The Meaning of Exodus 28:43 Explained

Exodus 28:43

KJV: And they shall be upon Aaron, and upon his sons, when they come in unto the tabernacle of the congregation, or when they come near unto the altar to minister in the holy place; that they bear not iniquity, and die: it shall be a statute for ever unto him and his seed after him.

YLT: and they have been on Aaron and on his sons, in their going in unto the tent of meeting, or in their drawing nigh unto the altar to minister in the sanctuary, and they do not bear iniquity nor have they died; a statute age-during to him, and to his seed after him.

Darby: And they shall be upon Aaron and his sons when they enter into the tent of meeting, or when they come near to the altar to serve in the sanctuary; that they may not bear iniquity and die an everlasting statute for him and his seed after him.

ASV: And they shall be upon Aaron, and upon his sons, when they go in unto the tent of meeting, or when they come near unto the altar to minister in the holy place; that they bear not iniquity, and die: it shall be a statute for ever unto him and unto his seed after him.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And they shall be upon Aaron,  and upon his sons,  when they come  in unto the tabernacle  of the congregation,  or when they come near  unto the altar  to minister  in the holy  [place]; that they bear  not iniquity,  and die:  [it shall be] a statute  for ever  unto him and his seed  after  him. 

What does Exodus 28:43 Mean?

Context Summary

Exodus 28:31-43 - Aaron's Holy Garments
The robe was worn under the ephod. It was of blue, the color of heaven, of deep lakes, of the gentian and the forget-me-not. It was of one piece. See John 19:23. It ended in a fringe, in which bells and pomegranates alternated. We are as the skirts of his garments, and the holy oil will reach us there, so the psalmist says. See Psalms 133:2. We may receive the unction of the holy Christ. The Spirit so richly given to Him may anoint even us, and it will reveal itself in the fruit of the pomegranate and the sweetness of the golden bell. Aaron's head plate bore an inscription, which the prophet tells us should be written also on our commonest duties and most prosaic service. See Zechariah 14:20-21. For ordinary priests the clothing was very simple. Pure white linen! Such is the garb which befits us all! Revelation 19:8. [source]

Chapter Summary: Exodus 28

1  Aaron and his sons are set apart for the priest's office
2  Holy garments are appointed
6  The ephod and girdle
15  The breast-plate with twelve precious stones
30  The Urim and Thummim
31  The robe of the ephod, with pomegranates and bells
36  The plate of the mitre
39  The embroidered coat
40  The garments for Aaron's sons

What do the individual words in Exodus 28:43 mean?

And they shall be on Aaron and on his sons when they come into the tabernacle of meeting or when they come near unto the altar to minister in the holy [place] that not they do incur iniquity and die [it shall be] a statute forever to him and his descendants after him -
וְהָיוּ֩ עַל־ אַהֲרֹ֨ן וְעַל־ בָּנָ֜יו בְּבֹאָ֣ם ׀ אֶל־ אֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵ֗ד א֣וֹ בְגִשְׁתָּ֤ם אֶל־ הַמִּזְבֵּ֙חַ֙ לְשָׁרֵ֣ת בַּקֹּ֔דֶשׁ וְלֹא־ יִשְׂא֥וּ עָוֺ֖ן וָמֵ֑תוּ חֻקַּ֥ת עוֹלָ֛ם ל֖וֹ וּלְזַרְע֥וֹ אַחֲרָֽיו ס

וְהָיוּ֩  And  they  shall  be 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
אַהֲרֹ֨ן  Aaron 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אַהֲרֹון  
Sense: brother of Moses, a Levite and the first high priest.
וְעַל־  and  on 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
בָּנָ֜יו  his  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
בְּבֹאָ֣ם ׀  when  they  come 
Parse: Preposition-b, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct, third person masculine plural
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
אֶל־  into 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
אֹ֣הֶל  the  tabernacle 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: אֹהֶל  
Sense: tent.
מוֹעֵ֗ד  of  meeting 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֹועֵד  
Sense: appointed place, appointed time, meeting.
בְגִשְׁתָּ֤ם  when  they  come  near 
Parse: Preposition-b, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct, third person masculine plural
Root: נָגַשׁ  
Sense: to draw near, approach.
אֶל־  unto 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
הַמִּזְבֵּ֙חַ֙  the  altar 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִזְבֵּחַ  
Sense: altar.
לְשָׁרֵ֣ת  to  minister 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Piel, Infinitive construct
Root: שָׁרַת  
Sense: (Piel) to minister, serve, minister to.
בַּקֹּ֔דֶשׁ  in  the  holy  [place] 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: קֹדֶשׁ  
Sense: apartness, holiness, sacredness, separateness.
וְלֹא־  that  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
יִשְׂא֥וּ  they  do  incur 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: נָשָׂא  
Sense: to lift, bear up, carry, take.
עָוֺ֖ן  iniquity 
Parse: Noun, common singular
Root: עָוֹן  
Sense: perversity, depravity, iniquity, guilt or punishment of iniquity.
וָמֵ֑תוּ  and  die 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.
חֻקַּ֥ת  [it  shall  be]  a  statute 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: חֻקָּה  
Sense: statute, ordinance, limit, enactment, something prescribed.
עוֹלָ֛ם  forever 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֹולָם  
Sense: long duration, antiquity, futurity, for ever, ever, everlasting, evermore, perpetual, old, ancient, world.
ל֖וֹ  to  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
וּלְזַרְע֥וֹ  and  his  descendants 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: זֶרַע  
Sense: seed, sowing, offspring.
אַחֲרָֽיו  after  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: אַחַר 
Sense: after the following part, behind (of place), hinder, afterwards (of time).
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation