The Meaning of Leviticus 16:16 Explained

Leviticus 16:16

KJV: And he shall make an atonement for the holy place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions in all their sins: and so shall he do for the tabernacle of the congregation, that remaineth among them in the midst of their uncleanness.

YLT: and he hath made atonement for the sanctuary because of the uncleanness of the sons of Israel, and because of their transgressions in all their sins; and so he doth for the tent of meeting which is tabernacling with them in the midst of their uncleannesses.

Darby: and he shall make atonement for the sanctuary, to cleanse it from the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and from their transgressions in all their sins; and so shall he do for the tent of meeting which dwelleth among them in the midst of their uncleanness.

ASV: and he shall make atonement for the holy place, because of the uncleannesses of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions, even all their sins: and so shall he do for the tent of meeting, that dwelleth with them in the midst of their uncleannesses.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And he shall make an atonement  for the holy  [place], because of the uncleanness  of the children  of Israel,  and because of their transgressions  in all their sins:  and so shall he do  for the tabernacle  of the congregation,  that remaineth  among them in the midst  of their uncleanness. 

What does Leviticus 16:16 Mean?

Context Summary

Leviticus 16:15-34 - The Scapegoat
The loneliness of the high priest, Leviticus 16:17; the sprinkling of blood within the veil upon the mercy seat, Leviticus 16:16; the fragrant incense, emblematic of a well-pleasing offering, Leviticus 16:13; the confession of sin and its bearing-away into a solitary land, Leviticus 16:22; the linen garments of simplicity and humility, Leviticus 16:23; the destruction of the carcasses of the beasts "without the camp," Leviticus 16:27; the ultimate coming forth of the high priest to bless the people, bringing them the assurance of a finished and accepted work, Leviticus 16:24, compare Hebrews 9:28 all these points are carefully elaborated in the Epistle to the Hebrews.
The fate of the scapegoat was very moving! Laden with the sins of the people, it is led forth through the crowd of penitents, innocent yet execrated, dumb yet eloquent of the doom of the sin bearer, escaping death by the knife, to be forsaken even unto death! So Jesus died, with the cry of "Forsaken" on His lips. [source]

Chapter Summary: Leviticus 16

1  how the high priest must enter into the holy place
11  The sin offering for himself
15  The sin offering for the people
20  The scapegoat
29  The yearly feast of the expiations

What do the individual words in Leviticus 16:16 mean?

so he shall make atonement for the Holy [Place] because of the uncleanness of the sons of Israel and because of their transgressions for all their sins so he shall do for the tabernacle of meeting which remains among them in the midst of their uncleanness
וְכִפֶּ֣ר עַל־ הַקֹּ֗דֶשׁ מִטֻּמְאֹת֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וּמִפִּשְׁעֵיהֶ֖ם לְכָל־ חַטֹּאתָ֑ם וְכֵ֤ן יַעֲשֶׂה֙ לְאֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵ֔ד הַשֹּׁכֵ֣ן אִתָּ֔ם בְּת֖וֹךְ טֻמְאֹתָֽם

וְכִפֶּ֣ר  so  he  shall  make  atonement 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: כָּפַר 
Sense: to cover, purge, make an atonement, make reconciliation, cover over with pitch.
הַקֹּ֗דֶשׁ  the  Holy  [Place] 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: קֹדֶשׁ  
Sense: apartness, holiness, sacredness, separateness.
מִטֻּמְאֹת֙  because  of  the  uncleanness 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, feminine plural construct
Root: טֻמְאָה  
Sense: uncleanness.
בְּנֵ֣י  of  the  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל  of  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
וּמִפִּשְׁעֵיהֶ֖ם  and  because  of  their  transgressions 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m, Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: פֶּשַׁע  
Sense: transgression, rebellion.
לְכָל־  for  all 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
חַטֹּאתָ֑ם  their  sins 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: חַטָּאָה 
Sense: sin, sinful.
וְכֵ֤ן  so 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb
Root: כֵּן 
Sense: so, therefore, thus.
יַעֲשֶׂה֙  he  shall  do 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
לְאֹ֣הֶל  for  the  tabernacle 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: אֹהֶל  
Sense: tent.
מוֹעֵ֔ד  of  meeting 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֹועֵד  
Sense: appointed place, appointed time, meeting.
הַשֹּׁכֵ֣ן  which  remains 
Parse: Article, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: שָׁכַן  
Sense: to settle down, abide, dwell, tabernacle, reside.
אִתָּ֔ם  among  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
Root: אֵת 
Sense: with, near, together with.
בְּת֖וֹךְ  in  the  midst 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: תָּוֶךְ  
Sense: midst, middle.
טֻמְאֹתָֽם  of  their  uncleanness 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: טֻמְאָה  
Sense: uncleanness.