Numbers 7:16 — Word Study
WLCשְׂעִיר־ עִזִּ֥ים אֶחָ֖ד לְחַטָּֽאת׃
BSAoneʼechâd [single, unique] male goatsâʻîyr [hee goate, a buck] for a sin offeringchaṭṭâʼâh [guilt, punishment, atonement, purification]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| שְׂעִיר־ | a male goat of | Noun common, masculine singular construct |
| עִזִּ֥ים | goats | Noun common, masculine plural absolute |
| אֶחָ֖ד | one | Adj |
| לְחַטָּֽאת׃ | to a sin offering | Preposition, noun common feminine singular absolute |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | one male goat for a sin offering; |
| KJV | One kid of the goats for a sin offering: |
| ASV | one male of the goats for a sin-offering; |
| YLT | one kid of the goats for a sin-offering; |
| WEB | one male goat for a sin offering; |
| BBE | One male of the goats for a sin-offering; |
The translations are consistent in rendering the phrase as אֶחָ֖ד — see How Translations Differ.
The structure is straightforward, with a main noun phrase followed by a prepositional phrase indicating purpose.
3 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Whedon & more — read them ›
clause
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Numbers 7:16
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Offerings of the Leadersgenerated
Numbers 7:16 is part of a larger section where the leaders of Israel present their offerings for the dedication of the altar. Each offering is specified with care, indicating the importance of these rituals in maintaining the covenant relationship with God. This particular verse highlights the requirement of a male goat as a sin offering, emphasizing the seriousness of sin and the need for atonement.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Leviticus 4:23–25 | When he becomes aware of the sin he has committed, he must bring an unblemished male goat as his offering. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 1 reference, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — שָׂעִיר, se.'ir-generated
The word שָׂעִיר (se.'ir) means 'hairy' and refers specifically to a male goat, often used in sacrificial contexts. It can also denote a satyr or demon, suggesting a creature with goat-like features. The root of this word implies 'shaggy', reflecting the physical characteristics of the animal.
In this verse, the male goat serves a significant role as a sin offering, representing the need for atonement for wrongdoing. Its designation as 'one' underscores its uniqueness in the sacrificial system.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The finite verb is implicit in the structure of the offerings presented. The main noun phrase is שְׂעִיר־ עִזִּ֥ים אֶחָ֖ד, which translates to 'one male goat', serving as the subject of the offering. The prepositional phrase לְחַטָּֽאת indicates the purpose of this offering, which is for sin.
The sentence structure emphasizes the specific nature of the offering, highlighting its role in the sacrificial system.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
In the Septuagint, the Hebrew word שָׂעִיר is rendered as ἕνα, which means 'one'. This choice reflects the singularity and importance of the male goat in the sacrificial context.
The Greek translation maintains the focus on the unique nature of the offering, aligning closely with the Hebrew intent.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Numbers 7:16 tells us that one male goat is to be offered as a sin offering. This offering is part of a larger set of sacrifices made by the leaders of Israel, emphasizing the importance of atonement for sin in their worship.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
The male goat is designated specifically for sin offering, symbolizing the need for atonement and the seriousness of sin in the community.
Offerings were a way to maintain a right relationship with God, acknowledging sin and seeking forgiveness through prescribed rituals.
This verse illustrates the specific requirements of the sacrificial system, where different animals were designated for different types of offerings, each with its own significance.
A sin offering implies a recognition of guilt and a need for purification, serving as a means to atone for sins committed.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What does this verse teach us about the seriousness of sin and the need for atonement?
- How can understanding the sacrificial system enhance our appreciation of the concept of forgiveness?
- In what ways can we apply the principles of this offering to our own lives today?
- What role does confession play in seeking forgiveness, similar to the sin offerings in the Old Testament?
Commentators on this verse — 3 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Numbers 7:16 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleOne kid of the goats for a sin offering. Though these offerings of the princes were by way of thanksgiving, and to express their joy and gladness at the erection of the tabernacle, its altars, and
Read John Gill on Numbers 7 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryAnd he that offered his offering the first day was Nahshon the son of Amminadab, of the tribe of Judah: And he that offered his offering the first day was Nabshon.
Read Robert Jamieson on Numbers 7 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible16. Sin offering — See Leviticus 4, notes.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Numbers 7 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
one male goat for a sin offering;
one male goat for a sin offering;
one male goat for a sin offering;
one male goat for a purification offering;
Tyndale line
One kid of the goats for a sin offering:
one male of the goats for a sin-offering;
one male of the goats for a sin offering;
One kid of the goats for a sin-offering:
An hee goate for a sinne offring,
Strictly literal
one buck of the goats for a sin-offering;
one kid of the goats for a sin-offering;
one kid of the goats for a sin-offering;
One he-goat for a sin-offering;
He gave one male goat as a sin offering.
From the Latin
And a buck goat for sin:
Simplified
a male goat as a sin offering,
One male of the goats for a sin-offering;
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text presents the verse as שְׂעִיר־ עִזִּ֥ים אֶחָ֖ד לְחַטָּֽאת׃, while the Samaritan Pentateuch includes an additional conjunction, ו (and), indicating a slight variation in wording but not in meaning. The Septuagint matches only two of the four words in the Hebrew, showing a different structure in its translation.
שְׂעִיר־ עִזִּ֥ים אֶחָ֖ד לְחַטָּֽאת׃
2 of the 4 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
ושׂעיר עזים אחד לחטאת
1 word differs from the Masoretic Text: ו (and)
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Numbers 7:16
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
שָׂעִר (sa`iyr) means 'hairy' and refers to a he-goat or buck, often in a sacrificial context. It can also denote a satyr or demon, suggesting a creature with goat-like features. The word is built from the root meaning 'shaggy' and appears in various contexts, including references to demonic beings.
שָׂעִר adj. hairy
base
שָׂעִיר 63 n.m. he-goat, buck (hairy one)
base
שָׂעִיר n.m. satyr, demon (with he-goat’s form, or feet)
base
H8163a שָׂעִר hairy H8163b שָׂעִיר he-goat, buck H8163c שָׂעִיר satyr, demon
8163 sa`iyr saw-eer'
or sabir {saw-eer'}; from 8175; shaggy; as noun, a he-goat;
by analogy, a faun:--devil, goat, hairy, kid, rough, satyr.
see HEBREW for 08175
שָׂעִר (sa.ir) — hairy.
adj
hairy
שָׂעִיר (sa.ir) — he-goat.
1) he-goat, buck
1a) as sacrificial animal
שָׂעִיר (sa.ir) — satyr.
satyr, may refer to a demon possessed goat like the swine of Gadara (Mt 8:30-32)
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular constructHNcmsc
ov:
(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.
OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]
1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.
I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.
For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.
Lamentations 3:1.
The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.
Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.
That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.
Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…
עֵז (ez) refers to a she-goat or female goat, and can also denote a kid. It is derived from a root meaning strength, and in the plural form, it can refer to goats in general or goat's hair. The word appears in various contexts in the Old Testament.
עֵז 74 n.f. she-goat
base
H5795 עֵז she-goat
5795 `ez aze
from 5810; a she-goat (as strong), but masculine in plural
(which also is used ellipt. for goat's hair):--(she) goat,
kid.
see HEBREW for 05810
עֵז (ez) — goat.
female goat, she-goat, goat, kid
Aramaic equivalent: ez (עֵז "goat" H5796)
HNcmpa — Noun common · masculine plural absoluteHNcmpa
אֶחָד (echad) means 'one' and is derived from a numeral. It encompasses meanings such as each, every, a certain, and can serve as an indefinite article. It is also used as an ordinal to denote 'first' and appears in various combinations, including eleven. The entries consistently emphasize its numerical and qualitative aspects.
אֶחָד 972 adj.num. one
one
= each, every
= a certain
= indef. art.
only, & (fem.) once
one … another, one … the other
as ordinal first
in combin.
base
H259 אֶחָד one . one
. = each, every
. = a certain
. = indef. art.
. only, & (fem.) once
. one … another, one … the other
. as ordinal first
. in combin.
259 'echad ekh-awd'
a numeral from 258; properly, united, i.e. one; or (as an
ordinal) first:--a, alike, alone, altogether, and,
any(-thing), apiece, a certain, (dai-)ly, each (one), +
eleven, every, few, first, + highway, a man, once, one, only,
other, some, together,
see HEBREW for 0258
אֶחָד (e.chad) — one.
1) one (number)
1a) one (number)
1b) each, every
1c) a certain
1d) an (indefinite article)
1e) only, once, once for all
1f) one...another, the one...the other, one after another, one by one
1g) first
1h) eleven (in combination), eleventh (ordinal)
Adj — AdjHAcfsa
wun.
See NUMBER.
חַטָּאָה (chatta'ah) refers to sin and encompasses various aspects such as the condition of sin, guilt, punishment, and sin-offering. It can denote both the act of sinning and the consequences, including purification from ceremonial uncleanness. The term is built from the root word for offense and is used in contexts relating to sin and its expiation.
H2403a חַטָּאָה sin, sin-offering(?) . sin
. sin-offering
H2403b חַטָּאת sin, sin-offering . sin
. condition of sin, guilt of sin
. punishment for sin
. sin-offering
. purification from sins of ceremonial uncleanness
2403 chatta'ah khat-taw-aw'
or chattacth {khat-tawth'}; from 2398; an offence (sometimes
habitual sinfulness), and its penalty, occasion, sacrifice, or
expiation; also (concretely) an offender:--punishment (of
sin), purifying(-fication for sin), sin(-ner, offering).
see HEBREW for 02398
חַטָּאָה (chat.ta.ah) — sin.
sin, sinful thing
חַטָּאת (chat.tat) — sin.
: sin
1) sin, sin offering
1a) sin
1b) condition of sin, guilt of sin
1c) punishment for sin
1d) sin-offering
1e) purification from sins of ceremonial uncleanness
חַטָּאת (chat.tat) — sin: sin offering.
: sin_offering
1) sin, sin offering
1a) sin
1b) condition of sin, guilt of sin
1c) punishment for sin
1d) sin-offering
1e) purification from sins of ceremonial uncleanness
חַטָּאת (chat.tat) — sin: punishment.
: punishment/purification
1) sin, sin offering
1a) sin
1b) condition of sin, guilt of sin
1c) punishment for sin
1d) sin-offering
1e) purification from sins of ceremonial uncleanness
Prep | N-fs — Preposition · noun common feminine singular absoluteHR/Ncfsa
Sin-offering
(Heb. hattath), the law of, is given in detail in Lev. 4-6:13; 9:7-11, 22-24; 12:6-8; 15:2, 14, 25-30; 14:19, 31; Num. 6:10-14. On the day of Atonement it was made with special solemnity (Lev. 16:5, 11, 15). The blood was then carried into the holy of holies and sprinkled on the mercy-seat. Sin-offerings were also presented at the five annual festivals (Num. 28, 29), and on the occasion of the consecration of the priests (Ex. 29:10-14, 36). As each individual, even the most private member of the congregation, as well as the congregation at large, and the high priest, was obliged, on being convicted by his conscience of any particular sin, to come with a sin-offering, we see thus impressively disclosed the need in…