Leviticus 4:13

13 And if the whole congregation of Israel sins through ignorance and the thing was hid from the eyes of the assembly and they have done something against any of the commandments of the LORD concerning things which should not be done and are guilty,

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 bullock and all its flesh, with its head and with its legs, and his intestines and his dung,

12 even the whole bullock he shall carry forth outside the camp unto a clean place, where the ashes with the burnt fat are poured out and burn it on the wood with fire, where the ashes with the burnt fat are poured out shall it be burnt.

13 And if the whole congregation of Israel sins through ignorance and the thing was hid from the eyes of the assembly and they have done something against any of the commandments of the LORD concerning things which should not be done and are guilty,

14 when the sin, which they have committed, is understood, then the congregation shall offer a young bullock as the sin and bring it before the tabernacle of the testimony.

15 And 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.