Thematic Bible: The function he served was superior to that of other priests


Thematic Bible



then that man is to bring his wife to the priest along with an offering for her consisting of a tenth of an ephah of barley flour. He is not to pour oil or set frankincense over it, because it's to be a jealousy offering, a memorial offering that will serve as a reminder of iniquity.

Those who had arrested Jesus took him to Caiaphas, the high priest, where the scribes and the elders had assembled.

Jesus asked him, "Friend, why are you here?" Then the other men surged forward, took hold of Jesus, and arrested him.

When he mentioned the Ark of God, Eli fell off the seat backwards by the side of the gate. His neck was broken and he died, since he was old and heavy. Eli had judged Israel for 40 years.

"If a case is too difficult for you to decide with respect to bloodshed, civil claims, assault and battery, or other matters of dispute within your courts, bring it to the place that the LORD your God will choose. Present the case to the Levitical priest or the judge at that time. When you have inquired and they have announced the verdict, carry out the verdict that was declared to you at the place that the LORD will choose. Carefully observe all of their instructions to you read more.
in accordance with what the Law says, and in accordance with the verdict that will be handed to you. You must not deviate from the verdict that they declare to you either to the right or to the left. If a man presumptuously disregards the priest who is serving the LORD your God there or the judge, that person must die so you will purge evil from Israel. Then all the people who hear will be afraid and will not act presumptuously again."

Paul looked straight at the Council and said, "Brothers, with a clear conscience I have done my duty before God up to this very day." Then the high priest Ananias ordered the men standing near him to strike him on the mouth. At this Paul told him, "God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! How can you sit there and judge me according to the Law, and yet in violation of the Law order me to be struck?" read more.
The men standing near him asked, "Do you mean to insult God's high priest?" Paul answered, "I didn't realize, brothers, that he is the high priest. After all, it is written, "You must not speak evil about a ruler of your people.'"

Then the high priests and the elders of the people assembled in the courtyard of the high priest, who was named Caiaphas.

After the apostles heard this, they went into the Temple at daybreak and began to teach. The high priest and those who were with him arrived, called the Council and all the elders of Israel together, and sent word to the prison to have the men brought in. When the Temple police got there, they did not find them in the prison. They came back and reported, "We found the prison securely locked and the guards standing at the doors, but when we opened them, we found no one inside." read more.
When the commander of the Temple guards and the high priests heard these words, they were utterly at a loss as to what could have happened to them. Then someone came and told them, "Look! The men you put in prison are standing in the Temple and teaching the people!" So the commander of the Temple guards went with his men to bring them back without force, because they were afraid of being stoned to death by the people. When they brought them back, they made them stand before the Council, and the high priest began to question them. He said, "We gave you strict orders not to teach in his name, didn't we? Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to bring this man's blood on us!"

At this, the high priest stood up and asked Jesus, "Don't you have any answer to what these men are testifying against you?"

"Let no one fight or bring charges against another, for my dispute is with you, priest.


and Annas and Caiaphas high priests, a message from God came to John, the son of Zechariah, in the wilderness.

Meanwhile, Zadok showed up also, along with all of the descendants of Levi with him, carrying the Ark of the Covenant of God. They set down the Ark of God and Abiathar approached while all the people finished abandoning the city.

Moses sent 1,000 men from every tribe to fight against them, along with Eleazar's son Phinehas, in whose hands were the articles of the sanctuary and trumpets to sound battle alarms.

The captain of the guard arrested Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the second priest, three temple officials,

The chief of all the leaders of the descendants of Levi was Aaron the priest's son Eleazar. He was assigned to oversee those who were in charge of the services of the sanctuary.

"Now the duty of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest is to maintain the oil for the light, the spiced incense, the daily offerings, and the oil for anointing, to carry out all the duties of the tent and the sanctuary, and to maintain its utensils."

Eleazar's son Phinehas used to be Commander-in-Chief over them the LORD was with him.


Outside the Canopy of the Testimony in the Tent of Meeting, Aaron is to arrange it continually in the LORD's presence from evening until morning as an eternal ordinance throughout your generations. He is to arrange the lamps so that they burn continuously on a ceremonially pure lamp stand in the LORD's presence.

