ScriptureDepth's study of Leviticus 4
“‘When a ruler sins, and unwittingly does any one of all the things which Yahweh his God has commanded not to be done, and is guilty;”
Leviticus 4:22
Yahweh speaks to Moses about a ruler's unintentional sin, which brings forth the command to offer a goat as a sin offering for atonement.
What Leviticus 4 is about
Yahweh speaks to Moses about sin offerings for the people. If the anointed priest sins unintentionally, he must bring a young bull without defect as a sin offering (vv. 2-3). The priest lays his hand on the bull and kills it before Yahweh (vv. 4-5). Then he sprinkles the blood in the Tent of Meeting and burns the fat on the altar (vv. 6-10).
If the whole congregation sins without knowing, they must offer a young bull (vv. 13-14). The elders lay their hands on the bull, and it is killed. The priest follows the same ritual with the blood as before (vv. 15-20). If a ruler sins unknowingly, he must bring a male goat (vv. 22-23). He lays his hands on it and kills it (vv. 24-26). If a common person sins unknowingly, they bring a female goat (vv. 27-28). The same practices are followed with the blood and fat (vv. 30-35).
The priest shall make atonement for him, and he will be forgiven.
Leviticus 4 at a glance
- Leviticus 4:1–5Instructions for the Anointed Priest
- Leviticus 4:6–12Ritual of the Sin Offering
- Leviticus 4:13–21Congregational Sin Offering
- Leviticus 4:22–26Offering for a Ruler's Sin
- Leviticus 4:27–35Sin Offerings for Common People
Key verse: Leviticus 4:22
One thing to notice
The phrase 'sin offering' appears in instructions for different groups. The term is used for the priest (v. 3), the congregation (v. 14), the ruler (v. 23), and the common people (v. 27), showing its repetition in the text.
Summary and study helps: AI-drafted (September 2026), checked by automated Scripture gates. Spotted an error? Report it. Fixes are listed on the corrections page.
Chapter text
Read Leviticus 4 (WEB)
Instructions for the Anointed Priest Leviticus 4:1–5
1Verse 1. Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 2Verse 2. “Speak to the children of Israel, saying, ‘If anyone sins unintentionally, in any of the things which Yahweh has commanded not to be done, and does any one of them: 3Verse 3. if the anointed priest sins so as to bring guilt on the people, then let him offer for his sin, which he has sinned, a young bull without defect to Yahweh for a sin offering. 4Verse 4. He shall bring the bull to the door of the Tent of Meeting before Yahweh; and he shall lay his hand on the head of the bull, and kill the bull before Yahweh.
5Verse 5. The anointed priest shall take some of the blood of the bull, and bring it to the Tent of Meeting.
Ritual of the Sin Offering Leviticus 4:6–12
6Verse 6. The priest shall dip his finger in the blood, and sprinkle some of the blood seven times before Yahweh, before the veil of the sanctuary. 7Verse 7. The priest shall put some of the blood on the horns of the altar of sweet incense before Yahweh, which is in the Tent of Meeting; and he shall pour out all of rest of the blood of the bull at the base of the altar of burnt offering, which is at the door of the Tent of Meeting. 8Verse 8. He shall take all the fat of the bull of the sin offering from it; the fat that covers the innards, and all the fat that is on the innards,
9Verse 9. and the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them, which is by the loins, and the cover on the liver, with the kidneys, he shall take away, 10Verse 10. as it is taken from the bull of the sacrifice of peace offerings. The priest shall burn them on the altar of burnt offering. 11Verse 11. The bull’s skin, all its meat, with its head, and with its legs, its innards, and its dung, 12Verse 12. he shall carry the whole bull outside of the camp to a clean place, where the ashes are poured out, and burn it on wood with fire. Where the ashes are poured out, it shall be burned.
