Leviticus 4:14

KJV

When the sin, which they have sinned against it, is known, then the congregation shall offer a young bullock for the sin, and bring him before the tabernacle of the congregation.

KJV (with Strong's)

When the sin {H2403}, which they have sinned {H2398} against it, is known {H3045}, then the congregation {H6951} shall offer {H7126} a young {H1241}{H1121} bullock {H6499} for the sin {H2403}, and bring {H935} him before {H6440} the tabernacle {H168} of the congregation {H4150}.

Complete Jewish Bible

When the sin they have committed becomes known, then the assembly is to offer a young bull as a sin offering and bring it before the tent of meeting.

Berean Standard Bible

when they become aware of the sin they have committed, then the assembly must bring a young bull as a sin offering and present it before the Tent of Meeting.

American Standard Version

when the sin wherein they have sinned is known, then the assembly shall offer a young bullock for a sin-offering, and bring it before the tent of meeting.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Leviticus 4:14 outlines the precise protocol for the sin offering when the entire Israelite congregation has committed an unwitting sin that comes to light. This verse underscores the profound theological principle of corporate accountability within the Mosaic covenant, emphasizing that even unintentional communal transgressions necessitate a costly and specific act of atonement—the offering of a young bullock—to purify the community and restore its fellowship with a holy God. It reveals God's meticulous provision for sin and His unwavering demand for purity from His people.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** Leviticus 4 initiates a detailed exposition of the *chatta't* or "sin offering," a distinct category of sacrifice designed to atone for sins committed unintentionally or unwittingly (though later discovered). This chapter is strategically placed after the burnt offering and grain offering, which primarily dealt with devotion and fellowship, highlighting that sin, even when unintentional, disrupts the covenant relationship and requires specific purification. Leviticus 4 systematically addresses sin offerings based on the status of the offender: the anointed priest (Leviticus 4:3-12), the whole congregation (Leviticus 4:13-21, our focal passage), a ruler (Leviticus 4:22-26), and an individual (Leviticus 4:27-35). This structured approach emphasizes the pervasive nature of sin and God's comprehensive provision for its atonement across all strata of Israelite society, ensuring that defilement, whether individual or corporate, could be cleansed to maintain the sanctity of the community and its access to God.
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** At the time of Leviticus, Israel was a nascent nation, recently delivered from Egypt and gathered at Mount Sinai, where they had entered into a covenant with Yahweh. The Tabernacle, described in intricate detail in [Exodus 25-40](/exodus/25 "Exodus 25 - Instructions for the Tabernacle"), had just been completed and consecrated, serving as the central dwelling place of God's holy presence among His people. The concept of corporate identity was paramount in ancient Israel; the actions of individuals or groups could ritually defile the entire community, impacting their collective standing before God. Therefore, when a communal sin, even if initially unknown, was "known" (i.e., discovered or recognized), it necessitated a public, communal act of purification. This was crucial for maintaining the holiness of the camp and ensuring God's continued presence, as His holiness could not abide in the midst of unaddressed defilement. The detailed regulations in Leviticus, including the costly young bullock for the congregation, underscored the gravity of sin and the seriousness with which God required His people to approach His holiness, distinguishing Israel's worship from the often arbitrary or less demanding sacrificial practices of surrounding pagan cultures.

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
#### Key Word Analysis
* **Sin (חַטָּאת, _chaṭṭāʾt_):** This Hebrew term is crucial, as it refers to both the "sin" itself and the "sin offering" made to atone for it. Its primary meaning is "missing the mark" or "straying from the path." In the cultic context of Leviticus, *chaṭṭāʾt* often denotes ritual impurity or defilement that disrupts the covenant relationship and requires purification. The offering itself, therefore, serves as the means by which this defilement is cleansed, allowing the community to be re-purified and restored to proper standing before God.
* **Congregation (עֵדָה, _ʿēḏāh_):** This word refers to the "assembly" or "community" of Israel. Its use here highlights the corporate nature of the sin and the collective responsibility for atonement. It emphasizes that the entire body politic of Israel, not just specific individuals, could incur defilement and require a communal act of purification to maintain its covenant relationship with Yahweh.
* **Young bullock (פַּר בֶּן־בָּקָר, _par ben-bāqār_):** This specifies a male bovine, typically a valuable and significant animal. The costliness and size of the offering corresponded to the status of the offender and the gravity of the sin's impact. For the entire congregation, the most substantial and expensive animal was required, underscoring the immense weight of corporate sin and the profound need for a significant sacrifice to achieve atonement for the whole community.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"When the sin, which they have sinned against it, is known":** This clause indicates that the sin was initially unwitting or unintentional, but its existence or nature has now become evident to the community. The phrase "against it" refers to the commandments of the Lord or the Lord Himself, signifying a breach of covenant stipulations. The discovery of the sin triggers the mandatory ritual response.
* **"then the congregation shall offer a young bullock for the sin":** Upon recognition of the communal sin, the entire assembly is obligated to provide a costly and significant animal—a young bullock—specifically designated as the sin offering. This highlights the corporate responsibility of the community to address its collective defilement and seek atonement.
* **"and bring him before the tabernacle of the congregation":** The offering was to be brought to the central place of worship, the Tabernacle (also known as the Tent of Meeting), where God's presence dwelt among His people. This emphasizes the sacred, public, and ritualistic nature of the act, signifying that the atonement was performed in the very presence of God to cleanse the community and restore their access to Him.

#### Literary Devices
Leviticus 4:14 employs several literary devices to convey its message. **Prescriptive Language** is dominant, evident in the direct and imperative instructions ("then the congregation shall offer," "and bring him"). This reflects the divine authority behind these laws and their non-negotiable nature for Israel's worship and purity. The **Repetition** of the root word for "sin" (חַטָּאת, _chaṭṭāʾt_) in its dual sense as both the transgression and the offering for it creates a powerful emphasis on the problem of sin and God's divinely ordained solution. Furthermore, **Symbolism** is central: the "young bullock" symbolizes a costly and significant substitute, bearing the weight of the community's sin, while the "tabernacle of the congregation" symbolizes God's holy presence and the designated place where reconciliation and purification can occur.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Leviticus 4:14 profoundly illustrates several enduring theological truths: the absolute holiness of God, which cannot tolerate defilement; the pervasive nature of sin, even when unwitting, which disrupts fellowship with God; and the divine necessity of atonement through a blood sacrifice. It underscores the concept of corporate responsibility, where the spiritual health of the community is intertwined, and communal sin requires a communal response. This ritual, though temporary, pointed forward to a greater, more perfect sacrifice that would truly and permanently cleanse humanity from all sin.

* [Numbers 15:22](/numbers/15-22 "Numbers 15:22-29 - Laws for Unwitting Sins of the Community")
* [Isaiah 6:5](/isaiah/6-5 "Isaiah 6:5 - Isaiah's Confession of Unclean Lips")
* [Romans 3:23](/romans/3-23 "Romans 3:23 - All Have Sinned and Fall Short of God's Glory")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Leviticus 4:14, though rooted in an ancient sacrificial system, offers timeless principles for contemporary believers. It reminds us that sin, in any form—individual or corporate, intentional or unwitting—carries consequences and offends a holy God. The meticulous and costly nature of the bullock offering for the congregation should humble us, deepening our appreciation for the immeasurable cost of our own redemption. While the ritual itself is fulfilled in Christ, the spiritual realities it represents—the need for confession, the seriousness of sin, and the pursuit of holiness—remain profoundly relevant. As members of the body of Christ, we are called to communal self-examination, acknowledging that the actions and attitudes of some can affect the spiritual vitality of the whole. This verse compels us to cultivate a heightened sensitivity to sin, both personal and corporate, and to rely fully on God's gracious provision for cleansing and restoration.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **How does Leviticus 4:14 challenge our modern understanding of "unintentional" sin, particularly in a communal context?**
* **In what ways might our communities (churches, families, nations) inadvertently carry corporate sin that needs to be acknowledged and addressed before God?**
* **How does the costly nature of the bullock offering for the congregation deepen our appreciation for the ultimate sacrifice of Christ on the cross?**

### FAQ
**What is the difference between an "unwitting sin" and an intentional sin in Leviticus?**

Answer: In Leviticus, an "unwitting sin" (often translated from Hebrew as "unintentional" or "done in ignorance") refers to a transgression committed without deliberate defiance or premeditated malice. These sins might be due to oversight, lack of knowledge, or accidental violation of a commandment. For such sins, the *chatta't* (sin offering) was prescribed to provide atonement and cleanse the defilement. In contrast, "intentional" or "high-handed" sins (e.g., [Numbers 15:30](/numbers/15-30 "Numbers 15:30 - Sinning with a High Hand")) were committed with full knowledge and deliberate rebellion against God's explicit commands. These sins were considered far more serious and often carried much harsher penalties, such as being "cut off from their people," which could mean excommunication or even death, as there was no prescribed sacrifice for such outright defiance under the Mosaic Law. The sin offering in Leviticus 4 was specifically for the unwitting sins that still defiled the community.

**Why was a "young bullock" required for the congregation, but lesser animals for individuals?**

Answer: The type and value of the animal required for a sin offering in Leviticus 4 were directly proportional to the status of the offender and the scope of the sin's impact. A "young bullock" was the largest, most valuable, and most costly animal for sacrifice. Its requirement for the entire congregation (as well as for the high priest, whose sin could also defile the whole community, as seen in [Leviticus 4:3](/leviticus/4-3 "Leviticus 4:3 - Sin Offering for the Anointed Priest")) underscored the immense gravity of communal sin. Such a sin could ritually defile the entire covenant community, jeopardizing God's presence among them and disrupting their collective relationship with a holy God. The high value of the offering emphasized the profound corporate responsibility and the significant cost of atonement required to purify the whole assembly and restore their fellowship with Yahweh. For individuals, depending on their status and means, lesser animals like a male goat, female goat, or even doves were prescribed (e.g., [Leviticus 4:27-35](/leviticus/4-27 "Leviticus 4:27 - Sin Offering for an Individual")).

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Leviticus 4:14, with its emphasis on a costly communal sin offering, finds its ultimate and perfect fulfillment in Jesus Christ. The young bullock, a significant and unblemished sacrifice, foreshadows the infinitely more precious sacrifice of the [Lamb of God](/john/1-29 "John 1:29 - Jesus, the Lamb of God"), Jesus Christ, who was without blemish or spot ([1 Peter 1:18-19](/1_peter/1-18 "1 Peter 1:18-19 - Redeemed by the Precious Blood of Christ")). Just as the bullock bore the sin of the congregation, Christ "became sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God" ([2 Corinthians 5:21](/2_corinthians/5-21 "2 Corinthians 5:21 - Christ Became Sin for Us")). His single, perfect sacrifice on the cross was not merely for individual sins but for the sins of the entire world, including both unwitting transgressions and deliberate rebellion ([1 John 2:2](/1_john/2-2 "1 John 2:2 - Christ is the Atoning Sacrifice for the Sins of the Whole World")). The Tabernacle, where the bullock was brought, symbolized God's dwelling among His people; Christ, the true Tabernacle ([John 1:14](/john/1-14 "John 1:14 - The Word Became Flesh and Dwelt Among Us")), provides permanent access to God through His shed blood, making the way into the Most Holy Place open to all believers ([Hebrews 10:19-20](/hebrews/10-19 "Hebrews 10:19-20 - Access to God Through Christ's Blood")). Thus, the temporary, repetitive sacrifices of the Old Covenant are fully superseded by Christ's "once for all" sacrifice, which perfectly atones for all sin—individual and corporate—establishing a new covenant community eternally cleansed and reconciled to God ([Hebrews 9:26](/hebrews/9-26 "Hebrews 9:26 - Christ's Once-for-All Sacrifice")).

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.