Then Moses took half of the blood, and put it into bowls; and the rest he poured upon the altar.
וַיִּקַּ֤ח מֹשֶׁה֙ חֲצִ֣י הַדָּ֔ם וַיָּ֖שֶׂם בָּאַגָּנֹ֑ת וַחֲצִ֣י הַדָּ֔ם זָרַ֖ק עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּֽחַ׃
3 Church Fathers comment on this verse
Moses presented the offering, applied half of the blood to the altar, and then sprinkled the remaining blood upon the people. This act is echoed in Paul’s epistle to the Hebrews, where he states, ‘The first covenant was not established without blood’ (Hebrews 9:18).
Moses documents that he took half of the blood, specifically from the bull, which the young men presented as a sacrifice of redemption to the Lord. He placed half of the blood in containers, while the other half he poured out on the altar. The holy Apostle Paul references this in Hebrews 9:19, where he also mentions the blood of goats: "He that hath spoken above every commandment according to the law of Moses unto all men, hath received the blood of the goats and of the taurus."
The goat was a symbol of the sacrifice of redemption, allowing it to be offered for such a purpose. Thus, it is certain that goats were presented to affirm the covenant of grace, as per the established regulations and ceremonies outlined by Moses, which is clearly stated in Exodus 24:5, where Moses notes the young men offered burnt offerings. Therefore, it was not against the practices of the Jewish Church to present goats as burnt offerings, evidenced in Leviticus 1:10: "But if any man bring his gift to the Lord from the sheep, and from the lamb, and from the goats for a burnt-offering, let him bring also," along with Numbers 7:27: "One calf from the oxen, one sheep, one lamb of one year old for a burnt-offering: and a goat from the goats for sin's sake."
It is likely that additional sacrifices were also included in this solemn confirmation of the covenant for the purpose of sin, and according to the prescribed regulations, goats were offered alongside them as sacrifices to God, particularly because the blood of Christ, represented by this offering, was shed for the sins of the entire world.
Initially, the altar of the Lord was anointed with blood, followed by the people. This application of the identical blood represented the communion and covenant established between God and His people.
Passages read together with this verse.
THEOSIS