Leviticus 16:21

Leviticus 16:21 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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:
• New International Version (NIV)He is to lay both hands on the head of the live goat and confess over it all the wickedness and rebellion of the Israelites—all their sins—and put them on the goat’s head. He shall send the goat away into the wilderness in the care of someone appointed for the task.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over it all the iniquities of the people of Israel, and all their transgressions, all their sins. And he shall put them on the head of the goat and send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who is in readiness.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, confess over it all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions, concerning all their sins, putting them on the head of the goat, and shall send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a suitable man.

Context of Leviticus 16:21

19With his finger he will sprinkle some of the blood on it seven times. Because the Israelites made it unclean, he will cleanse it and declare it holy. 20“When he finishes making peace with the Lord at the holy place, the tent of meeting, and the altar, he will bring the living goat forward. Aaron will place both hands on its head. He will confess over it all the sins, all the rebellious acts, and all the things the Israelites did wrong. He will transfer them to the goat’s head. A man will be appointed to release the goat in the desert. 22The goat will take all their sins away to a deserted place. The man must release the goat in the desert. 23“Then Aaron will go to the tent of meeting, take off the linen clothes he had put on to go into the holy place, and leave them there.

Leviticus 16:21 word by word

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׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And Aaronאַהֲרֹן'ahărôn · AaronH175
• shall layסָמַךְsâmak · to supportH5564
• bothשְׁנַ֫יִםshenayim shettayim · twoH8147
• his handsיָדyâd · handH3027
• upon the headרֹאשׁrô'sh · headH7218
• of the liveחַיchay · aliveH2416
• goatשָׂעִירώâ‛îyr ώâ‛ir · he-goatH8163
• and confessיָדָהyâdâh · to give thanksH3034
• over him all the iniquitiesעָוֺן‛âvôn ‛âvôn · iniquity: crimeH5771
• of the childrenבֵּןbên · son: descendant/peopleH1121
• of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• and all their transgressionsפֶּ֫שַׁעpesha‛ · transgressionH6588
• in all their sinsחַטָּאתchaţţâ'âh chaţţâ'th · sinH2403
• puttingנָתַןnâthan · to give: putH5414
• awayשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: departH7971
• of a fitעִתִּי‛ittîy · timelyH6261
• manאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
• into the wildernessמִדְבָּרmidbâr · wildernessH4057

Cross-references for Leviticus 16:21

• Leviticus 1:4Place your hand on the animal’s head. The burnt offering will be accepted to make peace with the Lord.
• Exodus 29:10“Then bring the young bull to the front of the tent of meeting. Aaron and his sons will place their hands on its head.
• Leviticus 26:40“But if they confess their sins and the sins of their ancestors—the treacherous things they did to oppose me—
• Ezra 10:1While Ezra was praying, confessing ⌞these sins⌟, crying, and throwing himself down in front of God’s temple, a large crowd of Israelite men, women, and children gathered around him. They also began to cry bitterly.
• Nehemiah 1:6Open your eyes, and pay close attention with your ears to what I, your servant, am praying. I am praying to you day and night about your servants the Israelites. I confess the sins that we Israelites have committed against you as well as the sins that my father’s family and I have committed.
• Nehemiah 9:3They stood in their places, and for one-fourth of the day, ⌞they listened as⌟ the Book of the Teachings of the Lord their God was read, and for another fourth ⌞of the day⌟, they confessed their sins and worshiped the Lord their God.
• Psalms 32:5I made my sins known to you, and I did not cover up my guilt. I decided to confess them to you, O Lord. Then you forgave all my sins. Selah
• Psalms 51:3I admit that I am rebellious. My sin is always in front of me.
• Proverbs 28:13Whoever covers over his sins does not prosper. Whoever confesses and abandons them receives compassion.
• Daniel 9:3So I turned to the Lord God and looked to him for help. I prayed, pleaded, and fasted in sackcloth and ashes.
• Romans 10:10By believing you receive God’s approval, and by declaring your faith you are saved.
• Isaiah 53:6We have all strayed like sheep. Each one of us has turned to go his own way, and the Lord has laid all our sins on him.
• 2 Corinthians 5:21God had Christ, who was sinless, take our sin so that we might receive God’s approval through him.

Commentaries on Leviticus 16:21

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 21Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head, etc. - What this imposition of hands meant see in the notes on Exodus 29:10; (note), and Leviticus 1:4; (note). And confess over him all the iniquities - transgressions - sins - The three terms used here, Iniquities, עונת avonoth, from עוה avah, to pervert, distort, or turn aside; Transgressions, פשעים peshaim, from פשע pasha, to transgress, to rebel; and Sins, חטאת chattaoth, from חטא chata, to miss the mark…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 11-25Verses 11-25 It is important, in reference to the meaning of the day of atonement, to observe the order of the rites as they are described in these verses. Leviticus 16:12 A censer - See Exodus 25:38 note. The altar before the Lord - i. e. the altar of burnt-offering on which the fire was always burning. Leviticus 16:14 The high priest must have come out from the most holy place to fetch the blood, leaving the censer smoking within, and then have entered…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 15-34Verses 15-34 Here are typified the two great gospel privileges, of the remission of sin, and access to God, both of which we owe to our Lord Jesus. See the expiation of guilt. Christ is both the Maker and the Matter of the atonement; for he is the Priest, the High Priest, that makes reconciliation for the sins of the people. And as Christ is the High Priest, so he is the Sacrifice with which atonement is made; for he is all in all in our reconciliation to…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-34The day of atonement, on the tenth day of the seventh month, was the most serious and holy day of the year for Israelites (see Leviticus 16:29; 23:27; Numbers 29:7). It was the only required fast and a Sabbath of rest for all the people (Leviticus 23:32). The Feast of Trumpets came before it and announced its arrival (Numbers 29:1, 7–11). On this day, God forgave the sins of the community. Only the high priest, Aaron, could lead the ceremony because he…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 20-2220-22. he shall bring the live goat--Having already been presented before the Lord (Le 16:10), it was now brought forward to the high priest, who, placing his hands upon its head, and "having confessed over it all the iniquities of the people of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins," transferred them by this act to the goat as their substitute. It was then delivered into the hands of a person, who was appointed to lead him away into a…Read the comment

Topics related to Leviticus 16:21

• Atonement
• Church
• Hand
• Offerings
• Scapegoat
• Sin
• Substitution

In the dictionaries

• Aaron
• Israel
• Israel, Israelites
• Jacob, Israel
• Children of Israel
• Attire
• Burnt offering
• Coat
• Confession
• High priest

Commentaries on Leviticus 16

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings