The Meaning of Leviticus 17:15 Explained

Leviticus 17:15

KJV: And every soul that eateth that which died of itself, or that which was torn with beasts, whether it be one of your own country, or a stranger, he shall both wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even: then shall he be clean.

YLT: And any person who eateth a carcase or torn thing, among natives or among sojourners -- hath both washed his garments, and hath bathed with water, and hath been unclean until the evening -- then he hath been clean;

Darby: And every soul that eateth of a dead carcase, or of that which was torn, be it one home-born, or a stranger, he shall wash his clothes, and bathe in water, and be unclean until the even: then he shall be clean.

ASV: And every soul that eateth that which dieth of itself, or that which is torn of beasts, whether he be home-born or a sojourner, he shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even: then shall he be clean.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And every soul  that eateth  that which died  [of itself], or that which was torn  [with beasts, whether it be] one of your own country,  or a stranger,  he shall both wash  his clothes,  and bathe  [himself] in water,  and be unclean  until the even:  then shall he be clean. 

What does Leviticus 17:15 Mean?

Context Summary

Leviticus 17:1-16 - "the Life Of The Flesh Is In The Blood"
Every animal that was slain for food was regarded as a kind of peace-offering, and was therefore slain at the door of the Tabernacle. This law, though it expressed a great principle, was only provisional. It was kept as long as Israel dwelled in the Wilderness, but repealed when they entered the Land of Promise, where their numbers and diffusion would have rendered its strict observance impossible. See Deuteronomy 12:15-24.
Very earnest insistence is laid on the prohibition of blood as an article of diet. See Leviticus 17:10, etc. The reason of this is in the repeated announcement that the life (or soul) is in the blood, Leviticus 17:11 and Leviticus 17:14. When we are told that the blood maketh atonement, we learn that it does so because it represents the soul of the victim. Life is given for life, soul for soul.
Thus our Lord gave His blood, i.e., His life or soul, a ransom for many. "He poured out His soul unto death." See Isaiah 53:12. It was His blood, not as it was in His veins, but as poured out, that effected the reconciliation. See Ephesians 1:7. It is the death of Christ in which the sinner finds peace. Compare Leviticus 16:30 and 1 John 1:7. [source]

Chapter Summary: Leviticus 17

1  The blood of slain beasts must be offered to the Lord at the tabernacle door
7  They must not offer to idols
10  All eating of blood is forbidden
15  and of all that dies by itself, or is torn

What do the individual words in Leviticus 17:15 mean?

And every person who eats what died [naturally] or what was torn [by beasts] of [whether he is] a native your own country or a stranger and he shall both wash his clothes and bathe in water and be unclean until evening and shall he be clean
וְכָל־ נֶ֗פֶשׁ אֲשֶׁ֨ר תֹּאכַ֤ל נְבֵלָה֙ וּטְרֵפָ֔ה בָּאֶזְרָ֖ח וּבַגֵּ֑ר וְכִבֶּ֨ס בְּגָדָ֜יו וְרָחַ֥ץ בַּמַּ֛יִם וְטָמֵ֥א עַד־ הָעֶ֖רֶב וְטָהֵֽר

וְכָל־  And  every 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
נֶ֗פֶשׁ  person 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: נֶפֶשׁ  
Sense: soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion.
תֹּאכַ֤ל  eats 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: אָכַל  
Sense: to eat, devour, burn up, feed.
נְבֵלָה֙  what  died  [naturally] 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: נְבֵלָה  
Sense: carcass, corpse.
וּטְרֵפָ֔ה  or  what  was  torn  [by  beasts] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular
Root: טְרֵפָה  
Sense: that which is torn, animal torn (by beasts).
בָּאֶזְרָ֖ח  of  [whether  he  is]  a  native  your  own  country 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֶזְרָח  
Sense: a native (one rising from the soil).
וּבַגֵּ֑ר  or  a  stranger 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: גֵּר  
Sense: sojourner.
וְכִבֶּ֨ס  and  he  shall  both  wash 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: כָּבַס  
Sense: to wash (by treading), be washed, perform the work of a fuller.
בְּגָדָ֜יו  his  clothes 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: בֶּגֶד 
Sense: treachery, deceit.
וְרָחַ֥ץ  and  bathe 
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.
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.
הָעֶ֖רֶב  evening 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֶרֶב  
Sense: evening, night, sunset.
וְטָהֵֽר  and  shall  he  be  clean 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: טָהֵר  
Sense: to be clean, be pure.