King James Version

Numbers 8:21

And the Levites were purified, and they washed their clothes; and Aaron offered them as an offering before the LORD; and Aaron made an atonement for them to cleanse them.

Study

Hebrew

Tap a word to see its meaning. Words run left to right in English reading order.

וַיִּֽתְחַטְּא֣וּvayitchatvand by faultחָטָאconjunction, verb, hithpael, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “and by fault”, the next action in the storyH2398properly, to miss; hence (figuratively and generally) to sin; by inference, to forfeit, lack, expiate, repent, (causatively) lead astray, condemnbear the blame, cleanse, commit (sin), by fault, harm he hath done, loss, miss, (make) offend(-er), offer for sin, purge, purify (self), make reconciliation, (cause, make) sin(-ful, -ness), trespass.הַלְוִיִּ֗םhalviyimthe Leviiteלֵוִיִּיdefinite article, noun, gentilic, masculine, plural, absolute — “the Leviite”, the ordinary formH3881a Levite or descendant of LeviLeviite.וַֽיְכַבְּסוּ֙vaykhabsvand washכָּבַסconjunction, verb, piel, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “and wash”, the next action in the storyH3526to trample; hence, to wash (properly, by stamping with the feet), whether literal (including the fulling process) or figurativefuller, wash(-ing).בִּגְדֵיהֶ֔םbigdeyhemapparelבֶּגֶדnoun, common, masculine, plural, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “apparel”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH899a covering, i.e. clothing; also treachery or pillageapparel, cloth(-es, ing), garment, lap, rag, raiment, robe, [idiom] very (treacherously), vesture, wardrobe.וַיָּ֨נֶףvayanefand lift upנוּףconjunction, verb, hiphil, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and lift up”, the next action in the storyH5130to quiver (i.e. vibrate up and down, or rock to and fro); used in a great variety of applications (including sprinkling, beckoning, rubbing, bastinadoing, sawing, waving, etc.)lift up, move, offer, perfume, send, shake, sift, strike, wave.אַהֲרֹ֥ןaharonAaronאַהֲרוֹןnoun, proper name — “Aaron”H175Aharon, the brother of MosesAaron.אֹתָ֛םotamobject markerאֵתparticle, direct object marker, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “object marker”H853properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)(as such unrepresented in English).תְּנוּפָ֖הtenufahofferingתְּנוּפָהnoun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “offering”, the ordinary formH8573a brandishing (in threat); by implication, tumult; specifically, the official undulation of sacrificial offeringsoffering, shaking, wave (offering).לִפְנֵ֣יlifneto a- foreפָּנִיםpreposition, noun, common, both genders, plural, construct — “to a- fore”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH6440the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposition (before, etc.)[phrase] accept, a-(be-) fore(-time), against, anger, [idiom] as (long as), at, [phrase] battle, [phrase] because (of), [phrase] beseech, countenance, edge, [phrase] employ, endure, [phrase] enquire, face, favour, fear of, for, forefront(-…יְהוָ֑הyehvahJehovahיְהֹוָהnoun, proper name — “Jehovah”H3068Jehovah, Jewish national name of GodJehovah, the Lord. Compare H3050 (יָהּ), H3069 (יְהֹוִה).וַיְכַפֵּ֧רvaykhaperand appeaseכָּפַרconjunction, verb, piel, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and appease”, the next action in the storyH3722to cover (specifically with bitumen); figuratively, to expiate or condone, to placate or cancelappease, make (an atonement, cleanse, disannul, forgive, be merciful, pacify, pardon, purge (away), put off, (make) reconcile(-liation).עֲלֵיהֶ֛םaleyhemaboveעַלpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “above”H5921above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applicationsabove, according to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, [idiom] as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, [idiom] both and, by (reason of), [idiom] had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of,…אַהֲרֹ֖ןaharonAaronאַהֲרוֹןnoun, proper name — “Aaron”H175Aharon, the brother of MosesAaron.לְטַהֲרָֽםletaharamto be cleanטָהֵרpreposition, verb, piel, infinitive construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “to be clean”, the to-form of the verbH2891to be pure (physical sound, clear, unadulterated; Levitically, uncontaminated; morally, innocent or holy)be (make, make self, pronounce) clean, cleanse (self), purge, purify(-ier, self).

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

And the Levites purified themselves, and they washed their clothes; and Aaron offered them for a sacred gift before the LORD; and Aaron made atonement for them to cleanse them.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

And the Levites purified themselves from sin, and they washed their clothes: and Aaron offered them for a wave-offering before Jehovah; and Aaron made atonement for them to cleanse them.

Young’s Literal Translation

And the Levites cleanse themselves, and wash their garments, and Aaron waveth them a wave-offering before Jehovah, and Aaron maketh atonement for them to cleanse them,

World English Bible

The Levites purified themselves from sin, and they washed their clothes; and Aaron offered them for a wave offering before Yahweh and Aaron made atonement for them to cleanse them.

Darby Translation

And the Levites purified themselves from sin, and they washed their garments; and Aaron offered them as a wave-offering before Jehovah; and Aaron made atonement for them to cleanse them.

Douay-Rheims

And they were purified, and washed their garments. And Aaron lifted them up in the sight of the Lard, and prayed for them,

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

And the Levites purified themselves, and they washed their clothes; and Aaron offered them for a sacred gift before the LORD; and Aaron made atonement for them to cleanse them.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

So the Levites purified themselves and washed their garments; and Aaron presented them as a gift before the Lord, and Aaron made atonement for them to purify them.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Καὶ ἡγνίσαντο οἱ Λευῖται, καὶ ἐπλύναντο τὰ ἱμάτια· καὶ ἀπέδωκεν αὐτοὺς Ἀαρὼν ἀπόδομα ἔναντι Κυρίου, καὶ ἐξιλάσατο περὶ αὐτῶν Ἀαρὼν ἀφαγνίσασθαι αὐτούς.