Leviticus 4:3

• God chose the high priest for a special role and they anointed him. The Hebrew word for "anoint" is mashiakh. It means "set apart by the ritual of anointing." In 1 Samuel 1:1—2 Kings 25:30, anointing usually refers to Israel's king (see 1 Samuel 24:6; 2 Samuel 1:14; 19:21).

  They would anoint all priests (Exodus 40:13–15). Yet, here the term probably refers to the high priest because they specially anointed him for service in the tabernacle (Leviticus 6:20; 8:12). The high priest acted as a mediator or intercessor for all of Israel, including other priests. His sin would bring guilt on the entire community (see “Community Identity” Theme Note).

• Guilt in this sense comes from disobeying God’s will. It is not only a feeling in the mind but a real offense against God (see study note on Leviticus 5:17–19).

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).

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).