Leviticus 4)
1: And the Lord spoke to Moses (introducing new class: non savor offerings. the sweet savor [or satisfaction] offerings introduced by the word "called". See 5:14), saying,
2: "Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, 'If a soul shall sin (Heb. chat’a, to sin; to miss the ark, as in Judg. 20:16. Also as the feet, to stumble and fall [Prov.19:2]. Hence, morally, a coming short, blameworthiness [not necessarily willful]. An act of thought, word, or dead, not a condition. Usually, but by no means always rendered sin, and other words also so rendered) through ignorance (if a person cannot know what sin is, how can he know how to put it away? If he knew not his own sin, how can he know or put away that of others?) against any of the commandments of the Lord concerning things which ought not to be done, and shall do against any of them:
3: If the priest that is anointed (this phrase is confined to Lev. 4:3,5,16; 6:22. In other portions of the Pentateuch it is “high priest” or “great priest” Lev. 21:10. Num. 35:25,28, and in Josh. 20:6, after this it is “chief priest” 2 Kings 25:18. 2 Chron. 19:11; 26:20; 31:10. Ezra 7:5. Hag. and Zech.) do sin according to the sin of the people (Heb. ’asham, trespass, to sin through error or ignorance. Cp. Lev. 4:13; 5:2,3. Num. 5:6,7. Judg. 21:22. 1 Chron. 21:3. 2 Chron. 19:10; 28:10,13. ’Asham is a breach of commandment, done in ignorance, but, when the guilt is proved, requiring atonement); then let him bring for his sin, which he hath sinned, a young bullock without blemish to Yehovah for a sin offering. (Heb. chat’a. “Offering” not in Heb., rightly supplied here, as it should be in Gen.4:7)
4: And he shall bring the bullock unto the entrance of the tent of the assembly before the Lord; and shall lay his hand upon the bullock's head, and kill the bullock before the Lord.
5: And the priest that is anointed shall take of the bullock's blood, and bring it to the tent of assembly:
6: And the priest shall dip his finger in the blood, and splash of the blood seven times (#7 = spiritual perfection) before the Lord, on the veil of the sanctuary. (Type of the perfect humanity of Christ. No veil for purposes of atonement without blood. We are saved by His death, not by His life - Eph. 2:13.)
7: And the priest shall put some of the blood upon the horns of the altar of sweet incense before the Lord (Yehovah), which is in the tent of assembly: and shall pour all the remaining blood of the bullock at the bottom of the altar of the burnt offering, which is at the entrance of the tent of the assembly.
8: And he shall take off from it all the fat (= the best or choicest parts, see 3:3) of the bullock for the sin offering; the fat that covers the inwards, and all the fat that is upon the inwards,
9: And the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, which is by the flanks, and the flap (or network) above the liver, with the kidneys, it shall he take away,
10: As it was taken off from the bullock of the sacrifice of peace offerings: and the priest shall burn them upon the altar of the burnt offering.
11: And the skin of the bullock, and all his flesh, with his head, and with his legs, and his inwards, and his dung,
12: Even the whole bullock shall he carry forth outside the camp (cp. Heb. 13:11,12. See Ex. 29:14) to a clean place, where the ashes are poured out, and burn him on the logs with fire (any wood allowed, such as straw or stubble. Not so with the other offerings): where the ashes are poured out shall he be burnt.
13: And if the whole assembly (not the same word as v.14) of Israel sin through ignorance (Heb. shagag, erring from imprudence, rashness, being deceived, not willfully; and shagah, erring willfully through passion or wine, hence to go astray. As sin is to be distinguished from presumptuous of high-handedness. Cp. Lev. 4:13. Num. 15:22 &c., with Num. 15:30. Ps. 119:21. See 1 Sam. 14:32), and the thing be hid from the eyes of the assembly, and they have done somewhat against any of the commandments of the Lord concerning things which should not be done, and are guilty;
14: When the sin, which they have sinned against it, is known, then the congregation shall cause to be offered (cp. v.12) a young bullock for the sin, and bring him before the tent of the assembly.
