And he shall go out unto the altar that is before the LORD, and make an atonement for it; and shall take of the blood of the bullock, and of the blood of the goat, and put it upon the horns of the altar round about.

LEVITICUS 16:18KJV
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Leviticus 16:18 (KJV)

What does Leviticus 16:18 mean?

Leviticus 16:18 describes how the high priest is to go out to the altar before the LORD and use the blood of both the bull and the goat to make atonement for the altar by putting the blood on its horns all around. This action is part of a ritual to purify the altar and make it acceptable for use in worship.

In this verse, God is giving Moses instructions for Aaron, the high priest, during the Day of Atonement. After making atonement inside the sanctuary, Aaron is to address the altar in the courtyard, using the blood of the sacrificed animals to cleanse it from any impurity. The focus is on the altar that stands "before the LORD," meaning in front of the entrance to the sanctuary, and the ritual highlights the seriousness of approaching God and the need for purification even of sacred objects.

The Hebrew behind Leviticus 16:18

  • "Atonement" (כִּפֶּר, kipper): This word carries the sense of covering over or cleansing, not just forgiving but removing impurity or sin from the altar itself. It shows that even the altar, used for sacrifices, needed to be purified.
  • "Altar" (מִזְבֵּחַ, mizbeach): The altar here is the one in the courtyard, not inside the sanctuary. Its central role in sacrifices makes its purification essential for the people's relationship with God.
  • "Blood" (דָּם, dam): The use of blood from both the bull and the goat underlines that atonement involves life given on behalf of others, and that both sacrifices are necessary for the ritual's completeness.
  • "Horns" (קֶרֶן, qeren): The horns are the projections on the altar's corners. Putting blood on them symbolically purifies the altar at its most prominent points, showing thorough cleansing.

Why Leviticus 16:18 matters

  • This verse clarifies that atonement rituals were not only for people but also for the objects used in worship, emphasizing the seriousness of purity in approaching God.
  • It connects the sacrifices of the bull and goat, showing that both are needed for the full cleansing ritual on the Day of Atonement.
  • The verse highlights the importance of the altar as a meeting point between God and the people, and why it too needed to be made clean before further sacrifices could be accepted.

Where else these words appear

“goat” Hebrew H8163 · used in 57 verses

  • Genesis 27:11 And Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man:
  • Leviticus 16:27 And the bullock for the sin offering, and the goat for the sin offering, whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the holy place, shall one carry forth without the camp; and they shall burn in the fire their skins, and their flesh, and their dung.
  • Numbers 28:30 And one kid of the goats, to make an atonement for you.

“horns” Hebrew H7161 · used in 69 verses

  • Genesis 22:13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.
  • 2 Samuel 22:3 The God of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour; thou savest me from violence.
  • Jeremiah 48:25 The horn of Moab is cut off, and his arm is broken, saith the LORD.

“atonement” Hebrew H3722 · used in 94 verses

  • Genesis 6:14 Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch.
  • Leviticus 14:21 And if he be poor, and cannot get so much; then he shall take one lamb for a trespass offering to be waved, to make an atonement for him, and one tenth deal of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat offering, and a log of oil;
  • Numbers 28:22 And one goat for a sin offering, to make an atonement for you.

“bullock” Hebrew H6499 · used in 119 verses

  • Genesis 32:15 Thirty milch camels with their colts, forty kine, and ten bulls, twenty she asses, and ten foals.
  • Numbers 7:63 One young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, for a burnt offering:
  • Numbers 29:33 And their meat offering and their drink offerings for the bullocks, for the rams, and for the lambs, shall be according to their number, after the manner: