Leviticus 4
Laws for Sin Offerings
1The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
2“Speak to the children of Israel, saying, ‘If anyone sins unintentionally, in any of the things which the LORD has commanded not to be done, and does any one of them,
3if 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 the LORD for a sin offering.
4He shall bring the bull to the door of the Tent of Meeting before the LORD; and he shall lay his hand on the head of the bull, and kill the bull before the LORD.
5The anointed priest shall take some of the blood of the bull, and bring it to the Tent of Meeting.
6The priest shall dip his finger in the blood, and sprinkle some of the blood seven times before the LORD, before the veil of the sanctuary.
7The priest shall put some of the blood on the horns of the altar of sweet incense before the LORD, which is in the Tent of Meeting; and he shall pour out the 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.
8He 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,
9and 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 remove,
10as it is removed from the bull of the sacrifice of peace offerings. The priest shall burn them on the altar of burnt offering.
11He shall carry the bull’s skin, all its meat, with its head, and with its legs, its innards, and its dung
12—all the rest of the bull—outside of the camp to a clean place where the ashes are poured out, and burn it on wood with fire. It shall be burned where the ashes are poured out.
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 the LORD has commanded not to be done, and are guilty;
14when 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.
15The elders of the congregation shall lay their hands on the head of the bull before the LORD; and the bull shall be killed before the LORD.
16The anointed priest shall bring some of the blood of the bull to the Tent of Meeting.
17The priest shall dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle it seven times before the LORD, before the veil.
18He shall put some of the blood on the horns of the altar which is before the LORD, 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.
19All its fat he shall take from it, and burn it on the altar.
20He shall do this with the bull; as he did with the bull of the sin offering, so he shall do with this; and the priest shall make atonement for them, and they shall be forgiven.
21He shall carry the bull outside the camp, and burn it as he burned the first bull. It is the sin offering for the assembly.
22“‘When a ruler sins, and unwittingly does any one of all the things which the LORD his God has commanded not to be done, and is guilty,
23if his sin in which he has sinned is made known to him, he shall bring as his offering a goat, a male without defect.
24He shall lay his hand on the head of the goat, and kill it in the place where they kill the burnt offering before the LORD. It is a sin offering.
25The 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.
26All 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.
27“‘If anyone of the common people sins unwittingly, in doing any of the things which the LORD has commanded not to be done, and is guilty,
28if 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.
29He shall lay his hand on the head of the sin offering, and kill the sin offering in the place of burnt offering.
30The 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.
31All 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 the LORD; and the priest shall make atonement for him, and he will be forgiven.
32“‘If he brings a lamb as his offering for a sin offering, he shall bring a female without defect.
33He 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.
34The 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.
35He shall remove all its fat, like the fat of the lamb is removed from the sacrifice of peace offerings. The priest shall burn them on the altar, on the offerings of the LORD made by fire. The priest shall make atonement for him concerning his sin that he has sinned, and he will be forgiven.
Leviticus 4 establishes the laws for sin offerings, specifically addressing unintentional sins committed by different levels of leadership and the community. The chapter details distinct procedures for when the anointed priest sins (bringing guilt on the people) and when the entire congregation sins unknowingly. These elaborate rituals involving young bulls, blood sprinkling, and specific burning procedures demonstrate God's provision for atonement while emphasizing the serious consequences of sin, even when committed unintentionally.
Context
Following the peace offering instructions in chapter 3, this chapter continues the systematic presentation of sacrificial laws that began in Leviticus 1.
