Then shalt thou kill the ram, and take of his 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 29:20KJV
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Exodus 29:20 (KJV)

What does Exodus 29:20 mean?

Exodus 29:20 describes a ritual where Moses is told to kill a ram and place some of its blood on the right ear, right thumb, and right big toe of Aaron and his sons, then sprinkle the rest of the blood around the altar. This act is part of the ceremony to set apart Aaron and his sons for their special role as priests.

In this passage, God is instructing Moses on how to consecrate Aaron and his sons for service in the tabernacle. The specific placement of blood on the ear, thumb, and toe is a symbolic way to dedicate their hearing, actions, and walk to God. Sprinkling blood on the altar connects their service to the central place of worship and sacrifice.

The Hebrew behind Exodus 29:20

  • "blood" (דָּם, dam): The use of blood here is significant because in Hebrew tradition, blood represents life and is central to rituals of atonement and dedication.
  • "tip" (תְּנוּךְ, tenukh): This word refers to the outermost part of the ear, thumb, or toe, emphasizing the idea of a complete and visible dedication.
  • "right" (יָמִין, yamin): The right side in Hebrew culture often symbolizes strength, favor, or authority, so marking the right ear, thumb, and toe highlights the importance and honor of the priestly role.

Why Exodus 29:20 matters

  • This verse helps clear up that the consecration of priests in ancient Israel involved physical, symbolic actions that touched every part of their service—what they hear, what they do, and where they go.
  • The detailed ritual shows the seriousness and sacredness of the priesthood, making clear that serving as a priest was not a casual or ordinary job.
  • Understanding this verse helps connect the ceremony in Exodus 29 to the broader biblical theme of dedication and holiness, showing how the priests’ lives were set apart for God’s purposes.

Where else these words appear

“tip” Hebrew H8571 · used in 7 verses

  • Leviticus 8:23 And he slew it; and Moses took of the blood of it, and put it upon the tip of Aaron's right ear, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot.
  • Leviticus 14:14 And the priest shall take some of the blood of the trespass offering, and the priest shall put it upon the tip of the right ear of him that is to be cleansed, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot:
  • Leviticus 14:25 And he shall kill the lamb of the trespass offering, and the priest shall take some of the blood of the trespass offering, and put it upon the tip of the right ear of him that is to be cleansed, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot:

“thumb” Hebrew H931 · used in 9 verses

  • Leviticus 8:23 And he slew it; and Moses took of the blood of it, and put it upon the tip of Aaron's right ear, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot.
  • Leviticus 14:14 And the priest shall take some of the blood of the trespass offering, and the priest shall put it upon the tip of the right ear of him that is to be cleansed, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot:
  • Leviticus 14:28 And the priest shall put of the oil that is in his hand upon the tip of the right ear of him that is to be cleansed, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot, upon the place of the blood of the trespass offering:

“right” Hebrew H3233 · used in 19 verses

  • Leviticus 8:23 And he slew it; and Moses took of the blood of it, and put it upon the tip of Aaron's right ear, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot.
  • Leviticus 14:27 And the priest shall sprinkle with his right finger some of the oil that is in his left hand seven times before the LORD:
  • 2 Chronicles 3:17 And he reared up the pillars before the temple, one on the right hand, and the other on the left; and called the name of that on the right hand Jachin, and the name of that on the left Boaz.

“sprinkle” Hebrew H2236 · used in 33 verses

  • Exodus 9:8 And the LORD said unto Moses and unto Aaron, Take to you handfuls of ashes of the furnace, and let Moses sprinkle it toward the heaven in the sight of Pharaoh.
  • Leviticus 7:2 In the place where they kill the burnt offering shall they kill the trespass offering: and the blood thereof shall he sprinkle round about upon the altar.
  • 2 Kings 16:15 And king Ahaz commanded Urijah the priest, saying, Upon the great altar burn the morning burnt offering, and the evening meat offering, and the king's burnt sacrifice, and his meat offering, with the burnt offering of all the people of the land, and their meat offering, and their drink offerings; and sprinkle upon it all the blood of the burnt offering, and all the blood of the sacrifice: and the brasen altar shall be for me to enquire by.