Lev 4 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Lev 4:1-5:13: 4:1–5:13 The sin offering (Hebrew khatta’t , from the root khata’, meaning “to lack, fall short, miss, fail”) was for specific unintentional violations of God’s commands (see also Num 15:22-29 ), intended to repair a loss or remedy a failure (e.g., Lev 5:1-4 ). Although we all sin, God will forgive us if we confess it (Gal 6:1 ; 1 Jn 1:8-9 ). But we are warned against sinning “brazenly” or “deliberately” (Num 15:30-31 ; Heb 6:4-6 ; 10:26-29 ).

Summary for Lev 4:1-5:13: 4:1–5:13 ^a The sin offering (Hebrew khatta’t, from the root khata’, meaning “to lack, fall short, miss, fail”) was for specific unintentional violations of God’s commands (see also Num 15:22-29 ^b), intended to repair a loss or remedy a failure (e.g., Lev 5:1-4 ^c). Although we all sin, God will forgive us if we confess it (Gal 6:1 ^d; 1 Jn 1:8-9 ^e). But we are warned against sinning “brazenly” or “deliberately” (Num 15:30-31 ^f; Heb 6:4-6 ^g; 10:26-29 ^h).
Summary for Lev 4:3-21: 4:3-21 ⁱ These verses distinguish two types of sin offerings: (1) the offering given for the sin of the high priest (4:3 ^j, 20 ^k) and the entire Israelite community (4:13 ^l), and (2) the offering given for one of Israel’s leaders (4:22 ^m) and any of the common people (4:27 ⁿ). The former case required offering a bull, a large, expensive animal. It was not to be eaten (6:30 ^o) but was completely burned (4:12 ^p, 21 ^q), and some of its blood was presented in the Holy Place (4:6-7 ^r, 17-18 ^s). The latter case required a lesser animal—a male goat for a lay leader or a female sheep or goat for a common person. The priest ate a portion of the layperson’s offering (6:24-29 ^t), and the blood was presented at the bronze altar in the courtyard (4:25 ^u, 30 ^v). The distinction stresses the responsibilities of leaders. The offering was the same for the priest as for the entire people, and the lay leader’s offering was more than that of a common person. The New Testament also emphasizes the responsibility of religious leaders; those who teach (Jas 3:1 ^w) and those who serve as religious leaders (Matt 23:1-33 ^x; Luke 20:47 ^y) are judged more severely than those who follow them. 4:3 ^z The high priest was designated by God and “anointed” (Hebrew mashiakh, “set apart by the ritual of anointing”) for a particular service. In 1 Sam 1:1—2 Kgs 25:30 ^aa, anointing most often refers to Israel’s king (see 1 Sam 24:6 ^ab; 2 Sam 1:14 ^ac; 19:21 ^ad). While all priests were anointed (Exod 40:13-15 ^ae), here the term probably refers to the high priest because he was specially anointed for service in the Tabernacle (Lev 6:20 ^af; 8:12 ^ag). Since the high priest was mediator for all of Israel, including lesser priests, his sin would bring guilt on the entire assembly (see thematic note for Community Identity at end of chapter).

