The Meaning of Exodus 29:20 Explained

Exodus 29:20

KJV: Then shalt thou kill the ram, and take of his blood, and put it upon the tip of the right ear of Aaron, and upon the tip of the right ear of his sons, and upon the thumb of their right hand, and upon the great toe of their right foot, and sprinkle the blood upon the altar round about.

YLT: and thou hast slaughtered the ram, and hast taken of its blood, and hast put on the tip of the right ear of Aaron, and on the tip of the right ear of his sons, and on the thumb of their right hand, and on the great toe of their right foot, and hast sprinkled the blood on the altar round about;

Darby: and thou shalt slaughter the ram, and take of its blood, and put it on the tip of the right ear of Aaron, and on the tip of the right ear of his sons, and on the thumb of their right hand, and on the great toe of their right foot; and thou shalt sprinkle the blood upon the altar round about.

ASV: Then shalt thou kill the ram, and take of its blood, and put it upon the tip of the right ear of Aaron, and upon the tip of the right ear of his sons, and upon the thumb of their right hand, and upon the great toe of their right foot, and sprinkle the blood upon the altar round about.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Then shalt thou kill  the ram,  and take  of his blood,  and put  [it] upon the tip  of the right ear  of Aaron,  and upon the tip  of the right  ear  of his sons,  and upon the thumb  of their right  hand,  and upon the great toe  of their right  foot,  and sprinkle  the blood  upon the altar  round about. 

What does Exodus 29:20 Mean?

Context Summary

Exodus 29:19-30 - The Consecration Offerings
The second ram of the consecration ceremony yielded its blood to be placed on ear and hand and foot. We are thus taught that our senses, deeds and goings are to be dedicated to God. Though the garments, which had just been put on, were perfectly new, they were besprinkled with blood and oil from head to foot. To our eyes a grievous disfigurement; but the Holy Spirit thus signified that even beauty is subordinate to the necessity for God's forgiveness and anointing. Whenever the priest beheld his dress he was reminded of his unworthiness, and of the abundant grace of God. Of course, the Lord Jesus needed no such preparation. He was holy, harmless and separate from sinners.
Part of the flesh was waved heavenward and burned, as though God fed on it, while part was eaten by the priests. It was as though God and they feasted together in one holy sacrament, the symbol of their at-one-ment. [source]

Chapter Summary: Exodus 29

1  The sacrifice and ceremonies of consecrating the priests and the altar
38  The continual burnt offerings
45  God's promise to dwell among the children of Israel

What do the individual words in Exodus 29:20 mean?

And you shall kill - the ram and take some of its blood and put [it] on the tip of the right ear of Aaron and on the tip of ear of his sons the right the thumb of hand their right the big toe of foot their right and sprinkle the blood the altar all around
וְשָׁחַטְתָּ֣ אֶת־ הָאַ֗יִל וְלָקַחְתָּ֤ מִדָּמוֹ֙ וְנָֽתַתָּ֡ה עַל־ תְּנוּךְ֩ אֹ֨זֶן אַהֲרֹ֜ן וְעַל־ תְּנ֨וּךְ אֹ֤זֶן בָּנָיו֙ הַיְמָנִ֔ית בֹּ֤הֶן יָדָם֙ הַיְמָנִ֔ית בֹּ֥הֶן רַגְלָ֖ם הַיְמָנִ֑ית וְזָרַקְתָּ֧ הַדָּ֛ם הַמִּזְבֵּ֖חַ סָבִֽיב

וְשָׁחַטְתָּ֣  And  you  shall  kill 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: שָׁחַט 
Sense: to kill, slaughter, beat.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
הָאַ֗יִל  the  ram 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אַיִל 
Sense: ram.
וְלָקַחְתָּ֤  and  take  some 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: יָקַח 
Sense: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.
מִדָּמוֹ֙  of  its  blood 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: דָּם  
Sense: blood.
וְנָֽתַתָּ֡ה  and  put  [it] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
תְּנוּךְ֩  the  tip 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: תְּנוּךְ  
Sense: tip, lobe (of ear).
אֹ֨זֶן  of  the  right  ear 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: אֹזֶן  
Sense: ear, as part of the body.
אַהֲרֹ֜ן  of  Aaron 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אַהֲרֹון  
Sense: brother of Moses, a Levite and the first high priest.
וְעַל־  and  on 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
תְּנ֨וּךְ  the  tip 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: תְּנוּךְ  
Sense: tip, lobe (of ear).
אֹ֤זֶן  of  ear 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: אֹזֶן  
Sense: ear, as part of the body.
בָּנָיו֙  of  his  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
הַיְמָנִ֔ית  the  right 
Parse: Article, Adjective, feminine singular construct
Root: יְמָינִי 
Sense: right, right hand.
בֹּ֤הֶן  the  thumb 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בְּהֹון 
Sense: thumb, great (big) toe (always used of both together).
יָדָם֙  of  hand 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
הַיְמָנִ֔ית  their  right 
Parse: Article, Adjective, feminine singular construct
Root: יְמָינִי 
Sense: right, right hand.
בֹּ֥הֶן  the  big  toe 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בְּהֹון 
Sense: thumb, great (big) toe (always used of both together).
רַגְלָ֖ם  of  foot 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: רֶגֶל  
Sense: foot.
הַיְמָנִ֑ית  their  right 
Parse: Article, Adjective, feminine singular
Root: יְמָינִי 
Sense: right, right hand.
וְזָרַקְתָּ֧  and  sprinkle 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: זָרַק 
Sense: to scatter, sprinkle, toss, throw, scatter abundantly, strew.
הַדָּ֛ם  the  blood 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּם  
Sense: blood.
הַמִּזְבֵּ֖חַ  the  altar 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִזְבֵּחַ  
Sense: altar.
סָבִֽיב  all  around 
Parse: Adverb
Root: מוּסָב 
Sense: places round about, circuit, round about adv.