And he shall sprinkle of the blood of the sin offering upon the side of the altar; and the rest of the blood shall be wrung out at the bottom of the altar: it is a sin offering.

LEVITICUS 5:9KJV
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Leviticus 5:9 (KJV)

What does Leviticus 5:9 mean?

Leviticus 5:9 describes how the priest was to handle the blood of a sin offering: he would sprinkle some of the blood on the side of the altar, and the rest would be poured out at the base. This act was part of the ritual for dealing with sin in ancient Israel, showing that the offering was accepted as a sin offering.

In this verse, God is giving Moses instructions for the priests about sacrifices for unintentional sins. The details show the careful steps taken to treat the offering with respect and to follow God’s commands exactly. The focus is on the handling of the blood, which was seen as carrying the life of the animal and was central to the ritual.

The Hebrew behind Leviticus 5:9

  • "Sprinkle" (נָזָה, nazah) means to scatter or splash, often used for ritual purification. Here, it shows that only a portion of the blood was applied directly to the altar, not all of it.
  • "Blood" (דָּם, dam) is repeated in the verse and is central to the ritual, representing life and the seriousness of sin.
  • "Offering" (חַטָּאָה, chatta'ah) means "sin offering," a specific type of sacrifice meant to address unintentional wrongdoing.
  • "Side" (קִיר, qir) refers to the vertical surface of the altar, not the top, highlighting where the blood was to be applied.

Why Leviticus 5:9 matters

  • Leviticus 5:9 clarifies that not all the blood was put on the altar; only some was sprinkled, and the rest was poured out, which shows the careful procedure and the importance of following God's instructions exactly.
  • This verse helps explain the process for sin offerings, which is a key part of understanding how ancient Israel approached forgiveness and ritual purity.
  • The focus on blood in this ritual connects to the broader biblical theme that life is in the blood and that blood was required for atonement, a concept that appears throughout Leviticus.

Where else these words appear

“out” Hebrew H4680 · used in 7 verses

  • Leviticus 1:15 And the priest shall bring it unto the altar, and wring off his head, and burn it on the altar; and the blood thereof shall be wrung out at the side of the altar:
  • Psalms 73:10 Therefore his people return hither: and waters of a full cup are wrung out to them.
  • Isaiah 51:17 Awake, awake, stand up, O Jerusalem, which hast drunk at the hand of the LORD the cup of his fury; thou hast drunken the dregs of the cup of trembling, and wrung them out.

“bottom” Hebrew H3247 · used in 20 verses

  • Exodus 29:12 And thou shalt take of the blood of the bullock, and put it upon the horns of the altar with thy finger, and pour all the blood beside the bottom of the altar.
  • Leviticus 8:15 And he slew it; and Moses took the blood, and put it upon the horns of the altar round about with his finger, and purified the altar, and poured the blood at the bottom of the altar, and sanctified it, to make reconciliation upon it.
  • Psalms 137:7 Remember, O LORD, the children of Edom in the day of Jerusalem; who said, Rase it, rase it, even to the foundation thereof.

“sprinkle” Hebrew H5137 · used in 22 verses

  • Exodus 29:21 And 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.
  • Leviticus 14:16 And the priest shall dip his right finger in the oil that is in his left hand, and shall sprinkle of the oil with his finger seven times before the LORD:
  • Numbers 19:4 And Eleazar the priest shall take of her blood with his finger, and sprinkle of her blood directly before the tabernacle of the congregation seven times:

“side” Hebrew H7023 · used in 64 verses

  • Exodus 30:3 And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, the top thereof, and the sides thereof round about, and the horns thereof; and thou shalt make unto it a crown of gold round about.
  • 1 Kings 14:10 Therefore, behold, I will bring evil upon the house of Jeroboam, and will cut off from Jeroboam him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel, and will take away the remnant of the house of Jeroboam, as a man taketh away dung, till it be all gone.
  • Ezekiel 8:10 So I went in and saw; and behold every form of creeping things, and abominable beasts, and all the idols of the house of Israel, pourtrayed upon the wall round about.