Key Themes
Outline
- 1-2Introduction to Sin Offering LawsGod commands Moses to establish laws for unintentional sins against divine commandments
- 3-12Sin Offering for the Anointed PriestDetailed procedure when the high priest sins, requiring a young bull and elaborate blood ritual
- 13-21Sin Offering for the Whole CongregationSimilar ritual prescribed when the entire assembly of Israel commits unintentional sin
- 22-26Sin Offering for a LeaderRequirements for when a ruler sins, involving a male goat without defect
- 27-35Sin Offering for Common PeopleProcedures for individual Israelites, offering either a female goat or lamb
Laws for Sin Offerings
4:1–5:13Comprehensive laws for sin offerings covering unintentional sins by priests, the congregation, leaders, and common people. These offerings provide a means of atonement and restoration of relationship with God.
person_contrast
Moses receives detailed forgiveness protocols rather than his typical role as lawgiver demanding obedience, marking a rare shift from commanding compliance to providing restoration pathways.
Leviticus 4:3
Ezekiel 43:23lexicalWhen you have finished cleansing it, you shall offer a young bull without defect and a ram out of the flock without defe…
Ezekiel 43:22lexical“On the second day you shall offer a male goat without defect for a sin offering; and they shall cleanse the altar, as t…
Ezekiel 45:18lexical“‘The Lord GOD says: “In the first month, on the first day of the month, you shall take a young bull without defect, and…
Numbers 29:13lexicalYou shall offer a burnt offering, an offering made by fire, of a pleasant aroma to the LORD: thirteen young bulls, two r…
Numbers 28:19lexicalbut you shall offer an offering made by fire, a burnt offering to the LORD: two young bulls, one ram, and seven male lam…
Leviticus 4:4
Leviticus 3:2lexicalHe shall lay his hand on the head of his offering, and kill it at the door of the Tent of Meeting. Aaron’s sons, the pri…
Exodus 29:11lexicalYou shall kill the bull before the LORD at the door of the Tent of Meeting.
Leviticus 3:8lexicaland he shall lay his hand on the head of his offering, and kill it before the Tent of Meeting. Aaron’s sons shall sprink…
Leviticus 3:13lexicalHe shall lay his hand on its head, and kill it before the Tent of Meeting; and the sons of Aaron shall sprinkle its bloo…
Exodus 29:10lexical“You shall bring the bull before the Tent of Meeting; and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the bu…
Leviticus 4:5
Exodus 29:11lexicalYou shall kill the bull before the LORD at the door of the Tent of Meeting.
Exodus 29:10lexical“You shall bring the bull before the Tent of Meeting; and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the bu…
Leviticus 4:6
Leviticus 14:16lexicalThe priest shall dip his right finger in the oil that is in his left hand, and shall sprinkle some of the oil with his f…
Leviticus 14:51lexicalHe shall take the cedar wood, the hyssop, the scarlet, and the living bird, and dip them in the blood of the slain bird,…
Numbers 19:4lexicalEleazar the priest shall take some of her blood with his finger, and sprinkle her blood toward the front of the Tent of…
Leviticus 16:14lexicalHe shall take some of the blood of the bull, and sprinkle it with his finger on the mercy seat on the east; and before t…
Leviticus 16:19lexicalHe shall sprinkle some of the blood on it with his finger seven times, and cleanse it, and make it holy from the unclean…
Leviticus 4:7
Exodus 29:12lexicalYou shall take of the blood of the bull, and put it on the horns of the altar with your finger; and you shall pour out a…
Exodus 39:38lexicalthe golden altar, the anointing oil, the sweet incense, the screen for the door of the Tent,
Leviticus 17:4lexicaland hasn’t brought it to the door of the Tent of Meeting to offer it as an offering to the LORD before the LORD’s tabern…
Exodus 40:29lexicalHe set the altar of burnt offering at the door of the tabernacle of the Tent of Meeting, and offered on it the burnt off…
Exodus 40:6lexical“You shall set the altar of burnt offering before the door of the tabernacle of the Tent of Meeting.
