Leviticus

Leviticus 22:4–7

⁴If a descendant of Aaron has a skin disease^a or a discharge, he may not eat the sacred offerings until he is clean. Whoever touches anything defiled by a corpse or by a man who has an emission of semen, ⁵or whoever touches a crawling creature or a person that makes him unclean, whatever the uncleanness may be — ⁶the man who touches any of these will remain unclean until evening. He must not eat from the sacred offerings unless he has bathed himself with water.

⁷When the sun has set, he will become clean, and then he may eat from the sacred offerings, for they are his food.

Footnotes

a 22:4 Forms of the Hebrew tzaraath, traditionally translated as leprosy, were used for various skin diseases; see Leviticus 13.

Read all of Leviticus 22

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

Leviticus 22:4

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
If a descendant	מִזֶּ֣רַע	miz·ze·ra‘	Preposition-m; Noun - masculine singular construct	H2233 sowing, seed, offspring
of Aaron	אַהֲרֹ֗ן	’a·hă·rōn	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H175 Aaron
has a skin disease	צָר֙וּעַ֙	ṣā·rū·a‘	Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine singular	H6879 be struck with leprosy, leprous
or	א֣וֹ	’ōw	Conjunction	H176 or
a discharge	זָ֔ב	zāḇ	Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular	H2100 flow, gush
he may not eat	יֹאכַ֔ל	yō·ḵal	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H398 eat
the sacred offerings	בַּקֳּדָשִׁים֙	baq·qo·ḏā·šîm	Preposition-b, Article; Noun - masculine plural	H6944 sacred, sanctity
until	עַ֖ד	‘aḏ	Preposition	H5704 as far as, even to, up to, until, while
he is clean	יִטְהָ֑ר	yiṭ·hār	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H2891 be clean, pure
Whoever touches	וְהַנֹּגֵ֙עַ֙	wə·han·nō·ḡê·a‘	Conjunctive waw, Article; Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular	H5060 touch, reach, strike
anything	בְּכָל־	bə·ḵāl	Preposition-b; Noun - masculine singular construct	H3605 the whole, all
defiled	טְמֵא־	ṭə·mê-	Adjective - masculine singular construct	H2931 unclean
by a corpse	נֶ֔פֶשׁ	ne·p̄eš	Noun - feminine singular	H5315 soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, appetite, emotion, and passion
or	א֣וֹ	’ōw	Conjunction	H176 or
by a man	אִ֔ישׁ	’îš	Noun - masculine singular	H376 man
who	אֲשֶׁר־	’ă·šer-	Pronoun - relative	H834 particle of relation
has	תֵּצֵ֥א	tê·ṣê	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular	H3318 go or come out
an emission	שִׁכְבַת־	šiḵ·ḇaṯ-	Noun - feminine singular construct	H7902 act of lying, layer
of semen	זָֽרַע׃	zā·ra‘	Noun - masculine singular	H2233 sowing, seed, offspring

Leviticus 22:5

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
or	אוֹ־	’ōw-	Conjunction	H176 or
whoever	אִישׁ֙	’îš	Noun - masculine singular	H376 man
touches	יִגַּ֔ע	yig·ga‘	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H5060 touch, reach, strike
a	בְּכָל־	bə·ḵāl	Preposition-b; Noun - masculine singular construct	H3605 the whole, all
crawling creature	שֶׁ֖רֶץ	še·reṣ	Noun - masculine singular	H8318 swarmers, swarming things
or	א֤וֹ	’ōw	Conjunction	H176 or
a person	בְאָדָם֙	ḇə·’ā·ḏām	Preposition-b; Noun - masculine singular	H120 man, mankind
that	אֲשֶׁ֣ר	’ă·šer	Pronoun - relative	H834 particle of relation
makes him unclean	יִטְמָא־	yiṭ·mā-	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H2930 be or become unclean
whatever	לְכֹ֖ל	lə·ḵōl	Preposition-l; Noun - masculine singular construct	H3605 the whole, all
the uncleanness may be	טֻמְאָתֽוֹ׃	ṭum·’ā·ṯōw	Noun - feminine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H2932 uncleanness

Leviticus 22:6

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
the man	נֶ֚פֶשׁ	ne·p̄eš	Noun - feminine singular	H5315 soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, appetite, emotion, and passion
who	אֲשֶׁ֣ר	’ă·šer	Pronoun - relative	H834 particle of relation
touches	תִּגַּע־	tig·ga‘-	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular	H5060 touch, reach, strike
any of these	בּ֔וֹ	bōw	Preposition; third person masculine singular
will remain unclean	וְטָמְאָ֖ה	wə·ṭā·mə·’āh	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person feminine singular	H2930 be or become unclean
until	עַד־	‘aḏ-	Preposition	H5704 as far as, even to, up to, until, while
evening	הָעָ֑רֶב	hā·‘ā·reḇ	Article; Noun - masculine singular	H6153 (sun)set, evening
He must not	וְלֹ֤א	wə·lō	Conjunctive waw; Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
eat	יֹאכַל֙	yō·ḵal	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H398 eat
from	מִן־	min-	Preposition	H4480 out of, from, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not
the sacred offerings	הַקֳּדָשִׁ֔ים	haq·qo·ḏā·šîm	Article; Noun - masculine plural	H6944 sacred, sanctity
unless	כִּ֛י	kî	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
he has bathed	רָחַ֥ץ	rā·ḥaṣ	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H7364 wash, wash off, away, bathe
himself	בְּשָׂר֖וֹ	bə·śā·rōw	Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H1320 flesh
with water	בַּמָּֽיִם׃	bam·mā·yim	Preposition-b, Article; Noun - masculine plural	H4325 water, juice, urine

Leviticus 22:7

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
When the sun	הַשֶּׁ֖מֶשׁ	haš·še·meš	Article; Noun - common singular	H8121 sun
has set	וּבָ֥א	ū·ḇā	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular	H935 come in, come, go in, go
he will become clean	וְטָהֵ֑ר	wə·ṭā·hêr	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular	H2891 be clean, pure
and then	וְאַחַר֙	wə·’a·ḥar	Conjunctive waw; Adverb	H310 behind
he may eat	יֹאכַ֣ל	yō·ḵal	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H398 eat
from	מִן־	min-	Preposition	H4480 out of, from, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not
the sacred offerings	הַקֳּדָשִׁ֔ים	haq·qo·ḏā·šîm	Article; Noun - masculine plural	H6944 sacred, sanctity
for	כִּ֥י	kî	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
they	הֽוּא׃	hū	Pronoun - third person masculine singular	H1931 he, she
are his food	לַחְמ֖וֹ	laḥ·mōw	Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H3899 bread, food