Leviticus 16:23
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It's easy to overlook that the linen garments Aaron removed were not just ordinary clothes. These weren't merely "work clothes" for a specific job; they were so sacred and connected to the atonement that they were never to be worn again after this service.
“Then Aaron shall come into the tent of meeting and shall take off the linen garments that he put on when he went into the Holy Place and shall leave them there.
English Standard Version (ESV)
After completing the solemn rites within the Most Holy Place and sending the scapegoat into the wilderness, Aaron transitions to the final stages of the Day of Atonement. He sheds the special linen garments worn for the most sacred acts, symbolizing a departure from that intense, direct encounter with God's presence. These garments, having absorbed the significance of the day's atoning work, are left behind, never to be reused.
Why did Aaron change his clothes after performing such a holy ritual? The specific garments worn by the High Priest weren't just for show; they were deeply symbolic.
The linen garments Aaron wore for the Day of Atonement were set apart specifically for that sacred service. They weren't ordinary clothing; they were 'holy garments' (Leviticus 16:4), distinguishing him for this unique, once-a-year atonement rite.
When he removed them, it signaled the completion of the most sacred part of the ritual.
Aaron didn't just take off his special clothes; he left them there. What does this act of 'leaving' signify after such an intense encounter with God's presence?
The act of leaving the linen garments in the tabernacle signified that the intense, direct encounter with God's holiness was concluded for that day.
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Understand the original words
ohel mo'ed · Hebrew Noun phrase
The sacred place where God met with His people; a location designed for God's presence, sacrifice, and the mediation of the High Priest.
This passage describes the High Priest's single annual entry into the Most Holy Place, mirroring the solemnity and restricted access highlighted in Leviticus 16.
Exodus 28:42This verse details the purpose of the linen garments worn by priests, emphasizing their sacred nature and function in priestly service, which is relevant to why Aaron removes them.
2 Corinthians 5:21Paul's declaration that Christ, who knew no sin, became sin for us, echoes the symbolic transfer of sin in Leviticus 16, particularly the scapegoat, showing how Christ's sacrifice accomplished what the Levitical ritual prefigured.
1 Peter 1:18-19This passage explains our redemption by the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or spot, connecting to the sacrificial blood shed on the Day of Atonement and the purity required for atonement.
bensonLeviticus 16:23: "And Aaron shall come into the tabernacle of the congregation, and shall put off the linen garments, which he put on when he went into the holy place, and shall leave them there:"
Leviticus 16:23 . He shall put off the linen garments — Having finished the solemn expiatory and deprecatory offering, he was to put off those garments which were appropriated to this service, and to leave them there. And Maimonides and others say they were never to be used more, either by him or any…
gillLeviticus 16:23: "And Aaron shall come into the tabernacle of the congregation, and shall put off the linen garments, which he put on when he went into the holy place, and shall leave them there:"
And Aaron shall come into the tabernacle of the congregation,.... Having been into the most holy place a fourth time, as the Jews say, to fetch out the censer and the incense cup; wherefore the Jewish writers observe, that this verse is not in its proper place; so Jarchi from the Rabbins says, the who…
It's easy to overlook that the linen garments Aaron removed were not just ordinary clothes. These weren't merely "work clothes" for a specific job; they were so sacred and connected to the atonement that they were never to be worn again after this service.
After completing the solemn rites within the Most Holy Place and sending the scapegoat into the wilderness, Aaron transitions to the final stages of the Day of Atonement. He sheds the special linen garments worn for the most sacred acts, symbolizing a departure from that intense, direct encounter with God's presence. These garments, having absorbed the significance of the day's atoning work, are left behind, never to be reused.
After completing the solemn rites within the Most Holy Place and sending the scapegoat into the wilderness, Aaron transitions to the final stages of the Day of Atonement. He sheds the special linen garments worn for the most sacred acts, symbolizing a departure from that intense, direct encounter with God's presence. These garments, having absorbed the significance of the day's atoning work, are left behind, never to be reused.
"“Then Aaron shall come into the tent of meeting and shall take off the linen garments that he put on when he went into the Holy Place and shall leave them there." — It's easy to overlook that the linen garments Aaron removed were not just ordinary clothes. These weren't merely "work clothes" for a specific job; they were so sacred and connected to the atonement…
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Last reviewed October 2026
