Leviticus 4

King James Version

Full text for Leviticus Chapter 4

1¶ And 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.

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;

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.

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;

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.

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;

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.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Leviticus chapter 4 details the laws for sin offerings when an individual or the congregation sins through ignorance. It prescribes specific rituals and animal sacrifices for the anointed priest, the whole congregation, a ruler, and common people. Each offering involves the laying on of hands, the shedding of blood, and the burning of fat on the altar, with the aim of atonement and forgiveness.

Medium Summary

Leviticus chapter 4 outlines the regulations for sin offerings, specifically addressing sins committed unintentionally or through ignorance. The chapter differentiates the required sacrifice and ritual based on the status of the offender. For an anointed priest or the entire congregation, a young bullock is required, with its blood sprinkled before the veil and applied to the altar of incense, and the carcass burned outside the camp. A ruler's unintentional sin necessitates a male kid of the goats, while a common person offers a female kid of the goats or a female lamb. In these latter cases, the blood is applied to the horns of the altar of burnt offering. In all instances, the fat of the animal is burned upon the altar, and the prescribed rites facilitate atonement for the sin, leading to forgiveness.

Long Summary

Leviticus chapter 4 establishes the divine ordinances for sin offerings, specifically addressing transgressions committed through ignorance against the Lord's commandments. The chapter meticulously details distinct procedures and sacrifices based on the identity of the offender. If an anointed priest sins unintentionally, he is to bring a young bullock without blemish; its blood is sprinkled seven times before the veil and placed upon the horns of the altar of sweet incense, with the remainder poured at the base of the burnt offering altar. The fat is burned on the altar, but the entire carcass, including skin and flesh, is carried outside the camp to a clean place and consumed by fire. Similarly, if the whole congregation sins through ignorance, a young bullock is offered, and the elders lay their hands upon its head before it is slain, with the subsequent blood rituals and burning of the carcass mirroring that of the anointed priest's offering, providing atonement and forgiveness. For a ruler who sins unintentionally, a male kid of the goats without blemish is prescribed; the blood is applied to the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and the fat is burned upon the altar, securing atonement. Finally, for a common person who sins through ignorance, the offering is a female kid of the goats or a female lamb without blemish. The individual lays their hand upon the animal's head, it is slain, its blood is applied to the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and its fat is burned upon the altar as a sweet savour unto the Lord. In all these cases, the ritualistic offering of the animal's life and blood serves as the means by which atonement is made for the unintentional sin, resulting in the forgiveness of the offender.

Core Concepts

  • Sin Through IgnoranceThis concept highlights that the chapter primarily addresses unintentional transgressions, where a person or group violates a commandment without full knowledge or intent. Such sins still required atonement, emphasizing the holiness of God and the need for purity.
  • Sin Offering (Chattath)This refers to the specific sacrifice detailed in the chapter, designed to purify the offerer from sin and restore their relationship with God. The offering's purpose is to make atonement for sins, particularly those committed unknowingly.
  • Blood RitualA central element of the sin offering, the application and sprinkling of the animal's blood signify the life given for atonement. The specific placement of the blood (e.g., before the veil, on altar horns) varies based on the offender's status, indicating the severity or scope of the sin.
  • Burning Outside the CampFor the sin offerings of the anointed priest and the whole congregation, the carcass of the bullock is carried outside the camp and burned. This act symbolizes the complete removal and purification of the most serious unintentional sins from the holy community.
  • Atonement and ForgivenessThe ultimate purpose of these elaborate sin offerings is to make atonement for the offender, enabling their forgiveness by the Lord. This demonstrates God's provision for reconciliation even in cases of unintentional transgression.
  • Varying SacrificesThe chapter specifies different animals (bullock, male goat, female goat, lamb) based on the status of the sinner (priest, congregation, ruler, common person). This variation reflects a graded system of responsibility and the impact of sin within the community.
  • Laying on of HandsThis act by the offerer or elders upon the head of the sacrificial animal signifies the transfer of sin and identification with the offering. It symbolically places the burden of the sin upon the animal, which then bears the consequence.