The Meaning of Leviticus 15:16 Explained

Leviticus 15:16

KJV: And if any man's seed of copulation go out from him, then he shall wash all his flesh in water, and be unclean until the even.

YLT: 'And when a man's seed of copulation goeth out from him, then he hath bathed with water all his flesh, and been unclean till the evening.

Darby: And if any man's seed of copulation pass from him, then he shall bathe his whole flesh in water, and be unclean until the even.

ASV: And if any man's seed of copulation go out from him, then he shall bathe all his flesh in water, and be unclean until the even.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And if any man's  seed  of copulation  go out  from him, then he shall wash  all his flesh  in water,  and be unclean  until the even. 

What does Leviticus 15:16 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Leviticus 15

1  The uncleanness of men in their issues
13  The cleansing of them
19  The uncleanness of women in their issues
28  Their cleansing

What do the individual words in Leviticus 15:16 mean?

And any man if has an emission from of copulation of semen then he shall wash in water - all his body and be unclean until evening
וְאִ֕ישׁ כִּֽי־ תֵצֵ֥א מִמֶּ֖נּוּ שִׁכְבַת־ זָ֑רַע וְרָחַ֥ץ בַּמַּ֛יִם אֶת־ כָּל־ בְּשָׂר֖וֹ וְטָמֵ֥א עַד־ הָעָֽרֶב

וְאִ֕ישׁ  And  any  man 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
תֵצֵ֥א  has  an  emission 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: יׄוצֵאת 
Sense: to go out, come out, exit, go forth.
שִׁכְבַת־  of  copulation 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: שִׁכְבָה  
Sense: act of lying, layer, coating.
זָ֑רַע  of  semen 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: זֶרַע  
Sense: seed, sowing, offspring.
וְרָחַ֥ץ  then  he  shall  wash 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: רָחַץ  
Sense: to wash, wash off, wash away, bathe.
בַּמַּ֛יִם  in  water 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: מַיִם  
Sense: water, waters.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
בְּשָׂר֖וֹ  his  body 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: בָּשָׂר  
Sense: flesh.
וְטָמֵ֥א  and  be  unclean 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: טָמֵא 
Sense: to be unclean, become unclean, become impure.
עַד־  until 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַד  
Sense: as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as.
הָעָֽרֶב  evening 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֶרֶב  
Sense: evening, night, sunset.