Leviticus 4

AND the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a soul shall sin This must necessarily be understood of more than common sins and daily infirmities, for if every such sin had required an offering, it had not been possible either for most sinners to bear such a charge, or for the altar to receive so many sacrifices, or for the Priests to manage so infinite a work. And for ordinary sins, they were ceremonially expiated by the daily offering, and by that on the great day of atonement, Levit. 16. 30. through ignorance Or, errour, either not knowing his fact to be sinful, as appears by comparing, ver. 13 14. or not considering it, but rashly and unadvisedly falling into sin through the power of some sudden passion or temptation, as the Hebrew word signifies, Psal. 119. 67. Compare. Iob 19. 4. Psal. 19. 13. The words may be thus rendred, in or about every or any of the commandements of the Lord which should not be done, or, which concern things that should not be done, to wit, in any negative commands. And there is great reason why a sacrifice should be more necessary for these than for other sins, because affirmative precepts do not so strictly and constantly bind men as the negative do, and if a man through ignorance have neglected them, he may yet recover his errour, and fulfil them. against any of the commandments of the LORD (concerning things which ought not to be done) c and shall do against any of them Then he shall offer according to his quality, which is here to be understood, out of the following verses.:

If the Priest that is anointed (i. e.) The High-priest, who only was anointed after the first time. See Exod. 29. 7. and 30. 30. and 40. 15. Lev. 10. 7. Numb. 3. 3. His anointing is mentioned, because he was not complete High-priest till he was anointed., do sin Either in doctrine or practise, which it is here supposed he may do. And this is noted as a blot and character of imperfection in the Priesthood of the law, whereby the Israelites were directed to expect another and better High-priest, even one who is holy, harmless and separate from sinners, Heb. 7. 26. according to the sin of the people In the same manner as any of the people do: which implies that God expected more circumspection and care from him than from the people. But the words may be rendred, to the sin or guilt of the people, which may be mentioned as a reason of the law, and an aggravation of his sin, that by it he commonly brings sin and guilt and punishment upon the people, who are infected or scandalized by his example., then let him bring for his sin which he has sinned, a young bullock The same sacrifice, which was offered for all the people, to show how much his sin was aggravated by his quality. without blemish, unto the LORD for a sin-offering Heb. sin, Which word is oft taken in that sense, as Exod. 29. 14..

And he shall bring the bullock unto the door of the Tabernacle of the Congregation before the LORD, and shall lay his hand upon the bullocks head To testify both his acknowledgment of his sin, and his faith in Gods promise for the expiation of his sins, through Christ, whom that sacrifice typified., and kill the bullock To wit, by one of the Priests, whom he shall cause to do it, for this Priest is distinguished from the anointed Priest, ver. 5., before the LORD

And the Priest that is anointed shall take of the bullocks bloud, and bring it to the Tabernacle of the congregation n. m Into the tabernacle: which was not required nor allowed in any other sacrifice, possibly to show the greatness of the Fligh-priests sin, which needed more than ordinary diligence in him and favour from God to expiate it.

And the Priest shall dip his finger in the blood, and sprinkle of the blood seven times n before the LORD, before the vail To wit, the second vail, dividing between the Holy of holies, which is generally called by the name here used, as Exod. 26. 31, &c. and 35. 12. and 40. 3, 21. Numb. 4. 5. of the sanctuary. m A number much used in Scripture, as a number of perfection; and here prescribed, either to show that his sins needed more than ordinary purgation, and more frequent and manifest exercises of his faith and repentance, both which graces he was obliged to joyn with that ceremonial rite.

And the Priest shall put some of the blood upon the horns of the altar of sweet incense before the LORD, which Which altar for the altar of burnt-ofterings was without the Tabernacle. is in the Tabernacle of the Congregation, and shall pour all the blood So also below ver. 18, 30, 34. to wit, all the rest, as it is expressed Lev. 5. 9. for part was disposed elsewhere. of the bullock at the bottom of the altar of the burnt-offering, which is at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

And he shall take off from it all the fat of the bullock for the sin-offering: the fat that covereth the inwards, and all the fat that is upon the inwards,

And the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, which is by the flanks, and the caul above the liver, with the kidneys, it shall he take away,

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 burntoffering.

