# Leviticus 04 📖: The Sin Offering [[📚 Explore the Bible Books]] [[-Leviticus Overview]] | [[Leviticus 03]] | [[Leviticus 05]] > [!info] Table of Contents > [[#📜 Scripture Text (NET)]] > [[#📖 Verse-by-Verse Commentary]] > [[#🤔 Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights]] > [[#🧠 Chapter Summary]] > [[#✝️ Christ in This Chapter]] > [[#🔎 Key Principles / 🛟 Life Application]] > [[#💬 Discussion Questions]] > [[#✍️ Key Verses to Remember]] > [[#🔗 Related Passages/Cross Reference]] > [[#🙏 Devotional Reflection]] > [[#📂 Internal Notes]] ## 📜 Scripture Text (NET) (The NET Bible: New English Translation. Biblical Studies Press, 2005) ### Sin-Offering Regulations [[#Verse 01.]] Then the Lord spoke to Moses:  [[#Verse 02.]] “Tell the Israelites, ‘When a person sins by straying unintentionally from any of the Lord’s commandments which must not be violated, and violates any one of them— ### For the Priest [[#Verse 03.]] “‘If the high priest sins so that the people are guilty, on account of the sin he has committed he must present a flawless young bull to the Lord for a sin offering.  [[#Verse 04.]] He must bring the bull to the entrance of the Meeting Tent before the Lord, lay his hand on the head of the bull, and slaughter the bull before the Lord.  [[#Verse 05.]] Then that high priest must take some of the blood of the bull and bring it to the Meeting Tent.  [[#Verse 06.]] The priest must dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle some of it seven times before the Lord toward the front of the special curtain of the sanctuary.  [[#Verse 07.]] The priest must put some of the blood on the horns of the altar of fragrant incense that is before the Lord in the Meeting Tent, and all the rest of the bull’s blood he must pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offering that is at the entrance of the Meeting Tent. [[#Verse 08.]] “‘Then he must take up all the fat from the sin offering bull: the fat covering the entrails and all the fat surrounding the entrails, [[#Verse 09.]] the two kidneys with the fat on their sinews, and the protruding lobe on the liver (which he is to remove along with the kidneys)  [[#Verse 10.]] —just as it is taken from the ox of the peace-offering sacrifice—and the priest must offer them up in smoke on the altar of burnt offering.  [[#Verse 11.]] But the hide of the bull, all its flesh along with its head and its legs, its entrails, and its dung—  [[#Verse 12.]] all the rest of the bull—he must bring outside the camp to a ceremonially clean place, to the fatty-ash pile, and he must burn it on a wood fire; it must be burned on the fatty-ash pile. ### For the Whole Congregation [[#Verse 13.]] “‘If the whole congregation of Israel strays unintentionally and the matter is not noticed by the assembly, and they violate one of the Lord’s commandments, which must not be violated, so they become guilty,  [[#Verse 14.]] the assembly must present a young bull for a sin offering when the sin they have committed becomes known. They must bring it before the Meeting Tent,  [[#Verse 15.]] the elders of the congregation must lay their hands on the head of the bull before the Lord, and someone must slaughter the bull before the Lord.  [[#Verse 16.]] Then the high priest must bring some of the blood of the bull to the Meeting Tent,  [[#Verse 17.]] and that priest must dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle some of the blood seven times before the Lord toward the front of the curtain.  [[#Verse 18.]]He must put some of the blood on the horns of the altar which is before the Lord in the Meeting Tent, and all the rest of the blood he must pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offering that is at the entrance of the Meeting Tent. [[#Verse 19.]] “‘Then the priest must take all its fat and offer the fat up in smoke on the altar.  [[#Verse 20.]] He must do with the rest of the bull just as he did with the bull of the sin offering; this is what he must do with it. So the priest will make atonement on their behalf and they will be forgiven.  [[#Verse 21.]] He must bring the rest of the bull outside the camp and burn it just as he burned the first bull—it is the sin offering of the assembly. ### For the Leader [[#Verse 22.]] “‘Whenever a leader, by straying unintentionally, sins and violates one of the commandments of the Lord his God which must not be violated, and he pleads guilty,  [[#Verse 23.]] or his sin that he committed is made known to him, he must bring a flawless male goat as his offering.  [[#Verse 24.]] He must lay his hand on the head of the male goat and slaughter it in the place where the burnt offering is slaughtered before the Lord—it is a sin offering.  [[#Verse 25.]] Then the priest must 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 he must pour out the rest of its blood at the base of the altar of burnt offering.  [[#Verse 26.]] Then the priest must offer all of its fat up in smoke on the altar like the fat of the peace-offering sacrifice. So the priest will make atonement on his behalf for his sin and he will be forgiven. ### For the Common Person [[#Verse 27.]] “‘If an ordinary individual sins by straying unintentionally when he violates one of the Lord’s commandments which must not be violated, and he pleads guilty,  [[#Verse 28.]] or his sin that he committed is made known to him, he must bring a flawless female goat as his offering for the sin that he committed.  [[#Verse 29.]] He must lay his hand on the head of the sin offering and slaughter the sin offering in the place where the burnt offering is slaughtered.  [[#Verse 30.]] Then the priest must take some of its blood with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and he must pour out all the rest of its blood at the base of the altar.  [[#Verse 31.]] Then he must remove all of its fat (just as fat was removed from the peace-offering sacrifice) and the priest must offer it up in smoke on the altar for a soothing aroma to the Lord. So the priest will make atonement on his behalf and he will be forgiven. [[#Verse 32.]] “‘But if he brings a sheep as his offering, for a sin offering, he must bring a flawless female.  [[#Verse 33.]] He must lay his hand on the head of the sin offering and slaughter it for a sin offering in the place where the burnt offering is slaughtered.  [[#Verse 34.]] Then the priest must 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 he must pour out all the rest of its blood at the base of the altar.  [[#Verse 35.]] Then the one who brought the offering must remove all its fat (just as the fat of the sheep is removed from the peace-offering sacrifice), and the priest must offer them up in smoke on the altar on top of the other gifts for the Lord. So the priest will make atonement on his behalf for his sin that he has committed, and he will be forgiven. [[#Verse 36]] Then the one who brought the offering must remove all its fat (just as the fat of the sheep is removed from the peace-offering sacrifice) and the priest must offer them up in smoke on the altar on top of the other gifts for the Lord. So the priest will make atonement on his behalf for his sin which he has committed and he will be forgiven. ## 📖 Verse-by-Verse Commentary ###### Overall. ###### Verse 01. ###### Verse 02. ###### Verse 03. ###### Verse 04. ###### Verse 05. ###### Verse 06. ###### Verse 07. ###### Verse 08. ###### Verse 09. ###### Verse 10. ###### Verse 11. ###### Verse 12. ###### Verse 13. ###### Verse 14. ###### Verse 15. ###### Verse 16. ###### Verse 17. ###### Verse 18. ###### Verse 19. ###### Verse 20. ###### Verse 21. ###### Verse 22. ###### Verse 23. ###### Verse 24. ###### Verse 25. ###### Verse 26. ###### Verse 27. ###### Verse 28. ###### Verse 29. ###### Verse 30. ###### Verse 31. ###### Verse 32. ###### Verse 33. ###### Verse 34. ###### Verse 35. ###### Verse 36. ## 🤔 Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights 1. The Hebrew word for this offering, *chatta't*, is the same word as "sin." Many scholars translate it "purification offering." 2. The animal matched the person's role: a bull for the anointed priest or whole community, a male goat for a leader, and a female goat or lamb for an ordinary person. 3. When the anointed priest sinned, the text says he brought guilt on the people (4:3). 4. For the priest and the community, blood was sprinkled seven times in front of the veil of the sanctuary (4:6, 17). 5. Blood was put on the horns of the altar of incense (4:7, 18). 6. The rest of the blood was poured out at the base of the altar of burnt offering (4:7). 7. The remains of the bull were burned outside the camp in a ceremonially clean place (4:12, 21). 8. The promise "he will be forgiven" repeats through the chapter (4:20, 26, 31, 35). 9. Numbers 15:27-31 contrasts unintentional sin with sinning defiantly, "with a high hand." 10. Hebrews 13:11-12 says Jesus suffered outside the city gate, just as these sacrifices were burned outside the camp. ## 🧠 Chapter Summary > [!note] 🌱 Still growing. This section is on its way. ## ✝️ Christ in This Chapter Christ is our sin offering. Leviticus 4 provides atonement for those who sin unintentionally (4:2), and God made Jesus, who knew no sin, to be sin for us so we could become His righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21). ## 🔎 Key Principles / 🛟 Life Application > [!note] 🌱 Still growing. This section is on its way. ## 💬 Discussion Questions 1. This chapter deals with unintentional sins (4:2). Why do we need forgiveness even for sins we did not realize we committed (Psalm 19:12)? 2. The priest, the whole community, leaders, and ordinary people all needed atonement (4:3, 13, 22, 27). What does that teach about sin? 3. The rest of the bull was burned outside the camp (4:12). How does Hebrews 13:11-12 connect that detail to Jesus? ## ✍️ Key Verses to Remember - 📖 verse 2: Instructions for when a person sins unintentionally. - 📖 verse 20: The priest makes atonement for the community, and they are forgiven. - 📖 verse 35: The priest makes atonement for the person's sin, and he is forgiven. ## 🔗 Related Passages/Cross Reference - 🔗 [[2 Corinthians 05#Verse 21.|2 Corinthians 5:21]] - God made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us. - 🔗 [[Hebrews 13#Verse 11.|Hebrews 13:11-12]] - Jesus suffered outside the gate. - 🔗 [[Hebrews 09#Verse 22.|Hebrews 9:22]] - Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. - 🔗 [[Psalm 19#Verse 12.|Psalm 19:12]] - Cleanse me from hidden faults. - 🔗 [[1 John 01#Verse 07.|1 John 1:7]] - The blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin. ## 🙏 Devotional Reflection > [!note] 🌱 Still growing. This section is on its way. ## 📂 Internal Notes