Skip to content

Grammar Analysis: Leviticus 16:20-22

Text

Hebrew: וְכִלָּה֙ מִכַּפֵּ֣ר אֶת־הַקֹּ֔דֶשׁ וְאֶת־אֹ֥הֶל מֹועֵ֖ד וְאֶת־הַמִּזְבֵּ֑חַ וְהִקְרִ֖יב אֶת־הַשָּׂעִ֥יר הֶחָֽי׃ וְסָמַ֨ךְ אַהֲרֹ֜ן אֶת־שְׁתֵּ֣י יָדָ֗יו עַ֨ל רֹ֣אשׁ הַשָּׂעִיר֮ הַחַי֒ וְהִתְוַדָּ֣ה עָלָ֗יו אֶת־כָּל־עֲוֹנֹת֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְאֶת־כָּל־פִּשְׁעֵיהֶ֖ם לְכָל־חַטֹּאתָ֑ם וְנָתַ֤ן אֹתָם֙ עַל־רֹ֣אשׁ הַשָּׂעִ֔יר וְשִׁלַּ֛ח בְּיַד־אִ֥ישׁ עִתִּ֖י הַמִּדְבָּֽרָה׃ וְנָשָׂ֨א הַשָּׂעִ֥יר עָלָ֛יו אֶת־כָּל־עֲוֹנֹתָ֖ם אֶל־אֶ֣רֶץ גְּזֵרָ֑ה וְשִׁלַּ֥ח אֶת־הַשָּׂעִ֖יר בַּמִּדְבָּֽר׃

KJV: And when he hath made an end of reconciling the holy [place], and the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar, he shall bring the live goat: And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send [him] away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness: And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness.

Word-by-Word Parsing

Leviticus 16:20

# Hebrew Lemma Parsing Gloss
1 וְ ו Conj.+NAN and
2 כִלָּה כלה Verb.Piel.Perf.3ms be complete
3 מִ מן Prep from
4 כַּפֵּר כפר Verb.Piel.InfCon.unknownunknown.Abs cover
5 אֶת את Prep object marker
6 הַ ה Art.+NAN the
7 קֹּדֶשׁ קדשׁ Noun.ms.Abs holiness
8 וְ ו Conj.+NAN and
9 אֶת את Prep object marker
10 אֹהֶל אהל Noun.ms.Cst tent
11 מֹועֵד מועד Noun.ms.Abs appointment
12 וְ ו Conj.+NAN and
13 אֶת את Prep object marker
14 הַ ה Art.+NAN the
15 מִּזְבֵּחַ מזבח Noun.ms.Abs altar
16 וְ ו Conj.+NAN and
17 הִקְרִיב קרב Verb.Hiphil.Perf.3ms approach/bring near
18 אֶת את Prep object marker
19 הַ ה Art.+NAN the
20 שָּׂעִיר שׂעיר Noun.ms.Abs he-goat
21 הֶ ה Art.+NAN the
22 חָי חי Adj.ms.Abs alive

Leviticus 16:21

# Hebrew Lemma Parsing Gloss
1 וְ ו Conj.+NAN and
2 סָמַךְ סמך Verb.Qal.Perf.3ms support/lay
3 אַהֲרֹן אהרן PropN.ms.Abs.+NAN Aaron
4 אֶת את Prep object marker
5 שְׁתֵּי שׁנים Noun.fd.Cst two
6 ידו יד Noun.d.Abs.+3ms his hands
7 עַל על Prep upon
8 רֹאשׁ ראשׁ Noun.ms.Cst head
9 הַ ה Art.+NAN the
10 שָּׂעִיר שׂעיר Noun.ms.Abs he-goat
11 הַ ה Art.+NAN the
12 חַי חי Adj.ms.Abs alive
13 וְ ו Conj.+NAN and
14 הִתְוַדָּה ידה Verb.Hithpael.Perf.3ms confess/praise
15 עָלָיו על Prep.+3ms upon him
16 אֶת את Prep object marker
17 כָּל כל Noun.ms.Cst whole/all
18 עֲוֹנֹת עון Noun.mp.Cst iniquities
19 בְּנֵי בן Noun.mp.Cst sons of
20 יִשְׂרָאֵל ישׂראל PropN.s.Abs.+NAN Israel
21 וְ ו Conj.+NAN and
22 אֶת את Prep object marker
23 כָּל כל Noun.ms.Cst whole/all
24 פִּשְׁעֵיהֶם פשׁע Noun.mp.Abs.+3mp their transgressions
25 לְ ל Prep to/with respect to
26 כָל כל Noun.ms.Cst whole/all
27 חַטֹּאתָם חטאת Noun.fp.Abs.+3mp their sins
28 וְ ו Conj.+NAN and
29 נָתַן נתן Verb.Qal.Perf.3ms give/put
30 אֹתָם את Prep.+3mp them
31 עַל על Prep upon
32 רֹאשׁ ראשׁ Noun.ms.Cst head
33 הַ ה Art.+NAN the
34 שָּׂעִיר שׂעיר Noun.ms.Abs he-goat
35 וְ ו Conj.+NAN and
36 שִׁלַּח שׁלח Verb.Piel.Perf.3ms send
37 בְּ ב Prep in/by
38 יַד יד Noun.s.Cst hand
39 אִישׁ אישׁ Noun.ms.Abs man
40 עִתִּי עתי Adj.ms.Abs ready/fit
41 הַ ה Art.+NAN the
42 מִּדְבָּרָה מדבר Noun.ms.Abs wilderness-ward

Leviticus 16:22

# Hebrew Lemma Parsing Gloss
1 וְ ו Conj.+NAN and
2 נָשָׂא נשׂא Verb.Qal.Perf.3ms lift/bear
3 הַ ה Art.+NAN the
4 שָּׂעִיר שׂעיר Noun.ms.Abs he-goat
5 עָלָיו על Prep.+3ms upon him
6 אֶת את Prep object marker
7 כָּל כל Noun.ms.Cst whole/all
8 עֲוֹנֹתָם עון Noun.mp.Abs.+3mp their iniquities
9 אֶל אל Prep to
10 אֶרֶץ ארץ Noun.s.Cst land
11 גְּזֵרָה גזרה Noun.fs.Abs cut-off/dry land
12 וְ ו Conj.+NAN and
13 שִׁלַּח שׁלח Verb.Piel.Perf.3ms send/let go
14 אֶת את Prep object marker
15 הַ ה Art.+NAN the
16 שָּׂעִיר שׂעיר Noun.ms.Abs he-goat
17 בַּ ב + ה Prep + Art in the
18 מִּדְבָּר מדבר Noun.ms.Abs wilderness

Key Grammatical Features

1. וְכִלָּה מִכַּפֵּר (v.20)

  • Form: Piel perfect 3ms כִלָּה followed by מִן + Piel infinitive construct כַּפֵּר.
  • Significance: The phrase marks completion of the preceding atonement action before the live goat is brought forward. Grammatically, מִן + infinitive construct functions temporally/ablatively: "when he has finished from/with making atonement."
  • Grammar reference: infinitive-construct-natan-predicative is a different InfCon construction; no exact entry yet for מִן + InfCon completion.
  • Word study: H3722-kaphar

2. Ritual Verb Sequence (vv.20-22)

  • Form: finite perfect-conjugation verbs chained with waw: וְכִלָּה, וְהִקְרִיב, וְסָמַךְ, וְהִתְוַדָּה, וְנָתַן, וְשִׁלַּח, וְנָשָׂא, וְשִׁלַּח.
  • Significance: In legal/ritual instruction, waw + perfect forms sequence prescribed actions. The KJV renders them prospectively ("shall bring," "shall lay," "shall send," "shall bear") because the discourse is procedural, not past narrative.
  • Grammar reference: weqatal-legal-imperatival

3. Coordinated Objects of Confession (v.21)

  • Form: הִתְוַדָּה governs a compound object phrase: אֶת־כָּל־עֲוֹנֹת ... וְאֶת־כָּל־פִּשְׁעֵיהֶם לְכָל־חַטֹּאתָם.
  • Significance: Repeated אֶת marks two direct-object components; לְכָל־חַטֹּאתָם attaches the third sin term with לְ, producing a coordinated comprehensive formula.
  • Grammar reference: syntax-compound-object-waw; construct-state
  • Word studies: H5771-avon; H6588-pesha; H2403-chattaah

4. עַל־רֹאשׁ הַשָּׂעִיר (vv.21)

  • Form: preposition עַל + construct chain רֹאשׁ הַשָּׂעִיר.
  • Significance: The phrase is a locative complement: the hands are laid upon the goat's head, and the confessed items are put upon the goat's head. The repeated construct phrase binds both ritual actions to the same location.
  • Grammar reference: construct-state

5. אֶל־אֶרֶץ גְּזֵרָה (v.22)

  • Form: אֶל + construct chain אֶרֶץ גְּזֵרָה.
  • Significance: The phrase is a destination complement of וְנָשָׂא: the goat bears the iniquities "to" the named destination. The preposition governs the entire construct chain.
  • Grammar reference: construct-chain-destination-syntax; construct-state
  • Word study: H776-erets

Clause Structure

Leviticus 16:20

  1. WQt0: וְ כִלָּה - predicate only, "and he finishes/has finished."
  2. InfC: מִ כַּפֵּר + compound object: the holy place, tent of meeting, and altar.
  3. WQt0: וְ הִקְרִיב + object: the live goat.

Leviticus 16:21

  1. WQtX: וְ סָמַךְ אַהֲרֹן ... - Aaron lays both hands upon the head of the live goat.
  2. WQt0: וְ הִתְוַדָּה ... - confession over the goat with coordinated sin terms.
  3. WQt0: וְ נָתַן ... - placing them upon the goat's head.
  4. WQt0: וְ שִׁלַּח ... - sending by the hand of a fit man wilderness-ward.

Leviticus 16:22

  1. WQtX: וְ נָשָׂא הַשָּׂעִיר ... אֶל אֶרֶץ גְּזֵרָה - the goat bears all their iniquities to a destination.
  2. WQt0: וְ שִׁלַּח אֶת הַשָּׂעִיר בַּמִּדְבָּר - the goat is sent/let go in the wilderness.

Construct Chains

Reference Chain Parser Result Function
Lev 16:20 אֹהֶל מֹועֵד Noun.ms.Cst + Noun.ms.Abs tent of meeting
Lev 16:21 שְׁתֵּי יָדָיו Noun.fd.Cst + Noun.d.Abs.+3ms both his hands
Lev 16:21 רֹאשׁ הַשָּׂעִיר Noun.ms.Cst + Noun.ms.Abs head of the goat
Lev 16:21 כָּל עֲוֹנֹת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל stacked constructs ending in proper noun all iniquities of the children of Israel
Lev 16:21 כָּל פִּשְׁעֵיהֶם Noun.ms.Cst + Noun.mp.Abs.+3mp all their transgressions
Lev 16:21 כָל חַטֹּאתָם Noun.ms.Cst + Noun.fp.Abs.+3mp all their sins
Lev 16:21 יַד אִישׁ עִתִּי Noun.s.Cst + Noun.ms.Abs + Adj.ms.Abs hand/agency of a fit man
Lev 16:22 כָּל עֲוֹנֹתָם Noun.ms.Cst + Noun.mp.Abs.+3mp all their iniquities
Lev 16:22 אֶרֶץ גְּזֵרָה Noun.s.Cst + Noun.fs.Abs land of cutting-off / uninhabited land

Cross-References

Generated from: hebrew_parser.py --verse/--clause/--construct Lev 16:20, 16:21, 16:22 Last updated: 2026-05-07