And thou shalt put upon Aaron the holy garments, and anoint him, and sanctify him; that he may minister unto me in the priest's office.

EXODUS 40:13KJV
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Exodus 40:13 (KJV)

What does Exodus 40:13 mean?

Exodus 40:13 describes how Moses is commanded to dress Aaron in special holy garments, anoint him with oil, and set him apart for service so that Aaron can serve as a priest before God. This verse marks the formal beginning of Aaron’s role as the first high priest for the Israelites.

In this scene, God is speaking to Moses as the tabernacle is being set up for the first time. The instructions focus on Aaron, Moses’ brother, who is to be given a unique status among the people. The verse highlights three actions—clothing, anointing, and sanctifying—that together show Aaron is being given a new, sacred responsibility to serve in the priesthood.

The Hebrew behind Exodus 40:13

  • "put" (לָבַשׁ, lāvash): This word means to clothe or dress. It emphasizes that Moses is to actively put the special garments on Aaron, not just hand them over, showing a formal act of preparation.
  • "holy" (קָדֹשׁ, qādōsh): This word means set apart or sacred. The garments are not ordinary clothes but are specially designated for service to God, marking Aaron’s new role.
  • "garments" (בֶּגֶד, beged): This refers to specific clothing made for the priesthood, highlighting that Aaron’s service requires a visible, outward sign of his position.
  • "anoint" (מָשַׁח, māshach): This means to smear or pour oil, a symbolic act in ancient Israel that set someone apart for a special task or office, in this case, the priesthood.
  • "sanctify" (קָדַשׁ, qadash): This means to make holy or set apart. Aaron is not just being given a job; he is being made holy for a unique purpose.
  • "office" (כָּהַן, kahan): This word means to serve as a priest. It points to Aaron’s new function and responsibility among the Israelites.

Why Exodus 40:13 matters

  • Exodus 40:13 clarifies that being a priest was not just a personal choice or family tradition; it required a specific calling, preparation, and setting apart by God’s command.
  • The verse emphasizes the importance of outward symbols (garments and anointing) in marking someone’s role and status within the community, which helps explain later rituals and traditions in Israelite worship.
  • This verse connects to the wider passage by showing the careful, step-by-step process God gave for establishing worship in the tabernacle, highlighting the seriousness and sacredness of approaching God.

Where else these words appear

“office” Hebrew H3547 · used in 23 verses

  • Exodus 28:1 And take thou unto thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office, even Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron's sons.
  • Exodus 31:10 And the cloths of service, and the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons, to minister in the priest's office,
  • Numbers 3:4 And Nadab and Abihu died before the LORD, when they offered strange fire before the LORD, in the wilderness of Sinai, and they had no children: and Eleazar and Ithamar ministered in the priest's office in the sight of Aaron their father.

“anoint” Hebrew H4886 · used in 66 verses

  • Genesis 31:13 I am the God of Bethel, where thou anointedst the pillar, and where thou vowedst a vow unto me: now arise, get thee out from this land, and return unto the land of thy kindred.
  • Numbers 7:1 And it came to pass on the day that Moses had fully set up the tabernacle, and had anointed it, and sanctified it, and all the instruments thereof, both the altar and all the vessels thereof, and had anointed them, and sanctified them;
  • 1 Kings 1:39 And Zadok the priest took an horn of oil out of the tabernacle, and anointed Solomon. And they blew the trumpet; and all the people said, God save king Solomon.

“put” Hebrew H3847 · used in 103 verses

  • Genesis 3:21 Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.
  • 2 Chronicles 5:12 Also the Levites which were the singers, all of them of Asaph, of Heman, of Jeduthun, with their sons and their brethren, being arrayed in white linen, having cymbals and psalteries and harps, stood at the east end of the altar, and with them an hundred and twenty priests sounding with trumpets:)
  • Isaiah 49:18 Lift up thine eyes round about, and behold: all these gather themselves together, and come to thee. As I live, saith the LORD, thou shalt surely clothe thee with them all, as with an ornament, and bind them on thee, as a bride doeth.