Leviticus Chapter 4 — The Law of the Sin Offering
Leviticus 4 outlines the specific rituals and animal sacrifices required when individuals or the community commit unintentional sins against God's commands.
1The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
2“Speak to the children of Israel, saying, ‘If anyone sins unintentionally, in any of the things which the LORD has commanded not to be done, and does any one of them,
3if the anointed priest sins so as to bring guilt on the people, then let him offer for his sin which he has sinned a young bull without defect to the LORD for a sin offering.
4He shall bring the bull to the door of the Tent of Meeting before the LORD; and he shall lay his hand on the head of the bull, and kill the bull before the LORD.
5The anointed priest shall take some of the blood of the bull, and bring it to the Tent of Meeting.
6The priest shall dip his finger in the blood, and sprinkle some of the blood seven times before the LORD, before the veil of the sanctuary.
7The priest shall put some of the blood on the horns of the altar of sweet incense before the LORD, which is in the Tent of Meeting; and he shall pour out the rest of the blood of the bull at the base of the altar of burnt offering, which is at the door of the Tent of Meeting.
8He shall take all the fat of the bull of the sin offering from it: the fat that covers the innards, and all the fat that is on the innards,
9and the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them, which is by the loins, and the cover on the liver, with the kidneys, he shall remove,
10as it is removed from the bull of the sacrifice of peace offerings. The priest shall burn them on the altar of burnt offering.
11He shall carry the bull’s skin, all its meat, with its head, and with its legs, its innards, and its dung
12—all the rest of the bull—outside of the camp to a clean place where the ashes are poured out, and burn it on wood with fire. It shall be burned where the ashes are poured out.
13“ ‘If the whole congregation of Israel sins, and the thing is hidden from the eyes of the assembly, and they have done any of the things which the LORD has commanded not to be done, and are guilty;
14when the sin in which they have sinned is known, then the assembly shall offer a young bull for a sin offering, and bring it before the Tent of Meeting.
15The elders of the congregation shall lay their hands on the head of the bull before the LORD; and the bull shall be killed before the LORD.
16The anointed priest shall bring some of the blood of the bull to the Tent of Meeting.
17The priest shall dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle it seven times before the LORD, before the veil.
18He shall put some of the blood on the horns of the altar which is before the LORD, that is in the Tent of Meeting; and the rest of the blood he shall pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offering, which is at the door of the Tent of Meeting.
19All its fat he shall take from it, and burn it on the altar.
20He shall do this with the bull; as he did with the bull of the sin offering, so he shall do with this; and the priest shall make atonement for them, and they shall be forgiven.
21He shall carry the bull outside the camp, and burn it as he burned the first bull. It is the sin offering for the assembly.
22“ ‘When a ruler sins, and unwittingly does any one of all the things which the LORD his God has commanded not to be done, and is guilty,
23if his sin in which he has sinned is made known to him, he shall bring as his offering a goat, a male without defect.
24He shall lay his hand on 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.
25The priest shall take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger, and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering. He shall pour out the rest of its blood at the base of the altar of burnt offering.
26All its fat he shall burn on the altar, like the fat of the sacrifice of peace offerings; and the priest shall make atonement for him concerning his sin, and he will be forgiven.
27“ ‘If anyone of the common people sins unwittingly, in doing any of the things which the LORD has commanded not to be done, and is guilty,
28if his sin which he has sinned is made known to him, then he shall bring for his offering a goat, a female without defect, for his sin which he has sinned.
29He shall lay his hand on the head of the sin offering, and kill the sin offering in the place of burnt offering.
30The priest shall take some of its blood with his finger, and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering; and the rest of its blood he shall pour out at the base of the altar.
31All its fat he shall take away, like the fat is taken away from the sacrifice of peace offerings; and the priest shall burn it on the altar for a pleasant aroma to the LORD; and the priest shall make atonement for him, and he will be forgiven.
32“ ‘If he brings a lamb as his offering for a sin offering, he shall bring a female without defect.
33He shall lay his hand on the head of the sin offering, and kill it for a sin offering in the place where they kill the burnt offering.
34The priest shall take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger, and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering; and all the rest of its blood he shall pour out at the base of the altar.
35He shall remove all its fat, like the fat of the lamb is removed from the sacrifice of peace offerings. The priest shall burn them on the altar, on the offerings of the LORD made by fire. The priest shall make atonement for him concerning his sin that he has sinned, and he will be forgiven.
WEB Translation
Notable Verses
Leviticus 4:2
“If anyone sins unintentionally, in any of the things which the LORD has commanded not to be done, and does any one of them”
This verse establishes the scope of the chapter, focusing specifically on sins committed without intent.
Leviticus 4:20
“The priest shall make atonement for them, and they shall be forgiven.”
This recurring phrase highlights the primary purpose of the sin offering: restoration and divine forgiveness.
Chapter Summary
Leviticus Chapter 4 provides detailed instructions for the sin offering, a sacrifice required when a person or the community breaks a divine commandment unintentionally. The chapter categorizes these offerings based on the offender's role: the anointed priest, the whole congregation of Israel, a ruler, or a common person. For the priest and the congregation, a young bull is required, and its blood is sprinkled seven times before the veil of the sanctuary. For a ruler, a male goat is sacrificed, while a common person brings a female goat or a lamb. In all cases, the ritual involves laying hands on the animal's head to symbolize the transfer of guilt, the application of blood to the altar, and the burning of specific fats. The text repeatedly emphasizes that these rituals are performed so the priest may make atonement for the people, resulting in their forgiveness. It also specifies that for major offerings, the remains of the animal must be burned in a clean place outside the camp.
Frequently Asked Questions
The sin offering was a specific sacrifice mandated for those who broke God's commandments unintentionally. It served to cleanse the person or the community from the guilt of their error and restore their ritual standing before God.
The requirements applied to the anointed priest, the entire congregation of Israel, community rulers, and common individuals. Each group had specific animal requirements based on their status and level of responsibility.
The blood was handled with great care; it was either sprinkled before the sanctuary veil or applied to the horns of the incense or burnt offering altars. This act symbolized the purification of the sacred space from the defilement of the sin.
In the case of the priest or the whole congregation, the remains of the bull—including its skin, meat, and offal—were carried to a clean place outside the camp where the ashes were poured out. This act signified the complete removal of the sin from the community.
Study Note
The Hebrew term for 'sin offering' is 'hattat,' which is derived from a root meaning 'to purify' or 'to cleanse,' emphasizing the sacrifice's role in removing ritual defilement rather than just moral guilt.
Related Chapters
Leviticus 5
Continues the instructions for guilt offerings and specific cases requiring atonement.
Numbers 15
Provides additional regulations for unintentional sins committed by the community or individuals.
Hebrews 9
Discusses the New Testament theological perspective on animal blood and the cleansing of the sanctuary.
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