Leviticus 16:20
in Leviticus 16When Aaron has finished purifying the Most Holy Place, the Tent of Meeting, and the altar, he is to bring forward the live goat.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And when he hath made an end of atoning for the holy place, and the tent of meeting, and the altar, he shall present the live goat:
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:
⋯
This verse in Leviticus 16
Commentary
4 notes on this verseA commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
This last view is grounded on the idea of both goats forming one and the same sacrifice of atonement, and it is supported by Zec 3:1-10, which presents a striking commentary on this passage.
This site's exposition
made an end of reconciling the holy place
on Leviticus 16:20-22
Aaron lays both hands on the living goat and confesses over it all the iniquities, all the transgressions and all their sins, and the verse names all three. The sins are put on the head of the animal by hands and by words together, and then a man leads it out. It bears them unto a land not inhabited, so what happens to them is a distance rather than a destruction, and Isaiah 53:6 reaches for the same picture when it says the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
); and whenever hands were imposed upon the head of any sacrifice it was always done with confession, according as the nature of the sacrifice was; and, this being a sin-offering, it must be a confession of sin.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
And when he hath made an end of reconciling the holy place,....
How the passage was read
On Leviticus 16:1-34On Leviticus 16:1-34
The day Israel still fasts
This chapter founds the Day of Atonement, in Hebrew Yom Kippur, the most solemn day of the Jewish year: the one day the high priest entered the innermost room of the sanctuary with blood for the nation's sins. With no Temple standing since AD 70, the day is kept now as a full fast: roughly 25 hours with no food or drink, most of it spent in synagogue prayer, many wearing white.
The Mishnah (the first code of Jewish oral law, about AD 200) defines the day's five abstentions: eating and drinking, washing, anointing, leather shoes, and marital relations (Yoma 8:1). It also carries a saying worth any reader's time: the day atones for sins between a person and God, “but for sins between a person and his fellow, the Day of Atonement does not atone until he has appeased his fellow” (Yoma 8:9). Reconciliation with people is homework done before the day.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Sources: Mishnah Yoma 8:1 (the five abstentions) · Mishnah Yoma 8:9 (appease your fellow first) · The Day of Atonement (this site's study)
The words behind it
13 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְכִלָּה֙ | vekhilah | and he will finish | H3615 → | 208 times |
| מִכַּפֵּ֣ר | mikaper | from making atonement for | H3722 → | 102 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַקֹּ֔דֶשׁ | hakodesh | the holy place | H6944 → | 469 times |
| וְאֶת־ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אֹ֥הֶל | ʾohel | [the] tent of | H168 → | 345 times |
| מוֹעֵ֖ד | moed | meeting | H4150 → | 223 times |
| וְאֶת־ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַמִּזְבֵּ֑חַ | hamizbeach | the altar | H4196 → | 401 times |
| וְהִקְרִ֖יב | vehikriv | and he will present | H7126 → | 280 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַשָּׂעִ֥יר | hasair | the male goat | H8163 → | 59 times |
| הֶחָֽי׃ | hechai | <the> living | H2416 → | 498 times |
וְכִלָּה֙and he will finish
vekhilahH3615 →208 times
מִכַּפֵּ֣רfrom making atonement for
mikaperH3722 →102 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַקֹּ֔דֶשׁthe holy place
hakodeshH6944 →469 times
וְאֶת־and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
אֹ֥הֶל[the] tent of
ʾohelH168 →345 times
מוֹעֵ֖דmeeting
moedH4150 →223 times
וְאֶת־and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
הַמִּזְבֵּ֑חַthe altar
hamizbeachH4196 →401 times
וְהִקְרִ֖יבand he will present
vehikrivH7126 →280 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַשָּׂעִ֥ירthe male goat
hasairH8163 →59 times
הֶחָֽי׃<the> living
hechaiH2416 →498 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Romans 8:34Who is there to condemn us? For Christ Jesus, who died, and more than that was raised to life, is at the right hand of God—and He is interceding for us.
it leads to
- Hebrews 7:25
Therefore He is able to save completely those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to intercede for them.
- Romans 8:27
And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
- Hebrews 9:24
For Christ did not enter a man-made copy of the true sanctuary, but He entered heaven itself, now to appear on our behalf in the presence of God.
- 1 Peter 3:22
who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers subject to Him.
- Romans 8:1
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
- Hebrews 7:25
Through
Leviticus 16:16So he shall make atonement for the Most Holy Place because of the impurities and rebellious acts of the Israelites in regard to all their sins. He is to do the same for the…
it leads to
- Hebrews 9:22–23
According to the law, in fact, nearly everything must be purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.
- Hebrews 9:22–23
Through
Leviticus 8:15Moses slaughtered the bull, took some of the blood, and applied it with his finger to all four horns of the altar, purifying the altar. He poured out the rest of the blood at…
it leads to
- Leviticus 4:7
The priest must then put some of the blood on the horns of the altar of fragrant incense that is before the LORD in the Tent of Meeting. And he is to pour out…
- Leviticus 4:7
Through
Ezekiel 45:20You must do the same thing on the seventh day of the month for anyone who strays unintentionally or in ignorance. In this way you will make atonement for the temple.
it leads to
- Psalms 19:12
Who can discern his own errors? Cleanse me from my hidden faults.
- Psalms 19:12
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies10
On this chapter
About Leviticus
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Sir Robert Anderson, Types in Hebrews.