Introduction to Leviticus 4:5
This verse describes part of the sin offering ritual: the anointed priest takes the bull’s blood into the Tent of Meeting. What stands out grammatically is the noun phrase הַכֹּהֵן הַמָּשִׁיחַ (“the anointed priest”), which combines a definite noun with a definite participle. This construction highlights a specific cultic role and reflects the way Biblical Hebrew uses definite participial titles in legal and priestly texts. This lesson explores how definiteness and participial forms interact to create titles and fixed roles in biblical law.
וְלָקַ֛ח הַכֹּהֵ֥ן הַמָּשִׁ֖יחַ מִדַּ֣ם הַפָּ֑ר וְהֵבִ֥יא אֹתֹ֖ו אֶל־אֹ֥הֶל מֹועֵֽד׃
Analysis of Key Words and Structures
- וְלָקַ֛ח (velaqqaḥ) – Wayyiqtol verb from לקח (“to take”), 3rd masculine singular. Sequential narrative form marking ritual action.
- הַכֹּהֵ֥ן (hakkohen) – “The priest.” Definite noun with article הַ־. Functions as the subject of the verb.
- הַמָּשִׁ֖יחַ (hamashiaḥ) – “The anointed [one].” Definite Qal participle from משׁח (“to anoint”), used here substantively to describe a role. Combined with הַכֹּהֵן to form a compound definite noun phrase.
- מִדַּ֣ם הַפָּ֑ר (middam happar) – “From the blood of the bull.” Preposition מִן + construct דָּם + definite noun הַפָּר. Specifies the source of the blood.
- וְהֵבִ֥יא (veheviʾ) – Wayyiqtol verb from בוא (“to bring”), Hifil stem, 3ms. Continues the sequence of ritual procedures.
- אֹתֹ֖ו (oto) – 3ms direct object pronoun: “it,” referring to the blood. Follows the verb וְהֵבִ֥יא.
- אֶל־אֹ֥הֶל מֹועֵֽד (ʾel-ohel moʿed) – “To the Tent of Meeting.” Prepositional phrase indicating direction. אֹהֶל מֹועֵד is a fixed cultic term referring to the sanctuary.
Definiteness and the Role of Participles in Titular Phrases
The phrase הַכֹּהֵן הַמָּשִׁיחַ exemplifies a key grammatical feature of Biblical Hebrew legal and priestly texts: the use of participles as formal titles, often with double definiteness.
Let’s break down the syntax:
– הַכֹּהֵן – definite noun: “the priest”
– הַמָּשִׁיחַ – definite active participle: “the anointed one”
In Hebrew grammar, when a participle follows a definite noun and also bears the article הַ־, the construction forms a restrictive appositive. It specifies which priest is being spoken of: not just any priest, but the one who has been anointed for sacred service. This construction is equivalent to saying:
> “The priest, that is, the anointed one.”
The use of a participle rather than a noun (e.g., הַכֹּהֵן הַגָּדֹול) shifts the emphasis from rank to function—he is the priest who has been anointed. This fits the legal context, where specific roles (like the high priest) are defined by ritual acts such as anointing.
Participial titling like this is common in Leviticus and Numbers, and it reflects a dynamic legal identity—defined by action (being anointed) rather than fixed status. The same structure appears in phrases like:
– הַכֹּהֵן הַמְטַהֵר – “the priest who purifies”
– הַמְצֹרָע – “the one afflicted with tsaraʿat (skin disease)”
This syntactic choice allows for flexible but precise legal reference.
How Participial Titles Reinforce Cultic Identity in Levitical Law
The phrase הַכֹּהֵן הַמָּשִׁיחַ is more than a grammatical construction—it is a theological statement. It defines the actor not merely by office but by sacred action: anointing. This reinforces the idea that divine service is activated by ritual induction, not birthright alone.
By using the participle הַמָּשִׁיחַ instead of a fixed title, the Torah reminds the reader that this priest operates in a specific legal capacity, under divine sanction. It also foreshadows the later theological weight of the term “anointed one” (māshîaḥ), which becomes central in messianic expectation.
Grammatically, this construction shows how Hebrew can encode legal identity and liturgical function within the morphology of its verbs. Participles with articles, used appositionally, become markers of functional holiness.
Thus, in Leviticus 4:5, grammar becomes law—and law becomes theology.
