Leviticus 4:3-13

3 1if the anointed priest sins so as to bring guilt on the people, then let him offer to the LORD a bull * * without defect as a sin offering for the sin he has committed.
4 'He shall bring the bull to the doorway of the tent of meeting before the LORD, and 2he shall lay his hand on the head of the bull and slay the bull before the LORD.
5 'Then the 3anointed priest is to take some of the blood of the bull and bring it to the tent of meeting,
6 and the priest shall dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle some of the blood seven times before the LORD, in front of 4the veil of the sanctuary.
7 'The priest shall also put some of the blood on the horns of 5the altar of fragrant incense which is before the LORD in the tent of meeting; and all the blood of the bull he shall pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offering which is at the doorway of the tent of meeting.
8 '6He shall remove from it all the fat of the bull of the sin offering: the fat that covers the entrails, and all the fat which is on the entrails,
9 and the two kidneys with the fat that is on them, which is on the loins, and the lobe of the liver, which he shall remove 7with the kidneys
10 (just as it is removed from the ox of the sacrifice of peace offerings ), and the priest is to offer them up in smoke on the altar of burnt offering.
11 'But 8the hide of the bull and all its flesh with its head and its legs and its entrails and its refuse,
12 that is, all the rest of the bull, he is to bring out to 9a clean place outside * the camp where the ashes are poured out, and burn it on wood with fire; where the ashes are poured out it shall be burned.
13 '10Now if the whole congregation of Israel commits error and the matter escapes the notice of the assembly, and they commit any of the things which the LORD has commanded not to be done, and they become guilty;

Leviticus 4:3-13 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO LEVITICUS 4

This chapter contains the law of the sin offering, which was offered for sins committed through ignorance, error, and mistake, Le 4:1,2 and gives an account of the matter of them, and the rites belonging thereunto, which were different according to the persons for whom it was made, as for the anointed priest, Le 4:3-12 for the whole congregation, Le 4:13-21 and for the ruler, Le 4:22-26 and for any of the common people, Le 4:27-35.

Cross References 10

  • 1. Lev 4:14, 23, 28
  • 2. Leviticus 1:4; Leviticus 4:15; Numbers 8:12
  • 3. Leviticus 4:3, 17
  • 4. Exodus 40:21, 26
  • 5. Lev 4:18, 25, 30, 34; Leviticus 8:15; Leviticus 9:9; Leviticus 16:18
  • 6. Leviticus 3:3, 4
  • 7. Leviticus 3:4
  • 8. Leviticus 9:11; Numbers 19:5
  • 9. Leviticus 4:21; Leviticus 6:10, 11; Leviticus 16:27
  • 10. Numbers 15:24-26

Footnotes 8

New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, California.  All rights reserved.