VERSE STUDY • KJV

Leviticus 16:2

And the LORD said unto Moses, Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the holy [place] within the vail before the mercy seat, which [is] upon the ark; that he die not: for I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy seat.

Read it in 5 translations

KJV King James Version

And the LORD said unto Moses, Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the holy [place] within the vail before the mercy seat, which [is] upon the ark; that he die not: for I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy seat.

BSB Berean Standard Bible

And the LORD said to Moses: “Tell your brother Aaron not to enter freely into the Most Holy Place behind the veil in front of the mercy seat on the ark, or else he will die, because I appear in the cloud above the mercy seat.

WEB World English Bible

and Yahweh said to Moses, “Tell Aaron your brother, not to come at all times into the Most Holy Place within the veil, before the mercy seat which is on the ark; lest he die: for I will appear in the cloud on the mercy seat.

ASV American Standard Version

and Jehovah said unto Moses, Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the holy place within the veil, before the mercy-seat which is upon the ark; that he die not: for I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy-seat.

YLT Young’s Literal Translation

yea, Jehovah saith unto Moses, ‘Speak unto Aaron thy brother, and he cometh not in at all times unto the sanctuary within the vail, unto the front of the mercy-seat, which is upon the ark, and he dieth not, for in a cloud I am seen upon the mercy-seat.

Surrounding context — Leviticus 16

1 And the LORD spake unto Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they offered before the LORD, and died;

2 And the LORD said unto Moses, Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the holy [place] within the vail before the mercy seat, which [is] upon the ark; that he die not: for I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy seat.

3 Thus shall Aaron come into the holy [place]: with a young bullock for a sin offering, and a ram for a burnt offering.

4 He shall put on the holy linen coat, and he shall have the linen breeches upon his flesh, and shall be girded with a linen girdle, and with the linen mitre shall he be attired: these [are] holy garments; therefore shall he wash his flesh in water, and [so] put them on.

5 And he shall take of the congregation of the children of Israel two kids of the goats for a sin offering, and one ram for a burnt offering.

Read the whole chapter → · About Leviticus →

Topics connected to this verse

Original-language word links

These Hebrew/Greek tokens are linked by Strong's number. Click one for its lexicon definition and other occurrences.

וַיֹּ֨אמֶרH559 · a.marto say יְהוָ֜הH3068 · ye.ho.vahLORD אֶל־H413 · elto(wards)מֹשֶׁ֗הH4872 · mo.shehMoses דַּבֵּר֮H1696 · da.varto speak: speak אֶל־H413 · elto(wards)אַהֲרֹ֣ןH175 · a.ha.ronAaron אָחִיךָ֒H251 · achbrother: male-sibling וְאַל־H408 · alnot יָבֹ֤אH935 · boto come (in): come בְכָל־H3605 · kolall עֵת֙H6256 · ettime אֶל־H413 · elto(wards)הַקֹּ֔דֶשׁH6944 · qo.deshholiness מִבֵּ֖יתH1004 · betplace לַפָּרֹ֑כֶתH6532 · po.re.khetcurtain אֶל־H413 · elto(wards)פְּנֵ֨יH6440 · pa.nehface: before הַכַּפֹּ֜רֶתH3727 · kap.po.retmercy seat אֲשֶׁ֤רH834 · a.sherwhich עַל־H5921 · alupon הָאָרֹן֙H727 · a.ronark וְלֹ֣אH3808 · lonot יָמ֔וּתH4191 · mutto die כִּ֚יH3588 · kifor בֶּֽעָנָ֔ןH6051 · a.nancloud אֵרָאֶ֖הH7200 · ra.ahto see: see עַל־H5921 · alupon הַכַּפֹּֽרֶת׃H3727 · kap.po.retmercy seat

Cross-references

Exodus 30:10And Aaron shall make an atonement upon the horns of it once in a year with the blood of the sin offering of atonements: once in the year shall he make atonement upon it throughout your generations: it [is] most holy unto the LORD.1 Kings 8:10-12And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy [place], that the cloud filled the house of the LORD,Hebrews 10:19-20Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,Hebrews 9:25Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others;Hebrews 9:7-8But into the second [went] the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and [for] the errors of the people:Exodus 40:34-35Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.Matthew 27:51And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;1 Kings 8:6And the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the LORD unto his place, into the oracle of the house, to the most holy [place, even] under the wings of the cherubims.2 Chronicles 5:14So that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of God.Leviticus 8:35Therefore shall ye abide [at] the door of the tabernacle of the congregation day and night seven days, and keep the charge of the LORD, that ye die not: for so I am commanded.Leviticus 23:27Also on the tenth [day] of this seventh month [there shall be] a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD.Exodus 26:33-34And thou shalt hang up the vail under the taches, that thou mayest bring in thither within the vail the ark of the testimony: and the vail shall divide unto you between the holy [place] and the most holy.Exodus 25:17-22And thou shalt make a mercy seat [of] pure gold: two cubits and a half [shall be] the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof.Leviticus 16:13And he shall put the incense upon the fire before the LORD, that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy seat that [is] upon the testimony, that he die not:Hebrews 4:14-16Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast [our] profession.Exodus 40:20-21And he took and put the testimony into the ark, and set the staves on the ark, and put the mercy seat above upon the ark:Numbers 17:10And the LORD said unto Moses, Bring Aaron’s rod again before the testimony, to be kept for a token against the rebels; and thou shalt quite take away their murmurings from me, that they die not.Numbers 4:19But thus do unto them, that they may live, and not die, when they approach unto the most holy things: Aaron and his sons shall go in, and appoint them every one to his service and to his burden:

HISTORICAL INTERPRETATION

Compare classic commentaries on Leviticus 16:2

Put Matthew Henry, Adam Clarke, Calvin, Wesley, Barnes, Jamieson–Fausset–Brown, Aquinas’ Catena and other public-domain sources beside the passage.

Compare commentaries →