Leviticus 4:8
Leviticus 3:3lexicalHe shall offer of the sacrifice of peace offerings an offering made by fire to the LORD. The fat that covers the innards…
Leviticus 7:3lexicalHe shall offer all of its fat: the fat tail, and the fat that covers the innards,
Exodus 29:13lexicalYou shall take all the fat that covers the innards, the cover of the liver, the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them…
Leviticus 3:9lexicalHe shall offer from the sacrifice of peace offerings an offering made by fire to the LORD; its fat, the entire tail fat,…
Exodus 29:22lexicalAlso you shall take some of the ram’s fat, the fat tail, the fat that covers the innards, the cover of the liver, the tw…
Leviticus 4:9
Leviticus 3:4lexicaland the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them, which is by the loins, and the cover on the liver, with the kidneys, h…
Leviticus 3:10lexicaland the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them, which is by the loins, and the cover on the liver, with the kidneys, h…
Leviticus 3:15lexicaland the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them, which is by the loins, and the cover on the liver, with the kidneys, h…
Leviticus 7:4lexicaland he shall take away the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them, which is by the loins, and the cover on the liver,…
Exodus 29:13lexicalYou shall take all the fat that covers the innards, the cover of the liver, the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them…
Leviticus 4:10
Leviticus 9:18lexicalHe also killed the bull and the ram, the sacrifice of peace offerings, which was for the people. Aaron’s sons delivered…
1 Kings 9:25lexicalSolomon offered burnt offerings and peace offerings on the altar which he built to the LORD three times per year, burnin…
2 Kings 16:13lexicalHe burned his burnt offering and his meal offering, poured his drink offering, and sprinkled the blood of his peace offe…
Joshua 22:23lexicalthat we have built us an altar to turn away from following the LORD; or if to offer burnt offering or meal offering, or…
2 Kings 16:15lexicalKing Ahaz commanded Urijah the priest, saying, “On the great altar burn the morning burnt offering, the evening meal off…
Leviticus 4:11
Leviticus 16:27lexicalThe bull for the sin offering, and the goat for the sin offering, whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the Ho…
Exodus 29:14lexicalBut the meat of the bull, and its skin, and its dung, you shall burn with fire outside of the camp. It is a sin offering…
Leviticus 8:17lexicalBut the bull, and its skin, and its meat, and its dung, he burned with fire outside the camp, as the LORD commanded Mose…
Numbers 19:5lexicalOne shall burn the heifer in his sight; her skin, and her meat, and her blood, with her dung, shall he burn.
Leviticus 4:12
Leviticus 16:27lexicalThe bull for the sin offering, and the goat for the sin offering, whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the Ho…
Exodus 29:14lexicalBut the meat of the bull, and its skin, and its dung, you shall burn with fire outside of the camp. It is a sin offering…
Leviticus 8:17lexicalBut the bull, and its skin, and its meat, and its dung, he burned with fire outside the camp, as the LORD commanded Mose…
Numbers 19:9lexical“A man who is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer, and lay them up outside of the camp in a clean place; and i…
Leviticus 9:11lexicalThe meat and the skin he burned with fire outside the camp.
Leviticus 4:14
Ezekiel 43:23lexicalWhen you have finished cleansing it, you shall offer a young bull without defect and a ram out of the flock without defe…
Ezekiel 43:22lexical“On the second day you shall offer a male goat without defect for a sin offering; and they shall cleanse the altar, as t…
Exodus 29:10lexical“You shall bring the bull before the Tent of Meeting; and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the bu…
Leviticus 1:5lexicalHe shall kill the bull before the LORD. Aaron’s sons, the priests, shall present the blood and sprinkle the blood around…
Leviticus 1:3lexical“‘If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he shall offer a male without defect. He shall offer it at the door…
Leviticus 4:16
Exodus 29:11lexicalYou shall kill the bull before the LORD at the door of the Tent of Meeting.
