Leviticus 4:13

13 And if all the people of Israel do wrong, without anyone's knowledge; if they have done any of the things which by the Lord's order are not to be done, causing sin to come on them;

Leviticus 4:13 Meaning and Commentary

Leviticus 4:13

And if the whole congregation of Israel sin through
ignorance
That is, all Israel, or the greatest part of them, as Gersom interprets it, through the ignorant teaching of the judges, who by their instruction cause the people to err, and commit sins of ignorance, as Baal Hatturim on the place observes, and Maimonides elsewhere ^F7; wherefore Jarchi, and some others, by the congregation of Israel understand the sanhedrim, or the bench of judges, consisting of seventy one. Ainsworth remarks on the words, that the church may err:

and the thing be hid from the eyes of the assembly;
congregation or church, so that they do not know that it is a sin which they have committed:

and they have done [somewhat against] any of the commandments of
the Lord, [concerning things] which should not be done;
transgressed negative precepts:

and are guilty;
of sin, though as yet they know it not.

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FOOTNOTES:

F7 Hilchot Shegagot, c. 12. sect. 1.

Leviticus 4:13 In-Context

11 And the skin of the ox and all its flesh, with its head and its legs and its inside parts and its waste,

12 All the ox, he is to take away outside the circle of the tents into a clean place where the burned waste is put, and there it is to be burned on wood with fire.

13 And if all the people of Israel do wrong, without anyone's knowledge; if they have done any of the things which by the Lord's order are not to be done, causing sin to come on them;

14 When the sin which they have done comes to light, then let all the people give an ox for a sin-offering, and take it before the Tent of meeting.

15 And let the chiefs of the people put their hands on its head before the Lord, and put the ox to death before the Lord.