Exodus 29:15-18
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This act of laying hands on the ram's head isn't just symbolic; it's a transfer of identity. For the sin offering, it meant transferring guilt, but here, for the burnt offering, it signifies Aaron and his sons offering themselves with the ram, dedicating their entire being to God as a living sacrifice.
“Then you shall take one of the rams, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the ram, and you shall kill the ram and shall take its blood and throw it against the sides of the altar. Then you shall cut the ram into pieces, and wash its entrails and its legs, and put them with its pieces and its head, and burn the whole ram on the altar. It is a burnt offering to the LORD. It is a pleasing aroma, a food offering to the LORD.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This passage is part of the detailed instructions for consecrating Aaron and his sons as priests. Following the sin offering of a bullock, they now lay hands on a ram, signifying their identification with this sacrifice which will be completely burned as a burnt offering, symbolizing their total dedication to God. This act of laying on hands was a crucial ritual for imbuing the sacrifice with their identity and purpose before it was presented to the Lord.
Have you ever felt the need to represent someone else, or to have someone represent you in a sacred act? The priests did just that by laying their hands on the ram.
In Exodus 29:15, Aaron and his sons are instructed to place their hands on the head of a ram. This wasn't just a symbolic gesture; it was a profound act of identification.
A Transfer of Identity
The laying on of hands, known as imposition, was a way for the priests to transfer something to the animal. In this specific ritual, it signified that they were identifying themselves with the ram. They were, in a sense, placing themselves in the ram's position before God.
More Than Just Ritual
While the ram was a burnt offering, signifying complete dedication to God, the act of laying on hands also had layers of meaning. For other offerings, this act could signify the transfer of sin or guilt. Here, it signifies their desire to offer themselves wholly to God, just as the ram would be wholly consumed.
This act declared, 'This ram represents me; its dedication is my dedication.' It was a tangible way to begin their priestly service, marked by humility and a clear understanding of their dependence on God's provision.
Why a ram, and why this specific ritual? It wasn't just about offering an animal; it was about consecrating the priests themselves for holy service.
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The consecration of the priests in Exodus 29 involved several offerings, with the rams playing a central role. Exodus 29:15 is part of the ritual for one of these rams, which served a dual purpose:
Dedication to God's Service
The ram designated as a burnt offering was to be consumed entirely on the altar (Exodus 29:18). This complete offering symbolized the priests dedicating their entire selves – their actions, their thoughts, their lives – to God. They were to become living sacrifices, wholly given over to His service.
The Foundation of Atonement
Commentators also note that the sequence of offerings was crucial. A sin offering often preceded a burnt offering. This suggests that before priests could be fully dedicated, their sin needed to be addressed. The laying on of hands on the ram, potentially signifying the transfer of guilt (as in other contexts), pointed towards the need for atonement. Only after guilt was dealt with could their service be truly acceptable to God.
This ritual underscored that priestly service was not about self-achievement but about divine appointment, rooted in both dedication and the atonement provided by God.
Understand the original words
samak · Hebrew Verb
A symbolic act of transference where the worshiper identifies with the sacrificial animal. It signifies the substitutionary nature of the sacrifice, where the guilt is transferred from the individual to the animal.
dam · Hebrew Noun
The life principle of a creature, which in the sacrificial system represents the substitute offered to God to make atonement for sin. Blood signifies that a life has been given up to satisfy the requirements of divine justice.
mizbeah · Hebrew Noun
A structure, usually of earth or stone, where sacrifices were presented to God. It represents the place of meeting between a holy God and sinful humanity, mediated through the blood of a sacrifice.
olah · Hebrew Noun
An offering entirely consumed by fire on the altar, symbolizing the complete surrender and dedication of the offerer to God. It signifies total consecration and the propitiation of God's wrath.
YHWH · Hebrew Proper Noun
The personal, covenantal name of God in the Old Testament, signifying His self-existence, faithfulness, and holiness. It is the name by which He revealed Himself to Israel as their Redeemer.
reach nichoach · Hebrew Phrase
A figurative expression indicating that a sacrifice is accepted by God with favor. It suggests that the act of obedience and the offering are pleasing to His holiness, akin to the pleasant smell of incense.
isheh · Hebrew Noun
A general term for an offering made by fire, indicating that the sacrifice is presented as a gift or sustenance dedicated exclusively to the service and presence of God.
This passage describes the laying of hands on the head of a burnt offering, symbolizing the transfer of identity and dedication to God, mirroring the action taken with the ram in Exodus 29:15.
Leviticus 4:24The act of laying hands on the head of a sin offering, as described here, signifies the imputation of sin to the animal. This provides a conceptual parallel to the ram in Exodus 29, which was also identified with the priests through the laying on of hands, though with a focus on dedication.
Hebrews 7:26This New Testament passage highlights Jesus as the perfect High Priest who is 'holy, blameless, pure, separate from sinners.' This connects to the Old Testament ritual where priests were consecrated through symbolic acts like the laying on of hands, pointing to Christ's sinless and dedicated nature.
Romans 12:1Paul's call to present our bodies as 'living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to God' directly echoes the symbolism of the priests dedicating themselves to God through the ram's burnt offering, emphasizing a complete self-offering in our spiritual lives.
gillExodus 29:15: "Thou shalt also take one ram; and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands upon the head of the ram."
Thou shalt also take one ram,.... One of the two he was bid to take, Exodus 29:1 , and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands upon the head of the ram; confessing their sins, acknowledging their guilt, and by this act transferring the same to the ram, which was to be a burnt offering, and was typical of the imputation of sin to Christ, as before observed.
pulpitExodus 29:15: "Thou shalt also take one ram; and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands upon the head of the ram."
Verse 15. - One ram. Literally "the one ram" - i.e., "one of the two rams mentioned in verse 1. Put their hands. Here, again, the object was to identify themselves with the victim, and make it their representative; though now, as the ram was to be a burnt offering, self-sacrifice, rather than expiation, was the leading thought.
This act of laying hands on the ram's head isn't just symbolic; it's a transfer of identity. For the sin offering, it meant transferring guilt, but here, for the burnt offering, it signifies Aaron and his sons offering themselves with the ram, dedicating their entire being to God as a living sacrifice.
This passage is part of the detailed instructions for consecrating Aaron and his sons as priests. Following the sin offering of a bullock, they now lay hands on a ram, signifying their identification with this sacrifice which will be completely burned as a burnt offering, symbolizing their total dedication to God. This act of laying on hands was a crucial ritual for imbuing the sacrifice with their identity and purpose before it was presented to the Lord.
This passage is part of the detailed instructions for consecrating Aaron and his sons as priests. Following the sin offering of a bullock, they now lay hands on a ram, signifying their identification with this sacrifice which will be completely burned as a burnt offering, symbolizing their total dedication to God. This act of laying on hands was a crucial ritual for imbuing the sacrifice with their identity and purpose before it was presented to the Lord.
"“Then you shall take one of the rams, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the ram, and you shall kill the ram and shall take its blood and throw it against the sides of the altar. Then you shall cut the ram into pie…" — This act of laying hands on the ram's head isn't just symbolic; it's a transfer of identity. For the sin offering, it meant transferring guilt, but here, for the burnt offering, it signifies Aaron an…
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Last reviewed October 2026