Exodus 29:10lexical“You shall bring the bull before the Tent of Meeting; and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the bu…
Leviticus 4:17
Leviticus 14:16lexicalThe priest shall dip his right finger in the oil that is in his left hand, and shall sprinkle some of the oil with his f…
Leviticus 14:51lexicalHe shall take the cedar wood, the hyssop, the scarlet, and the living bird, and dip them in the blood of the slain bird,…
Numbers 19:4lexicalEleazar the priest shall take some of her blood with his finger, and sprinkle her blood toward the front of the Tent of…
Leviticus 16:14lexicalHe shall take some of the blood of the bull, and sprinkle it with his finger on the mercy seat on the east; and before t…
Leviticus 16:19lexicalHe shall sprinkle some of the blood on it with his finger seven times, and cleanse it, and make it holy from the unclean…
Leviticus 4:18
Exodus 29:12lexicalYou shall take of the blood of the bull, and put it on the horns of the altar with your finger; and you shall pour out a…
Leviticus 17:4lexicaland hasn’t brought it to the door of the Tent of Meeting to offer it as an offering to the LORD before the LORD’s tabern…
Exodus 40:29lexicalHe set the altar of burnt offering at the door of the tabernacle of the Tent of Meeting, and offered on it the burnt off…
Exodus 40:6lexical“You shall set the altar of burnt offering before the door of the tabernacle of the Tent of Meeting.
Leviticus 3:2lexicalHe shall lay his hand on the head of his offering, and kill it at the door of the Tent of Meeting. Aaron’s sons, the pri…
Leviticus 4:19
Leviticus 8:16lexicalHe took all the fat that was on the innards, and the cover of the liver, and the two kidneys, and their fat; and Moses b…
Leviticus 9:10lexicalbut the fat, and the kidneys, and the cover from the liver of the sin offering, he burned upon the altar, as the LORD co…
Numbers 18:17lexical“But you shall not redeem the firstborn of a cow, or the firstborn of a sheep, or the firstborn of a goat. They are holy…
Leviticus 3:16lexicalThe priest shall burn them on the altar: it is the food of the offering made by fire, for a pleasant aroma; all the fat…
Leviticus 9:20lexicaland they put the fat upon the breasts, and he burned the fat on the altar.
Leviticus 4:20
Leviticus 5:13lexicalThe priest shall make atonement for him concerning his sin that he has sinned in any of these things, and he will be for…
Leviticus 5:10lexicalHe shall offer the second for a burnt offering, according to the ordinance; and the priest shall make atonement for him…
Leviticus 19:22lexicalThe priest shall make atonement for him with the ram of the trespass offering before the LORD for his sin which he has c…
Numbers 15:25lexicalThe priest shall make atonement for all the congregation of the children of Israel, and they shall be forgiven; for it w…
Leviticus 16:11lexical“Aaron shall present the bull of the sin offering, which is for himself, and shall make atonement for himself and for hi…
Leviticus 4:21
Exodus 29:14lexicalBut the meat of the bull, and its skin, and its dung, you shall burn with fire outside of the camp. It is a sin offering…
Leviticus 16:27lexicalThe bull for the sin offering, and the goat for the sin offering, whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the Ho…
Leviticus 8:17lexicalBut the bull, and its skin, and its meat, and its dung, he burned with fire outside the camp, as the LORD commanded Mose…
Ezekiel 43:21lexicalYou shall also take the bull of the sin offering, and it shall be burned in the appointed place of the house, outside of…
Leviticus 9:11lexicalThe meat and the skin he burned with fire outside the camp.
