The Meaning of Leviticus 8:23 Explained

Leviticus 8:23

KJV: And he slew it; and Moses took of the blood of it, and put it upon the tip of Aaron's right ear, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot.

YLT: and one slaughtereth, and Moses taketh of its blood, and putteth on the tip of the right ear of Aaron, and on the thumb of his right hand, and on the great toe of his right foot;

Darby: and one slaughtered it; and Moses took of its blood, and put it on the tip of Aaron's right ear, and on the thumb of his right hand, and on the great toe of his right foot;

ASV: And he slew it; and Moses took of the blood thereof, and put it upon the tip of Aaron's right ear, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And he slew  [it]; and Moses  took  of the blood  of it, and put  [it] upon the tip  of Aaron's  right  ear,  and upon the thumb  of his right  hand,  and upon the great toe  of his right  foot. 

What does Leviticus 8:23 Mean?

Context Summary

Leviticus 8:18-36 - Offerings At Their Consecration
The blood of the ram of consecration was used in a remarkable way, to symbolize deep truths: on Aaron's ear to express Christ's obedience unto death; on the right thumb, to express Christ's willingness to do all that the Father required of Him; on the right toe, to express that all His ways pleased God. Our Lord was washed in His baptism, anointed with oil on the Mount of Transfiguration, and received the final baptism of consecration in blood on the Cross. The sons of Aaron were treated in like manner, to show that in all these things Christians are called to be like Christ. See Matthew 20:22-23. This remark specially applies to those who have been called to lead the flock.
Consecration, according to the Hebrew word, means filling the hand. Too many of us suppose that the consecrated soul renounces all-nay, it receives all. The nets are full of fish; the baskets are full of the broken pieces; the soul is full of grace and glory. Let us keep the charge of the Lord till the day break, and we enter the Most Holy Place beyond the veil! [source]

Chapter Summary: Leviticus 8

1  Moses consecrates Aaron and his sons
14  Their sin offering
18  Their burnt offering
22  The ram of consecration
31  The place and time of their consecration

What do the individual words in Leviticus 8:23 mean?

And killed [it] And he took Moses [some] of its blood and put it on the tip of ear of Aaron right and on the thumb of his hand right the big toe of his foot right
וַיִּשְׁחָ֓ט ׀ וַיִּקַּ֤ח מֹשֶׁה֙ מִדָּמ֔וֹ וַיִּתֵּ֛ן עַל־ תְּנ֥וּךְ אֹֽזֶן־ אַהֲרֹ֖ן הַיְמָנִ֑ית וְעַל־ בֹּ֤הֶן יָדוֹ֙ הַיְמָנִ֔ית בֹּ֥הֶן רַגְל֖וֹ הַיְמָנִֽית

וַיִּשְׁחָ֓ט ׀  And  killed  [it] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁחַט 
Sense: to kill, slaughter, beat.
וַיִּקַּ֤ח  And  he  took 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third 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.
מֹשֶׁה֙  Moses 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֹשֶׁה  
Sense: the prophet and lawgiver, leader of the exodus.
מִדָּמ֔וֹ  [some]  of  its  blood 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: דָּם  
Sense: blood.
וַיִּתֵּ֛ן  and  put  it 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
תְּנ֥וּךְ  the  tip 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: תְּנוּךְ  
Sense: tip, lobe (of ear).
אֹֽזֶן־  of  ear 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: אֹזֶן  
Sense: ear, as part of the body.
אַהֲרֹ֖ן  of  Aaron 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אַהֲרֹון  
Sense: brother of Moses, a Levite and the first high priest.
הַיְמָנִ֑ית  right 
Parse: Article, Adjective, feminine singular construct
Root: יְמָינִי 
Sense: right, right hand.
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.
בֹּ֤הֶן  the  thumb 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בְּהֹון 
Sense: thumb, great (big) toe (always used of both together).
יָדוֹ֙  of  his  hand 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
הַיְמָנִ֔ית  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).
רַגְל֖וֹ  of  his  foot 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: רֶגֶל  
Sense: foot.
הַיְמָנִֽית  right 
Parse: Article, Adjective, feminine singular
Root: יְמָינִי 
Sense: right, right hand.