Why did Moses put blood on Aaron's right ear lobe, thumb, and the big toe of his right foot?

Question

Why did Moses put blood on Aaron's right ear lobe, thumb, and the big toe of his right foot? I need the Biblical principles supporting the application of the sacrificial blood in this manner.

Answer 1

• Leviticus 8:23 NKJV and Moses killed it. Also he took some of its blood and put it on the tip of Aaron’s right ear, on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot.

The Enduring Word Commentary says:

To express the idea of consecration:

...To express the idea of consecration, blood from the ram was placed on the ear, thumb, and toe of the priest. It was blood from the ram – not the wool and not the fat. God wanted the life of the sacrificial victim to mark His consecrated priests.

i. Leviticus 17:11 is one of many instances that express this principle: For the life of the flesh is in the blood. God wanted the life of the sacrificial victim to be evident in the body of the priest.

1. Ear: They should hear differently
2. Thumb: They should work differently
3. Toe: They should walk differently

c. Tip of Aaron’s right ear, on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot: These consecrated priests were stained with the blood of sacrifice. They should hear differently because the blood was on their ear. They should work differently because the blood was on their thumb. They should walk differently because the blood was on their toe. (Enduring Word Commentary)

• The ear symbolizes the need to attentively listen to God’s commandments.
• The thumb represents the execution of God’s will.
• The foot stands for the priest’s walk in holiness.

Keil and Delitzsch OT Commentary says:

...the ear, because the priest was always to hearken to the word and commandment of God; the hand, because he was to discharge the priestly functions properly; and the foot, because he was to walk correctly in the sanctuary.

The right side was considered superior. God wanted their best to be dedicated to Him.

i. Specifically, it was applied to the right ear, hand, and foot. This isn’t because God felt they could do whatever they wanted to with their left ear, hand, and foot. It is because the right side was considered superior, with more strength and skill (because most people are right-handed). God wanted their best to be dedicated to Him. (Enduring Word Commentary)

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EDIT: How was this procedure fulfilled by Jesus?

Jesus, as the Lamb of God, was a perfect sacrifice to save us from and atone for our sins. His blood washed away our sins completely.

Through His sacrifice, Jesus fulfilled and completed all the requirements of the first Covenant, including the sacrifices of blood for the forgiveness of sins. His death activated the New Covenant. We have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Therefore, the ritual of applying sacrificial blood, which was a physical act in the Old Testament, found its fulfillment in the spiritual act of Jesus’ sacrifice in the New Testament.