And the skin of the bullock, and all his flesh, with his head and with his legs, and his inwards and his dung,

Even the whole bullock So no part of this was to be eaten by the Priests, as it was in other sin-offerings, Levit. 6. 26. The reason is plain, because the offerer might not eat of his own sin-offering, and the Priest was the offerer in this case, as also in the sin-offering for the whole congregation below ver. 21. of which the priest himself was a member. shall he carry forth Not himself, which would have defiled him, but by another whom he shall appoint for that work, as may be gathered from Levit. 16. 27, 28. without the camp To signifie, either 1. the horrible and abominable nature of sin, especially in high and holy persons, or when it overspreads a whole people. or 2. the removing of the guilt and punishment of that sin from the people, and their duty of keeping such wickedness out of the camp for time to come. or 3. that Christ should suffer without the camp or gate, as he did. See Heb. 13. 11, 12., unto a clean place, where the ashes are poured out For the ashes, though at first they were thrown down near the Altar, Levit. 1. 16. yet afterwards they, together with the filth of the sacrifices, were carried into a certain place without the camp, See Lev. 6. 10, 11., and burn him on the wood with fire: where the ashes are poured out, shall he be burnt.

And if the whole Congregation of Israel t sin through ignorance, 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: * The body of the people, or the greater part of them, their rulers concurring with them.

When the sin which they have sinned against it Against any one of the said commandments. is known, then the Congregation shall offer a young bullock But if the sin of the congregation was only the omission of some ceremonial duty, a kid of the goats was to be offered, Numb. 15. 24. for the sin, and bring him before the tabernacle of the congregation.

And the Elders of the Congregation (i. e.) The Rulers of the people, of whom see Exod. 3. 16. and 24. 1. who here acted in the name of all the people, who could not possibly perform this act in their own persons. shall lay their hands upon the head of the bullock, before the LORD: and the bullock shall be killed before the LORD.

And the Priest that is anointed, shall bring of the bullocks blood to the Tabernacle of the congregation.

And the Priest shall dip his finger in some of the bloud, and sprinkle it seven times before the LORD, even before the vail.

And he shall put some of the bloud upon the horns of the altar, which is before the LORD That is, before the Holy of holies, where the Lord was in a more special manner present, namely, the altar of incense, as before ver. 7., that is in the tabernacle of the congregation, and shall pour out all the blood at the bottom of the altar of burnt-offering, which is at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

And he shall take all his fat from him, and burn it upon the altar.

And he shall do with the bullock as he did with the bullock for a sin-offering To wit, for the Priests sin-offering, called the first bullock, ver. 21., so shall he do with this: and the Priest shall make an atonement for them, and it shall be forgiven them.

And he shall carry forth the bullock, without the camp, and burn him as he burned the first bullock: it is a sin-offering for the congregation.

When a Ruler To wit, of the people, or a civil Magistrate. has sinned, and done somewhat through ignorance Either not knowing it to be sin, or not observing and considering it, till it be done. See before on ver. 2. against any of the commandments of the LORD his God, concerning things which should not be done, and is guilty:

Or The disjunctive, or, is here put for the copulative, and, as it is, 1 Cor. 12. 13. and 13. 8. and 15. 11. For it is evident, that he speaks of the same person, and of the same sin. 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.

And he shall lay his hand upon the head of the goat, and kill it in the place where they kill the burnt-offering So called by way of eminency, to wit, the daily burnt-offering, of which Exod. 29. 38. of which place see Lev. 1. 11. before the LORD: it is a sin-offering And therefore to be killed where the burnt-offering is killed, as is expressed, Lev. 6. 25. and 7. 2. Whereby it is distinguished from the peace-offerings, which were killed elsewhere, Lev. 3. 2..

And the Priest shall take of the bloud 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.

And he shall burn all his fat upon the altar, as the fat of the sacrifice of peaceofferings: and the Priest shall make an atonement for him, as concerning his sin, and it shall be forgiven him Both ceremonially and judicially, as to all ecclesiastical censures or civil punishments, and really, upon condition of their repentance and faith in the Messias to come..

And if any one of the common people Whether Israelites, or strangers embodied with them and proselytes, for both were under one and the same law, Exod. 12. 49. Numb. 15. 16. sin through ignorance, while he does somewhat against any one of the commandments of the LORD, concerning things which ought not to be done, and be guilty:

Or if his sin which he has sinned come to his knowledg: then he shall bring his offering, a kid of the goats, a female Which here was sufficient, because the sin of one of those was less than the sin of the ruler, for whom a male was required, ver. 21. without blemish, for his sin which he has sinned.

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.

And the Priest shall take of the bloud 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.

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 savour unto the LORD; and the Priest shall make an atonement for him, and it shall be forgiven him.

And if he bring a lamb for a sin-offering, he shall bring it a female without blemish.

And he To wit, the offerer. shall lay his hand upon of the sin-offering, and slay Not by himself but by the hands of the Priest. it for a sin offering in the place where they kill the burnt-offering.

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.

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: and the Priest shall burn them (i. e.) The fat, but he useth the plural number, because the fat was of several kinds, as we saw ver. 8, 9. Heb. upon them, together with them, or after them, because the burnt-offerings were to have the first place. See on chap. 3. 5. upon the altar, according to the offerings made by fire m unto the LORD; and the Priest shall make an atonement for his sin that he has committed, and it shall be forgiven him.