The Torah · Old Testament
Leviticus 4
Sin offerings for priest, congregation, ruler and individual
General context
The Lord gives Moses instructions for sins committed in ignorance. The chapter treats an anointed priest, the whole congregation, a ruler and an ordinary individual in separate cases. A bull is required for the priest or congregation. Its blood is taken into the tabernacle, sprinkled before the veil, applied to the incense altar and poured at the base of the burnt-offering altar. Specified fat is burned on the altar, and the remaining body is burned outside the camp. A ruler brings a male goat, while an individual brings a female goat or lamb. In those cases blood is applied to the burnt-offering altar. The instructions repeatedly connect priestly atonement with forgiveness.
Cited passages: Leviticus 4:1, Leviticus 4:2, Leviticus 4:3, Leviticus 4:4, Leviticus 4:5, Leviticus 4:6, Leviticus 4:7, Leviticus 4:11, Leviticus 4:12, Leviticus 4:13, Leviticus 4:14, Leviticus 4:15, Leviticus 4:16, Leviticus 4:17, Leviticus 4:18, Leviticus 4:20, Leviticus 4:21, Leviticus 4:22, Leviticus 4:23, Leviticus 4:24, Leviticus 4:25, Leviticus 4:26, Leviticus 4:27, Leviticus 4:28, Leviticus 4:29, Leviticus 4:30, Leviticus 4:31, Leviticus 4:32, Leviticus 4:33, Leviticus 4:34, Leviticus 4:35, Leviticus 4:8, Leviticus 4:9, Leviticus 4:10
Leviticus 4 (KJV)
1And 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.
13And 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.
22When 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.
27And 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.
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Historical context
The chapter's categories distinguish responsibility within Israel rather than naming four actual offenders. In the congregation's case, the elders lay their hands on the bull. The KJV wording about the priest's sin in verse 3 differs from the ASV's explicit statement that it brings guilt on the people. The rites also distinguish the sanctuary's incense altar from the burnt-offering altar. The place outside the camp where the bulls are burned is described as clean.
Cited passages: Leviticus 4:2, Leviticus 4:3, Leviticus 4:4, Leviticus 4:5, Leviticus 4:6, Leviticus 4:7, Leviticus 4:12, Leviticus 4:13, Leviticus 4:14, Leviticus 4:15, Leviticus 4:16, Leviticus 4:17, Leviticus 4:18, Leviticus 4:22, Leviticus 4:23, Leviticus 4:24, Leviticus 4:25, Leviticus 4:27, Leviticus 4:28, Leviticus 4:29, Leviticus 4:30
Literary context
A sequence from priest and congregation to ruler and individual gives the chapter its shape. Repeated recognition of sin leads to specified offerings rather than leaving the response undefined. The recurring promises of atonement and forgiveness connect cases whose animals and blood rites differ. The passage does not say that every kind of wrongdoing is covered by these particular instructions.
Cited passages: Leviticus 4:2, Leviticus 4:3, Leviticus 4:13, Leviticus 4:14, Leviticus 4:15, Leviticus 4:20, Leviticus 4:21, Leviticus 4:22, Leviticus 4:23, Leviticus 4:24, Leviticus 4:25, Leviticus 4:26, Leviticus 4:27, Leviticus 4:28, Leviticus 4:31, Leviticus 4:32, Leviticus 4:33, Leviticus 4:34, Leviticus 4:35
Key moments
- The opening category (Leviticus 4:2). The instructions concern sins committed through ignorance against the Lord's commands.
- The congregation's elders (Leviticus 4:15). The elders lay their hands on the bull offered for the congregation.
- An individual offering (Leviticus 4:28). An individual whose sin becomes known is instructed to bring an unblemished female goat.
For reflection
How do the shared language of forgiveness and the different procedures shape this account of responsibility?