The Meaning of Leviticus 4:30 Explained

Leviticus 4:30

KJV: And the priest shall take of the blood thereof with his finger, and put it upon the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and shall pour out all the blood thereof at the bottom of the altar.

YLT: 'And the priest hath taken of its blood with his finger, and hath put on the horns of the altar of the burnt-offering, and all its blood he doth pour out at the foundation of the altar,

Darby: And the priest shall take of the blood thereof with his finger, and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt-offering, and shall pour out all the blood thereof at the bottom of the altar.

ASV: And the priest shall take of the blood thereof with his finger, and put it upon the horns of the altar of burnt-offering; and all the blood thereof shall he pour out at the base of the altar.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And the priest  shall take  of the blood  thereof with his finger,  and put  [it] upon the horns  of the altar  of burnt offering,  and shall pour out  all the blood  thereof at the bottom  of the altar. 

What does Leviticus 4:30 Mean?

Context Summary

Leviticus 4:22-35 - Sin-Offerings For Rulers And People
The character of the sin for which the sin-offering was presented is expressed by the words, repeated again and again, "through ignorance," or "unwittingly," or "through error." It is the word used of the unintentional man-slayer, who, without premeditation, might kill another. See Numbers 35:1-34. God's Word distinguishes deliberate, willful sin from that of which it may be said, "they know not what they do;" or, "I wot that through ignorance ye did it." See Luke 23:34; Acts 3:17. While the blood of the offering for the priest and the congregation was brought into the holy place and sprinkled seven times before the Lord, the blood of the offerings for the ruler or the individual was sprinkled only on the horns of the altar. The hue of the sin was not so dark in the latter case as where there was greater knowledge of God's will. In Luke 12:47-48, our Lord makes a similar distinction. [source]

Chapter Summary: Leviticus 4

1  The sin offering of ignorance
3  for the priest
13  for the congregation
22  for the ruler
27  for any of the people

What do the individual words in Leviticus 4:30 mean?

And shall take the priest [some] of its blood with his finger and put [it] on the horns of the altar of burnt offering and all [the remaining] the blood pour at the base of the altar
וְלָקַ֨ח הַכֹּהֵ֤ן מִדָּמָהּ֙ בְּאֶצְבָּע֔וֹ וְנָתַ֕ן עַל־ קַרְנֹ֖ת מִזְבַּ֣ח הָעֹלָ֑ה וְאֶת־ כָּל־ דָּמָ֣הּ יִשְׁפֹּ֔ךְ אֶל־ יְס֖וֹד הַמִּזְבֵּֽחַ

וְלָקַ֨ח  And  shall  take 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָקַח 
Sense: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.
הַכֹּהֵ֤ן  the  priest 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֹּהֵן  
Sense: priest, principal officer or chief ruler.
מִדָּמָהּ֙  [some]  of  its  blood 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person feminine singular
Root: דָּם  
Sense: blood.
בְּאֶצְבָּע֔וֹ  with  his  finger 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶצְבַּע  
Sense: finger, toe.
וְנָתַ֕ן  and  put  [it] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
קַרְנֹ֖ת  the  horns 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct
Root: קֶרֶן 
Sense: horn.
מִזְבַּ֣ח  of  the  altar 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מִזְבֵּחַ  
Sense: altar.
הָעֹלָ֑ה  of  burnt  offering 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: עֹלָה  
Sense: whole burnt offering.
כָּל־  all  [the  remaining] 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
דָּמָ֣הּ  the  blood 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person feminine singular
Root: דָּם  
Sense: blood.
יִשְׁפֹּ֔ךְ  pour 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שֶׂפֶק 
Sense: to pour, pour out, spill.
אֶל־  at 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
יְס֖וֹד  the  base 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: יְסׄוד  
Sense: foundation, base.
הַמִּזְבֵּֽחַ  of  the  altar 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִזְבֵּחַ  
Sense: altar.