The Meaning of Leviticus 16:24 Explained

Leviticus 16:24

KJV: And he shall wash his flesh with water in the holy place, and put on his garments, and come forth, and offer his burnt offering, and the burnt offering of the people, and make an atonement for himself, and for the people.

YLT: and he hath bathed his flesh with water in the holy place, and hath put on his garments, and hath come out, and hath made his burnt-offering, and the burnt-offering of the people, and hath made atonement for himself and for the people;

Darby: and he shall bathe his flesh with water in a holy place, and put on his garments, and go forth, and offer his burnt-offering, and the burnt-offering of the people, and make atonement for himself, and for the people.

ASV: and he shall bathe his flesh in water in a holy place, and put on his garments, and come forth, and offer his burnt-offering and the burnt-offering of the people, and make atonement for himself and for the people.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And he shall wash  his flesh  with water  in the holy  place,  and put on  his garments,  and come forth,  and offer  his burnt offering,  and the burnt offering  of the people,  and make an atonement  for himself, and for the people. 

What does Leviticus 16:24 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 16:24 mean?

And he shall wash - his body with water in a place holy and put on his garments and come out and offer his burnt offering and the burnt offering of the people and make atonement for himself for the people
וְרָחַ֨ץ אֶת־ בְּשָׂר֤וֹ בַמַּ֙יִם֙ בְּמָק֣וֹם קָד֔וֹשׁ וְלָבַ֖שׁ בְּגָדָ֑יו וְיָצָ֗א וְעָשָׂ֤ה עֹֽלָתוֹ֙ וְאֶת־ עֹלַ֣ת הָעָ֔ם וְכִפֶּ֥ר בַּעֲד֖וֹ וּבְעַ֥ד הָעָֽם

וְרָחַ֨ץ  And  he  shall  wash 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: רָחַץ  
Sense: to wash, wash off, wash away, bathe.
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.
בְּשָׂר֤וֹ  his  body 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: בָּשָׂר  
Sense: flesh.
בַמַּ֙יִם֙  with  water 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: מַיִם  
Sense: water, waters.
בְּמָק֣וֹם  in  a  place 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מָקֹום  
Sense: standing place, place.
קָד֔וֹשׁ  holy 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: קָדֹושׁ  
Sense: sacred, holy, Holy One, saint, set apart.
וְלָבַ֖שׁ  and  put  on 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: לָבַשׁ  
Sense: to dress, wear, clothe, put on clothing, be clothed.
בְּגָדָ֑יו  his  garments 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: בֶּגֶד 
Sense: treachery, deceit.
וְיָצָ֗א  and  come  out 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יׄוצֵאת 
Sense: to go out, come out, exit, go forth.
וְעָשָׂ֤ה  and  offer 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
עֹֽלָתוֹ֙  his  burnt  offering 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: עֹלָה  
Sense: whole burnt offering.
עֹלַ֣ת  the  burnt  offering 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: עֹלָה  
Sense: whole burnt offering.
הָעָ֔ם  of  the  people 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
וְכִפֶּ֥ר  and  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.
בַּעֲד֖וֹ  for  himself 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: בַּעַד 
Sense: behind, through, round about, on behalf of, away from, about.
הָעָֽם  the  people 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.