Keraia
Leviticus 4

Leviticus 4:20

Laws for Sin Offerings · Leviticus 4:1–35
Read Leviticus 4

Translations

Modern
He shall offer this bull just as he did the bull for the sin offering; in this way the priest will make atonement on their behalf, and they will be forgiven.
Traditional
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.
Literal
And he shall do to the bull as he did to the bull of the sin offering; thus shall he do to it. And the priest shall make atonement upon them, and it shall be forgiven for them.
Latin
…sic faciens et de hoc vitulo quomodo fecit et prius: et rogante pro eis sacerdote, propitius erit eis Dominus.

Original

Hebrew
English
He shall offer this bull just as he did the bull for the sin offering; in this way the priest will make atonement on their behalf, and they will be forgiven.

Notes

Leviticus 4:20

The phrase they will be forgiven often appears in passages about atonement (Leviticus 4:26, 31, 35; 5:10, 13, 16, 18; 6:7; 19:22; Numbers 15:25, 26, 28). God is willing to forgive a repentant person's sin and allow him or her to return to the community of faith.

Leviticus 4:3–21

These verses describe two types of sin offerings:

  1. The offering for the sin of the high priest (Leviticus 4:3, 20) and the entire Israelite community (4:13).

  2. The offering for one of Israel’s leaders (4:22) and any common person (4:27).

The first type required a bull, a large and expensive animal. It was not eaten (6:30) but completely burned (4:12, 21). The priests presented some of its blood in the Holy Place (4:6–7, 17–18).

The second type required a smaller animal. This was a male goat for a leader or a female sheep or goat for a common person. The priest ate part of the common person’s offering (6:24–29). The priest would present the blood at the bronze altar in the courtyard (4:25, 30).

This distinction highlights the responsibilities of leaders. The offering was the same for the priest and the entire community. But the leader’s offering was more than that of a common person.

The New Testament also emphasizes the responsibility of religious leaders. God will judge those who teach and those who serve as religious leaders more strictly than their followers (James 3:1; Matthew 23:1–33; Luke 20:47).

Leviticus 4:1–5:13

The sin offering is called khatta’t in Hebrew, from the root khata’. It means "to lack, fall short, miss, fail." The people made this offering when they unintentionally violated specific commands of God (see also Numbers 15:22–29). The purpose of this offering was to repair a loss or fix a failure (for example, Leviticus 5:1–4).

Although all Christians sin, God will forgive us if we confess them (Galatians 6:1; 1 John 1:8–9). Yet, the Scripture warns against sinning "defiantly" or "deliberately" (Numbers 15:30–31; Hebrews 10:26–29; 6:4–6).

Parallels

Leviticus 5:1–13 Leviticus 6:24–30

Glossary

Biblical Concept of Law Deuteronomy, Book of Forgiveness History of Israel Law of Moses Leviticus, Book of Moses Offerings and Sacrifices Worship

Topics

Atonement: Made by Animal Sacrifices Ignorance: Sins of Offerings: Different Kinds of Sin Sacrifices: Different Kinds of Sin offering for Sins of Ignorance Sin: Forgiveness of Under the Law Atonement: Offered For: Persons Sinning Ignorantly