Once a year Aaron shall make atonement on the horns of the altar.This phrase refers to the Day of Atonement, also known as Yom Kippur, which is the most solemn and holy day in the Jewish calendar. Aaron, as the high priest, was responsible for performing this ritual. The "horns of the altar" were projections on the corners of the altar, symbolizing strength and power. The act of making atonement involved the sprinkling of blood, signifying the covering of sins. This ritual foreshadows the ultimate atonement made by Jesus Christ, whose sacrifice on the cross provides eternal redemption for believers.
Throughout your generations he shall make atonement on it annually with the blood of the sin offering of atonement.
This commandment was to be observed perpetually by the descendants of Aaron, emphasizing the continuity and importance of the atonement ritual. The use of "blood of the sin offering" highlights the necessity of a blood sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins, a principle that is central to the sacrificial system in the Old Testament. This practice points forward to the New Testament, where Christ's blood is described as the ultimate and final sin offering (Hebrews 9:12-14).
The altar is most holy to the LORD.
The altar's designation as "most holy" underscores its significance in the worship and sacrificial system of Israel. It was set apart for the exclusive purpose of offering sacrifices to God, symbolizing His holiness and the need for purification from sin. This holiness is a reminder of God's perfect nature and the separation between God and humanity due to sin. The altar's holiness is a type of Christ, who is the ultimate mediator between God and man, providing a way for believers to approach a holy God through His sacrifice.
Persons / Places / Events
1.
AaronThe first high priest of Israel, brother of Moses, and a key figure in the establishment of the priestly system. He is responsible for making atonement on the altar's horns.
2.
The Altar of IncenseLocated in the Holy Place of the Tabernacle, this altar is where Aaron is to make atonement once a year. It symbolizes the prayers of the people ascending to God.
3.
AtonementA central theme in the Old Testament, referring to the reconciliation between God and humanity. The Hebrew word "kaphar" means to cover or to make amends.
4.
The Sin OfferingA sacrifice made to atone for sins, pointing to the need for purification and forgiveness.
5.
The LORD (YHWH)The covenant name of God, emphasizing His holiness and the sacredness of the atonement process.
Teaching Points
The Necessity of AtonementAtonement is essential for reconciliation with God. It highlights the seriousness of sin and the need for a mediator.
The Role of the High PriestAaron's role as high priest prefigures Christ, our ultimate High Priest, who intercedes on our behalf.
The Holiness of GodThe altar and the atonement process are described as "most holy," reminding us of God's holiness and the reverence due to Him.
The Continuity of God's PlanThe annual atonement ritual points to the continuity and consistency of God's redemptive plan throughout generations.
The Fulfillment in ChristThe Old Testament sacrifices foreshadow the perfect and complete atonement made by Jesus, emphasizing the sufficiency of His sacrifice.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1.What is the meaning of Exodus 30:10?
2.How does Exodus 30:10 emphasize the importance of atonement in our lives today?
3.What role does the high priest play in Exodus 30:10, and why is it significant?
4.How does the concept of "atonement once a year" connect to Christ's sacrifice?
5.In what ways can we apply the principles of atonement from Exodus 30:10?
6.How does Exodus 30:10 reflect God's holiness and our need for purification?
7.What is the significance of the atonement ritual in Exodus 30:10 for modern believers?
8.How does Exodus 30:10 relate to the concept of sin and forgiveness today?
9.Why is the annual atonement necessary according to Exodus 30:10?
10.What are the top 10 Lessons from Exodus 30?
11.What is the purpose of the Altar of Incense?
12.What are the Horns of the Altar's significance?
13.What constitutes anointing oil?
14.What is the Bible's perspective on incense?What Does Exodus 30:10 Mean
Once a year Aaron shall make atonement on the horns of the altar.• The verse begins by assigning Aaron, the high priest, a yearly task: placing sacrificial blood on the altar’s horns (Leviticus 16:18-19;Hebrews 9:22).
• “Atonement” here is literal—covering sin so God’s wrath is turned away (Leviticus 17:11).
• The horns symbolize strength and refuge; touching them with blood underscores that forgiveness rests not in human merit but in God-appointed sacrifice (Psalm 118:27;Hebrews 4:16).
• This yearly act foreshadows Christ, our High Priest, who applied His own blood once for all (Hebrews 9:24-26).
Throughout your generations he shall make atonement on it annually with the blood of the sin offering of atonement.• The instruction stretches “throughout your generations,” showing God’s covenant faithfulness and the people’s ongoing need for cleansing (Leviticus 16:34;Numbers 29:7-11).
• “Blood of the sin offering” stresses that sin’s penalty is death; substitutionary blood was the only acceptable payment (Exodus 12:13;Romans 6:23).
• Annual repetition highlighted sin’s persistence and pointed Israel toward the future, perfect sacrifice that would end the cycle (Hebrews 10:1-4, 14).
• The practice also knit the community together around a shared confession of guilt and faith in God’s provision (Psalm 51:17;1 John 1:7).
The altar is most holy to the LORD.• Declaring the altar “most holy” sets it apart for God alone (Exodus 29:37;Leviticus 6:18).
