The big picture
The earlier offerings are followed by instructions for wrongs done without knowing. Moses, the leader who receives God's laws, must explain them to Israel, the whole worshipping people. Priests and rulers are included alongside ordinary members of the community. A sin offering is the prescribed sacrifice for dealing with these wrongs before God. Different people bring different animals, but none can dismiss a discovered wrong because it was unintended.
In this chapter
- An Anointed Priest Brings a Bull Leviticus 4:1-12
God begins with an anointed priest whose sin brings guilt on the people.
- The Whole Community Acknowledges Its Wrong Leviticus 4:13-21
The entire community can also break God's command without realising it.
- A Ruler Must Bring His Offering Leviticus 4:22-26
A ruler who breaks God's command without knowing must act when the wrong becomes known to him.
- Ordinary People Also Receive Forgiveness Leviticus 4:27-35
An ordinary member of the community who sins without knowing must bring a female goat or lamb when the wrong comes to light.
Central truth
Unintended sins still require attention, and God provides offerings for priests, the whole community, rulers, and ordinary people.
Scripture beside the summary
Leviticus · King James Version · 35Leviticus 4:1-12
An Anointed Priest Brings a Bull
God begins with an anointed priest whose sin brings guilt on the people. He must bring an unblemished bull, lay his hand on it, and kill it. Blood is taken into the tent, sprinkled before the veil, and applied to the incense altar's horns. The rest goes at the base of the outer altar. The fat burns there, while the remaining body is burned outside the camp in a clean place. A priest needs cleansing as well as providing it.
In everyday life
A senior pharmacist discovers that her mistaken instruction has affected the whole shift. She reports it, corrects the records, and submits her own work for review before checking anyone else's. Her position increases the reach of the error. A sin offering restores worship before God rather than correcting a clinical record.
Notice
Leviticus 4:7 Some blood reaches the incense altar inside the tent. The priest's wrong affects the place where he serves, so the response is not confined to the outer altar.
Leviticus 4:1-12
King James Version1And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
2Speak 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:
3If 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.
4And 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.
5And the priest that is anointed shall take of the bullock’s blood, and bring it to the tabernacle of the congregation:
6And 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.
7And 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.
8And 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,
9And 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,
10As 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.
11And the skin of the bullock, and all his flesh, with his head, and with his legs, and his inwards, and his dung,
12Even 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.
Leviticus 4:13-21
The Whole Community Acknowledges Its Wrong
The entire community can also break God's command without realising it. When the wrong becomes known, the people bring a bull. Their elders, the recognised leaders, place their hands on its head on the community's behalf. The priest takes its blood inside and treats the veil and altar as in the priest's own offering. The fat burns on the altar and the body outside the camp. God promises forgiveness when the priest makes atonement for the people.
In everyday life
A choir committee discovers that every copy of its concert programme contains an unpaid contributor's work. The committee members meet the contributor together and arrange correction on behalf of the whole choir. Shared ignorance does not remove shared responsibility. Israel's elders bring an animal offering to God, not a copyright settlement.
Notice
Leviticus 4:15 The elders place their hands on the bull for the congregation. The response to a communal wrong has public representatives rather than an unnamed individual giver.
Leviticus 4:13-21
King James Version13And 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;
14When 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.
15And 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.
16And the priest that is anointed shall bring of the bullock’s blood to the tabernacle of the congregation:
17And the priest shall dip his finger in some of the blood, and sprinkle it seven times before the LORD, even before the vail.
18And 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.
19And he shall take all his fat from him, and burn it upon the altar.
20And 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.
21And 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.
Leviticus 4:22-26
A Ruler Must Bring His Offering
A ruler who breaks God's command without knowing must act when the wrong becomes known to him. He brings an unblemished male goat, lays his hand on its head, and kills it where burnt offerings are killed. The priest puts blood on the outer altar's horns and pours the rest at its base. The fat burns as it does in a peace offering. The priest makes atonement, and the ruler is forgiven. Rank gives him no exemption from guilt.
In everyday life
A team captain learns that he has signed an ineligible player onto the match sheet. He brings the mistake to the league official himself and accepts the required correction. Being captain does not place him outside the rules. A sports official can correct a team list but cannot grant God's forgiveness.
Notice
Leviticus 4:23 The ruler acts when his sin becomes known. The law gives discovery a practical consequence: he must bring the prescribed offering rather than hide behind his position.
Leviticus 4:22-26
King James Version22When 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;
23Or 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:
24And 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.
25And 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.
26And 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.
Leviticus 4:27-35
Ordinary People Also Receive Forgiveness
An ordinary member of the community who sins without knowing must bring a female goat or lamb when the wrong comes to light. The animal must have no defect. The giver lays a hand on its head and kills it. The priest applies blood to the altar's horns, pours out the rest, and burns the specified fat. Both alternatives end with the same promise of forgiveness. The law provides a way back for people without priestly office or public rank.
In everyday life
A warehouse picker discovers that she has sent goods to the wrong address. She reports the error and follows the return process, although she holds no management role. The correction procedure is available to her as well as to supervisors. God's forgiveness is not a warehouse process for recovering misplaced goods.
Notice
Leviticus 4:35 The lamb option ends with forgiveness stated again. The available choice of animal does not leave the worshipper uncertain about the promised result.
Leviticus 4:27-35
King James Version27And 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;
28Or 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.
29And he shall lay his hand upon the head of the sin offering, and slay the sin offering in the place of the burnt offering.
30And 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.
31And 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.
32And if he bring a lamb for a sin offering, he shall bring it a female without blemish.
33And 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.
34And 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:
35And 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.
Details worth noticing
The opening image
Leviticus 4:1 begins with “And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,”
Where the chapter turns
Leviticus 4:18 forms a natural hinge: “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…”
The final note
Leviticus 4:35 leaves the reader with “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…”
A word trail through the chapter
The words offering, LORD, priest, altar, blood, bullock help reveal the chapter’s repeated concerns.
KJV words made clear
- through ignorance
- Without knowing that the act breaks one of God's commands.
- bullock
- A young bull brought here as an animal sacrifice.
Music and video connected to the passage
Related media appears when its Scripture reference overlaps this study. Music and video can illuminate a theme while the biblical text remains the foundation.
