And he brought the bullock for the sin offering: and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the bullock for the sin offering.
he brought
Leviticus 8:2 Take Aaron and his sons with him, and the garments, and the anointing oil, and a bullock for the sin offering, and two rams, and a basket of unleavened bread;
Leviticus 4:3-12 If the priest that is anointed do sin according to the sin of the people; then let him bring for his sin, which he hath sinned, a young bullock without blemish unto the LORD for a sin offering…
Leviticus 16:6 And Aaron shall offer his bullock of the sin offering, which is for himself, and make an atonement for himself, and for his house.
laid
Leviticus 1:4 And he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering; and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him.
Leviticus 4:4 And he shall bring the bullock unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD; and shall lay his hand upon the bullock's head, and kill the bullock before the LORD.
Leviticus 16:21 And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness:
and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on its head
The laying on of hands is a symbolic act of identification and transfer. By placing their hands on the bull's head, Aaron and his sons are identifying with the animal, symbolically transferring their sins onto it. This act signifies the substitutionary nature of the sacrifice, where the bull bears the penalty for their sins. This practice is a precursor to the concept of Jesus as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29), highlighting the substitutionary atonement found in Christ's sacrifice.
• Scripture records: “Moses then brought the bull near” (Leviticus 8:14a).
• Moses, God’s appointed leader (Exodus 3:10; Deuteronomy 34:5), personally brings the animal, underscoring his mediating role until the priesthood is fully installed (Exodus 29:10).
• The action happens at the entrance to the tent of meeting, a real place where holy duties occur (Exodus 40:34-35).
• God’s holiness demands that sin be dealt with before ministry can begin (Isaiah 6:5-7).
• The purpose of the bull is explicit: it is “for the sin offering” (Leviticus 8:14b).
• A sin offering provides atonement for unintentional sin (Leviticus 4:3-12); nothing in God’s service proceeds without cleansing (Hebrews 9:22).
• By specifying a bull—costly and valuable—God highlights the seriousness of sin (Numbers 28:11).
• This sacrifice anticipates the once-for-all atonement of Christ, “who offered Himself without blemish to God” (Hebrews 9:14; 2 Corinthians 5:21).
• Aaron and his sons are named because they are being ordained as priests (Exodus 28:1; Leviticus 21:1).
• Their inclusion shows that leaders stand in need of cleansing just as the people do (Leviticus 4:3; Romans 3:23).
• God’s call on them is hereditary and covenantal (Numbers 18:7), yet personal responsibility remains—each must participate.
• The scene foreshadows the believer’s priesthood in Christ: “a royal priesthood” (1 Peter 2:9).
• “Aaron and his sons laid their hands on its head” (Leviticus 8:14c).
• Laying on hands signifies identification and transfer of guilt (Leviticus 1:4; 16:21).
• It visualizes substitution: the bull will die in the offerer’s place (Isaiah 53:6; Hebrews 10:10).
• By doing this together, the new priests publicly acknowledge their need for atonement before representing others (Hebrews 5:1-3).
Leviticus 8:14 walks us through the essential first step of priestly ordination: a sin offering. Moses brings the bull, showing ordained leadership must submit to God’s order. The bull’s purpose underscores sin’s gravity and the necessity of blood atonement. Aaron and his sons, future mediators, humbly admit their own sinfulness, and by laying hands on the animal, they transfer guilt to a substitute. This literal event points forward to the perfect Priest and Sacrifice, Jesus Christ, who bears our sin so that we may serve God cleansed and accepted.
(14) And he brought the bullock for the sin offering--Though duly consecrated, Aaron and his sons had first to be purged of their sins before they could commence their priestly functions in the sanctuary. Hence, Moses, as the mediator of the covenant delegated by God to perform the act of consecration, also performed the sacrificial rites, whilst the installed priests stood as penitent sinners by the side of the sin offering which was now offered for the first time. For the laying on of the hands by the offerer on the victim, see Leviticus 1:4.Verses 14-32. - After the bathing, the robing, and the anointing, follow the sacrifices of consecration - the sin offering (verses 14-17), the burnt offering (verses 18-21), the peace offering (verses 22-32). Verse 14. - The sin offering. This was the first sin offering ever offered. There had been burnt offerings and sacrifices akin to peace offerings before, but no sin offerings. At once the sin offering takes its place as the first of the three sacrifices before the burnt offerings and peace offerings. Justification comes first, then sanctification, and, following upon them, communion with God. The victim offered by and for Aaron and his sons is a bullock, the same animal that is appointed for the offering of the high priest (Leviticus 4:3).