• Anything or anyone touching it became holy, emphasizing God’s contagious holiness and the danger of casual approach (Isaiah 6:5-7;Hebrews 12:28-29).
• Holiness radiating from the altar reminds believers today that worship must be pure, reverent, and centered on the shed blood of Christ (1 Peter 1:15-16;Hebrews 10:19-22).
• The phrase underscores divine ownership: the altar—and all true worship—belongs exclusively to the LORD (Psalm 24:3-4;John 4:23-24).
summaryExodus 30:10 binds together priest, people, sacrifice, and altar in a yearly drama of grace. Aaron’s single day of atonement, repeated generation after generation with sacrificial blood, kept Israel aware of sin’s cost and God’s mercy. The “most holy” altar signaled that forgiveness flows only from what God sets apart. All of this anticipates the final, once-for-all atonement accomplished by Jesus, whose blood secures eternal redemption and invites believers to draw near in confident, holy worship.
(10)
Aaron shall make an atonement upon the horns of it once in a year.--This passage seems to determine the sense of
Leviticus 16:18, where some have supposed that "the altar that is before the Lord" is the brazen altar. Once in the year, on the great day of atonement, the high priest, after entering within the vail and sprinkling the blood of the offerings upon the mercy seat (
Leviticus 16:14-15), was to "go out unto the altar that was before the Lord, and put of the blood of the bullock, and of the blood of the goat, upon the horns of the altar round about, and sprinkle of the blood upon it with his finger seven times," and so "cleanse it, and hallow it," and "make an atonement for it" (
Leviticus 16:18-19).
Verse 10. -Aaron shall make an atonement upon the horns of it once in the year. Once in the year, on the great day of atonement - the tenth day of the seventh month - the high priest, after burning incense within the veil, and sprinkling the blood of a bullock and a ram towards the mercy seat, was to take of the blood, and put it on the horns of the altar of incense "to make an atonement for it - to cleanse it and hallow it from the uncleanness of the children of Israel" (Leviticus 16:18, 19). This was not making it an altar of expiation, but merely expiating it. There was, however, another use for the altar, where it seems to have served for an altar of expiation. When the high priest had sinned in his official character, and offered a sin-offering for his cleansing (Leviticus 4:3-12), or when the whole congregation had committed an offence through inadvertence, and did the same (ib, 13-21), the high priest was to put of the blood of the sacrifice on the horns of the altar of incense, "for the expiation of his own sin and the sin of the people" (Keil). In these two cases, the altar of incense served the purpose of the altar of burnt-offering, on which was put the blood of private sin-offerings (ib, 22-35).It is most holy. There seems to be sufficient reason for considering the altar of incense as, next to the ark and mercy seat, the most sacred object in the furniture of the tabernacle. This precedence indicates the extreme value which God sets upon prayer. CHAPTER 30:11-16
Parallel Commentaries ...
Hebrew
Once
אַחַ֖ת(’a·ḥaṯ)
Number - feminine singular
Strong's 259:United, one, first
a year
בַּשָּׁנָ֑ה(baš·šā·nāh)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 8141:A year
Aaron
אַהֲרֹן֙(’a·hă·rōn)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 175:Aaron -- an elder brother of Moses
shall make atonement
וְכִפֶּ֤ר(wə·ḵip·per)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3722:To cover, to expiate, condone, to placate, cancel
on
עַל־(‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921:Above, over, upon, against
the horns [of the altar].
קַרְנֹתָ֔יו(qar·nō·ṯāw)
Noun - feminine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 7161:A horn, a flask, cornet, an elephant's tooth, a corner, a peak, a ray, power
Throughout your generations
לְדֹרֹ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם(lə·ḏō·rō·ṯê·ḵem)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine plural
Strong's 1755:A revolution of time, an age, generation, a dwelling
he shall make atonement
יְכַפֵּ֤ר(yə·ḵap·pêr)
Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3722:To cover, to expiate, condone, to placate, cancel
on it
עָלָיו֙(‘ā·lāw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5921:Above, over, upon, against
annually
אַחַ֤ת(’a·ḥaṯ)
Number - feminine singular
Strong's 259:United, one, first
with the blood
מִדַּ֞ם(mid·dam)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1818:Blood, of man, an animal, the juice of the grape, bloodshed
of the sin offering
חַטַּ֣את(ḥaṭ·ṭaṯ)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 2403:An offence, its penalty, occasion, sacrifice, expiation, an offender
of atonement.
הַכִּפֻּרִ֗ים(hak·kip·pu·rîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 3725:Expiation
The altar [is]
ה֖וּא(hū)
Pronoun - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1931:He, self, the same, this, that, as, are
most
קֹֽדֶשׁ־(qō·ḏeš-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 6944:A sacred place, thing, sanctity
holy
קָֽדָשִׁ֥ים(qā·ḏā·šîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 6944:A sacred place, thing, sanctity
to the LORD.”
לַיהוָֽה׃(Yah·weh)
Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068:LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel
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OT Law: Exodus 30:10 Aaron shall make atonement on its horns (Exo. Ex)
