Exodus 29:36

CONSECRATION OF THE ALTAR. (Exo 29:36-37)

and thou shalt cleanse the altar--The phrase, "when thou hast made an atonement for it," should be, upon it; and the purport of the direction is, that during all the time they were engaged as above from day to day in offering the appointed sacrifices, the greatest care was to be taken to keep the altar properly cleansed--to remove the ashes, and sprinkle it with the prescribed unction that, at the conclusion of the whole ceremonial, the altar itself should be consecrated as much as the ministers who were to officiate at it (Mat 23:19). It was thenceforth associated with the services of religion.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Exo 29:36 And thou shalt offer every day a bullock [for] a sin offering for atonement: and thou shalt cleanse the altar, when thou hast made an atonement for it, and thou shalt anoint it, to sanctify it.

Ver. 36. Cleanse the altar.] Which, as well as the creatures, may be defiled by man’s sin. {Lev 16:16}

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Exo 29:36-37. The consecration of the altar seems to have been coincident with that of the priests; and the sin-offerings, which were offered every day for seven days together, had reference to the altar as well as the priests. An atonement was made for the altar — The altar was also sanctified; not only set apart itself to a sacred use, but made so holy as to sanctify the gifts that were offered upon it, Mat 23:19. Christ is our altar, for our sakes he sanctified himself, that we and our performances might be sanctified and recommended to God, Joh 17:19.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

To appease God’s wrath that sin may be pardoned.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Verse 36. Thou shalt cleanse the altar] The altar was to be sanctified for seven days; and it is likely that on each day, previously to the consecration service, the altar was wiped clean, and the former day's ashes, &c., removed.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(36) Thou shalt cleanse the altar, when thou hast made an atonement for it.—Rather, by making an atonement for it. The atonement was made by smearing the blood of the bullock upon the horns of the altar (Exo_29:12, compared with Lev_8:15).

And thou shalt anoint it.—Comp. Lev_8:11, where we find that the altar was anointed by having the holy oil sprinkled upon it seven times. It is not quite clear at what period in the ceremonial this was done.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

36. offer] Heb. do: see on Exo_10:25.

the bullock] a bullock (so the Heb.): upon independent grounds, also, the bullock of vv. 1, 10–14 can hardly be meant; for vv. 1, 10 speak only of atonement for the priests; and the ceremonies enjoined in v. 12 are in particular those prescribed in Lev_4:7; Lev_4:18; Lev_4:25; Lev_4:30; Lev_4:34 for persons. It is true, two clauses referring to the altar (‘and un-sinned the altar,’ ‘and sanctified it by making atonement for it’) are found in Lev_8:15 (the || to v. 12 here); but the absence of any corresponding instructions in Exo_29:12 raises the suspicion that they are later additions to the text, based upon vv. 36 f. here.

cleanse the altar] free the altar from sin, or, if it is permissible to coin a word, corresponding approximately to the single word ḥiṭṭç’ (see G.-K. § 52h) of the Heb., un-sin the altar. Either cleanse or purge (RVm.) leaves out a distinctive part of the Heb. idea: the Hebrew understood ‘sin’ in a wider sense than we do, and regarded it as capable of infecting even a material object. The word occurs in the same sense Lev_8:15 (of the altar, as here), Lev_14:49 (of a leprous house), Lev_14:52, Num_19:19 (RV. purify); Eze_43:20; Eze_43:22 (twice), 23 (all of the altar, Eze_45:18 (of the sanctuary); Psa_51:7 (purge)†; and in the reflexive conj., Num_8:21; Num_19:12 (twice), Num_19:13, Num_19:20, Num_31:19-20; Num_31:23†.

by thy making (marg.) atonement for it] on account of its being regarded as infected with sin. For other cases of ‘atonement’ being made for a material object—regarded either as affected by the natural impurity of human workmanship, or as tainted by contact with a sinful people—see (of the altar of burnt-offering) Lev_Exo_8:15 (the execution of the present injunction), Eze_43:20; Eze_43:26, Lev_16:18; Lev_16:20; Lev_16:33; (of the altar of incense) ch. Exo_30:10 b; (of the sanctuary) Eze_45:20, Lev_16:16; Lev_16:20; Lev_16:33; (of a leprous house) Lev_14:53 (DB. iv. 131b).

thou shalt anoint it] Cf. Lev_Exo_8:11 (in the insertion referred to on v. 7 above, between the words corresponding to v. 7a and v. 7b here). See on Exo_30:26-29 (at the end).