• Guilt results from violating God’s will; it is not just perceived or psychological guilt (see study note on 5:17-19).
Summary for Lev 4:5-6: 4:5-6 ^ah The Tabernacle complex had a tent (sometimes called the “Tent of Meeting”; see study note on 1:1) at the west end of the courtyard. Inside the tent, the inner curtain divided the first room, the Holy Place, from the second, the Most Holy Place. The Most Holy Place contained the Ark of the Covenant (Exod 26:31-33 ^ai) and was God’s throne room (see study note on Lev 1:1). Sprinkling the animal’s blood before the curtain (4:6 ^aj, 17 ^ak) and applying it to the horns of the incense altar (4:7 ^al, 18 ^am) was done to atone for the anointed priest or for the entire congregation. This action demonstrated the gravity of the offenses being atoned for (cp. 4:25 ^an, 30-35 ^ao).
4:7 ^ap The altar for fragrant incense stood in front of the inner curtain, just outside the Most Holy Place (4:6 ^aq). It had four protrusions resembling horns, as did the altar for burnt offerings (see study note on Exod 27:2). The priests burned incense on this altar to the Lord each morning and evening (Exod 30:1-10 ^ar).
Summary for Lev 4:11-12: 4:11-12 ^as Only the offerings for the priest or the entire community were burned outside the camp. Perhaps this was commanded because the offering had figuratively absorbed the contamination of the high priest or the community and therefore had to be disposed of outside the camp. Those guilty were not to partake of or reap any benefit from their own sin offerings, even if they were priests (6:19-23 ^at).
4:15 ^au The Hebrew term for elders is related to the word for beard. It implies mature but not necessarily elderly individuals. They were leaders of the community—typically, heads of families and tribes (cp. Exod 18:21-26 ^av; Deut 22:15-19 ^aw). For this offering, the elders represented the entire people, as they would later in anointing David as king (2 Sam 5:3 ^ax).
4:20 ^ay A similar form of the phrase they will be forgiven appears frequently in passages dealing with atonement (4:26 ^az, 31 ^ba, 35 ^bb; 5:10 ^bc, 13 ^bd, 16 ^be, 18 ^bf; 6:7 ^bg; 19:22 ^bh; Num 15:25 ^bi, 26 ^bj, 28 ^bk). God is willing to forgive a repentant person’s sin and restore him or her to the community of faith.
Summary for Lev 4:22-35: 4:22-35 ^bl The sin offerings described in this passage atoned for laypersons, whether leaders or other Israelite citizens. These offerings could be eaten (contrast 4:3-21 ^bm), and they involved lesser animals. The blood of the offering was disposed of in the courtyard of the Tabernacle and not carried to the Holy Place. As with the peace offering (ch 3 ^bn), the fat and certain internal organs were burned on the altar. However, the rest of the meat from these offerings was given to the priest as food for himself and the males in his family (6:29 ^bo), and it was to be eaten in a holy place (6:26 ^bp; cp. 10:16-20 ^bq). A lay leader was to offer a male goat (4:23 ^br), while a common layperson could offer a female goat or lamb. The animal’s lesser size and cost reflected the lesser influence of the common Israelite and, probably, their financial situation. Economic considerations allowed those who were poor to bring a pair of doves or young pigeons (5:7-8 ^bs; 12:6 ^bt, 8 ^bu; cp. Luke 2:24 ^bv). The desperately poor could offer two quarts of flour (Lev 5:11 ^bw). 4:22 ^bx Israel’s leaders included the elders (see 4:15 ^by), tribal heads, and family heads (see Num 1:16 ^bz, 44 ^ca; 1 Kgs 8:1 ^cb).
4:23 ^cc The male goat offered by a lay leader was a lesser offering than was required for the priest (a bull) but more than was required for a common person (4:28 ^cd, 32 ^ce). However, like all offerings used for securing atonement, the animal could have no defects (see 1:3 ^cf).
4:24 ^cg at the place where burnt offerings are slaughtered: See 1:3-5 ^ch.
4:25 ^ci blood ... horns of the altar: Unlike the blood of the bull for the priest, the blood of the offering of a leader (4:25 ^cj) or a common Israelite (4:30 ^ck, 34 ^cl) was not to be carried into the Holy Place. Also, a portion of the meat was to be eaten by the priest who offered it (6:24-29 ^cm).
Summary for Lev 4:27-35: 4:27-35 ^cn The common people, who had less responsibility than a priest or leader, were permitted the lesser offering of a female sheep or goat. A greater position brings greater responsibility (cp. Amos 3:2 ^co; Matt 25:14-30 ^cp; Jas 3:1 ^cq).

Thematic note: Community Identity
In modern Western society, the individual is considered to be the primary social entity. In Israel, by contrast, an individual’s identity and significance were determined by his or her membership in the community. All Israelites were expected to partake of the common identity of the community as the “children of Israel” and to embody the characteristics that marked the whole.
In the Old Testament, the people are often referred to or addressed in the singular, emphasizing their oneness. The Decalogue (Exod 20:2-17 ^cr) and the blessing of Aaron (Num 6:24-26 ^cs), for example, are given in the singular. The individual could often represent the group, and the group could be referred to as an individual. Nehemiah, for example, asks forgiveness for the sins that caused the exile to Babylon as though he had been one of those transgressors (“we have sinned,” Neh 1:6-7 ^ct). Nehemiah was governor of Judea from 445 to 433 BC, about 140 years after the destruction of Jerusalem (586 BC), so he did not participate in the sins leading to the Exile. Yet in his prayer, he identifies with his people in their sinfulness. In this same way, the high priest could represent the entire people on the Day of Atonement (see Lev 16 ^cu). Because the individual Israelite was so strongly identified with the community, the sin of the individual would become the sin of the community if not addressed (see Lev 4:3-21 ^cv; 20:1-5 ^cw).
In like manner, the Christian community is described as the “body of Christ” (1 Cor 12:27 ^cx; Eph 4:12 ^cy). The members partake of Christ’s identity through the Holy Spirit. That is, as the body of Christ they manifest Christ’s life in their lives, and as a unified whole they reveal him to the world. Paul exhorts the Galatians to share the burdens of others (Gal 6:2 ^cz) and so to model Christ’s example (Matt 11:28-30 ^da).

Passages for Further Study
Exod 20:5-6 ^db, 8-10 ^dc; Lev 4:3-21 ^dd; 20:1-5 ^de; Josh 7:1-26 ^df; Neh 1:6-7 ^dg; 1 Cor 12:12-27 ^dh; Gal 6:2 ^di; Eph 4:11-13 ^dj