Keraia
Leviticus 4

Leviticus 4:21

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

Translations

Modern
Then he is to take the bull outside the camp and burn it, just as he burned the first bull. It is the sin offering for the assembly.
Traditional
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.
Literal
And he shall carry the bull to the outside of the camp, and he shall burn it as he burned the first bull; it is a sin offering of the assembly.
Latin
Ipsum autem vitulum efferet extra castra, atque comburet sicut et priorem vitulum: quia est pro peccato multitudinis.

Original

Hebrew
English
Then he is to take the bull outside the camp and burn it, just as he burned the first bull. It is the sin offering for the assembly.

Notes

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 History of Israel Law of Moses Leviticus, Book of Moses Offerings and Sacrifices Worship

Topics

Ignorance: Sins of Offerings: Different Kinds of Sin Sacrifices: Different Kinds of Sin offering for Sins of Ignorance Sanitation: Filth, Disposition of Sin-Offering: when for a Priest or the Congregation, the Skin, Carcass, Under the Law Atonement: Offered For: Persons Sinning Ignorantly