Word Studies¶

H2403 -- chattat (sin / sin offering)¶

Original: חַטָּאָה / חַטָּאת Transliteration: chattat / chatta'ah Pronunciation: khat-taw-aw Part of Speech: Feminine noun BLB Count: 296 occurrences Definition: From H2398 (chata, to miss the mark); an offence (sometimes habitual sinfulness), and its penalty, occasion, sacrifice, or expiation; also (concretely) an offender. Translated as: punishment (of sin), purifying(-fication for sin), sin(-ner, offering).

Translations¶

The same word is translated BOTH as "sin" and "sin offering" -- this double meaning is theologically loaded: - "for a sin offering" -- 34 times (11.1%) - "a sin offering" -- 28 times (9.2%) - "of the sin offering" -- 17 times (5.6%) - "his sin" -- 14 times (4.6%) - "the sin" -- 14 times (4.6%) - "the sin offering" -- 14 times (4.6%) - "the sins" -- 12 times (3.9%) - "sin" -- 11 times (3.6%) - "their sin" -- 10 times (3.3%) - "their sins" -- 10 times (3.3%) - "of purifying" / "a purification for sin" / "of purification for sin" -- 3 total

Key Verses in Leviticus 4¶

H2403 appears in nearly every verse of Leviticus 4, used for both the sin committed and the sacrifice offered. In Lev 4:3 alone it appears three times: "If the priest that is anointed do sin [H2403] according to the sin [H2403] of the people; then let him bring for his sin [H2403]... a young bullock without blemish unto the LORD for a sin offering [H2403]."

LXX Connections¶

G266 hamartia (sin) -- 242 times, score 31.95 (primary translation)
G265 hamartema (a sin, concrete) -- 11 times, score 13.98
G264 hamartano (to sin, verb) -- 32 times, score 13.71
G458 anomia (lawlessness) -- 31 times, score 13.19
G2378 thysia (sacrifice) -- 25 times, score 9.38

H5564 -- samakh (to lean, lay hands)¶

Original: סָמַךְ Transliteration: samakh Pronunciation: saw-mak Part of Speech: Verb BLB Count: 48 occurrences Definition: A primitive root; to prop (literally or figuratively); reflexively, to lean upon or take hold of. Translated as: bear up, establish, (up-)hold, lay, lean, lie hard, put, rest self, set self, stand fast, stay (self), sustain.

Translations¶

"And he shall lay" -- 6 times (9.7%) -- ALL in sacrificial contexts (Lev 3:2,8,13; 4:24,29,33)
"shall put" -- 4 times (6.5%)
"shall lay" -- 3 times (4.8%)
"laid" -- 3 times (4.8%)
"upholdeth" -- 3 times (4.8%)
"lean" -- 2 times (3.2%)
"support" / "sustain" / "uphold" -- various forms

Sacrificial Occurrences (from --verses trace)¶

All sacrificial hand-laying uses of samakh: - Lev 1:4 -- burnt offering (hand on head) - Lev 3:2, 3:8, 3:13 -- peace offerings (hand on head) - Lev 4:24, 4:29, 4:33 -- sin offering for ruler and commoner (hand on head) - Lev 4:15 -- sin offering for congregation (elders' hands on head) - Lev 8:14 -- consecration sin offering - Lev 16:21 -- scapegoat (BOTH hands on head -- unique doubled emphasis) - Lev 24:14 -- hand-laying in solemnizing testimony (non-sacrificial) - Exo 29:10, 15, 19 -- consecration offerings - Num 8:10, 12 -- ordaining Levites - 2 Chr 29:23 -- Hezekiah's restoration sin offering

Hebrew Parsing Note (Lev 4:4)¶

In Lev 4:4, samakh appears as Qal Perfect 3ms: "and he shall lay (wesamakh) his hand upon the head of the bullock." The verb indicates a decisive, completed action -- a firm pressing/leaning, not a light touch.

H5375 -- nasa (to lift, bear, carry)¶

Original: נָשָׂא Transliteration: nasa Pronunciation: naw-saw Part of Speech: Verb BLB Count: 654 occurrences Definition: A primitive root; to lift, in a great variety of applications, literal and figurative. Translated as: accept, advance, arise, bear(-er, up), bring (forth), carry (away), forgive, lift (self) up, marry, obtain, pardon, receive, take (away, up), wear, yield.

