BOOK 3 OF 66 · LAW · KING JAMES BIBLE

Leviticus 4

Leviticus book home•Chapter 4 of 27•35 verses

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REVIEWED OVERVIEW

Leviticus 4 Overview

Leviticus 4 establishes the sin offering for sins committed through ignorance. Different procedures apply when the anointed priest sins, when the whole congregation sins, when a ruler sins, or when a common person sins. Blood is handled differently depending on the offender’s representative role, and the chapter repeatedly states that the priest shall make atonement and the person shall be forgiven.

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Before you read Leviticus 4

Coming from

Leviticus 3 described the peace offering and fellowship sacrifice.

In this chapter

The chapter gives sin-offering procedures for the priest, congregation, ruler, and individual.

Leads into

Leviticus 5 continues with specific cases of guilt, confession, and provision for those unable to afford the standard animal offering.

Key understanding

Major truths in this chapterExplore deeper

Truth 1

Unintentional sin is still treated seriously before a holy God.

Truth 2

Greater representative responsibility carries a more extensive sacrificial procedure.

Truth 3

The anointed priest’s sin can bring guilt upon the people, showing the weight of spiritual leadership.

Truth 4

The whole congregation can become guilty even when the sin was initially hidden from awareness.

Truth 5

Forgiveness language is repeatedly tied to the atonement God has appointed within this covenant system.

Connections to the rest of ScriptureExplore deeper

Connection 1

Numbers 15 also distinguishes sins committed ignorantly from presumptuous rebellion.

Connection 2

Leviticus 16 provides the annual Day of Atonement for the sanctuary, priests, and people.

Connection 3

Psalm 19:12 asks God to cleanse from secret faults, echoing concern for sins not immediately recognized.

Connection 4

Hebrews 9–10 explains why repeated Levitical sacrifices anticipated Christ’s superior sacrifice.

What is clear, and where care is neededExplore deeper

Keep this clear 1

“Ignorance” does not mean the act was morally acceptable; it describes a category of violation not committed with deliberate high-handed defiance.

Keep this clear 2

Different sacrificial procedures do not mean some people have more valuable souls; they reflect covenant office and representative responsibility.

Keep this clear 3

The statement “it shall be forgiven him” belongs to the divinely appointed sacrificial administration and must be read in light of the whole biblical doctrine of atonement.

Keep this clear 4

These offerings never teach eternal justification by human works or payment.

Read Leviticus 4 watching for…

The four groups addressed: priest, congregation, ruler, common person.

Changes in where the blood is placed.

The repeated phrase “through ignorance.”

The repeated statement that atonement is made.

The repeated promise “it shall be forgiven.”

Chapter outline4 sections

1-12The sin offering for the anointed priest 13-21The sin offering for the whole congregation 22-26The sin offering for a ruler 27-35The sin offering for a common person

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

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:

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.

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.

And the priest that is anointed shall take of the bullock's blood, and bring it to the tabernacle of the congregation:

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.

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.

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,

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,

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.

And the skin of the bullock, and all his flesh, with his head, and with his legs, and his inwards, and his dung,

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.

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;

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.

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.

And the priest that is anointed shall bring of the bullock's blood to the tabernacle of the congregation:

And the priest shall dip his finger in some of the blood, and sprinkle it seven times before the LORD, even before the vail.

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.

And he shall take all his fat from him, and burn it upon the altar.

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.

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.

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;

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:

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.

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.

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.

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;

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.

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.

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.

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.

And if he bring a lamb for a sin offering, he shall bring it a female without blemish.

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.

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:

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.

STUDY THIS VERSE

Leviticus 4:7

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