Thou shalt take also the other ram, upon whose head Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands.

And thou shalt take the second ram, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands upon the head of the ram;

And thou hast taken the second ram, and Aaron hath laid, his sons also, their hands on the head of the ram,

Then take the other sheep; and after Aaron and his sons have put their hands on its head,

Accipies insuper arietem secundum, imponentque Aharon et filii ejus manus suas super caput arietis.

The other ram - There were two rams brought on this occasion: one was for a burnt-offering, and was to be entirely consumed; the other was the ram of consecration, Exodus 29:22, איל מלאים eil milluim, the ram of filling up, because when a person was dedicated or consecrated to God, his hands were filled with some particular offering proper for the occasion, which he presented to God. Hence the word consecration signifies the filling up or filling the hands, some part of the sacrifice being put into the hands of such persons, denoting thereby that they had now a right to offer sacrifices and oblations to God. It seems in reference to this ancient mode of consecration, that in the Church of England, when a person is ordained priest, a Bible is put into his hands with these words, "Take thou authority to preach the word of God, etc. The filling the hands refers also to the presents which, in the eastern countries, every inferior was obliged to bring when brought into the presence of a superior. Thus the sacrifice was considered, not only as an atonement for sin, but also as a means of approach and as a present to Jehovah.

And thou shall take the other ram,.... The other of the two that was left, Exodus 29:1,
and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands on the head of the ram, as they were to do, and did, upon the head of the other; See Gill on Exodus 29:15.

There must be a peace - offering; it is called the ram of consecration, because there was more in this, peculiar to the occasion, than in the other two. In the burnt - offering God had the glory of their priesthood, in this they had the comfort of it. And in token of a mutual covenant between God and them, the blood of this sacrifice was divided between God and them, part of the blood was sprinkled upon the altar round about, and part upon them, upon their bodies, and upon their garments. Thus the benefit of the expiation made by the sacrifice was applied and assured to them, and their whole selves from head to foot sanctified to the service of God. The blood was put upon the extreme parts of the body, to signify, that it was all as it were enclosed and taken in for God, the tip of the ear, and the great toe not excepted. And the blood and oil signified the blood of Christ, and the graces of the Spirit, which constitute and compleat the beauty of holiness, and recommend us to God. The flesh of the sacrifice, with the meat - offering annexed to it, was likewise divided between God and them, that (to speak with reverence) God and they might feast together, in token of friendship and fellowship.