Exodus 29 Chapter Introduction

Large translation teams working on multiple books at the same time should note that this chapter is very similar to Leviticus 8.

Structure and Formatting

As you translate, you may perceive a different structure in this chapter than what is below. Feel free to organize in a way that is clear in your language. This chapter is really one united whole; the outline below is one possible way of subdividing it. The Consecration of the Priests

• v. 1–3 Preparing items
• v. 4–9 Preparing Aaron and his sons
• v. 10–14 Sacrificing the bull to purify the altar
• v. 15–34 Sacrificing the rams
  • v. 15–18 The first ram wholly burned
  • v. 19–28 The second ram used for consecrating and divided for eating
  • v. 29–30 Priestly succession
  • v. 31–34 More instructions regarding eating the second ram
• v. 35–37 Instructions to do all this for seven days
• v. 38–41 Instructions for perpetual offerings
• v. 42–46 Yahweh’s affirmation

Religious and Cultural Concepts in This Chapter

Consecrating priests

This chapter records the process of consecrating priests. The priests were to be set apart from the rest of Israel because Yahweh is holy. (See: consecrate and priest and holy)

Translation Issues in This Chapter

Forms of you

For this chapter, it seems that the singular “you” that Yahweh has been using to give Moses general instructions for the last several chapters now actually refers to Moses himself. If you have been translating the instructions using a plural form of you or by shifting the instructions to the third person, you should switch back to a singular form referring directly to Moses for this chapter.

“I will live among the Israelites”

As God, Yahweh is everywhere and cannot be limited to a single space. This phrase indicates that he permanently remains within Israel in a special way while they have the ark.