The Meaning of Leviticus 16:13 Explained

Leviticus 16:13

KJV: And he shall put the incense upon the fire before the LORD, that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy seat that is upon the testimony, that he die not:

YLT: and he hath put the perfume on the fire before Jehovah, and the cloud of the perfume hath covered the mercy-seat which is on the testimony, and he dieth not.

Darby: And he shall put the incense upon the fire before Jehovah, that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy-seat which is upon the testimony, that he die not.

ASV: and he shall put the incense upon the fire before Jehovah, that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy-seat that is upon the testimony, that he die not:

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And he shall put  the incense  upon the fire  before  the LORD,  that the cloud  of the incense  may cover  the mercy seat  that [is] upon the testimony,  that he die  not: 

What does Leviticus 16:13 Mean?

Context Summary

Leviticus 16:1-14 - The Offerings For Atonement Day
This chapter contains the ritual of the great Day of Atonement, when the high priest entered within the veil, and in virtue of the blood sprinkled upon the mercy seat, and still more of the faith exercised therein, Israel was cleansed from every sin before the Lord, Leviticus 16:30. The death of his two sons acted as a solemn warning that Aaron should not deviate from the prescribed ceremonial in the smallest particular.
Every step is worthy of notice, each illustrates some feature in the sacrifice of Calvary, each is meant by the Holy Spirit of God to signify something. See Hebrews 9:8-9. The first goat was "for the Lord," representing the work of Christ in its Godward aspect. The second, like the second bird in Leviticus 14:6, signified its manward aspect. It is necessary that we should personally avail ourselves of its efficacy. Our faith must "lay its hand on that dear head of thine!" It was necessary that Aaron, as himself a sinner, must first offer for his own sins; and his offerings had to be repeated every year. See the triumphant contrast of Hebrews 9:24.
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Chapter Summary: Leviticus 16

1  how the high priest must enter into the holy place
11  The sin offering for himself
15  The sin offering for the people
20  The scapegoat
29  The yearly feast of the expiations

What do the individual words in Leviticus 16:13 mean?

And he shall put - the incense on the fire before Yahweh that may cover the cloud of incense - the mercy seat that [is] the Testimony and lest he die
וְנָתַ֧ן אֶֽת־ הַקְּטֹ֛רֶת עַל־ הָאֵ֖שׁ לִפְנֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה וְכִסָּ֣ה ׀ עֲנַ֣ן הַקְּטֹ֗רֶת אֶת־ הַכַּפֹּ֛רֶת אֲשֶׁ֥ר הָעֵד֖וּת וְלֹ֥א יָמֽוּת

וְנָתַ֧ן  And  he  shall  put 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
אֶֽת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
הַקְּטֹ֛רֶת  the  incense 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: קְטֹרֶת  
Sense: incense, smoke, odour of (burning) sacrifice.
הָאֵ֖שׁ  the  fire 
Parse: Article, Noun, common singular
Root: אֵשׁ  
Sense: fire.
לִפְנֵ֣י  before 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, common plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
יְהוָ֑ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
וְכִסָּ֣ה ׀  that  may  cover 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: כָּסָה  
Sense: to cover, conceal, hide.
עֲנַ֣ן  the  cloud 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: עָנָן  
Sense: cloud, cloudy, cloud-mass.
הַקְּטֹ֗רֶת  of  incense 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: קְטֹרֶת  
Sense: incense, smoke, odour of (burning) sacrifice.
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.
הַכַּפֹּ֛רֶת  the  mercy  seat 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: כַּפֹּרֶת  
Sense: mercy-seat, place of atonement.
אֲשֶׁ֥ר  that  [is] 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
הָעֵד֖וּת  the  Testimony 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: עֵדוּת  
Sense: testimony.
וְלֹ֥א  and  lest 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
יָמֽוּת  he  die 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.