Leviticus 4:23
Leviticus 1:10lexical“‘If his offering is from the flock, from the sheep or from the goats, for a burnt offering, he shall offer a male witho…
Ezekiel 43:22lexical“On the second day you shall offer a male goat without defect for a sin offering; and they shall cleanse the altar, as t…
Leviticus 9:3lexicalYou shall speak to the children of Israel, saying, ‘Take a male goat for a sin offering; and a calf and a lamb, both a y…
Ezekiel 45:23lexicalThe seven days of the feast he shall prepare a burnt offering to the LORD, seven bulls and seven rams without defect dai…
Leviticus 3:6lexical“‘If his offering for a sacrifice of peace offerings to the LORD is from the flock, either male or female, he shall offe…
Leviticus 4:24
Leviticus 14:13lexicalHe shall kill the male lamb in the place where they kill the sin offering and the burnt offering, in the place of the sa…
Leviticus 16:21lexicalAaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of…
2 Chronicles 29:23lexicalThey brought near the male goats for the sin offering before the king and the assembly; and they laid their hands on the…
Leviticus 9:15lexicalHe presented the people’s offering, and took the goat of the sin offering which was for the people, and killed it, and o…
Leviticus 16:15lexical“Then he shall kill the goat of the sin offering that is for the people, and bring his blood within the veil, and do wit…
Leviticus 4:25
Exodus 29:12lexicalYou shall take of the blood of the bull, and put it on the horns of the altar with your finger; and you shall pour out a…
Leviticus 9:9lexicalThe sons of Aaron presented the blood to him; and he dipped his finger in the blood, and put it on the horns of the alta…
Leviticus 8:15lexicalHe killed it; and Moses took the blood, and put it around on the horns of the altar with his finger, and purified the al…
Leviticus 5:9lexicalHe shall sprinkle some of the blood of the sin offering on the side of the altar; and the rest of the blood shall be dra…
Deuteronomy 12:27lexicalYou shall offer your burnt offerings, the meat and the blood, on the LORD your God’s altar. The blood of your sacrifices…
Leviticus 4:26
Leviticus 16:25lexicalThe fat of the sin offering he shall burn on the altar.
Leviticus 9:10lexicalbut the fat, and the kidneys, and the cover from the liver of the sin offering, he burned upon the altar, as the LORD co…
Leviticus 3:3lexicalHe shall offer of the sacrifice of peace offerings an offering made by fire to the LORD. The fat that covers the innards…
Leviticus 3:9lexicalHe shall offer from the sacrifice of peace offerings an offering made by fire to the LORD; its fat, the entire tail fat,…
Leviticus 5:13lexicalThe priest shall make atonement for him concerning his sin that he has sinned in any of these things, and he will be for…
Leviticus 4:28
Leviticus 5:6lexicaland he shall bring his trespass offering to the LORD for his sin which he has sinned: a female from the flock, a lamb or…
Leviticus 3:6lexical“‘If his offering for a sacrifice of peace offerings to the LORD is from the flock, either male or female, he shall offe…
Leviticus 1:10lexical“‘If his offering is from the flock, from the sheep or from the goats, for a burnt offering, he shall offer a male witho…
Ezekiel 43:22lexical“On the second day you shall offer a male goat without defect for a sin offering; and they shall cleanse the altar, as t…
Leviticus 5:11lexical“‘But if he can’t afford two turtledoves or two young pigeons, then he shall bring as his offering for that in which he…
Leviticus 4:29
Leviticus 14:13lexicalHe shall kill the male lamb in the place where they kill the sin offering and the burnt offering, in the place of the sa…
Numbers 8:12lexical“The Levites shall lay their hands on the heads of the bulls, and you shall offer the one for a sin offering and the oth…
Leviticus 14:19lexical“The priest shall offer the sin offering, and make atonement for him who is to be cleansed because of his uncleanness. A…
Ezekiel 40:39lexicalIn the porch of the gate were two tables on this side and two tables on that side, on which to kill the burnt offering,…
2 Chronicles 29:24lexicalThen the priests killed them, and they made a sin offering with their blood on the altar, to make atonement for all Isra…
Leviticus 4:30
