Exodus 30:10 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Aaron shall make atonement on its horns once a year. With the blood of the sin offering of atonement he shall make atonement for it once in the year throughout your generations. It is most holy to the Lord."

NIV: Once a year Aaron shall make atonement on its horns. This annual atonement must be made with the blood of the atoning sin offering for the generations to come. It is most holy to the Lord."

NASB: However, Aaron shall make atonement on its horns once a year; he shall make atonement on it with the blood of the sin offering of atonement once a year throughout your generations. It is most holy to the Lord.'

CSB: "Once a year Aaron is to perform the atonement ceremony for the altar. Throughout your generations he is to perform the atonement ceremony for it once a year, with the blood of the sin offering for atonement on the horns. The altar is especially holy to the Lord."

NLT: Once a year Aaron must purify the altar by smearing its horns with blood from the offering made to purify the people from their sin. This will be a regular, annual event from generation to generation, for this is the Lord’s most holy altar.'

KJV: And Aaron shall make an atonement upon the horns of it once in a year with the blood of the sin offering of atonements: once in the year shall he make atonement upon it throughout your generations: it is most holy unto the Lord.

NKJV: And Aaron shall make atonement upon its horns once a year with the blood of the sin offering of atonement; once a year he shall make atonement upon it throughout your generations. It is most holy to the Lord.”

Exodus 30:1–10 records the design of a special altar for God's sanctuary (Exodus 25:8–9). This is smaller than the altar used for animal sacrifices (Exodus 27:1). The golden altar (Hebrews 9:3–4) is meant for daily burning of incense (Exodus 30:34). This altar is not used for other sacrifices, though some believe the single atonement each year where Aaron applies blood to an altar's horns (Leviticus 16:18; 23:27) refers to this object. The incense altar is made of acacia wood overlaid with gold. Israel transports it with gilded poles fitting into two rings.

Items described here function with other sacred objects (Exodus 25—28) constructed for the tabernacle (Exodus 25:8–9). One is a small gold-lined altar for incense. The other is a large bronze basin for ceremonial washing. The last two sets of instructions are for specially formulated anointing oil and sacred incense. Israel will establish a national tax to pay for these.

Much of Exodus is a description of the tabernacle and its components (Exodus 25—28). This is the last section of new designs given in this book. God will assign craftsmen to make the sacred objects (Exodus 31). But while Moses receives these instructions, Israel slips into idolatry (Exodus 32). The last several chapters of Exodus record how God's earlier instructions were followed with precision.

The book of Exodus establishes God's covenant relationship with the full-fledged nation of Israel. The descendants of Abraham prosper after settling in Egypt, only to be enslaved by a fearful, hateful Egyptian Pharaoh. God appoints Moses to lead the people out of this bondage. Moses serves as God's spokesman, as the Lord brings plagues and judgments on Egypt, leading to the release of Israel.