New International Version
Leviticus 4:3
3“ ‘If the anointed priest sins, bringing guilt on the people, he must bring to the Lord a young bull without defect as a sin offering for the sin he has committed.
Leviticus 4:3 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)If the priest that is anointed do sin according to the sin of the people; then let him bring for his sin, which he hath sinned, a young bullock without blemish unto the Lord for a sin offering.
- English Standard Version (ESV)if it is the anointed priest who sins, thus bringing guilt on the people, then he shall offer for the sin that he has committed a bull from the herd without blemish to the Lord for a sin offering.
- New King James Version (NKJV)if the anointed priest sins, bringing guilt on the people, then let him offer to the Lord for his sin which he has sinned a young bull without blemish as a sin offering.
- New Living Translation (NLT)“If the high priest sins, bringing guilt upon the entire community, he must give a sin offering for the sin he has committed. He must present to the Lord a young bull with no defects.
Context of Leviticus 4:3
1The Lord said to Moses, 2“Say to the Israelites: ‘When anyone sins unintentionally and does what is forbidden in any of the Lord’s commands— “ ‘If the anointed priest sins, bringing guilt on the people, he must bring to the Lord a young bull without defect as a sin offering for the sin he has committed. 4He is to present the bull at the entrance to the tent of meeting before the Lord. He is to lay his hand on its head and slaughter it there before the Lord. 5Then the anointed priest shall take some of the bull’s blood and carry it into the tent of meeting.
Read all of Leviticus 4Leviticus 4:3 word by word
אִ֣ם הַכֹּהֵ֧ן הַמָּשִׁ֛יחַ יֶחֱטָ֖א לְאַשְׁמַ֣ת הָעָ֑ם וְהִקְרִ֡יב עַ֣ל חַטָּאתוֹ֩ אֲשֶׁ֨ר חָטָ֜א פַּ֣ר בֶּן־בָּקָ֥ר תָּמִ֛ים לַיהוָ֖ה לְחַטָּֽאת׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- If the priestכֹּהֵןkôhên · priestH3548
- that is anointedמָשִׁיחַmâshîyach · anointedH4899
- do sinחָטָאchâţâ' · to sinH2398
- according to the sinאַשְׁמָה'ashmâh · guiltinessH819
- of the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
- then let him bringקָרַבqârab · to present: bringH7126
- for his sinחַטָּאתchaţţâ'âh chaţţâ'th · sinH2403
- a youngבֵּןbên · son: young animalH1121
- a youngבָּקָרbâqâr · cattleH1241
- bullockפַּרpar pâr · bullockH6499
- without blemishתָּמִיםtâmîym · unblemishedH8549
- unto the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- for a sin offeringחַטָּאתchaţţâ'âh chaţţâ'th · sin: sin offeringH2403
Cross-references for Leviticus 4:3
- Leviticus 8:12He poured some of the anointing oil on Aaron’s head and anointed him to consecrate him.
- Leviticus 21:10“ ‘The high priest, the one among his brothers who has had the anointing oil poured on his head and who has been ordained to wear the priestly garments, must not let his hair become unkempt or tear his clothes.
- Exodus 29:7Take the anointing oil and anoint him by pouring it on his head.
- Leviticus 4:14and the sin they committed becomes known, the assembly must bring a young bull as a sin offering and present it before the tent of meeting.
- Leviticus 9:2He said to Aaron, “Take a bull calf for your sin offering and a ram for your burnt offering, both without defect, and present them before the Lord.
- Leviticus 16:6“Aaron is to offer the bull for his own sin offering to make atonement for himself and his household.
- Ezekiel 43:19You are to give a young bull as a sin offering to the Levitical priests of the family of Zadok, who come near to minister before me, declares the Sovereign Lord.
- Leviticus 5:6As a penalty for the sin they have committed, they must bring to the Lord a female lamb or goat from the flock as a sin offering; and the priest shall make atonement for them for their sin.
- Exodus 29:14But burn the bull’s flesh and its hide and its intestines outside the camp. It is a sin offering.
- Exodus 30:10Once a year Aaron shall make atonement on its horns. This annual atonement must be made with the blood of the atoning sin offering for the generations to come. It is most holy to the Lord.”
- Numbers 8:8Have them take a young bull with its grain offering of the finest flour mixed with olive oil; then you are to take a second young bull for a sin offering.
- Ezra 8:35Then the exiles who had returned from captivity sacrificed burnt offerings to the God of Israel: twelve bulls for all Israel, ninety-six rams, seventy-seven male lambs and, as a sin offering, twelve male goats. All this was a burnt offering to the Lord.
- Romans 8:3For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh,
- 2 Corinthians 5:21God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
- Hebrews 5:3This is why he has to offer sacrifices for his own sins, as well as for the sins of the people.
- Hebrews 7:27Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself.
Commentaries on Leviticus 4:3
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3If the priest that is anointed - Meaning, most probably, the high priest. According to the sin of the people; for although he had greater advantages than the people could have, in being more conversant with the law of God, and his lips should understand and preserve knowledge, yet it was possible even for him, in that time in which the word of God had not been fully revealed, to transgress through ignorance; and his transgression might have the very worst…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3The priest that is anointed - i. e. the high priest. (Compare Leviticus 8:12; Leviticus 21:10; Exodus 29:7). On the anointing of the other priests see the note at Leviticus 8:13. The graduation of the sin-offerings is remarkable. It might seem that the distinction addressed itself more pointedly to each individual according to his rank and consequent responsibility (see Leviticus 4:32). According to the sin of the people - Rather, to bring guilt on the…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3God chose the high priest for a special role and they anointed him. The Hebrew word for "anoint" is mashiakh. It means "set apart by the ritual of anointing." In 1 Samuel 1:1—2 Kings 25:30, anointing usually refers to Israel's king (see 1 Samuel 24:6; 2 Samuel 1:14; 19:21). They would anoint all priests (Exodus 40:13–15). Yet, here the term probably refers to the high priest because they specially anointed him for service in the tabernacle (Leviticus…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 3-353. If the priest that is anointed do sin--that is, the high priest, in whom, considering his character as typical mediator, and his exalted office, the people had the deepest interest; and whose transgression of any part of the divine law, therefore, whether done unconsciously or heedlessly, was a very serious offense, both as regarded himself individually, and the influence of his example. He is the person principally meant, though the common order of…Read the comment
Topics related to Leviticus 4:3
In the dictionaries
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
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