1 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 2 Take Aaron with his sons, their vestments, and the oil of unction, a calf for sin, two rams, a basket with unleavened bread, 3 And thou shalt gather together all the congregation to the door of the tabernacle. 4 And Moses did as the Lord had commanded. And all the multitude being gathered together before the door of the tabernacle, 5 He said: This is the word that the Lord hath commanded to be done. 6 And immediately he offered Aaron and his sons: and when he had washed them, 7 He vested the high priest with the strait linen garment, girding him with the girdle, and putting on him the violet tunick, and over it he put the ephod, 8 And binding it with the girdle, he fitted it to the rational, on which was Doctrine and Truth. 9 He put also the mitre upon his head: and upon the mitre over the forehead, he put the plate of gold, consecrated with sanctification, as the Lord had commanded him. 10 He took also the oil of unction, with which he anointed the tabernacle, with all the furniture thereof. 11 And when he had sanctified and sprinkled the altar seven times, he anointed it, and all the vessels thereof, and the laver with the foot thereof, he sanctified with the oil. 12 And he poured it upon Aaron's head, and he anointed and consecrated him : 13 And after he had offered his sons, he vested them with linen tunicks, and girded them with girdles, and put mitres on them as the Lord had commanded.

14 He offered also the calf for sin: and when Aaron and his sons had put their hands upon the head thereof, 15 He immolated it: and took the blood, and dipping his finger in it, he touched the horns of the altar round about. Which being expiated, and sanctified, he poured the rest of the blood at the bottom thereof. 16 But the fat that was upon the entrails, and the caul of the liver, and the two little kidneys, with their fat, he burnt upon the altar: 17 And the calf with the skin, and the flesh and the dung, he burnt without the camp, as the Lord had commanded.

Burnt offering of a ram

18 He offered also a ram for a holocaust: and when Aaron and his sons had put their hands upon its head, 19 He immolated it, and poured the blood thereof round about upon the altar. 20 And cutting the ram into pieces, the head thereof, and the joints, and the fat he burnt in the fire, 21 Having first washed the entrails, and the feet, and the whole ram together he burnt upon the altar, because it was a holocaust of most sweet odour to the Lord, as he had commanded him.

Aaron and his sons are consecrated

22 He offered also the second ram, in the consecration of priests: and Aaron, and his sons put their hands upon the head thereof:  23 And when Moses had immolated it, he took of the blood thereof, and touched the tip of Aaron's right ear, and the thumb of his right hand, and in like manner also the great toe of his right foot. 24 He offered also the sons of Aaron: and when with the blood of the ram that was immolated, he had touched the tip of the right ear of every one of them, and the thumbs of their right hands, and the great toes of their right feet, the rest he poured on the altar round about: 25 But the fat, and the rump, and all the fat that covereth the entrails, and the caul of the liver, and the two kidneys with their fat, and with the right shoulder, he separated. 26 And taking out of the basket; of unleavened bread, which was before the Lord, a loaf without leaven, and a cake tempered with oil and a wafer, he put them upon the fat, and the right shoulder, 27 Delivering all to Aaron, and to his sons: wile having lifted them up before the Lord, 28 He took them again from their hands, and burnt them upon the altar of holocaust, because it was the oblation of consecration, for a sweet odour of sacrifice to the Lord. 29 And he took of the ram of consecration, the breast for his portion, elevating it before the Lord, as the Lord had commanded him. 30 And taking the ointment, and the blood that was upon the altar, he sprinkled Aaron, and his vestments, and his sons, and their vestments with it.

Ordination ceremony lasts seven days

31 And when he had sanctified them in their vestments, he commanded them, saying: Boil the flesh before the door of the tabernacle, and there eat it. Eat ye also the loaves of consecration, that are laid in the basket, as the Lord commanded me, saying: Aaron and his sons shall eat them: 32 And whatsoever shall be left of the flesh and the leaves, shall be consumed with fire. 33 And you shall not go out of the door of the tabernacle for seven days, until the day wherein the time of your consecration shall be expired. For in seven days the consecration is finished: 34 As at this present it hath been done, that the rite of the sacrifice might be accomplished. 35 Day and night shall you remain in the tabernacle observing the watches of the Lord, lest you die: for so it hath been commanded me. 36 And Aaron and his sons did all things which the Lord spoke by the hand of Moses.

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Chapter 8 The purpose of the Law was to induce men to have reverence for the divine worship: and this in two ways; first, by excluding from the worship of God whatever might be an object of contempt; secondly, by introducing into the divine worship all that seemed to savor of reverence. And, indeed, if this was observed in regard to the tabernacle and its vessels, and in the animals to be sacrificed, much more was it to be observed in the very ministers. Wherefore, in order to obviate contempt for the ministers, it was prescribed that they should have no bodily stain or defect: since men so deformed are wont to be despised by others. For the same reason it was also commanded that the choice of those who were to be destined to the service of God was not to be made in a broadcast manner from any family, but according to their descent from one particular stock, thus giving them distinction and nobility. (St. Thomas Aquinas Summa Theologica)


8:1-13 In order that they might be revered, special ornate vestments were appointed for their use, and a special form of consecration. This indeed is the general reason of ornate garments. But the high-priest in particular had eight vestments... According to some, the literal reason for these vestments was that they denoted the disposition of the terrestrial globe; as though the high-priest confessed himself to be the minister of the Creator of the world, wherefore it is written (Wis. 18:24): "In the robe" of Aaron "was the whole world" described... The vestments denote the virtues of God's ministers. Now there are four things that are necessary to all His ministers, viz. chastity denoted by the breeches; a pure life, signified by the linen tunic; the moderation of discretion, betokened by the girdle; and rectitude of purpose, denoted by the mitre covering the head.  But the high-priests needed four other things in addition to these. First, a continual recollection of God in their thoughts; and this was signified by the golden plate worn over the forehead, with the name of God engraved thereon. Secondly, they had to bear with the shortcomings of the people: this was denoted by the ephod which they bore on their shoulders. Thirdly, they had to carry the people in their mind and heart by the solicitude of charity, in token of which they wore the rational. Fourthly, they had to lead a godly life by performing works of perfection; and this was signified by the violet tunic. Hence little golden bells were fixed to the bottom of the violet tunic, which bells signified the teaching of divine things united in the high-priest to his godly mode of life. In addition to these were the pomegranates, signifying unity of faith and concord in good morals: because his doctrine should hold together in such a way that it should not rend asunder the unity of faith and peace. (St. Thomas Aquinas Summa Theologica)

8:2 At their consecration the following sacrifices were offered: a calf, for sin, in memory of Aaron's sin in fashioning the molten calf; a ram, for a holocaust, in memory of the sacrifice of Abraham, whose obedience it behooved the high-priest to imitate; again, a ram of consecration, which was a peace-offering, in memory of the delivery form Egypt through the blood of the lamb; and a basket of bread, in memory of the manna vouchsafed to the people. (St. Thomas Aquinas Summa Theologica)

8:3 gather: We should not that this is the first time that this word for "gather" (ecclesiason) occurs in Scripture, and does so at the point where the Lord places Aaron in the office of high priest. (St. Cyril of Jerusalem Cat. Lec. 18.24)

8:4-5 Although the Lord had iven them commands about apopointing the high priest and had made his choice, the congregation was still called together.  For in ordaining a priest, the presence of the people is also required that all may know and be certain that from all the people one is chosen for the priesthood who is more excellent, who is more wise, who is more holy, who is more eminent in every virtue, lest afterwards, when he stands before the people, any hesitation or any doubt should remain. (Origen Hom 6 on Lev)

8:6,12 We read that Moses first washed Aaron and his sons and then consecrated them to the priesthood.  In the same way Christ consecrates Christians who have been washed from their sins (See Rev 1:5). (Geoffrey of Auxerre On Rev)

8:7 For the linen breeches signified the earth out of which the flax grows. The surrounding belt signified the ocean which surrounds the earth. The violet tunic denoted the air by its color: its little bells betoken the thunder; the pomegranates, the lightning. The ephod, by its many colors, signified the starry heaven. (St. Thomas Aquinas Summa Theologica)

8:8 And the Lord commanded the "Doctrine and Truth" to be put in the rational: for certain matters regarding moral and dogmatic truth were written on it.  The Jews indeed pretend that on the rational was placed a stone which changed color according to the various things which were about to happen to the children of Israel: and this they call the "Truth and Doctrine." (St. Thomas Aquinas Summa Theologica)

8:15,23-24 And all that was done touching them in their consecration or institution, was with a view to show that they were in possession of a prerogative of purity, power and dignity. Hence three things were done in the institution of ministers: for first, they were purified; secondly, they were adorned and consecrated; thirdly, they were employed in the ministry. All in general used to be purified by washing in water, and by certain sacrifices; but the Levites in particular shaved all the hair of their bodies, as stated in Lev. 8 (cf. Num. 8). (St. Thomas Aquinas Summa Theologica)  For he indeed was anointed on the head, the right ear, the hand; to excite him to obedience, and to good works. (St. John Chrysostom Homily VI)

8:22-30 In reference to their being destined to the ministry, the fat of the ram, one roll of bread, and the right shoulder were placed on their hands, to show that they received the power of offering these things to the Lord: while the Levites were initiated to the ministry by being brought into the tabernacle of the covenant, as being destined to the ministry touching the vessels of the sanctuary.  The figurative reason of these things was that those who are to be consecrated to the spiritual ministry of Christ, should be first of all purified by the waters of Baptism, and by the waters of tears, in their faith in Christ's Passion, which is a sacrifice both of expiation and of purification. They have also to shave all the hair of their body, i.e. all evil thoughts. They should, moreover, be decked with virtues, and be consecrated with the oil of the Holy Ghost, and with the sprinkling of Christ's blood. And thus they should be intent on the fulfilment of their spiritual ministry. (St. Thomas Aquinas Summa Theologica)

8:23 The reason why he anointed the priest's right ear, right hand, and foot with blood and oil was because there are a type of our goof things: the blood of the Savior's blood, and the oil of the most holy chrism.  The right ear is a symbol of praiseworthy obedience, and the hand and foot of good actions- hence the anointing of the right hand and right foot.  There is, after all, such a thing as sinister action and a harmful obedience. (Theodoret of Cyrus)

8:30 They themselves and their garments were sprinkled with the blood of the animal that had been sacrificed, in memory of the blood of the lamb by which they had been delivered in Egypt. (St. Thomas Aquinas Summa Theologica)