The Meaning of Leviticus 16:20 Explained

Leviticus 16:20

KJV: And when he hath made an end of reconciling the holy place, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar, he shall bring the live goat:

YLT: And he hath ceased from making atonement for the sanctuary, and the tent of meeting, and the altar, and hath brought near the living goat;

Darby: And when he hath ended making atonement for the sanctuary, and the tent of meeting, and the altar, he shall present the living goat;

ASV: And when he hath made an end of atoning for the holy place, and the tent of meeting, and the altar, he shall present the live goat:

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And when he hath made an end  of reconciling  the holy  [place], and the tabernacle  of the congregation,  and the altar,  he shall bring  the live  goat: 

What does Leviticus 16:20 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 16:20 mean?

And when he has made an end of atoning for - the Holy [Place] and the tabernacle of meeting the altar and he shall bring goat the live
וְכִלָּה֙ מִכַּפֵּ֣ר אֶת־ הַקֹּ֔דֶשׁ וְאֶת־ אֹ֥הֶל מוֹעֵ֖ד הַמִּזְבֵּ֑חַ וְהִקְרִ֖יב הַשָּׂעִ֥יר הֶחָֽי

וְכִלָּה֙  And  when  he  has  made  an  end 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: כָּלָה  
Sense: to accomplish, cease, consume, determine, end, fail, finish, be complete, be accomplished, be ended, be at an end, be finished, be spent.
מִכַּפֵּ֣ר  of  atoning  for 
Parse: Preposition-m, Verb, Piel, Infinitive construct
Root: כָּפַר 
Sense: to cover, purge, make an atonement, make reconciliation, cover over with pitch.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
הַקֹּ֔דֶשׁ  the  Holy  [Place] 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: קֹדֶשׁ  
Sense: apartness, holiness, sacredness, separateness.
אֹ֥הֶל  the  tabernacle 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: אֹהֶל  
Sense: tent.
מוֹעֵ֖ד  of  meeting 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֹועֵד  
Sense: appointed place, appointed time, meeting.
הַמִּזְבֵּ֑חַ  the  altar 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִזְבֵּחַ  
Sense: altar.
וְהִקְרִ֖יב  and  he  shall  bring 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: קָרַב  
Sense: to come near, approach, enter into, draw near.
הַשָּׂעִ֥יר  goat 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׂעִיר 
Sense: hairy.
הֶחָֽי  the  live 
Parse: Article, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: חַי 
Sense: living, alive.