Congregational Sin Offering Leviticus 4:13–21
13Verse 13. “‘If the whole congregation of Israel sins, and the thing is hidden from the eyes of the assembly, and they have done any of the things which Yahweh has commanded not to be done, and are guilty; 14Verse 14. when the sin in which they have sinned is known, then the assembly shall offer a young bull for a sin offering, and bring it before the Tent of Meeting. 15Verse 15. The elders of the congregation shall lay their hands on the head of the bull before Yahweh; and the bull shall be killed before Yahweh. 16Verse 16. The anointed priest shall bring some of the blood of the bull to the Tent of Meeting:
17Verse 17. and the priest shall dip his finger in the blood, and sprinkle it seven times before Yahweh, before the veil. 18Verse 18. He shall put some of the blood on the horns of the altar which is before Yahweh, that is in the Tent of Meeting; and the rest of the blood he shall pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offering, which is at the door of the Tent of Meeting. 19Verse 19. All its fat he shall take from it, and burn it on the altar. 20Verse 20. Thus shall he do with the bull; as he did with the bull of the sin offering, so shall he do with this; and the priest shall make atonement for them, and they shall be forgiven.
21Verse 21. He shall carry the bull outside the camp, and burn it as he burned the first bull. It is the sin offering for the assembly.
Offering for a Ruler's Sin Leviticus 4:22–26
22Verse 22. “‘When a ruler sins, and unwittingly does any one of all the things which Yahweh his God has commanded not to be done, and is guilty; 23Verse 23. if his sin, in which he has sinned, is made known to him, he shall bring as his offering a goat, a male without defect. 24Verse 24. He shall lay his hand on the head of the goat, and kill it in the place where they kill the burnt offering before Yahweh. It is a sin offering. 25Verse 25. The priest shall take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger, and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering. He shall pour out the rest of its blood at the base of the altar of burnt offering.
26Verse 26. All its fat he shall burn on the altar, like the fat of the sacrifice of peace offerings; and the priest shall make atonement for him concerning his sin, and he will be forgiven.
Sin Offerings for Common People Leviticus 4:27–35
27Verse 27. “‘If anyone of the common people sins unwittingly, in doing any of the things which Yahweh has commanded not to be done, and is guilty; 28Verse 28. if his sin, which he has sinned, is made known to him, then he shall bring for his offering a goat, a female without defect, for his sin which he has sinned. 29Verse 29. He shall lay his hand on the head of the sin offering, and kill the sin offering in the place of burnt offering. 30Verse 30. The priest shall take some of its blood with his finger, and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering; and the rest of its blood he shall pour out at the base of the altar.
31Verse 31. All its fat he shall take away, like the fat is taken away from the sacrifice of peace offerings; and the priest shall burn it on the altar for a pleasant aroma to Yahweh; and the priest shall make atonement for him, and he will be forgiven. 32Verse 32. “‘If he brings a lamb as his offering for a sin offering, he shall bring a female without defect. 33Verse 33. He shall lay his hand on the head of the sin offering, and kill it for a sin offering in the place where they kill the burnt offering. 34Verse 34. The priest shall take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger, and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering; and all the rest of its blood he shall pour out at the base of the altar.
35Verse 35. All its fat he shall take away, like the fat of the lamb is taken away from the sacrifice of peace offerings; and the priest shall burn them on the altar, on the offerings of Yahweh made by fire; and the priest shall make atonement for him concerning his sin that he has sinned, and he will be forgiven.
World English Bible (public domain)
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Main themes in Leviticus 4
Atonement
In Leviticus 4, atonement is central to the instructions for sin offerings. For instance, in v. 20, the priest makes atonement for the congregation, and they are forgiven. The chapter outlines the specific rituals for various groups, including the anointed priest and common people, emphasizing that proper offerings lead to forgiveness. This theme is integral to the sacrificial system established in the Israelite community.
Sin and Responsibility
This chapter addresses sin committed unintentionally, highlighting the responsibility of individuals and the community. For example, in v. 13, it states that if the 'whole congregation of Israel sins' and this is discovered, they must bring a sin offering. The text makes clear that regardless of status, priest, ruler, or common person, there is a need for accountability when sin occurs, establishing a framework for addressing wrongs.