Translations (sin-bearing focus)¶

"shall bear" -- 17 times (including Lev 7:18; 16:22; 19:8; 24:15; Num 5:31; 9:13; 18:1,23)
"bear" -- 14 times
"to bear" -- 16 times
"forgive" -- appears as a translation of nasa (meaning "to lift away [sin]")

Key Sin-Bearing Verses¶

Lev 10:17 -- "God hath given it you to bear (laset, nasa Qal Inf Construct) the iniquity of the congregation, to make atonement (lekapper) for them before the LORD"
Lev 16:22 -- "And the goat shall bear (nasa) upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited"
Lev 7:18 -- "the soul that eateth of it shall bear his iniquity"
Lev 19:8 -- "he that eateth it shall bear his iniquity"
Num 18:1 -- "Thou and thy sons... shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary"
Num 18:23 -- "the Levites shall do the service... and they shall bear their iniquity"
Isa 53:4 -- "Surely he hath borne (nasa) our griefs"
Isa 53:12 -- "he bare (nasa) the sin of many"

Hebrew Parsing (Lev 10:17)¶

nasa appears as Qal Infinitive Construct (laset): "to bear" -- indicating purpose. The priest's eating of the sin offering has the PURPOSE of bearing the iniquity. Combined with the Piel Infinitive Construct of kaphar (lekapper): "to cover/atone" -- the eating achieves atonement through bearing.

H5137 -- nazah (to sprinkle, spatter)¶

Original: נָזָה Transliteration: nazah Pronunciation: naw-zaw Part of Speech: Verb BLB Count: 24 occurrences Definition: A primitive root; to spirt, i.e. besprinkle (especially in expiation). Translated as: sprinkle.

Translations¶

"and sprinkle" -- 8 times (28.6%)
"And he shall sprinkle" -- 3 times (10.7%)
"shall sprinkle" / "shall he sprinkle" -- 4 times
All other occurrences also translate as "sprinkle" variants

All Occurrences (complete list)¶

Exo 29:21 -- consecration blood sprinkled on garments (2x)
Lev 4:6 -- sin offering blood sprinkled 7 times before the veil (3x in verse: dip, sprinkle, sprinkle)
Lev 4:17 -- congregation sin offering blood sprinkled 7 times before the veil
Lev 5:9 -- blood of sin offering sprinkled on altar side
Lev 6:20 (Heb 6:27) -- blood sprinkled on garments
Lev 8:11 -- anointing oil sprinkled on altar 7 times (2x)
Lev 8:30 -- blood sprinkled on Aaron and garments (2x)
Lev 14:7, 16, 27 -- leprosy cleansing sprinkling
Lev 14:51 -- house cleansing
Lev 16:14 -- blood sprinkled on mercy seat and before it 7 times (3x in verse)
Lev 16:15 -- goat blood sprinkled on mercy seat
Lev 16:19 -- blood sprinkled on altar 7 times to cleanse
Num 8:7 -- water of purification sprinkled on Levites (2x)
Num 19:4 -- red heifer blood sprinkled toward tabernacle 7 times
Num 19:18, 19, 21 -- water of separation sprinkled
2 Ki 9:33 -- Jezebel's blood spattered
Isa 52:15 -- "so shall he sprinkle many nations" (Messianic)
Isa 63:3 -- blood spattered on garments (judgment)

Hebrew Parsing (Lev 4:6)¶

nazah appears as Hiphil Perfect 3ms (hizzah): the causative stem means "he caused to spatter" or "he sprinkled." This is the technical term for the priestly sprinkling that transfers sin into the sanctuary.

H3725 -- kippur (atonement)¶

Original: כִּפֻּר Transliteration: kippur Pronunciation: kip-poor Part of Speech: Masculine noun (always plural: kippurim) BLB Count: 8 occurrences Definition: From H3722 (kaphar); expiation (only in plural). Translated as: atonement.

All Occurrences¶

Exo 29:36 -- "a bullock for a sin offering for atonement (kippurim)"
Exo 30:10 -- "Aaron shall make an atonement (kippurim) upon the horns of it once in a year"
Exo 30:16 -- "atonement money (kippurim)" for service of the tabernacle
Lev 23:27 -- "the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement (kippurim)"
Lev 23:28 -- "it [is] a day of atonement (kippurim)"
Lev 25:9 -- "in the day of atonement (kippurim) shall ye make the trumpet sound"
Num 5:8 -- "the ram of the atonement (kippurim)"
Num 29:11 -- "sin offering of atonement (kippurim)"

H3722 -- kaphar (to cover, atone, expiate)¶

Original: כָּפַר Transliteration: kaphar Pronunciation: kaw-far Part of Speech: Verb BLB Count: 102 occurrences Definition: A primitive root; to cover (specifically with bitumen); figuratively, to expiate or condone, to placate or cancel. Translated as: appease, make (an atonement, cleanse, disannul, forgive, be merciful, pacify, pardon, purge (away), put off, (make) reconcile(-liation).

Key Observations¶

The root meaning is "to cover." In the Piel stem (intensive active), which is the standard form in sacrificial contexts, it means "to make atonement" or "to cover over [sin]."

Hebrew Parsing (Lev 16:16)¶

kipper appears as Piel Perfect 3ms (wekipper): "and he shall make atonement" -- the Piel stem indicates intensive purposeful action by the priest upon the holy place. The preposition al (upon) followed by haqqodesh (the holy [place]) shows the object of atonement is the SANCTUARY ITSELF, not the person.

LXX Connections¶

G2511 katharizo (to cleanse) -- 14 times, score 14.03
G863 aphiemi (to forgive/release) -- 14 times, score 15.02
G2433 hilaskomai (to propitiate) -- 4 times, score 10.41

H2930 -- tame (to be unclean, to defile)¶

Original: טָמֵא Transliteration: tame Pronunciation: taw-may Part of Speech: Verb BLB Count: 161 occurrences Definition: A primitive root; to be foul, especially in a ceremonial or moral sense (contaminated). Translated as: defile (self), pollute (self), be (make, make self, pronounce) unclean, utterly.

Translations¶

"shall be unclean" -- 28 times (14.4%)
"and be unclean" -- 18 times (9.3%)
"unclean" -- 6 times (3.1%)
"defiled" -- 6 times (3.1%)
"defile" -- 4 times (2.1%)
Various other translations relating to defilement and uncleanness

Key Defilement-of-Sanctuary Verses¶

Lev 15:31 -- "when they defile (betamme'am, Piel Inf Construct) my tabernacle (mishkani) that [is] among them"
Lev 20:3 -- "he hath given of his seed unto Molech, to defile (letamme', Piel) my sanctuary"
Num 19:13 -- "purifieth not himself, defileth (timme', Piel) the tabernacle of the LORD"
Num 19:20 -- "he hath defiled (timme', Piel) the sanctuary of the LORD"
Ezk 5:11 -- "thou hast defiled (timme't, Piel) my sanctuary"
Ezk 23:38 -- "they have defiled my sanctuary" (same Piel form)
Ezk 36:17 -- "they defiled it (wayetamme'u, Piel Wayyiqtol) by their own way and by their doings"
Ezk 43:7-8 -- "neither shall the house of Israel defile my holy name any more"

Hebrew Parsing (Lev 15:31)¶

tame appears as Piel Infinitive Construct with 3mp suffix (betamme'am): "in their defiling" -- the Piel is causative/intensive, indicating active contamination. The object is mishkan (dwelling-place), first person suffix: "MY dwelling-place." Personal uncleanness actively defiles God's dwelling.

LXX Connections¶

G3392 miaino (to sully/taint) -- 86 times, score 31.76 (primary translation)
G169 akathartos (unclean) -- 53 times, score 24.39
G167 akathartia (impurity) -- 10 times, score 12.53

H2932 -- tum'ah (uncleanness)¶

Original: טֻמְאָה Transliteration: tum'ah Pronunciation: toom-aw Part of Speech: Feminine noun BLB Count: 37 occurrences Definition: From H2930 (tame); religious impurity. Translated as: filthiness, unclean(-ness).

Key Occurrences¶

Lev 15:31 -- "Thus shall ye separate the children of Israel from their uncleanness (mittum'atam)"
Lev 16:16 -- "because of the uncleanness (mittum'ot) of the children of Israel" (appears 4x in this chapter)
Lev 16:19 -- "cleanse it... from the uncleanness (mittum'ot) of the children of Israel"
Ezk 36:17 -- "as the uncleanness (ketum'at) of a removed woman"
Ezk 36:25 -- "from all your filthiness (mittum'otekem), and from all your idols, will I cleanse you"
Ezk 36:29 -- "I will also save you from all your uncleannesses (mittum'otekem)"

Hebrew Parsing (Lev 16:16)¶

In Lev 16:16, tum'ah appears in the feminine plural construct (tum'ot) with the preposition min: "from the uncleannesses of the children of Israel." The plural suggests multiple instances of impurity that have accumulated in the holy place over time. This is the abstract noun for the defilement that the Day of Atonement cleanses.

H5545 -- salach (to forgive, pardon)¶

Original: סָלַח Transliteration: salach Pronunciation: saw-lakh Part of Speech: Verb BLB Count: 46 occurrences Definition: A primitive root; to forgive. Translated as: forgive, pardon, spare.

The Forgiveness Formula¶

salach appears in the distinctive Niphal (passive) form in the forgiveness formula of Leviticus: - Lev 4:20 -- "and it shall be forgiven (wenislach) them" - Lev 4:26 -- "and it shall be forgiven (wenislach) him" - Lev 4:31 -- "and it shall be forgiven (wenislach) him" - Lev 4:35 -- "and it shall be forgiven (wenislach) him" - Lev 5:10 -- "and it shall be forgiven (wenislach) him" - Lev 5:13 -- "and it shall be forgiven (wenislach) him" - Lev 5:16, 18 -- "and it shall be forgiven (wenislach) him" - Num 15:25, 26, 28 -- same formula

The pattern is always: kipper (Piel, priest acts) --> nislach (Niphal, God forgives). The priest performs the atonement; God grants the forgiveness. Salach is NEVER used with a human subject -- only God forgives.

Additional Key Verses¶

1 Ki 8:30 -- Solomon's prayer: "hear thou in heaven... and when thou hearest, forgive (salach)"
2 Ki 24:4 -- "which the LORD would not pardon (salach)" -- indicates limits to forgiveness
Jer 31:34 -- "I will forgive (eslach) their iniquity" -- new covenant promise
Dan 9:19 -- "O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive (selach)"

H2891 -- taher (to be clean, to cleanse)¶

Original: טָהֵר Transliteration: taher Pronunciation: taw-hare Part of Speech: Verb BLB Count: 94 occurrences Definition: A primitive root; properly, to be bright; i.e. (by implication) to be pure (physical sound, clear, unadulterated; Levitically, uncontaminated; morally, innocent or holy). Translated as: be (make, make self, pronounce) clean, cleanse (self), purge, purify(-ier, self).

Key Verses in Day of Atonement¶

Lev 16:19 -- "and cleanse it (wetiharo, Piel), and hallow it from the uncleanness of the children of Israel"
Lev 16:30 -- "For on that day shall [the priest] make an atonement for you, to cleanse you (letaher, Piel Inf), [that] ye may be clean (titharu, Qal) from all your sins before the LORD"

The taher/tame Contrast¶

taher is the precise antonym of tame (H2930). The Day of Atonement moves the sanctuary from the state of tum'ah (uncleanness, H2932) to the state of tohorah (cleanness). This is the annual reset that restores the sanctuary's ritual purity after a year of accumulated defilement from transferred sin.

Ezekiel's Promise of Cleansing¶

Ezk 36:25 -- "Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean (tehartem): from all your filthiness (tum'ot), and from all your idols, will I cleanse (ataher, Piel) you."
Ezk 36:33 -- "In the day that I shall have cleansed you (tahri, Piel) from all your iniquities"

H5799 -- azazel (scapegoat)¶

Original: עֲזָאזֵל Transliteration: azazel Pronunciation: az-aw-zale Part of Speech: Masculine noun BLB Count: 4 occurrences (all in Leviticus 16) Definition: From H5795 (ez, goat) and H235 (azal, to go away); goat of departure; the scapegoat.

All Occurrences¶

Lev 16:8 -- "one lot for the LORD, and the other lot for the scapegoat (la'azazel)"
Lev 16:10 -- "the goat, on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat (la'azazel), shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make an atonement with him, [and] to let him go for a scapegoat (la'azazel) into the wilderness"
Lev 16:26 -- "And he that let go the goat for the scapegoat (la'azazel) shall wash his clothes"

Theological Significance¶

The azazel goat represents the SECOND phase of atonement. The first goat (the LORD's goat) deals with the sanctuary's accumulated defilement through blood. The azazel goat then removes the sins entirely from the camp. The high priest transfers "all the iniquities... and all their transgressions in all their sins" (Lev 16:21) onto the azazel goat, which carries them into the wilderness. This is the complete removal of sin from the community.

G2435 -- hilasterion (mercy seat / propitiation)¶

Original: ἱλαστήριον Transliteration: hilasterion Pronunciation: hil-as-tay-ree-on Part of Speech: Neuter noun BLB Count: 2 NT occurrences; also in LXX for kapporet (mercy seat) Definition: Neuter of a derivative of G2433 (hilaskomai); an expiatory (place or thing), i.e. (specifically) the lid of the Ark.

NT Occurrences¶

Romans 3:25 -- "Whom God hath set forth [to be] a propitiation (hilasterion) through faith in his blood"
Hebrews 9:5 -- "the cherubims of glory shadowing the mercyseat (hilasterion)"

LXX Occurrences (OT mercy seat)¶

Exo 25:17, 18 -- the mercy seat over the ark
Exo 37:6; 38:7 -- construction of the mercy seat
Lev 16:2 -- "I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy seat"

Significance for Sin Transfer¶

Romans 3:25 identifies Christ as the hilasterion -- the place where blood meets God's presence and atonement occurs. In the earthly type, the Day of Atonement blood was sprinkled ON the mercy seat (Lev 16:14-15). Christ IS the mercy seat -- the meeting place of divine justice and mercy where sin is dealt with definitively.

Greek Parsing (Romans 3:25)¶

hilasterion appears as Accusative Singular Neuter (N-ASN). The verb proetheto (G4388, "set forth," Aorist Middle Indicative) indicates God PUBLICLY displayed Christ as the hilasterion. The instrument is dia pisteos en to autou haimati -- "through faith in his blood."