Leviticus 16:2 “And the LORD said to Moses: “Tell your brother Aaron not to enter free…”

Leviticus 16:2

And the LORD said to Moses: “Tell your brother Aaron not to enter freely into the Most Holy Place behind the veil in front of the mercy seat on the ark, or else he will die, because I appear in the cloud above the mercy seat.

Berean Standard Bible

Other translations

King James Version

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.

World English Bible

and the LORD said to Moses, “Tell Aaron your brother not to come at just any time into the Most Holy Place within the veil, before the mercy seat which is on the ark; lest he die; for I will appear in the cloud on the mercy seat.

American Standard Version

and Jehovah said unto Moses, Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the holy place within the veil, before the mercy-seat which is upon the ark; that he die not: for I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy-seat.

Geneva Bible 1599

And the Lord sayd vnto Moses, Speake vnto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the Holy place within the vayle, before the Merciseate, which is vpon the Arke, that he dye not: for I wil appeare in the cloude vpon the Merciseate.

Darby Translation

and Jehovah said to Moses, Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the sanctuary inside the veil before the mercy-seat which is upon the ark, that he die not; for I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy-seat.

Young's Literal Translation

yea, Jehovah saith unto Moses, 'Speak unto Aaron thy brother, and he cometh not in at all times unto the sanctuary within the vail, unto the front of the mercy-seat, which [is] upon the ark, and he dieth not, for in a cloud I am seen upon the mercy-seat.

Bible in Basic English

The Lord said to Moses, Say to Aaron, your brother, that he may not come at all times into the holy place inside the veil, before the cover which is on the ark, for fear that death may overtake him; for I will be seen in the cloud on the cover of the ark.

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Cross references

“he come not”

Exodus 30:10 1 Kings 8:6 Leviticus 23:27 Hebrews 9:3 Exodus 26:33 Exodus 26:34

Exodus 30:10 · BSB

Once a year Aaron shall make atonement on the horns of the altar. Throughout your generations he shall make atonement on it annually with the blood of the sin offering of atonement. The altar is most holy to the LORD.”

1 Kings 8:6 · BSB

Then the priests brought the ark of the covenant of the LORD to its place in the inner sanctuary of the temple, the Most Holy Place, beneath the wings of the cherubim.

Leviticus 23:27 · BSB

“The tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. You shall hold a sacred assembly and humble yourselves, and present a food offering to the LORD.

Hebrews 9:3 · BSB

Behind the second curtain was a room called the Most Holy Place,

Exodus 26:33 · BSB

And hang the veil from the clasps and place the ark of the Testimony behind the veil. So the veil will separate the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place.

Exodus 26:34 · BSB

Put the mercy seat on the ark of the Testimony in the Most Holy Place.

“that he die not”

Matthew 27:51 Leviticus 16:13 Leviticus 8:35 Numbers 4:19 Numbers 17:10 Hebrews 4:14–16

Matthew 27:51 · BSB

At that moment the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth quaked, and the rocks were split.

Leviticus 16:13 · BSB

He is to put the incense on the fire before the LORD, and the cloud of incense will cover the mercy seat above the Testimony, so that he will not die.

Leviticus 8:35 · BSB

You must remain at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting day and night for seven days and keep the LORD’s charge so that you will not die, for this is what I have been commanded.”

Numbers 4:19 · BSB

In order that they may live and not die when they come near the most holy things, do this for them: Aaron and his sons are to go in and assign each man his task and what he is to carry.

Numbers 17:10 · BSB

The LORD said to Moses, “Put Aaron’s staff back in front of the Testimony, to be kept as a sign for the rebellious, so that you may put an end to their grumbling against Me, lest they die.”

Hebrews 4:14–16 · BSB

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we profess.

“in the cloud”

1 Kings 8:10–12 2 Chronicles 5:14 Exodus 40:34 Exodus 40:35

1 Kings 8:10–12 · BSB

And when the priests came out of the Holy Place, the cloud filled the house of the LORD

2 Chronicles 5:14 · BSB

so that the priests could not stand there to minister because of the cloud. For the glory of the LORD filled the house of God.

Exodus 40:34 · BSB

Then the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.

Exodus 40:35 · BSB

Moses was unable to enter the Tent of Meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.

“the mercy seat”

Exodus 25:17–22

Exodus 25:17–22 · BSB

And you are to construct a mercy seat of pure gold, two and a half cubits long and a cubit and a half wide.

Also

Hebrews 9:25

Hebrews 9:25 · BSB

Nor did He enter heaven to offer Himself again and again, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own.

Cross references adapted from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0) and the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

In context

1Now the LORD spoke to Moses after the death of two of Aaron’s sons when they approached the presence of the LORD.

3This is how Aaron is to enter the Holy Place: with a young bull for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering.

Read Leviticus 16