"And you are to command the Israelis to bring you pure olive oil, extracted by hand, for the light in order to keep the lamp burning continuously. In the Tent of Meeting, outside the curtain that is before the Testimony, Aaron and his sons are to maintain the lamp stand from evening until morning in the LORD's presence. It is to be a perpetual ordinance from generation to generation among the Israelis."

and when Aaron sets up the lamps at twilight, he is to offer it as a continual incense offering in the LORD's presence throughout your generations.

So Aaron did so, setting up the lamps to illuminate the area in front of the lamp stand, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.


Each year Aaron is to make atonement on its horns with the blood of the sin offering of atonement. He is to make atonement on it each year throughout your generations. It is most holy to the LORD."

But only the high priest went into the second part, and then only once a year, and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins committed by the people in ignorance.

For that reason he is obligated to offer sacrifices for his own sins as well as for those of the people.

In fact, under the Law almost everything is cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of the blood there is no forgiveness. Thus it was necessary for these earthly copies of the things in heaven to be cleansed by these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves are made clean with better sacrifices than these.


As a result, whenever they noticed that there was a lot of money in the chest, the king's secretary and the high priest went forward, put the money in bags, counted the money that had been given over to the LORD's Temple,

"Go to the high priest Hilkiah, so he can count the money that has been brought into the LORD's Temple by the doorkeepers who have been gathering it from the people.

They approached Hilkiah the high priest and delivered to him the money that had been brought into God's Temple that the descendants of Levi and gatekeepers had collected from Manasseh, Ephraim, the surviving Israelis, Judah, Benjamin, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

so the king summoned Jehoiada the chief priest and asked him, "Why haven't you required the descendants of Levi to bring from Judah and Jerusalem the tax levied by Moses, the LORD's servant, and the assembly of Israel for the Tent of Testimony?" Because that wicked woman Athaliah's family members had broken into the Temple of God and used the consecrated implements of the LORD's Temple for service to the Baals, the king issued an order and a chest was made and set outside the entrance gate to the LORD's Temple. read more.
A public notice was sent throughout Judah and Jerusalem to bring in the tax that Moses the servant of the LORD had levied on Israel when they were in the wilderness. So all the princes and all the people gladly brought their tax and placed it into the chest until they had completed paying the tax. Whenever the chest was brought to the king's officials by the descendants of Levi, the royal secretary and the chief priest's designated officer would come, empty the chest, and take it back to its place. They did this day after day until they had collected a large amount of cash. Both the king and Jehoiada paid the money to those who were working to maintain the service of the LORD's Temple, and they, in turn, hired masons and carpenters to restore the LORD's Temple. Iron and bronze workers also were brought in to repair the Lord's Temple. As a result, the workmen did their labor, and the repair work progressed steadily under their supervision, and they restored God's Temple back to what it should be, and strengthened it, too. When they had completed the work, they brought what was left of the money to the king and to Jehoiada, and it was used to cast utensils for the LORD's Temple that were to be utilized for daily service and for burnt offerings, for incense vessels, and for both gold and silver vessels. Burnt offerings were offered on a regular basis in the LORD's Temple throughout Jehoiada's lifetime.


The descendants of Amram included Aaron and Moses. Aaron had been set apart to consecrate the most holy things, with the intent that he and his sons should present offerings in the LORD's presence forever, ministering to him and pronouncing blessings in his name forever.

Aaron is to offer fragrant incense on it. Every morning when he trims the lamps he is to offer it, and when Aaron sets up the lamps at twilight, he is to offer it as a continual incense offering in the LORD's presence throughout your generations.

that I had chosen him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to offer up burnt offerings on my altar, burn incense, and carry the ephod in my presence? And did I not give to your ancestors' family all the Israeli fire-offerings?


You are to make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for dignity and beauty. You are to speak to all who are skilled, whom I've endowed with talent, that they should make Aaron's garments for consecrating him to serve me as priest. These are the garments that they are to make: a breast piece, an ephod, a robe, a checkered tunic, a turban, and a sash. They are to make holy garments for Aaron your brother and for his sons to serve me as priests. read more.
They are to use gold, blue, purple, and scarlet material, as well as fine linen." "They are to make the ephod from gold, along with blue, purple, and scarlet material and fine woven linen, all of it skillfully worked. It is to have two shoulder-pieces attached to its two edges so it can be joined together. The skillfully woven band that is on it is to be made like it, that is, of one piece with it, of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet material, and fine woven linen. You are to take two onyx stones and engrave the names of the sons of Israel on them, six of their names on one stone, and the six remaining names on the other stone. Engrave them according to their order of birth. With work like a jeweler engraves on a signet, you are to inscribe the two stones with the names of the sons of Israel, and you are to mount them in settings of gold filigree. You are to put the two stones on the shoulder pieces of the ephod as stones of remembrance representing the sons of Israel, and Aaron is to carry their names into the LORD's presence on his two shoulders as a memorial. You are to make settings of gold filigree, and you are to make two chains of pure gold twisted like cords, and then fasten the twisted chains to the filigree settings." "You are to make a breast piece to be worn by the high priest when he makes legal decisions. It is to be skillfully worked, made like the work of the ephod from gold, blue, purple, and scarlet material, and from fine woven linen. It is to be square when folded double, one hand span long and one hand span wide. You are to mount on it a setting for four rows of stones. The first row is to contain carnelian, topaz, and emerald; the second row ruby, sapphire, and crystal; the third row jacinth, agate, and amethyst; the fourth row beryl, onyx, and jasper, and they are to be set in gold filigree. The stones are to correspond to the names of the sons of Israel, twelve stones corresponding to their names. They are to be engraved like a signet, each with the name of one of the twelve tribes. "You are to make chains of pure gold, twisted like cords, for the breast piece. You are to make two gold rings for the breast piece, and put the two rings on the two edges of the breast piece. You are to put the two gold cords on the two gold rings at the edges of the breast piece, and you are to attach the other two ends of the two cords to the filigree settings and attach them to the shoulder pieces of the ephod in front. "You are to make two gold rings and attach them to the two edges of the breast piece, on the side of it that is toward the inner side of the ephod. You are to make two gold rings and attach them in front on the lower part of the two shoulder pieces of the ephod close to the place where it's joined, above the skillfully woven band of the ephod. They are to fasten the rings on the breast piece to the rings on the ephod with a blue cord so it will rest on the skillfully woven band of the ephod and so the breast piece won't come loose from the ephod. "Aaron is to carry the names of Israel's sons on his heart on the breast piece to be worn by the high priest when he makes legal decisions, that is, whenever he goes into the Holy Place in order to remember them continuously in the LORD's presence. You are to put the Urim and Thummim into the breast piece of judgment, and they are to be on Aaron's heart when he goes into the LORD's presence. He is to carry the breast piece of decision that depicts Israel's sons on his heart in the LORD's presence continuously." "You are to make the robe of the ephod entirely of blue. There is to be an opening at its top, in the middle, with a woven binding around the opening like the opening of a coat of mail so that it cannot be torn. On its hem you are to make blue and purple and scarlet pomegranates, all around the skirt, with gold bells between them all the way around. You are to have a gold bell and a pomegranate, then a gold bell and a pomegranate, on the hem of the robe all the way around it. Aaron is to wear the robe when he ministers so its sound may be heard when he enters and leaves the Holy Place in the LORD's presence, so that he won't die. "You are to make a medallion of pure gold, and engrave on it "Holy to the LORD,' like the engravings of a signet. You are to put it on a blue cord and place it on the turban. It is to be on the front of the turban and worn on Aaron's forehead in order to take away any guilt contained in the holy things which the Israelis consecrate as holy gifts. It is to remain on his forehead continuously, so they may be accepted in the LORD's presence. "You are to weave the checkered tunic of fine linen, you are to make a turban of fine linen, and you are to make an embroidered sash. "You are to make tunics for the sons of Aaron, you are to make sashes for them, and you are to make head coverings for them for dignity and beauty. You are to put them on Aaron your brother, and on his sons with him, and you are to anoint them, ordain them, and consecrate them to serve as my priests. "You are to make linen undergarments for them to cover their naked flesh, and they are to reach from the loins to the thighs. They shall be on Aaron and his sons when they enter the Tent of Meeting or when they approach the altar to minister in the Holy Place so they don't incur guilt and die. This is to be a perpetual ordinance for him and for his descendants after him."

