The Meaning of Leviticus 22:6 Explained

Leviticus 22:6

KJV: The soul which hath touched any such shall be unclean until even, and shall not eat of the holy things, unless he wash his flesh with water.

YLT: the person who cometh against it -- hath even been unclean till the evening, and doth not eat of the holy things, but hath bathed his flesh with water,

Darby: a person that toucheth any such shall be unclean until even, and shall not eat of the holy things; but he shall bathe his flesh with water,

ASV: the soul that toucheth any such shall be unclean until the even, and shall not eat of the holy things, unless he bathe his flesh in water.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

The soul  which hath touched  any such shall be unclean  until even,  and shall not eat  of the holy things,  unless  he wash  his flesh  with water. 

What does Leviticus 22:6 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Leviticus 22

1  The priests in their uncleanness must abstain from the holy things
6  How they shall be cleansed
10  Who of the priest's house may eat of the holy things
17  The sacrifices must be without blemish
26  The age of the sacrifice
29  The law of eating the sacrifice of thanksgiving

What do the individual words in Leviticus 22:6 mean?

The person who has touched any such thing and shall be unclean until evening and not shall eat of the holy [offerings] unless if he washes his body with water
נֶ֚פֶשׁ אֲשֶׁ֣ר תִּגַּע־ בּ֔וֹ וְטָמְאָ֖ה עַד־ הָעָ֑רֶב וְלֹ֤א יֹאכַל֙ מִן־ הַקֳּדָשִׁ֔ים כִּ֛י אִם־ רָחַ֥ץ בְּשָׂר֖וֹ בַּמָּֽיִם

נֶ֚פֶשׁ  The  person 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: נֶפֶשׁ  
Sense: soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion.
תִּגַּע־  has  touched 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: נָגַע  
Sense: to touch, reach, strike.
בּ֔וֹ  any  such  thing 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
וְטָמְאָ֖ה  and  shall  be  unclean 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: טָמֵא 
Sense: to be unclean, become unclean, become impure.
עַד־  until 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַד  
Sense: as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as.
הָעָ֑רֶב  evening 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֶרֶב  
Sense: evening, night, sunset.
וְלֹ֤א  and  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
יֹאכַל֙  shall  eat 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָכַל  
Sense: to eat, devour, burn up, feed.
הַקֳּדָשִׁ֔ים  the  holy  [offerings] 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: קֹדֶשׁ  
Sense: apartness, holiness, sacredness, separateness.
כִּ֛י  unless 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
רָחַ֥ץ  he  washes 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: רָחַץ  
Sense: to wash, wash off, wash away, bathe.
בְּשָׂר֖וֹ  his  body 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: בָּשָׂר  
Sense: flesh.
בַּמָּֽיִם  with  water 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: מַיִם  
Sense: water, waters.