Leviticus 19:22

The priest shall make atonement on his behalf before the LORD with the ram of the guilt offering for the sin he has committed, and he will be forgiven the sin he has committed.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Moses instructs the Israelites on the final step of a specific legal procedure after a man confesses and presents a ram at the Tent of Meeting. The directive concludes a case involving ritual purification and divine forgiveness.

The words — כִּפֶּר (khipper) describes the priest's formal act of making atonement on the offender's behalf before Yahweh. אָשָׁם (asham) identifies the specific ram designated as a guilt offering to address the committed transgression.

The thread — The priest's atoning function mirrors the ritual formulas in Leviticus 4:20 and Leviticus 4:26. These passages establish a consistent pattern where mediation and forgiveness are executed through the priest's handling of prescribed sacrifices.

Why it lands — The text requires the reader to acknowledge that forgiveness is contingent upon a specific, mediated ritual process. It establishes that atonement is not automatic but depends on the priest's action before the LORD with the designated offering.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וְכִפֶּר֩ve./khi.Perand/ he will make atonement עָלָ֨יו'a.La/von/ him הַכֹּהֵ֜ןha./ko.Henthe/ priest בְּאֵ֤ילbe./'Eilby/ [the] ram of הָֽאָשָׁם֙ha./'a.Shamthe/ guilt offering לִפְנֵ֣יli/f.Nei<to>/ before יְהוָ֔הYah.wehYahweh עַל־'al-on חַטָּאת֖וֹcha.ta.T/osin/ his אֲשֶׁ֣ר'a.Sherwhich חָטָ֑אcha.Ta'he has sinned וְנִסְלַ֣חve./nis.Lachand/ it will be forgivenל֔וֹl/oto <the>/ himמֵחַטָּאת֖וֹme./cha.ta.T/ofrom/ sin/ his אֲשֶׁ֥ר'a.Sherwhich חָטָֽא׃ פcha.Ta'he has sinned

King James Version

And the priest shall make an atonement for him with the ram of the trespass offering before the Lord for his sin which he hath done: and the sin which he hath done shall be forgiven him.

Cross-references

Leviticus 4:20 He shall offer this bull just as he did the bull for the sin offering; in this way the priest will make atonement on their behalf, and they will be forgiven.
Leviticus 4:26 He must burn all its fat on the altar, like the fat of the peace offerings; thus the priest will make atonement for that man’s sin, and he will be forgiven.