15: And the elders of the congregation shall lay their hands upon the head of the bullock before the Lord: and the bullock shall be killed before the Lord.
16: And the priest that is anointed shall bring of the bullock's blood to the tent of the assembly:
17: And the priest shall dip his finger in some of the blood, and splash it seven times before the Lord, even which is before the veil.
18: And he shall put some of the blood upon the horns of the altar which is before the Lord, that is in the tent of the assembly, and shall pour out all the blood at the bottom of the altar of the burnt offering, which is at the entrance of the tent of the assembly.
19: And he shall take all his fat from him, and burn it (as incense) upon the altar.
20: And he shall do with the bullock as he did with the bullock for a sin offering, so shall he do with this: and the priest shall make an atonement for them (see 1:4 and Ex. 29:33), and it shall be forgiven them.
21: And he shall carry forth the bullock outside the camp, and burn him as he burned the first bullock: it is a sin offering for the congregation.
22: When a ruler has sinned (Heb. word is used of a king [1 Kings 11:34. Ezek. 34:24; 46:2], the head of a tribe [Num. 1:16,46; 34:18], but as the words "his God" are used here, and are absent in vv.2,13,27, it denotes one whom God appoints and to whom the ruler is responsible), and done somewhat through ignorance against any of the commandments of the Lord his God concerning things which should not be done, and is guilty (= should become aware of his inadvertence);
23: Or if his sin, wherein he has sinned, come to his knowledge; he shall bring his offering, a kid of the goats, a male without blemish: (male:for ruler, female for one of the people, v.28, cp. 5:13.)
24: And he shall lay his hand upon 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.
25: And the priest shall take of the blood of the sin offering with his finger, and put it upon the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and shall pour out his blood at the bottom of the altar of burnt offering.
26: And he shall burn all his fat upon the altar, as the fat of the sacrifice of peace offerings: and the priest shall make an atonement for him as concerning his sin, and it shall be forgiven him.
27: And if any one (= soul) of the common People sin through ignorance, while he does somewhat against any of the commandments of the Lord concerning things which ought not to be done, and be guilty (see v.22);
28: Or if his sin, which he has sinned, come to his knowledge: then he shall bring his offering, a kid of the goats, a female without blemish (see v.23, cp.5:13), for his sin which he has sinned.
29: And he shall lay his hand upon the head of the sin offering, and slay the sin offering in the place of the burnt offering. (i.e. where the burnt offering is accustomed to be slain)
30: And the priest shall take of the blood thereof with his finger, and put it upon the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and shall pour out all the blood thereof at the bottom of the altar.
31: And he shall take away all the fat thereof, as the fat is taken away from off the sacrifice of peace offerings; and the priest shall burn it upon the altar for a sweet savor to the Lord (this is added here because of the burning of the fat. It is not said of the sin offering of the high priest, the ruler, or the congregation, cp. vv.10,19,26, though used in the burnt offerings 1:9,13 and peace offerings 3:5,16. The sweet savor [or satisfaction] here, in this connection, exalts the offering of the humbled person); and the priest shall make an atonement for him, and it shall be forgiven him.
32: And if he bring a lamb (= a sheep, cp. 3:7. Ritual same as the goat, but treated separately because of the fat tail) for a sin offering, he shall bring it a female without blemish.
33: And he shall lay his hand upon the head of the sin offering, and slay it for a sin offering in the place where they kill the burnt offering.
34: And the priest shall take of the blood of the sin offering with his finger, and put it upon the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and shall pour out all the blood thereof at the bottom of the altar:
35: And he shall take away all the fat thereof, as the fat of the lamb is taken away from the sacrifice of the peace offerings (see 3:11); and the priest shall burn them upon the altar, upon the offerings made by fire to the Lord: and the priest shall make an atonement for his sin that he has committed, and it shall be forgiven him.