And he sprinkled thereof upon the altar seven times, and anointed the altar and all his vessels, both the laver and his foot, to sanctify them.

LEVITICUS 8:11KJV
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Leviticus 8:11 (KJV)

What does Leviticus 8:11 mean?

Leviticus 8:11 describes Moses sprinkling oil on the altar seven times and anointing the altar, its utensils, the basin, and its stand to make them holy. This act set apart these objects for sacred use in worship, marking them as dedicated to God.

In this scene, Moses is carrying out God’s instructions for setting up the tabernacle and its service. The verse highlights the careful process of making the worship space and its tools “sanctified”—that is, set apart from ordinary use. The repeated actions and specific objects show the seriousness and orderliness of Israel’s worship life.

The Hebrew behind Leviticus 8:11

  • "Sprinkled" (נָזָה, nazah) means to scatter or sprinkle, often with a liquid. Here, it refers to Moses applying oil in a ritual way, not just pouring it out, which shows intentionality and care.
  • "Seven" (שֶׁבַע, sheva) is often a number that signals completeness or wholeness in the Hebrew Bible. Sprinkling seven times suggests that the altar was fully and perfectly set apart.
  • "Sanctify" (קָדַשׁ, qadash) means to make something holy or set it apart for God. This word emphasizes that the altar and its parts were no longer ordinary—they now belonged to God’s service.

Why Leviticus 8:11 matters

  • This verse clears up that the objects used in worship were not automatically holy; they had to be set apart through a specific process.
  • The focus on the altar, its vessels, and the basin shows that every part of worship, even the tools, mattered to God and needed to be treated with respect.
  • Leviticus 8:11 connects to the wider passage by showing the beginning of the priests’ ministry and the seriousness of approaching God according to His instructions.

Where else these words appear

“foot” Hebrew H3653 · used in 17 verses

  • Genesis 40:13 Yet within three days shall Pharaoh lift up thine head, and restore thee unto thy place: and thou shalt deliver Pharaoh's cup into his hand, after the former manner when thou wast his butler.
  • Exodus 35:16 The altar of burnt offering, with his brasen grate, his staves, and all his vessels, the laver and his foot,
  • 1 Kings 7:31 And the mouth of it within the chapiter and above was a cubit: but the mouth thereof was round after the work of the base, a cubit and an half: and also upon the mouth of it were gravings with their borders, foursquare, not round.

“laver” Hebrew H3595 · used in 20 verses

  • Exodus 30:18 Thou shalt also make a laver of brass, and his foot also of brass, to wash withal: and thou shalt put it between the tabernacle of the congregation and the altar, and thou shalt put water therein.
  • Exodus 40:7 And thou shalt set the laver between the tent of the congregation and the altar, and shalt put water therein.
  • 1 Kings 7:40 And Hiram made the lavers, and the shovels, and the basons. So Hiram made an end of doing all the work that he made king Solomon for the house of the LORD:

“sprinkled” 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:

“anointed” 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.