Leviticus 8:3

And gather thou all the congregation together unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(3) And gather thou all the congregation together—Better, and gather all the assembly together. The same word is rightly rendered assembly in the Authorised Version in Leviticus 8:4. (See Leviticus 4:13.) That is, call together the assembly of the elders, the heads of the tribes, and the principal men who represented the people. This is confirmed by Leviticus 9:1, where it is distinctly said that “Moses called Aaron and his sous, and the elders of Israel,” and where these elders are called in the following verse “the children of Israel,” by virtue of their representing the children of Israel.

Unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.—Better, to the entrance of the tent of meeting, that is, the courtyard of the same.

Benson Commentary

Leviticus 8:3. All the congregation — The elders, who represented all, and as many of the people as would and could get thither, that all might be witnesses both of Aaron’s commission from God, and of his work and business.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

8:1-13 The consecration of Aaron and his sons had been delayed until the tabernacle had been prepared, and the laws of the sacrifices given. Aaron and his sons were washed with water, to signify that they ought to purify themselves from all sinful dispositions, and ever after to keep themselves pure. Christ washes those from their sins in his own blood whom he makes kings and priests to our God, Re 1:5,6; and those that draw near to God must be washed in pure water, Heb 10:22. The anointing of Aaron was to typify the anointing of Christ with the Spirit, which was not given by measure to him. All believers have received the anointing.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Gather ... - Rather, gather all the assembly together toward the entrance of the tent of meeting. See Leviticus 4:13. The whole body of the people were summoned on this occasion, and the elders probably occupied the first places. The elders are especially called together in an unequivocal manner to receive directions to provide the first sacrifices for the nation to be offered by the newly consecrated priests Leviticus 9:1, and the body of the people afterward assemble as they do here Leviticus 9:5. The spot designated was the portion of the court in front of the tabernacle (see Leviticus 1:3 note). Toward this space the people were commanded to assemble to witness the great national ceremony of the consecration of the priesthood, the solemn setting apart of one of their families, the members of which were henceforth to stand as mediators between them and Yahweh in carrying out the precepts of the ceremonial law. Those who could do so, may have come into the court, and a great number of others may have occupied the heights which overlooked the enclosure of the court. As the series of ceremonies was repeated every day during a week Leviticus 8:33, it is natural to suppose that some of the people attended on one day and some on another.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

3-5. gather thou all the congregation together, &c.—It was manifestly expedient for the Israelitish people to be satisfied that Aaron's appointment to the high dignity of the priesthood was not a personal intrusion, nor a family arrangement between him and Moses; and nothing, therefore, could be a more prudent or necessary measure, for impressing a profound conviction of the divine origin and authority of the priestly institution, than to summon a general assembly of the people, and in their presence perform the solemn ceremonies of inauguration, which had been prescribed by divine authority.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

The elders which represented all, and as many of the people as would and could get thither, that all might be witnesses both of Aaron’s commission from God, and of his work and business.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And gather thou all the congregation together,.... That is, the heads of the tribes and the elders of the people, as Aben Ezra interprets it; for the whole body of the people, and every individual of them, could not be got together:

unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation; taking this for the whole court itself, as it sometimes is; though no doubt on this occasion as great a number was convened as well could be admitted into the court, or about it, to be spectators and witnesses of the solemn investiture of Aaron and his sons with the priestly office.

Geneva Study Bible

And gather thou all the congregation together unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Leviticus 8:3

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

Consecration of the Priests and the Sanctuary (cf. Exodus 29:1-37). - The consecration of Aaron and his sons as priests was carried out by Moses according to the instructions in Exodus 29:1-36; Exodus 40:12-15; and the anointing of the tabernacle, with the altar and its furniture, as prescribed in Exodus 29:37; Exodus 30:26-29, and Exodus 40:9-11, was connected with it (Leviticus 8:10, Leviticus 8:11).

Leviticus 8:1-4

Leviticus 8:1-5 contain an account of the preparations for this holy act, the performance of which was enjoined upon Moses by Jehovah after the publication of the laws of sacrifice (Leviticus 8:1). Moses brought the persons to be consecrated, the official costume that had been made for them (Exodus 28), the anointing oil (Exodus 30:23.), and the requisite sacrificial offerings (Exodus 29:1-3), to the door of the tabernacle (i.e., into the court, near the altar of burnt-offering), and then gathered "the whole congregation" - that is to say, the nation in the persons of its elders-there also (see my Archeologie ii. p. 221). The definite article before the objects enumerated in Leviticus 8:2 may be explained on the ground that they had all been previously and more minutely described. The "basket of the unleavened" contained, according to Exodus 29:2-3, (1) unleavened bread, which is called חלּה in Leviticus 8:26, i.e., round flat bread-cakes, and לחם כּכּר (loaf of bread) in Exodus 29:23, and was baked for the purpose of the consecration (see at Leviticus 8:31, Leviticus 8:32); (2) unleavened oil-cakes; and (3) unleavened flat cakes covered with oil (see at Leviticus 2:4 and Leviticus 7:12).