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

13Now if the whole congregation of Israel strays unintentionally and the matter escapes the notice of the assembly so that they violate any of the LORD’s commandments and incur guilt by doing what is forbidden, 14when they become aware of the sin they have committed, then the assembly must bring a young bull as a sin offering and present it before the Tent of Meeting. The elders of the congregation are to lay their hands on the bull’s head before the LORD, and it shall be slaughtered before the LORD. 16Then the anointed priest is to bring some of the bull’s blood into the Tent of Meeting, 17and he is to dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle it seven times before the LORD in front of the veil.

Leviticus 4:15 word by word

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

• The eldersזָקֵןzâqên · old: elderH2205
• of the congregationעֵדָה‛êdâh · congregationH5712
• ·אֵת'êth · [Obj.]H853
• are to layסָמַךְsâmak · to supportH5564
• their handsיָדyâd · handH3027
• onעַל‛al · uponH5921
• the bull’sפַּרpar pâr · bullockH6499
• headרֹאשׁrô'sh · headH7218
• beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
• the LORDיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• shall be slaughteredשָׁחַטshâchaţ · to slaughterH7819

Cross-references for Leviticus 4:15

• Exodus 24:1Then the LORD said to Moses, “Come up to the LORD—you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of Israel’s elders—and you are to worship at a distance.
• Numbers 11:16Then the LORD said to Moses, “Bring Me seventy of the elders of Israel known to you as leaders and officers of the people. Bring them to the Tent of Meeting and have them stand there with you.
• Deuteronomy 21:3Then the elders of the city nearest the victim shall take a heifer that has never been yoked or used for work,
• Leviticus 4:4He must bring the bull to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting before the LORD, lay his hand on the bull’s head, and slaughter it before the LORD.
• Leviticus 1:4He is to lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, so it can be accepted on his behalf to make atonement for him.
• Leviticus 16:21Then he is to lay both hands on the head of the live goat and confess over it all the iniquities and rebellious acts of the Israelites in regard to all their sins. He is to put them on the goat’s head and send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a man appointed 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