God's Mercy and Justice
In Leviticus 4, the prescribed actions for sin offerings highlight God's mercy and justice. In verse 26, after the ruler brings his offering, the priest makes atonement and the ruler is forgiven. This process reveals that while sin incurs consequences, there is a clear pathway for restoration and forgiveness, indicating God's desire to maintain a relationship with His people.
Collective Community
Instructions for addressing communal sin appear in verse 14, where the entire congregation must respond to wrongdoing. The chapter details how communal sin is managed, requiring the elders to lay hands on the offering, which involves leadership in the atonement process. This collaborative approach illustrates the interdependence of the community, showing how the actions of one member can impact the entire assembly.
Chapter outline
How Leviticus 4 unfolds
Leviticus 4:1–5 Instructions for the Anointed Priest
Yahweh commands Moses to inform the Israelites about sin offerings for unintentional sins (v. 2). If the anointed priest sins, he must offer a 'young bull without defect' (v. 3) as a sin offering.
Leviticus 4:6–12 Ritual of the Sin Offering
The priest performs specific rituals with the blood of the bull, including sprinkling it seven times before Yahweh and applying it to the altar (vv. 6-7). The bull's fat is also burned as prescribed (v. 10).
Leviticus 4:13–21 Congregational Sin Offering
For a sin committed by the whole congregation, a young bull is to be offered (v. 14). The elders are to lay their hands on the bull, and the process mirrors that of the anointed priest's offering (vv. 15-20).
Leviticus 4:22–26 Offering for a Ruler's Sin
When a ruler sins unwittingly, he must bring a male goat as a sin offering (v. 23). The priest performs similar rituals with the blood and fat as in previous offerings (vv. 25-26).
Leviticus 4:27–35 Sin Offerings for Common People
Common people who sin unintentionally are instructed to bring either a female goat or a lamb for their sin offerings (vv. 28, 32). The same procedures regarding blood and fat are followed for these offerings (vv. 30, 34).
Key verses
Leviticus 4:22Yahweh speaks to Moses about a ruler's unintentional sin, which brings forth the command to offer a goat as a sin offering for atonement.
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Study questions
Questions for studying Leviticus 4
- observeIn v6, why does the priest sprinkle blood 'seven times' before Yahweh?
- observeWhat does the priest put on the 'horns' of the altar in v18?
- interpretIn vv. 13-14, why does the whole congregation need a sin offering when their sin is 'hidden'?
- interpretIn v20, how does the priest make 'atonement' for the congregation after their sin?
- applyWhen has a failure made you seek forgiveness, similar to how the priest acts in v26?
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Cross-references
Passages that echo Leviticus 4
- Leviticus 5Leviticus 4:27 and Leviticus 5:17Both express guilt for unintentional sins: Leviticus 4:27 states guilt of common people, while Leviticus 5:17 emphasizes guilt even without knowledge.
- Leviticus 16Leviticus 4:3 and Leviticus 16:3Both involve a young bull for sin: Leviticus 4:3 requires a bull for the priest's guilt, while Leviticus 16:3 specifies a bull for Aaron's sin offering.
- Numbers 15Leviticus 4:2 and Numbers 15:22Both address unintentional sin: Leviticus 4:2 speaks of unintentional acts against commands, while Numbers 15:22 mentions errors in observing commandments.
- Leviticus 1Leviticus 4:20 and Leviticus 1:4Both relate to atonement: Leviticus 4:20 describes atonement for sin offering, while Leviticus 1:4 states the laying on of hands for atonement.
- Leviticus 9Leviticus 4:3 and Leviticus 9:2Both involve a young bull for sin: Leviticus 4:3 specifies a bull for the anointed priest, while Leviticus 9:2 instructs Aaron to take a calf for a sin offering.
- Exodus 29Leviticus 4:11 and Exodus 29:14Both mention burning parts of the bull: Leviticus 4:11 lists what is burned outside the camp, while Exodus 29:14 instructs to burn the bull's flesh and dung.
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