Atonement ATO'NEMENT, n. 1. Agreement; concord; reconciliation, after enmity or controversy. Rom. 5. Between the Duke of Glo'ster and your brothers. 2. Expiation; satisfaction or reparation made by giving an equivalent for an injury, or by doing or suffering that which is received in satisfaction for an offense or injury; with for. And Moses said to Aaron, go to the altar, and offer thy sin-offering, and thy burnt-offering, and make an atonement for thyself and for the people. Lev. 9. When a man has been guilty of any vice, the best atonement he can make for it is, to warn others not to fall into the like. The Phocians behaved with so much gallantry, that they were thought to have made a sufficient atonement for their former offense. 3. In theology, the expiation of sin made by the obedience and personal sufferings of Christ. (Webster's Dictionary 1828)   http://1828.mshaffer.com/d/search/word,atonement It's the central message of the Bible, and it's one of the most important words in the whole Bible.  The word could be understood just by breaking it apart and pronouncing it a little differently.  Atonement.  Take it apart and say, "at-one-ment"...being in harmony with God.  Atonement...'at-one-ment" is how sinful humans can be reconciled to a holy God.  It requires first that reparation be made for our sins against Him.  In the Hebrew language, the word that is translated atonement, kaphar, the primary meaning of that root word is "to cover."  You may be more familiar with the verb form of that word, kippur--Yom Kippur, to cover, the day of atonement.  Nancy Leigh DeMoss http://www.reviveourhearts.com/radio/roh/today.php?pid_10815