12 Even the whole bullock H6499 shall he carry forth H3318 without H2351 the camp H4264 unto a clean H2889 place, H4725 where the ashes H1880 are poured out, H8211 and burn H8313 him on the wood H6086 with fire: H784 where H413 the ashes H1880 are poured out H8211 shall he be burnt. H8313
For G1063 the bodies G4983 of those G5130 beasts, G2226 whose G3739 blood G129 is brought G1533 into G1519 the sanctuary G39 by G1223 the high priest G749 for G4012 sin, G266 are burned G2618 without G1854 the camp. G3925
But the flesh H1320 of the bullock, H6499 and his skin, H5785 and his dung, H6569 shalt thou burn H8313 with fire H784 without H2351 the camp: H4264 it is a sin offering. H2403
And the priest H3548 shall put H3847 on his linen H906 garment, H4055 and his linen H906 breeches H4370 shall he put H3847 upon his flesh, H1320 and take up H7311 the ashes H1880 which the fire H784 hath consumed H398 with the burnt offering H5930 on the altar, H4196 and he shall put H7760 them beside H681 the altar. H4196 And he shall put off H6584 his garments, H899 and put on H3847 other H312 garments, H899 and carry forth H3318 the ashes H1880 without H2351 the camp H4264 unto a clean H2889 place. H4725
All the days H3117 wherein the plague H5061 shall be in him he shall be defiled; H2930 he is unclean: H2931 he shall dwell H3427 alone; H910 without H2351 the camp H4264 shall his habitation H4186 be.
And the bullock H6499 for the sin offering, H2403 and the goat H8163 for the sin offering, H2403 whose blood H1818 was brought in H935 to make atonement H3722 in the holy H6944 place, shall one carry forth H3318 without H2351 the camp; H4264 and they shall burn H8313 in the fire H784 their skins, H5785 and their flesh, H1320 and their dung. H6569
And the LORD H3068 said H559 unto Moses, H4872 The man H376 shall be surely H4191 put to death: H4191 all the congregation H5712 shall stone H7275 him with stones H68 without H2351 the camp. H4264
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Leviticus 4
Commentary on Leviticus 4 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 4
Le 4:1, 2. Sin Offering of Ignorance.
2. If a soul shall sin through ignorance against any of the commandments of the Lord—a soul—an individual. All sins may be considered, in a certain sense, as committed "through ignorance," error, or misapprehension of one's true interests. The sins, however, referred to in this law were unintentional violations of the ceremonial laws,—breaches made through haste, or inadvertency of some negative precepts, which, if done knowingly and wilfully, would have involved a capital punishment.
do against any of them—To bring out the meaning, it is necessary to supply, "he shall bring a sin offering."
Le 4:3-35. Sin Offering for the Priest.
3. If the priest that is anointed do sin—that is, the high priest, in whom, considering his character as typical mediator, and his exalted office, the people had the deepest interest; and whose transgression of any part of the divine law, therefore, whether done unconsciously or heedlessly, was a very serious offense, both as regarded himself individually, and the influence of his example. He is the person principally meant, though the common order of the priesthood was included.
according to the sin of the people—that is, bring guilt on the people. He was to take a young bullock (the age and sex being expressly mentioned), and having killed it according to the form prescribed for the burnt offerings, he was to take it into the holy place and sprinkle the atoning blood seven times before the veil, and tip with the crimson fluid the horns of the golden altar of incense, on his way to the court of the priests,—a solemn ceremonial appointed only for very grave and heinous offenses, and which betokened that his sin, though done in ignorance, had vitiated all his services; nor could any official duty he engaged in be beneficial either to himself or the people, unless it were atoned for by blood.
11. the skin of the bullock, and all his flesh—In ordinary circumstances, these were perquisites of the priests. But in the expiation necessary for a sin of the high priest, after the fat of the sacrifice was offered on the altar, the carcass was carried without the camp [Le 4:12], in order that the total combustion of it in the place of ashes might the more strikingly indicate the enormity of the transgression, and the horror with which he regarded it (compare Heb 13:12, 13).
13-21. if the whole congregation of Israel sin through ignorance—In consequence of some culpable neglect or misapprehension of the law, the people might contract national guilt, and then national expiation was necessary. The same sacrifice was to be offered as in the former case, but with this difference in the ceremonial, that the elders or heads of the tribes, as representing the people and being the principal aggressors in misleading the congregation, laid their hands on the head of the victim. The priest then took the blood into the holy place, where, after dipping his finger in it seven times, he sprinkled the drops seven times before the veil. This done, he returned to the court of the priests, and ascending the altar, put some portion upon its horns; then he poured it out at the foot of the altar. The fat was the only part of the animal which was offered on the altar; for the carcass, with its appurtenances and offals, was carried without the camp, into the place where the ashes were deposited, and there consumed with fire.
22-26. When a ruler hath sinned, and done somewhat through ignorance against any of the commandments—Whatever was the form of government, the king, judge, or subordinate, was the party concerned in this law. The trespass of such a civil functionary being less serious in its character and consequences than that either of the high priest or the congregation, a sin offering of inferior value was required—"a kid of the goats"; and neither was the blood carried into the sanctuary, but applied only to the altar of burnt offering; nor was the carcass taken without the camp; it was eaten by the priests-in-waiting.
27-34. if any one of the common people sin through ignorance—In this case the expiatory offering appointed was a female kid, or a ewe-lamb without blemish; and the ceremonies were exactly the same as those observed in the case of the offending ruler [Le 4:22-26]. In these two latter instances, the blood of the sin offering was applied to the altar of burnt offering—the place where bloody sacrifices were appointed to be immolated. But the transgression of a high priest, or of the whole congregation, entailing a general taint on the ritual of the tabernacle, and vitiating its services, required a further expiation; and therefore, in these cases, the blood of the sin offering was applied to the altar of incense [Le 4:6, 17].
35. it shall be forgiven him—None of these sacrifices possessed any intrinsic value sufficient to free the conscience of the sinner from the pollution of guilt, or to obtain his pardon from God; but they gave a formal deliverance from a secular penalty (Heb 9:13, 14); and they were figurative representations of the full and perfect sin offering which was to be made by Christ.