“And thou shalt gird them with girdles, Aaron and his sons, and put the bonnets on them: and the priest's office shall be theirs for a perpetual statute: and thou shalt consecrate Aaron and his sons.”
My Notes
What Does Exodus 29:9 Mean?
"And thou shalt gird them with girdles, Aaron and his sons, and put the bonnets on them: and the priest's office shall be theirs for a perpetual statute: and thou shalt consecrate Aaron and his sons." The priestly consecration ceremony included dressing Aaron and his sons in their priestly garments — a physical act of investing them with their office. The girdles (sashes) and bonnets (turbans) were functional and symbolic. Clothing them was part of making them priests; the garments carried the office.
The phrase "consecrate" (literally "fill the hand of") refers to the full ordination ceremony — filling their hands with the authority and responsibility of the priesthood. The perpetual statute means this isn't a one-time appointment but a permanent institution. The priesthood will endure through generations.
Reflection Questions
- 1.What has God 'clothed' you with — what calling or office has he given that you didn't earn?
- 2.What does 'fill the hand' suggest about coming to God empty rather than accomplished?
- 3.How does the permanence of the priesthood encourage you about the permanence of your calling?
- 4.What garments (spiritual qualities, gifts, roles) has God given you that you need to actually put on?
Devotional
God dresses his priests. The consecration isn't just a ceremony — it's a wardrobe change. They put on the garments, and the garments make the office. You become a priest by being clothed as a priest. The outside change reflects an inside calling.
The phrase "consecrate" in Hebrew literally means "fill the hand." Empty hands being filled. You come to ordination with nothing, and God fills your hands with authority, responsibility, and purpose. The consecration isn't about what you bring. It's about what God puts in your hands.
This is a perpetual statute — not a temporary arrangement. God isn't experimenting with the priesthood. He's establishing something permanent. The office outlasts the individual. Aaron will die, but the priesthood continues. The clothing will wear out, but new garments will be made. The institution survives the people who fill it.
If God has called you to any form of service — and he has, because all believers are priests — the consecration pattern applies. He clothes you. He fills your hands. He establishes your calling as something that lasts. You didn't earn the position. You were dressed for it. You didn't create the authority. Your hands were filled with it. The priestly office was theirs by divine appointment, not personal achievement. And yours is too.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
And thou shalt gird them with girdles (Aaron and his sons),.... Aaron with the girdle of the ephod, and with the girdle…
The consecration of the priests. See the notes to Lev. 8–9. Exo 29:4 Door of the tabernacle - Entrance of the tent. See…
Here is, I. The law concerning the consecration of Aaron and his sons to the priest's office, which was to be done with…
consecrate install (lit. fill the hands of): see on Exo 28:41.
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture