Exodus 29:33 (KJV)

What does Exodus 29:33 mean?

Exodus 29:33 describes a special meal for Aaron and his sons as they are installed as priests. They are to eat food from the ceremony that prepares them to serve, while someone outside the priestly group is not permitted to eat it.

God is giving Moses these instructions. The food includes the ram’s meat and bread mentioned in the preceding verse. The meal is part of a ceremony that sets Aaron and his sons apart for their duties.

The Hebrew behind Exodus 29:33

• “atonement was made” — כָּפַר (kaphar): This verb can carry the sense of making a person fit to approach God. Here, the food comes from offerings used in the ceremony that prepares the priests.
• “consecrate” — מָלֵא (maleʾ) and יָד (yad): These words mean “fill” and “hand.” Together they form an expression for installing someone in an office, here the office of priest.
• “stranger” — זוּר (zur): This word can mean someone who is outside a particular group. Here, the contrast is with Aaron and his sons, who are receiving the priestly office.

Why Exodus 29:33 matters

• The meal belongs to a particular ceremony, not an ordinary meal. The phrase “those things wherewith the atonement was made” links the food to the offerings used to prepare Aaron and his sons.
• The restriction concerns the food’s special status. The verse gives the reason for keeping it from a stranger: “because they are holy.”
• The food is to be treated differently even after the meal. Verse 34 says that any remaining meat or bread must be burned rather than kept until the next day.