36, 37. The altar to be fitted for sacred uses by atonement being made for it: the ceremony to be repeated, like the installation-ceremony, every day for seven days. The altar, as the work of human hands, was regarded as infected by a natural uncleanness, which had to be ceremonially removed before it could be used for sacred purposes. Cf. the atoning rites, to continue for seven days, prescribed by Ezek. for the installation of the altar of the restored Temple, Eze_43:18-27.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And thou shall offer every day a bullock for a sin offering for atonement,.... That is, every day of the seven days of consecration; denoting the full and complete atonement for sin by the sacrifice of Christ, which these sacrifices could not really obtain, and were therefore frequently repeated, in this case seven times; figuratively by that number pointing to the full expiation of sin by the atoning Saviour, who was made not only an offering for sin, but sin itself by imputation, for his people:

and thou shalt cleanse the altar when thou hast made atonement for it; which though not capable of sin, or of any moral guilt, yet, inasmuch as it was to be of sacred use, and to have sin offerings laid upon it, expiation and cleansing, in a ceremonial way, were to be made for it, to purge it from the uncleanness of the children of Israel, Lev 16:18. This altar was typical of Christ, who is that altar believers in him have a right to partake of; and though he had no sin of his own, no guilt of that kind to expiate, nor pollution to be cleansed from, yet as he had the guilt of his people transferred to him, and was clothed with their filthy garments, and had their uncleannesses on him; by the sacrifice of himself he purged away sin from himself and them, and was justified and cleared of all, and they in him:

and thou shalt anoint it, to sanctify it; anoint it, as it afterwards was, with the holy anointing oil, whereby it was sanctified, or set apart for holy uses; in which it was a figure of Christ anointed with the oil of gladness, the Holy Spirit, above his fellows; and was sanctified and set apart for his priestly office, in which he was both altar, sacrifice, and priest.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

For atonement, as well for the priests as for the altar; both which, as they were or might be polluted, so they needed the sprinkling of this blood to sanctify them, to show that all persons and things were fitted for God’s service, and accepted by him only for and through the blood of Christ.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Thou shalt cleanse the altar, when thou hast made an atonement for it. Rather, "thou shelf purify the altar by making an atonement for it." The sin-offering for the altar was the same bullock which served for Aaron and his sons. Its virtue was applied to the altar by smearing the blood upon its horns and pouring the remainder at its base (ver. 12). See Lev_8:15: Moses took the blood, and put it upon the horns of the altar round about with his finger, and purified the altar, and poured the blood at the bottom of the altar, and sanctified it." And thou shalt anoint it. In his execution of these directions, Moses separated the anointing of the altar from the cleansing, placing it even before the anointing of Aaron. He anointed it by sprinkling the holy oil upon it seven times. (Lev_8:11)

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The consecration of the altar, seems to have been coincident with that of the priests; and the sin-offerings, which were offered every day for seven days together, had reference to the altar, as well as the priests. And atonement was made for the altar. The altar was also sanctified, not only set apart itself to a sacred use, but made so holy as to sanctify the gifts that were offered upon it, Matt. xxiii, 19. Christ is our altar, for our sakes he sanctified himself, that we and our performances might be sanctified and recommended to God, John xvii, 19.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

על הכפרים means for the purpose of expiation — to expiate for the altar for all that is “strange” (not holy) and objectionable that may happened to it. Now since it is said. (v. 35) “Seven days shalt thou consecrate them” after having stated that if a single thing is omitted the ceremony is invalid, I can infer nothing more than that this alludes to a thing that is offered on account of them personally as, for example, the rams and the bread, but as regards anything that is offered on account of the altar as, for example, the bullock, which is intended to serve as expiation for the altar, we cannot infer from that verse that if this is omitted the ceremony of initiation is invalid; consequently this verse is necessary to inform us of this. An explanation in Torath Cohanim (the Sifra) states: atonement for the altar was necessary because perhaps a man had donated for work in connection with the construction of the Tabernacle or the altar something which he had stolen (Sifra, Tzav, Mechilta d'Miluim 1 15).

וחטאת — The Targum translates this by ותדכי AND THOU SHALT PURIFY [THE ALTAR]; the expression for placing upon the altar the blood that is placed there with the finger is called חַטַּא (hence it is followed by the preposition על “upon”).

ומשחת אתו AND THOU SHALT ANOINT IT with the oil of anointing: every anointing was done in the form of a Greek Chi (X).

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.

AND EVERY DAY SHALT THOU OFFER THE BULLOCK OF SIN-OFFERING ‘AL HAKIPURIM’ — “for atonement, to atone for the altar for anything strange [i.e., unholy] and abominable [that may happen to be brought upon it]. And in the Midrash of Torath Kohanim, Milu’im 1:15. it says: ‘atonement for the altar was necessary in case a person had donated for work in connection with the construction of the Tabernacle and [the sacrifices brought upon] the altar something he had acquired by robbery’” [or other unlawful means]. This is the language of Rashi. The correct interpretation of al hakipurim is, however, [that he is to bring the bullock of sin-offering] in addition to the two rams which were an atonement for Aaron and his sons, as He said here, And they shall eat those things wherewith atonement was made, and surely the [bullock] sin-offering was for the purpose of atonement. And it is further written, As hath been done this day, so the Eternal hath commanded to do, to make atonement for you. Such are the words of Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra.

Ramban (Nachmanides) on the Tanakh — English translation: “Commentary on the Torah by Ramban (Nachmanides). Translated and annotated by Charles B. Chavel. New York, Shilo Pub. House, 1971-1976” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.