The Meaning of Leviticus 16:4 Explained

Leviticus 16:4

KJV: He shall put on the holy linen coat, and he shall have the linen breeches upon his flesh, and shall be girded with a linen girdle, and with the linen mitre shall he be attired: these are holy garments; therefore shall he wash his flesh in water, and so put them on.

YLT: a holy linen coat he putteth on, and linen trousers are on his flesh, and with a linen girdle he girdeth himself, and with a linen mitre he wrappeth himself up; they are holy garments; and he hath bathed with water his flesh, and hath put them on.

Darby: A holy linen vest shall he put on, and linen trousers shall be upon his flesh, and he shall be girded with a linen girdle, and with the linen mitre shall he be attired: these are holy garments; and he shall bathe his flesh in water, and put them on.

ASV: He shall put on the holy linen coat, and he shall have the linen breeches upon his flesh, and shall be girded with the linen girdle, and with the linen mitre shall he be attired: they are the holy garments; and he shall bathe his flesh in water, and put them on.

What is the context of Leviticus 16:4?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

He shall put on  the holy  linen  coat,  and he shall have the linen  breeches  upon his flesh,  and shall be girded  with a linen  girdle,  and with the linen  mitre  shall he be attired:  these  [are] holy  garments;  therefore shall he wash  his flesh  in water,  and [so] put them on. 

What does Leviticus 16:4 Mean?

Context Summary

Leviticus 16:1-14 - The Offerings For Atonement Day
This chapter contains the ritual of the great Day of Atonement, when the high priest entered within the veil, and in virtue of the blood sprinkled upon the mercy seat, and still more of the faith exercised therein, Israel was cleansed from every sin before the Lord, Leviticus 16:30. The death of his two sons acted as a solemn warning that Aaron should not deviate from the prescribed ceremonial in the smallest particular.
Every step is worthy of notice, each illustrates some feature in the sacrifice of Calvary, each is meant by the Holy Spirit of God to signify something. See Hebrews 9:8-9. The first goat was "for the Lord," representing the work of Christ in its Godward aspect. The second, like the second bird in Leviticus 14:6, signified its manward aspect. It is necessary that we should personally avail ourselves of its efficacy. Our faith must "lay its hand on that dear head of thine!" It was necessary that Aaron, as himself a sinner, must first offer for his own sins; and his offerings had to be repeated every year. See the triumphant contrast of Hebrews 9:24.
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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 16:4 mean?

The tunic linen holy He shall put and the trousers linen shall have on his body and with a sash linen he shall be girded and with the turban linen he shall be attired [are] garments Those Therefore he shall wash in water - his body and put them on
כְּתֹֽנֶת־ בַּ֨ד קֹ֜דֶשׁ יִלְבָּ֗שׁ וּמִֽכְנְסֵי־ בַד֮ יִהְי֣וּ עַל־ בְּשָׂרוֹ֒ וּבְאַבְנֵ֥ט בַּד֙ יַחְגֹּ֔ר וּבְמִצְנֶ֥פֶת בַּ֖ד יִצְנֹ֑ף בִּגְדֵי־ הֵ֔ם וְרָחַ֥ץ בַּמַּ֛יִם אֶת־ בְּשָׂר֖וֹ וּלְבֵשָֽׁם

כְּתֹֽנֶת־  The  tunic 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: כֻּתֹּנֶת  
Sense: tunic, under-garment.
בַּ֨ד  linen 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּד  
Sense: linen, white linen.
קֹ֜דֶשׁ  holy 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: קֹדֶשׁ  
Sense: apartness, holiness, sacredness, separateness.
יִלְבָּ֗שׁ  He  shall  put 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: לָבַשׁ  
Sense: to dress, wear, clothe, put on clothing, be clothed.
וּמִֽכְנְסֵי־  and  the  trousers 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, mdc
Root: מִכְנָס  
Sense: underwear, drawers, trousers.
בַד֮  linen 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: בַּד  
Sense: linen, white linen.
יִהְי֣וּ  shall  have 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
בְּשָׂרוֹ֒  his  body 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: בָּשָׂר  
Sense: flesh.
וּבְאַבְנֵ֥ט  and  with  a  sash 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: אַבְנֵט  
Sense: girdle, sash.
בַּד֙  linen 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: בַּד  
Sense: linen, white linen.
יַחְגֹּ֔ר  he  shall  be  girded 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: חָגַר  
Sense: to gird, gird on, gird oneself, put on a belt.
וּבְמִצְנֶ֥פֶת  and  with  the  turban 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: מִצְנֶפֶת  
Sense: turban (of the high priest).
בַּ֖ד  linen 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: בַּד  
Sense: linen, white linen.
יִצְנֹ֑ף  he  shall  be  attired 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: צָנַף  
Sense: (Qal) to wrap, wrap or wind up together, wind around.
בִּגְדֵי־  [are]  garments 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֶּגֶד 
Sense: treachery, deceit.
הֵ֔ם  Those 
Parse: Pronoun, third person masculine plural
Root: הֵם 
Sense: they, these, the same, who.
וְרָחַ֥ץ  Therefore  he  shall  wash 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: רָחַץ  
Sense: to wash, wash off, wash away, bathe.
בַּמַּ֛יִם  in  water 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: מַיִם  
Sense: water, waters.
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.
בְּשָׂר֖וֹ  his  body 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: בָּשָׂר  
Sense: flesh.
וּלְבֵשָֽׁם  and  put  them  on 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine plural
Root: לָבַשׁ  
Sense: to dress, wear, clothe, put on clothing, be clothed.