From the blue, purple, and scarlet material they made finely woven garments for ministering in the Holy Place, and they made the holy garments for Aaron, just as the LORD commanded Moses. He made the ephod out of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet material and fine woven linen. They hammered out gold sheets and cut off threads to work into the blue, purple, and scarlet material and into the fine linen, a work of skillful design. read more.
They made connecting shoulder pieces for the ephod and attached them to its two edges. The skillfully woven band that was on it was made like it, of one piece with it: of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet material and fine woven linen, just as the LORD commanded Moses. They prepared the onyx stones, engraved with the names of the sons of Israel like the engraving on a signet, and mounted them in settings of gold filigree. He put them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod as stones of remembrance for the sons of Israel, just as the LORD commanded Moses. He made a breast piece, skillfully worked, like the work of the ephod: of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet material and fine woven linen. They made the breast piece square when folded double: one span in length and one span in width when folded double. They mounted on it four rows of stones. The first row was a row of carnelian, topaz, and emerald; the second row ruby, sapphire, and crystal; the third row jacinth, agate, and amethyst; and the fourth row beryl, onyx, and jasper. They were set in gold filigree when they were mounted. The stones corresponded to the names of the sons of Israel, twelve stones corresponding to their names, with the engraving of a signet, each with the name of one of the twelve tribes. They made chains of pure gold twisted like cords for the breast piece. They made two settings of gold filigree and two gold rings, and they put the two rings on the two edges of the breast piece. They put the two gold cords on the two gold rings at the edges of the breast piece, and they attached the other two ends of the two cords to the filigree settings, and then attached them to the shoulder pieces of the ephod in front. They made two gold rings and attached them to the two edges of the breast piece, on the side of it which is toward the inner side of the ephod. They made two gold rings and attached them in front, on the lower part of the two shoulder pieces of the ephod, close to the place where it's joined, above the skillfully woven band of the ephod. They tied the breast piece by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a blue cord so it would rest on the skillfully woven band of the ephod and so the breast piece would not come loose from the ephod. He made the robe of the ephod of woven work, entirely of blue. The opening of the robe was in the middle, like the opening of a coat of mail, with a binding around the opening so it would not be torn. On the hem of the robe, they placed pomegranates made of blue, purple, and scarlet material and woven linen. They made bells of pure gold, and put the bells between the pomegranates, on the hem of the robe, all around between the pomegranates. There was a bell and a pomegranate, then a bell and a pomegranate, all around the hem of the robe for when the High Priest ministered, just as the LORD commanded Moses. They made tunics for Aaron and his sons, woven from fine linen, the turban of fine linen, decorated head coverings of fine linen, linen undergarments of fine woven linen, and the sash of fine woven linen, woven of blue, purple, and scarlet material, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. They made the medallion for the holy crown of pure gold, and they wrote on it an inscription like the engraving on a seal: "Holy to the LORD." They fastened a blue cord to it in order to fasten it on the turban above, as the LORD had commanded Moses.

Then he clothed Aaron with the tunic, girded him with the band for priests, clothed him with the robe, placed the ephod on him, girded him with the skillfully woven band of the ephod, and bound it on him. He set the breastplate on him, placed the Urim and Thummim on top of the breastplate, then he set the turban on his head. On the turban at the front he set the golden plate, the sacred crown that the LORD had commanded.


The chief of all the leaders of the descendants of Levi was Aaron the priest's son Eleazar. He was assigned to oversee those who were in charge of the services of the sanctuary.

"The high priest among his relatives whose head has been anointed with oil and who has been consecrated to put on the priestly clothing is not to let his hair hang loose or to tear his clothes. He is not to come near any dead body whether the deceased is his father or his mother so as not to defile himself. He is not to go out of the sanctuary or defile the sanctuary of his God, because his God's consecrating oil of anointing rests on him. I am the LORD. read more.
"Furthermore, he is to marry a true virgin. He is not to marry a widow or one who has been divorced, has been defiled, or has been a prostitute. Instead, he is to take a virgin from among his people as his wife. "He is not to defile his children among his people, because I am the LORD, who sets him apart."


Anyone who remains in your family will come and prostrate themselves before him for a small wage or a loaf of bread and will say, "Please put me in one of the priest's offices so I can eat a piece of bread."'"

But do this for them so that they may live and not die when they approach the Most Holy Place: Aaron and his sons are to go in and set specific responsibilities for each of them to carry out.


You are to make him stand in the presence of Eleazar the priest, who is to inquire on his behalf using the Urim in the presence of the LORD regarding a decision of judgment, because by his command he and all the Israelis with him will go out or come in."

"Select Nun's son Joshua. The Spirit is in that man," the LORD answered Moses. "You are to lay your hand on him and make him stand in front of Eleazar the priest and the entire community. Then you are to set him in charge right before their eyes,


For every high priest selected from among men is appointed to officiate on their behalf in matters relating to God, that is, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.

For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices. Therefore, this high priest had to offer something, too.


"Take an inventory of the booty that was taken in the battle, both of humans and of animals. Then you, Eleazar the priest, and the leaders of the fathers of the community are to divide the booty between the warriors who went to war and the rest of the community. "After this, you are to exact a tribute for the LORD from the soldiers who went to war, consisting of the tribute earned by one person out of every 500, whether from people, cattle, donkeys, or flocks. read more.
You are to take half their share and give it to Eleazar the priest as a raised offering to the LORD.


Now you and your sons with you are to maintain your priestly duties and all matters that concern the altar and what is housed within the veil. You are to perform these services. I'm giving you the priesthood as a gift of service, but any unauthorized person who approaches is to be put to death."

Moreover, bring your brothers from your father's tribe of Levi with you, so they may join you and minister to you while you and your sons with you stand in the presence of the Tent of Testimony.

Take care of the sanctuary and the services of the altar so that there won't be any more wrath on the Israelis.


"Then Aaron is to present the descendants of Levi as a wave offering before the LORD from the Israelis, because they are to work in the service of the LORD. The descendants of Levi are then to lay their hands on the head of the bulls, offering one for a sin offering and the other one for a burnt offering to the LORD to atone for the descendants of Levi. You are to make the descendants of Levi stand in the presence of Aaron and his sons. Then you are to wave them as wave offerings to the LORD. read more.
This is how you are to separate the descendants of Levi from among the Israelis. The descendants of Levi belong to me. "After this, the descendants of Levi are to come to serve at the appointed place of meeting, after you have purified them and presented them as wave offerings, since they've been set apart for me from among the Israelis. I've taken them for myself instead of the first to open the womb every firstborn of the Israelis, since every firstborn of Israel belongs to me, from human beings to livestock. On the same day that I destroyed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I consecrated them to myself, taking the descendants of Levi instead of every firstborn of the Israelis. I've set the descendants of Levi apart from the Israelis so that Aaron and his sons would work in service at the appointed place of meeting, making atonement on behalf of the Israelis so that there won't be a plague among the Israelis whenever they approach the sanctuary." So Moses and Aaron and the Israelis did this on behalf of the descendants of Levi. The Israelis did everything that the LORD commanded concerning the descendants of Levi. The descendants of Levi therefore purified themselves, washed their clothes, and then Aaron presented them as wave offerings to the LORD. Aaron provided atonement for them to purify them.


or if the anointed priest sins, thereby bringing guilt on the people, let him bring a young bull without defect as a sin offering to the LORD for his sin that he had committed. "He is to bring the bull to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, into the LORD's presence, where he is to lay his hand on the head of the bull and slaughter it in the LORD's presence. The anointed priest is to take blood from the bull to the Tent of Meeting. read more.
The priest is to dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle some of the blood seven times in the LORD's presence in front of the curtain of the sanctuary. "The priest is then to put some blood on the horn of the altar that is near the Tent of Meeting as an incense of pleasing aroma in the LORD's presence. He is to pour the rest of the bull's blood for a burnt offering at the base of the altar that is at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. Then he is to remove all the fat from the bull for a sin offering that is, the fat that covers the internal organs, all of the fat that is inside the internal organs, the two kidneys with the fat on them by the loins, and the fatty mass surrounding the liver and kidneys just as it is taken from the bull for a peace offering. Then the priest is to burn it on the altar for burnt offerings. "Now as for the bull's hide, its flesh, its head, its legs, its internal organs, and its dung, along with the rest of the bull, he is to bring it outside the camp to a clean place, where fat ashes are to be poured over it and then it is to be thoroughly burned over wood with fire. It is to be burned where the fat ashes are poured out."


They are to be arranged every Sabbath day in the LORD's presence as a gift from the Israelis an eternal covenant.


Paul answered, "I didn't realize, brothers, that he is the high priest. After all, it is written, "You must not speak evil about a ruler of your people.'"


from 20 years and upward. You and Aaron are to register everyone in Israel who is able to go to war, company by company.


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