They shall eat those things with which atonement was made at their ordination and consecration, but an outsider shall not eat of them, because they are holy.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The crucial detail here is who qualifies as a "stranger." It doesn't refer to someone of a different nationality, but rather to anyone outside the immediate priestly family, even if they were an Israelite. This highlights how holiness and sacred service were intended for a specific, set-apart group, emphasizing the strict separation required for approaching God.
They shall eat those things with which atonement was made at their ordination and consecration, but an outsider shall not eat of them, because they are holy.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This passage occurs during the intense, week-long ordination ceremony for Aaron and his sons as priests. After elaborate sacrifices and anointings, they are to eat specific portions of the consecration offerings to symbolically receive their sacred duties. The text emphasizes that only these newly consecrated priests, not any "outsider" (meaning anyone not of the priestly lineage), can partake because these meals are set apart as holy.
Imagine preparing for a once-in-a-lifetime job. You wouldn't just show up; there'd be training, maybe even a special meal to fuel you. The priests in ancient Israel had something similar, but with divine stakes.
Exodus 29:33 reveals that the priests were to eat specific parts of the sacrifices offered during their ordination. This wasn't just any meal; it was intrinsically linked to their consecration and atonement.
A Meal of Transformation
Why couldn't just anyone join this sacred meal? The verse draws a clear line, reminding us that holiness has limits and guards its sacred spaces.
The prohibition against an "outsider" eating these holy foods is crucial. It wasn't about social exclusion, but about maintaining the sanctity of God's covenant and priesthood.
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Who is an Outsider?
Understand the original words
kippurim · Hebrew Noun
The act of reconciliation between God and humanity, involving the covering or removal of sin through a ritual sacrifice, ultimately finding its fulfillment in the work of Jesus Christ.
zar · Hebrew Noun/Adjective
A person who does not belong to the priesthood or the covenant community, and is therefore prohibited from participating in the sacred rites or consuming sacrificial portions restricted to the holy priesthood.
This passage echoes Exodus 29:33 by stating that the priests are to eat certain portions of offerings as a perpetual statute, reinforcing the idea of food set apart for sacred service and those who perform it.
Leviticus 10:12-13Immediately after the consecration described in Exodus 29, Leviticus clarifies that priests are to eat their share of the peace offerings, emphasizing their rightful portion and the holy nature of what they consume, connecting directly to the 'eating of those things' mentioned in Exodus.
Numbers 18:11-13This passage explicitly states that the wave offerings and heave offerings, which were part of the consecration, are for Aaron and his sons, to be eaten by them in a clean place, underscoring the sacredness and exclusive right to consume these designated foods.
1 Corinthians 10:18Paul uses the example of Israel, showing that those who eat the sacrifices share in the altar's benefits, drawing a parallel to how participating in the sacred meals of the Old Testament signified a special, set-apart status, much like the priests eating their consecrated food.
Hebrews 7:23-28This passage contrasts the Levitical priests, who needed to offer sacrifices for their own sins and whose service was temporary, with Jesus, the perfect High Priest, highlighting the profound holiness and exclusivity associated with Him who did not need to eat of these 'atonement' meals for Himself.
gillExodus 29:33: "And they shall eat those things wherewith the atonement was made, to consecrate and to sanctify them: but a stranger shall not eat thereof, because they are holy."
And they shall eat those things wherewith the atonement was made,.... For the sins of Aaron and his sons, for they were men of infirmity, and needed sacrifice for sin themselves; and herein Christ their antitype excelled them, that he had no sin of his own, and needed not to offer first for them, and then for the sins…
clarkeExodus 29:33: "And they shall eat those things wherewith the atonement was made, to consecrate and to sanctify them: but a stranger shall not eat thereof, because they are holy."
But a stranger shall not eat thereof - That is, no person who was not of the family of Aaron - no Israelite, and not even a Levite.
The crucial detail here is who qualifies as a "stranger." It doesn't refer to someone of a different nationality, but rather to anyone outside the immediate priestly family, even if they were an Israelite. This highlights how holiness and sacred service were intended for a specific, set-apart group, emphasizing the strict separation required for approaching God.
This passage occurs during the intense, week-long ordination ceremony for Aaron and his sons as priests. After elaborate sacrifices and anointings, they are to eat specific portions of the consecration offerings to symbolically receive their sacred duties. The text emphasizes that only these newly consecrated priests, not any "outsider" (meaning anyone not of the priestly lineage), can partake because these meals are set apart as holy.
This passage occurs during the intense, week-long ordination ceremony for Aaron and his sons as priests. After elaborate sacrifices and anointings, they are to eat specific portions of the consecration offerings to symbolically receive their sacred duties. The text emphasizes that only these newly consecrated priests, not any "outsider" (meaning anyone not of the priestly lineage), can partake because these meals are set apart as holy.
"They shall eat those things with which atonement was made at their ordination and consecration, but an outsider shall not eat of them, because they are holy." — The crucial detail here is who qualifies as a "stranger." It doesn't refer to someone of a different nationality, but rather to anyone outside the immediate priestly family, even if they were an Is…
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Last reviewed October 2026