Leviticus 4:20

4:13-21 If the leaders of the people, through mistake, caused them to err, an offering must be brought, that wrath might not come upon the whole congregation. When sacrifices were offered, the persons, on whose behalf they were devoted, were to lay their hands on the heads of the victims, and to confess their sins. The elders were to do so, when the sacrifices were offered for the whole congregation. The load of sin was supposed then to be borne by the guiltless animal. When the offering is completed, it is said, atonement is made, and the sin shall be forgiven. The saving of churches and kingdoms from ruin, is owing to the satisfaction and mediation of Christ.

And the priest that is anointed shall bring of the bullock's blood,.... That is, the chief priest, as the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan explain it: to the tabernacle of the congregation; as he brought the blood of his own bullock, Leviticus 4:5 from hence to the Leviticus 4:16 an account is given of the same rites to be observed in the sin offering, for the congregation, as for the anointed priest; See Gill on Leviticus 4:6, Leviticus 4:7, Leviticus 4:12.

20 . the bullock of the sin offering ] i.e. the bullock referred to in Leviticus 4:3-12 ; called ‘the first bullock’ in Leviticus 4:21 . Another law in Numbers 15:22-26 prescribes an offering to be brought by the whole congregation which differs from that here enjoined, viz. a young bullock for a Burnt-Offering with the accompanying Meal-Offering and Drink-Offering, and a he-goat for a Sin-Offering. The most probable explanation of the divergence is that the laws are from different sources. Jewish tradition interprets ‘the congregation’ in this section as referring to the Sanhedrin, and ‘the assembly’ as meaning the children of Israel. If the Sanhedrin were to give a wrong decision on some point of observance, thereby causing the people who followed such decision to transgress, then the sacrifice enjoined in this section would be necessary. A short treatise of the Mishna ( Horaioth ) discusses decisions of this kind, and the circumstances under which the sacrifice of Leviticus 4:13-21 should be brought. This interpretation was probably prompted by a desire to reconcile this law with that of Numbers 15:22-26 . But in Leviticus 4:13-21 the words ‘assembly’ and ‘congregation’ denote the same thing, the whole community. Note that in Leviticus 4:14; Leviticus 4:21 the rendering ‘congregation’ of A.V. is corrected in R.V. to ‘assembly,’ the Heb. word ḳâhâl being the same as in Leviticus 4:13 where both R.V. and A.V. translate ‘assembly.’ Leviticus 4:20

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.

"And let the priest make an atonement for them, that it may be forgiven them," or, "so will they be forgiven." This formula recurs with all the sin-offerings (with the exception of the one for the high priest), viz., Leviticus 4:26 , Leviticus 4:31 , Leviticus 4:35 , Leviticus 5:10 , Leviticus 5:13 ; Numbers 15:25-26 , Numbers 15:28 ; also with the trespass-offerings, Leviticus 5:16 , Leviticus 5:18 ; Leviticus 19:22 , - the only difference being, that in the sin-offerings presented for defilements cleansing is mentioned, instead of forgiveness, as the effect of the atoning sacrifice ( Leviticus 12:7-8 ; Leviticus 13:20 , Leviticus 13:53 ; Numbers 8:21 ).

14 . holy ] cf. Exodus 16:23 (P), Exodus 20:8 (E), Isaiah 58:13 , Ezekiel 20:20 , &c. profaneth ] To ‘profane’ is characteristic—like its opposite, to ‘sanctify’—of H, Leviticus 18:21 ; Leviticus 19:8 ; Leviticus 19:12 ; Leviticus 19:29 ; Leviticus 20:3 ; Leviticus 21:4 ; Leviticus 21:6 ; Leviticus 21:9 (twice), Leviticus 21:12 ; Leviticus 21:15 ; Leviticus 21:23 , Leviticus 22:2 ; Leviticus 22:9 ; Leviticus 22:15 ; Leviticus 22:32 , and Ezek. (about 30 times,—6 times, as here, of the sabbath, viz. Ezekiel 20:13 ; Ezekiel 20:16 ; Ezekiel 20:21 ; Ezekiel 20:24 , Ezekiel 22:8 , Ezekiel 23:38 : so Isaiah 56:2 , Nehemiah 13:18 ). In P only once ( Numbers 18:32 ). shall surely be put to death ] cf., in the Book of the Covenant, Exodus 21:12 ; Exodus 21:14-17 , Exodus 22:19 ; and in H, for various moral and religious offences, Leviticus 20:2 ; Leviticus 20:9-13 ; Leviticus 20:15-16 ; Leviticus 20:27 ; Leviticus 24:16-17 (for murder). In Numbers 15:32-36 (P) this penalty for sabbath-breaking is said to have been inflicted. that soul , &c.] See on Exodus 12:15 , and Exodus 30:33 .

Rom . 109 ‘Now leaven is itself the offspring of corruption, and corrupts the lump ( φύραμα ) with which it is mixed’); and so in the NT. it becomes a figure of corrupt teaching or practice, Matthew 16:6 (= Mark 8:15 = Luke 12:1 ), 11: St Paul twice quotes the saying, ‘A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump’ ( 1 Corinthians 5:6 , Galatians 5:9 ), with reference to moral corruption: and in 1 Corinthians 5:7-8 , with evident reference to the injunction here, bids Christians ‘clear away the old leaven,’ and ‘keep the feast’ of their Passover, Christ (i.e. live the Christian life), with the ‘unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.’ that soul shall be cut off from Israel ] a formula, with slight variations (as he or that man for that soul ; and from his father’s kin or from the congregation for from Israel ), very common in P: v. 19, Genesis 17:14 , Exodus 30:37-38 ; Exodus 31:14 , Leviticus 7:20-21 ; Leviticus 7:25 ; Leviticus 7:27 ; Leviticus 17:4 ; Leviticus 17:9 ; Leviticus 18:29 ; Leviticus 19:8 ; Leviticus 20:17-18 ; Leviticus 22:3 ; Leviticus 23:29 , Numbers 9:13 ; Numbers 15:30-31 ; Numbers 19:13 ; Numbers 19:20 † (cf. with the first person, I will cut off …, Leviticus 17:10 ; Leviticus 20:3 ; Leviticus 20:5-6 †; I will destroy …, Leviticus 23:30 †). The offence for which this is the penalty is usually neglect of some ceremonial observance, and only occasionally a moral offence, or idolatry.

They were rather the preamble, as Calvin says, by which God prepared the minds of the people for obeying them, and in this sense they were frequently repeated to give emphasis to other laws, sometimes in full, as in Exodus 29:46 ; Leviticus 19:36 ; Leviticus 23:43 ; Leviticus 25:38 , Leviticus 25:55 ; Leviticus 26:13 , etc., sometimes in the abridged form, "I am Jehovah your God," as in Leviticus 11:44 ; Leviticus 18:2 , Leviticus 18:4 , Leviticus 18:30 ; Leviticus 19:4 , Leviticus 19:10 , Leviticus 19:25 , Leviticus 19:31 , Leviticus 19:34 ; Leviticus 20:7 , etc., for which the simple expression, "I am Jehovah," is now and then substituted, as in Leviticus 19:12-13 , Leviticus 19:16 , Leviticus 19:18 , etc.