Leviticus 4:15

Leviticus 4:15 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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.
• New International Version (NIV)The elders of the community are to lay their hands on the bull’s head before the Lord, and the bull shall be slaughtered before the Lord.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And the elders of the congregation shall lay their hands on the head of the bull before the Lord, and the bull shall be killed before the Lord.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And the elders of the congregation shall lay their hands on the head of the bull before the Lord. Then the bull shall be killed before the Lord.

Context of Leviticus 4:15

13‘Now if the whole congregation of Israel sins unintentionally, and the matter escapes the notice of the assembly, and they have done any one of the things which the Lord has commanded not to be done, and they become guilty; 14when the sin which they have committed becomes known, then the congregation shall offer a young bull of the herd as a sin offering and bring it before the Tent of Meeting. Then the elders of the congregation shall lay their hands on the head of the bull before the Lord [to transfer symbolically the congregation’s guilt to the sacrifice], and they shall kill the bull before the Lord. 16The anointed priest is to bring some of the bull’s blood to the Tent of Meeting, 17and the priest shall dip his finger in the blood, and sprinkle it seven times before the Lord, in front of the veil [which screens off the Holy of Holies and the ark of the covenant].

Leviticus 4:15 word by word

וְ֠סָמְכוּ זִקְנֵ֨י הָעֵדָ֧ה אֶת־יְדֵיהֶ֛ם עַל־רֹ֥אשׁ הַפָּ֖ר לִפְנֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה וְשָׁחַ֥ט אֶת־הַפָּ֖ר לִפְנֵ֥י יְהוָֽה׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And the eldersזָקֵןzâqên · old: elderH2205
• of the congregationעֵדָה‛êdâh · congregationH5712
• shall layסָמַךְsâmak · to supportH5564
• their handsיָדyâd · handH3027
• upon the headרֹאשׁrô'sh · headH7218
• of the bullockפַּרpar pâr · bullockH6499
• beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
• the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• shall be killedשָׁחַטshâchaţ · to slaughterH7819

Cross-references for Leviticus 4:15

• Exodus 24:1Then God said to Moses, “Come up to the Lord, you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu (Aaron’s older sons), and seventy of Israel’s elders, and you shall worship at a [safe] distance.
• Numbers 11:16Accordingly, the Lord said to Moses, “Gather for Me seventy men from among the elders of Israel whom you know to be the elders of the people and their officers; bring them to the Tent of Meeting (tabernacle) and let them stand there with you.
• Deuteronomy 21:3It shall be that the elders of the city which is nearest to the dead man shall take a heifer of the herd, one which has not been worked and which has not pulled in a yoke;
• Leviticus 4:4He shall bring the bull to the doorway of the Tent of Meeting before the Lord, and shall lay his hand on the bull’s head [transferring symbolically his guilt to the sacrifice] and kill the bull before the Lord.
• Leviticus 1:4He shall lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering [transferring symbolically his guilt to the sacrifice], that it may be accepted for him to make atonement on his behalf.
• Leviticus 16:21Then Aaron shall lay both of his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over it all the wickedness of the sons of Israel and all their transgressions in regard to all their sins; and he shall lay them on the head of the goat [the scapegoat, the sin-bearer], and send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who is prepared [for the task].

Commentaries on Leviticus 4:15

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 15In this case the imposition of hands is performed by the elders in behalf of the nation. But in other respects the rites were performed by the high priest in the same manner as in the sin-offering for himself.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 13-21Verses 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…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 15The Hebrew word for elders is related to the word for "beard." It suggests maturity but not necessarily old age. Elders were community leaders, usually leaders of families and tribes (see Exodus 18:21–26; Deuteronomy 22:15–19). For this offering, the elders represented all the people, as they did later when anointing David as king (2 Samuel 5:3).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 13-2113-21. 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…Read the comment

Topics related to Leviticus 4:15

• Church
• Government
• Hand
• Ignorance

In the dictionaries

• Dip
• Horn
• Sanctuary
• Sinoffering
• Congregation
• Criticism
• Exodus, the Book of
• Ezekiel
• Genesis
• Law in the Old Testament

Commentaries on Leviticus 4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings