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Leviticus 4

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Introduction to the Sin Offering 1–2

1
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
2
Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a soul shall sin through ignorance against any of the commandments of the LORD concerning things which ought not to be done, and shall do against any of them: ​

Offering for the Anointed Priest 3–12

3
If the priest that is anointed do sin according to the sin of the people; then let him bring for his sin, which he hath sinned, a young bullock without blemish unto the LORD for a sin offering. ​
4
And he shall bring the bullock unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD; and shall lay his hand upon the bullock's head, and kill the bullock before the LORD. ​
5
And the priest that is anointed shall take of the bullock's blood, and bring it to the tabernacle of the congregation:
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And the priest shall dip his finger in the blood, and sprinkle of the blood seven times before the LORD, before the vail of the sanctuary. ​
7
And the priest shall put some of the blood upon the horns of the altar of sweet incense before the LORD, which is in the tabernacle of the congregation; and shall pour all the blood of the bullock at the bottom of the altar of the burnt offering, which is at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. ​
8
And he shall take off from it all the fat of the bullock for the sin offering; the fat that covereth the inwards, and all the fat that is upon the inwards,
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And the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, which is by the flanks, and the caul above the liver, with the kidneys, it shall he take away,
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As it was taken off from the bullock of the sacrifice of peace offerings: and the priest shall burn them upon the altar of the burnt offering.
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And the skin of the bullock, and all his flesh, with his head, and with his legs, and his inwards, and his dung,
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Even the whole bullock shall he carry forth without the camp unto a clean place, where the ashes are poured out, and burn him on the wood with fire: where the ashes are poured out shall he be burnt. ​

Offering for the Whole Congregation 13–21

13
And if the whole congregation of Israel sin through ignorance, and the thing be hid from the eyes of the assembly, and they have done somewhat against any of the commandments of the LORD concerning things which should not be done, and are guilty; ​
14
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.
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And the elders of the congregation shall lay their hands upon the head of the bullock before the LORD: and the bullock shall be killed before the LORD. ​
16
And the priest that is anointed shall bring of the bullock's blood to the tabernacle of the congregation:
17
And the priest shall dip his finger in some of the blood, and sprinkle it seven times before the LORD, even before the vail.
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And he shall put some of the blood upon the horns of the altar which is before the LORD, that is in the tabernacle of the congregation, and shall pour out all the blood at the bottom of the altar of the burnt offering, which is at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
19
And he shall take all his fat from him, and burn it upon the altar.
20
And he shall do with the bullock as he did with the bullock for a sin offering, so shall he do with this: and the priest shall make an atonement for them, and it shall be forgiven them. ​
21
And he shall carry forth the bullock without the camp, and burn him as he burned the first bullock: it is a sin offering for the congregation.

Offering for a Leader or Ruler 22–26

22
When a ruler hath sinned, and done somewhat through ignorance against any of the commandments of the LORD his God concerning things which should not be done, and is guilty; ​
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Or if his sin, wherein he hath sinned, come to his knowledge; he shall bring his offering, a kid of the goats, a male without blemish: ​
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And he shall lay his hand upon the head of the goat, and kill it in the place where they kill the burnt offering before the LORD: it is a sin offering.
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And the priest shall take of the blood of the sin offering with his finger, and put it upon the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and shall pour out his blood at the bottom of the altar of burnt offering.
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And he shall burn all his fat upon the altar, as the fat of the sacrifice of peace offerings: and the priest shall make an atonement for him as concerning his sin, and it shall be forgiven him. ​

Offering for the Common Person 27–35

27
And if any one of the common people sin through ignorance, while he doeth somewhat against any of the commandments of the LORD concerning things which ought not to be done, and be guilty; ​
28
Or if his sin, which he hath sinned, come to his knowledge: then he shall bring his offering, a kid of the goats, a female without blemish, for his sin which he hath sinned.
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And he shall lay his hand upon the head of the sin offering, and slay the sin offering in the place of the burnt offering.
30
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.
31
And he shall take away all the fat thereof, as the fat is taken away from off the sacrifice of peace offerings; and the priest shall burn it upon the altar for a sweet savour unto the LORD; and the priest shall make an atonement for him, and it shall be forgiven him. ​
32
And if he bring a lamb for a sin offering, he shall bring it a female without blemish. ​
33
And he shall lay his hand upon the head of the sin offering, and slay it for a sin offering in the place where they kill the burnt offering.
34
And the priest shall take of the blood of the sin offering 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:
35
And he shall take away all the fat thereof, as the fat of the lamb is taken away from the sacrifice of the peace offerings; and the priest shall burn them upon the altar, according to the offerings made by fire unto the LORD: and the priest shall make an atonement for his sin that he hath committed, and it shall be forgiven him.

Bible text: King James Version (1769 Blayney text) · Public domain

Study Notes for Leviticus 4

Verse 2

through ignorance — Shegagah, an unwitting error, governs this law (vv.2, 22, 27; Num 15:24–29). Set against it is the soul that 'doeth ought presumptuously', of whom the law says 'that soul shall be cut off from among his people' (Num 15:30). Heb 9:7 calls the people's sins 'errors'.

Verse 3

the priest that is anointed — Mashiach, 'anointed', is used of the priest only in Leviticus (4:3, 5, 16; 6:22). His sin is 'according to the sin of the people', and his offering equals the whole congregation's, a young bullock (v.14). Christ 'needeth not… first for his own sins' (Heb 7:27).

Verse 4

lay his hand upon the bullock's head — Samak, to lean on. The same act is made for the burnt offering, 'and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him' (Lev 1:4), and for the goat in v.24. The offerer himself kills the bullock 'before the LORD', at the door of the tabernacle.

Verse 6

seven times before the LORD, before the vail — Pareket is the veil of the sanctuary. The priest dips his finger in the blood and sprinkles it toward the veil seven times, the number he uses on the day of atonement, when 'before the mercy seat shall he sprinkle of the blood with his finger seven times' (Lev 16:14).

Verse 7

the altar of sweet incense — This is the golden altar of the holy place (Ex 30:1). Its horns receive blood for the priest's and the congregation's sin (vv.7, 18), but not for a ruler's or a common person's, whose blood goes to the horns of the altar of burnt offering (vv.25, 30). Aaron atoned on them yearly (Ex 30:10).

Verse 12

without the camp — The bullock is carried 'unto a clean place, where the ashes are poured out' and burned. The day of atonement offerings go the same way (Lev 16:27), and Hebrews draws the line: 'whose blood is brought into the sanctuary… are burned without the camp… Jesus also… suffered without the gate' (Heb 13:11–12).

Verse 13

hid from the eyes of the assembly — The whole congregation (edah) may sin without knowing it: the thing is 'hid' (alam, concealed), yet they are 'guilty' (asham). Lev 5:17 states the principle, 'though he wist it not, yet is he guilty'. Num 15:24 gives a parallel case for the congregation.

Verse 15

the elders of the congregation shall lay their hands — The elders (zaqen) act for the whole assembly, doing at the bullock's head what the single offerer does in v.4. Moses calls the elders of Israel with Aaron and his sons on the day the priesthood begins its service (Lev 9:1).

Verse 20

it shall be forgiven them — Kaphar, to cover (atonement), then salach, to forgive, which first appears in Leviticus here, and closes the congregation, ruler and common cases (vv.20, 26, 31, 35). The priest's case (vv.3–12) lacks it. Hebrews sets the repeated offerings, which 'can never take away sins', against one sacrifice (Heb 10:11–12).

Verse 22

a ruler — Nasi, one lifted up, a prince of a tribe; this is the only place in Leviticus the word is used. Of the four cases this alone names the commandment as that of the LORD 'his God' (Elohim), reminding the one who commands that he is himself under command.

Verse 23

a kid of the goats, a male — The ruler's offering is a male sa'ir, a goat, lower than the bullock of vv.3 and 14 and above the female of v.28. The trigger is knowledge: his sin 'come to his knowledge' (yada), and the offering is brought after that discovery.

Verse 26

the fat of the sacrifice of peace offerings — The fat (cheleb) is burned as in Lev 3:3–5, 'an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD'. The flesh is not burned outside the camp as in vv.11–12: 'The priest that offereth it for sin shall eat it: in the holy place' (Lev 6:26).

Verse 27

the common people — Literally 'the people of the land' (am with erets), the ordinary Israelite, as distinct from the anointed priest, the congregation and the ruler. This is the fourth case. Num 15:27 gives it briefly: 'if any soul sin through ignorance, then he shall bring a she goat of the first year'.

Verse 31

a sweet savour unto the LORD — Reyach nichoach, a savour of rest, first used of Noah's offering (Gen 8:21) and of the burnt offering (Lev 1:9). Even in a sin offering the fat rises as that savour. Paul speaks of Christ's gift in the same words: 'an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour' (Eph 5:2).

Verse 32

a female without blemish — Neqebah, a female, and tamim, whole, without defect. A lamb (kebes) is allowed in place of a goat (v.28). Peter takes the phrase for Christ: 'the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot' (1 Pet 1:19).