II. Ceremony of Ordination

Chapter 8

Ordination of Aaron and His Sons.[a] (A)The Lord said to Moses: Take Aaron along with his sons, the vestments, the anointing oil, the bull for a purification offering, the two rams, and the basket of unleavened bread, then assemble the whole community[b] at the entrance of the tent of meeting. Moses did as the Lord had commanded. When the community(B) had assembled at the entrance of the tent of meeting, Moses told them: “This is what the Lord has ordered to be done.” Bringing forward Aaron and his sons, Moses first washed them with water. [c]Then he put the tunic on Aaron,(C) girded him with the sash, clothed him with the robe, placed the ephod on him, and girded him with the ephod’s embroidered belt, fastening the ephod on him with it. He then set the breastpiece on him, putting the Urim and Thummim[d] in it. He put the turban on his head, attaching the gold medallion, the sacred headband,[e] on the front of the turban, as the Lord had commanded Moses to do.

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Footnotes

  1. 8:1–2 This chapter presents the fulfillment of the commands in Ex 28–29; 30:26–30; and 40:9–15.
  2. 8:3–4 Community: this word (Heb. ‘edah) may refer to tribal leaders, all adult males, or the entire nation. The last is probably intended here.
  3. 8:7–9, 13 On the priestly clothing, see Ex 28–29. Ephod: according to Ex 28:6–14, the term for one of Aaron’s special vestments made of gold thread, with multicolored woolen thread woven into it as well as fine linen. In appearance it resembled a kind of apron, hung on the priest by shoulder straps and secured by an embroidered belt. A somewhat simpler “apron” was presumably worn by other priests (1 Sm 22:18).
  4. 8:8 The Urim and Thummim: see Ex 28:30 and note there. Although these terms and the object(s) they refer to are still unexplained, they appear to be small objects that functioned like dice or lots to render a decision for those making an inquiry of God, perhaps originally in legal cases where the guilt of the accused could not otherwise be determined (cf. Ex 28:30; Nm 27:21; Dt 33:8; 1 Sm 28:6; Ezr 2:63; Neh 7:65).
  5. 8:9 Headband: see Ex 39:30–31. The gold medallion, together with its cords, comprises the sacred headband.