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Exodus 29:20

Old Testament Law (Torah) ASV (1901)

What does Exodus 29:20 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “Then shalt thou kill the ram, and take of its blood, and put it upon the tip of the right ear of Aaron, and upon the tip of the right ear of his sons, and upon the thumb of their right hand, and upon the great toe of their right foot, and sprinkle the blood upon the altar round about.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

Then shalt thou kill the ram, and take of its blood, and put it upon the tip of the right ear of Aaron, and upon the tip of the right ear of his sons, and upon the thumb of their right hand, and upon the great toe of their right foot, and sprinkle the blood upon the altar round about.
Exodus 29:20 — American Standard Version

Context — Exodus 29

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
17And thou shalt cut the ram into its pieces, and wash its inwards, and its legs, and put them with its pieces, and with its head.
18And thou shalt burn the whole ram upon the altar: it is a burnt-offering unto Jehovah; it is a sweet savor, an offering made by fire unto Jehovah.
19And thou shalt take the other ram; and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands upon the head of the ram.
20Then shalt thou kill the ram, and take of its blood, and put it upon the tip of the right ear of Aaron, and upon the tip of the right ear of his sons, and upon the thumb of their right hand, and upon the great toe of their right foot, and sprinkle the blood upon the altar round about.
21And thou shalt take of the blood that is upon the altar, and of the anointing oil, and sprinkle it upon Aaron, and upon his garments, and upon his sons, and upon the garments of his sons with him: and he shall be hallowed, and his garments, and his sons, and his sons` garments with him.
22Also thou shalt take of the ram the fat, and the fat tail, and the fat that covereth the inwards, and the caul of the liver, and the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, and the right thigh (for it is a ram of consecration),
23and one loaf of bread, and one cake of oiled bread, and one wafer, out of the basket of unleavened bread that is before Jehovah.
← Exodus 29:19Exodus 29:21 →
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What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“Then shall thou kill the ram, etc.] As the other: and take of his blood, some part of it being received into a basin: and put it upon the tip of the right ear of Aaron, and upon the tip of the right ear of his sons; according to Jarchi, this is the middle gristle within the ear; but Saadiah more rightly says it is the tender part which joins to the orb of the ear. The blood was put upon this part to sanctify it, and cleanse from sins that come thereby, and to teach the high priest that he ought attentively to listen to what should be said unto him of the Lord, that he might faithfully report it to the people; and as our great High Priest had his ear opened and awakened, to hear as the…”
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Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“The consecration of the priests. See the notes to Lev. 8–9. Exodus 29:4 Door of the tabernacle - Entrance of the tent. See Leviticus 8:3. Exodus 29:27 The “waving” was the more solemn process of the two: it was a movement several times repeated, while “heaving” was simply a “lifting up” once. Exodus 29:33 A stranger - One of another family, i. e. in this case, one not of the family of Aaron. return to 'Top of Page'”
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Tyndale Open Study Notes
Tyndale House Publishers · Tyndale Open Study Notes · Modern study notes
“29:20-21 The placing of the blood on the earlobes, thumbs, and big toes represented dedication of the entire person to God. Sprinkling it on their clothes indicated that the clothing, too, could be used only for holy purposes.”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“put it upon the tip: All this doubtless was intended to signify, that the priest should dedicate all his faculties and powers to the service of God; his ear to the hearing and study of the law; his hands to diligence in the sacred ministry, and to all acts of obedience; and his feet to walking in the way of God's precepts; for the ear is the symbol of obedience, the hand of action, and the foot of the path or conduct in life. And the sprinkling might further teach him, that he could neither hear, work, nor walk profitably, uprightly, and well pleasingly in the sight of God, without the application of the blood of the sacrifice. Lev 8:24, Lev 14:14; Isa 50:5; Mar 7:33 sprinkle: Lev 14:7, Lev…”
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Related study paths

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Sources and verification