Exodus 29:12lexicalYou shall take of the blood of the bull, and put it on the horns of the altar with your finger; and you shall pour out a…
Leviticus 8:15lexicalHe killed it; and Moses took the blood, and put it around on the horns of the altar with his finger, and purified the al…
Leviticus 9:9lexicalThe sons of Aaron presented the blood to him; and he dipped his finger in the blood, and put it on the horns of the alta…
Deuteronomy 12:27lexicalYou shall offer your burnt offerings, the meat and the blood, on the LORD your God’s altar. The blood of your sacrifices…
Leviticus 5:9lexicalHe shall sprinkle some of the blood of the sin offering on the side of the altar; and the rest of the blood shall be dra…
Leviticus 4:31
Numbers 18:17lexical“But you shall not redeem the firstborn of a cow, or the firstborn of a sheep, or the firstborn of a goat. They are holy…
Leviticus 17:6lexicalThe priest shall sprinkle the blood on the LORD’s altar at the door of the Tent of Meeting, and burn the fat for a pleas…
Leviticus 3:16lexicalThe priest shall burn them on the altar: it is the food of the offering made by fire, for a pleasant aroma; all the fat…
Exodus 29:25lexicalYou shall take them from their hands, and burn them on the altar on the burnt offering, for a pleasant aroma before the…
Exodus 29:18lexicalYou shall burn the whole ram on the altar: it is a burnt offering to the LORD; it is a pleasant aroma, an offering made…
Leviticus 4:32
Numbers 6:14lexicaland he shall offer his offering to the LORD: one male lamb a year old without defect for a burnt offering, one ewe lamb…
Leviticus 3:1lexical“‘If his offering is a sacrifice of peace offerings, if he offers it from the herd, whether male or female, he shall off…
Leviticus 3:6lexical“‘If his offering for a sacrifice of peace offerings to the LORD is from the flock, either male or female, he shall offe…
Leviticus 9:3lexicalYou shall speak to the children of Israel, saying, ‘Take a male goat for a sin offering; and a calf and a lamb, both a y…
Leviticus 4:33
Leviticus 14:13lexicalHe shall kill the male lamb in the place where they kill the sin offering and the burnt offering, in the place of the sa…
Numbers 8:12lexical“The Levites shall lay their hands on the heads of the bulls, and you shall offer the one for a sin offering and the oth…
Leviticus 14:19lexical“The priest shall offer the sin offering, and make atonement for him who is to be cleansed because of his uncleanness. A…
Ezekiel 40:39lexicalIn the porch of the gate were two tables on this side and two tables on that side, on which to kill the burnt offering,…
2 Chronicles 29:24lexicalThen the priests killed them, and they made a sin offering with their blood on the altar, to make atonement for all Isra…
Leviticus 4:34
Exodus 29:12lexicalYou shall take of the blood of the bull, and put it on the horns of the altar with your finger; and you shall pour out a…
Leviticus 8:15lexicalHe killed it; and Moses took the blood, and put it around on the horns of the altar with his finger, and purified the al…
Leviticus 9:9lexicalThe sons of Aaron presented the blood to him; and he dipped his finger in the blood, and put it on the horns of the alta…
Leviticus 5:9lexicalHe shall sprinkle some of the blood of the sin offering on the side of the altar; and the rest of the blood shall be dra…
Deuteronomy 12:27lexicalYou shall offer your burnt offerings, the meat and the blood, on the LORD your God’s altar. The blood of your sacrifices…
Leviticus 4:35
Numbers 18:17lexical“But you shall not redeem the firstborn of a cow, or the firstborn of a sheep, or the firstborn of a goat. They are holy…
Leviticus 3:9lexicalHe shall offer from the sacrifice of peace offerings an offering made by fire to the LORD; its fat, the entire tail fat,…
Leviticus 3:3lexicalHe shall offer of the sacrifice of peace offerings an offering made by fire to the LORD. The fat that covers the innards…
Numbers 15:25lexicalThe priest shall make atonement for all the congregation of the children of Israel, and they shall be forgiven; for it w…
Leviticus 3:16lexicalThe priest shall burn them on the altar: it is the food of the offering made by fire, for a pleasant aroma; all the fat…
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