Leviticus 16:18
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It's easy to overlook that the high priest must atone for the altar itself, not just use it as a tool. This shows even the sacred things we use to connect with God can become tainted by our sin and need their own cleansing.
Then he shall go out to the altar that is before the LORD and make atonement for it, and shall take some of the blood of the bull and some of the blood of the goat, and put it on the horns of the altar all around.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Having finished the intense ritual within the Most Holy Place and the Holy Place, the High Priest now emerges from the Tabernacle's inner chambers. He proceeds to the altar, where he applies blood from both the bull and the goat to its horns, marking the final stage of atonement for the sacred structures and ultimately for the people. This act signifies the cleansing and consecration of the altar itself, preparing it to once again serve as the place of sacrifice for the nation.
Why did the altar, a place of sacrifice, itself need atonement? This verse reveals a profound truth about how even the instruments of worship can be affected by sin.
In Leviticus 16:18, the high priest, after ministering in the most holy place and the holy place, turns his attention to the altar. This isn't just any altar; it's the "altar that is before the LORD." This phrase signifies its direct connection to God's presence.
A Place of Encounter
The altar was where God's people met with Him, where sacrifices were offered, and where divine judgment and mercy were enacted. Because it was the focal point of worship and atonement, it was also exposed to the spiritual residue of sin – the very thing it was meant to cleanse.
The Priest's Final Duty
Therefore, the altar itself required purification. The priest takes blood from both the bull (for himself and his house) and the goat (for the people) and applies it to the horns of the altar. This act symbolically cleansed the altar from the accumulated effects of sin, ensuring its continued sacred function as a place of encounter with a holy God.
We see blood used in this verse, but what does it truly represent? It's not just a symbol of death, but a powerful agent of God's grace.
Leviticus 16:18 is significant because it specifies the use of blood from two different sin offerings: the bull and the goat. This mingling of blood on the altar's horns underscores a crucial theological point.
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A Unified Sacrifice
While the bull was a sin offering for the high priest and his household (Leviticus 16:6), and the goat was for the sins of the people (Leviticus 16:15), their blood is combined here. This signifies a unified atonement that covers both the mediator and the community. It highlights that all sin, whether originating from the priestly line or the broader congregation, requires the same potent remedy.
The Power of the Cross
This application of blood to the altar's horns was a tangible act of purification. It demonstrated that the altar, and by extension the entire system of worship, was rendered holy and acceptable to God only through the atoning power of sacrificial blood. This points directly to Christ's sacrifice, where His blood, shed once for all, cleanses us from all sin and makes us acceptable to God.
Understand the original words
mizbeah · Hebrew Noun
An elevated structure used for animal sacrifices; it signifies the place where humanity meets God through the shedding of blood for the forgiveness of sin.
dam · Hebrew Noun
The life-force of a creature; in biblical theology, its shedding represents the required payment or propitiation for sin, as 'the life of the flesh is in the blood.'
qeren · Hebrew Noun
The protruding corners of the altar; they symbolize the power and reach of the sacrifice, serving as the points of contact for the most efficacious application of the blood.
This passage directly commands the atonement for the altar of incense, which is the altar referenced in Leviticus 16:18, highlighting its annual significance.
Hebrews 9:7This New Testament passage contrasts the high priest's annual entry into the holy of holies with Christ's one-time, perfect sacrifice, placing the Levitical atonement in a redemptive-historical context.
Hebrews 9:11-14This passage explains that Christ, as the great high priest, entered not with the blood of goats and calves (like in Leviticus 16), but with His own blood, to offer redemption for all.
1 Corinthians 10:16This verse speaks of the cup of blessing and the bread broken as sharing in the blood and body of Christ, drawing a parallel to how the blood applied in Leviticus 16 was shared from different sacrifices to signify a comprehensive atonement.
Psalm 51:17This psalm describes sacrifices of a broken spirit and contrite heart as what God desires, offering a spiritual parallel to the ritualistic atonement described in Leviticus 16, pointing to a deeper internal work.
bensonLeviticus 16:18: "And he shall go out unto the altar that is before the LORD, and make an atonement for it; and shall take of the blood of the bullock, and of the blood of the goat, and put it upon the horns of the altar round about."
Leviticus 16:18 . The altar before the Lord — That is, the altar of incense, where the blood of sacrifices was to be put, particularly the blood of the sin- offerings offered upon this day of atonement, and which is most properly said to be before the Lord; that i…
calvinLeviticus 16:1-34: "And the LORD spake unto Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they offered before the LORD, and died;"
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.
Dixitque Jellova ad Mosen, Loquere ad Aharon fratrem tuum, ut ne ingrediatnr omni tempore sanctuarium intra velum…
It's easy to overlook that the high priest must atone for the altar itself, not just use it as a tool. This shows even the sacred things we use to connect with God can become tainted by our sin and need their own cleansing.
Having finished the intense ritual within the Most Holy Place and the Holy Place, the High Priest now emerges from the Tabernacle's inner chambers. He proceeds to the altar, where he applies blood from both the bull and the goat to its horns, marking the final stage of atonement for the sacred structures and ultimately for the people. This act signifies the cleansing and consecration of the altar itself, preparing it to once again serve as the place of sacrifice for the nation.
Having finished the intense ritual within the Most Holy Place and the Holy Place, the High Priest now emerges from the Tabernacle's inner chambers. He proceeds to the altar, where he applies blood from both the bull and the goat to its horns, marking the final stage of atonement for the sacred structures and ultimately for the people. This act signifies the cleansing and consecration of the altar itself, preparing it to once again serve as the place of sacrifice for the nation.
"Then he shall go out to the altar that is before the LORD and make atonement for it, and shall take some of the blood of the bull and some of the blood of the goat, and put it on the horns of the altar all around." — It's easy to overlook that the high priest must atone for the altar itself, not just use it as a tool. This shows even the sacred things we use to connect with God can become tainted by our sin and…
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Last reviewed October 2026
