EJ&T: Leviticus 4 - If a soul shall sin through ignorance

In the Every Jot and Tittle project, I am listing all of the Bible's commandments from Genesis to Revelation, in accordance with Jesus's words in Matthew 5:18-19. I have no idea how many commandments I'll find, but Jewish tradition claims there are 613. See here for a list of those that I've found so far.

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If a priest sins through ignorance, he must kill an unblemished bullock (or an unblemished ram).

If you sin through ignorance, bring a young unblemished bull to the Lord for a sin offering. Take the bullock to the door of the tabernacle, put your hand on the bullock's head, and kill it in front of God.

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. 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 bullock's head, and kill the bullock before the LORD. Leviticus 4:3-4

The priest will take the bullock's blood and bring it to the tabernacle. He will then dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle the blood seven times before the Lord. Next, he'll wipe some of the blood on the horns of the altar and pour the rest of the blood at the bottom of the altar.

And the priest that is anointed shall take of the bullock's blood, and bring it to the tabernacle of the congregation: And the priest shall dip his finger in the blood, and sprinkle of the blood seven times before the LORD, before the vail of the sanctuary. And the priest shall put some of the blood upon the horns of the altar of sweet incense before the LORD, which is in the tabernacle of the congregation; and shall pour all the blood of the bullock at the bottom of the altar of the burnt offering, which is at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. 4:5-7

He will then burn on the altar all of the bullock's fat, the fat that covers the internal organs, the fat that is on the kidneys, the kidneys, and lower part of the liver, just like he does for peace offerings. The skin, flesh, head, legs, internal organs, and dung shall be burned away from the tabernacle in the place where the ashes are poured out.

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 burnt offering. 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 shall he carry forth without the camp unto a clean place, where the ashes are poured out, and burn him on the wood with fire: where the ashes are poured out shall he be burnt. 4:8-12

If the congregation sins through ignorance, kill a bullock (blemished or unblemished).

If the whole congregation sins through ignorance, the congregation shall bring a young bull (blemished or unblemished) to the Lord for a sin offering. The elders shall then put their hands on the bullock's head and kill it in front of God.

And if the whole congregation of Israel 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; When the sin, which they have sinned against it, is known, then the congregation shall offer a young bullock for the sin, and bring him before the tabernacle of the congregation. 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. Leviticus 4:13-15

The priest will take the bullock's blood and bring it to the tabernacle. Then he will dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle the blood seven times before the Lord. Next, he'll wipe some of the blood on the horns of the altar and pour the rest of the blood at the bottom of the altar.

And the priest that is anointed shall bring of the bullock's blood to the tabernacle of the congregation: And the priest shall dip his finger in some of the blood, and sprinkle it seven times before the LORD, even before the vail. And he shall put some of the blood upon the horns of the altar which is before the LORD, that is in the tabernacle of the congregation, and shall pour out all the blood at the bottom of the altar of the burnt offering, which is at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. 4:16-18

He will then burn all of the bullock's fat on the altar. The rest of the procedure is just like it was for a sin offering. Be sure to burn whatever remains of the bullock like you did in the procedure for an individual who sinned through ignorance. If this procedure is followed correctly, God will forgive the entire congregation for sinning through ignorance.

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, 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. 4:19-21

Numbers 15 has a slightly different procedure for a congregation that sins through ignorance. It too calls for the sacrifice of a young bullock, but it also requires a meat offering, drink offering, and the killing of a young goat for a sin offering. (See What should a congregation do if it sins through ignorance?)

Then it shall be, if ought be committed by ignorance without the knowledge of the congregation, that all the congregation shall offer one young bullock for a burnt offering, for a sweet savour unto the LORD, with his meat offering, and his drink offering, according to the manner, and one kid of the goats for a sin offering. And the priest shall make an atonement for all the congregation of the children of Israel, and it shall be forgiven them; for it is ignorance: and they shall bring their offering, a sacrifice made by fire unto the LORD, and their sin offering before the LORD, for their ignorance: And it shall be forgiven all the congregation of the children of Israel, and the stranger that sojourneth among them; seeing all the people were in ignorance. Numbers 15:24-26

If a ruler sins through ignorance, kill a young unblemished male goat.

If a ruler sins through ignorance, he shall bring a young, male, unblemished goat. He shall put his hand on the goat's head and kill it in the place where they kill burnt offerings before the Lord.

When a ruler hath sinned, 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; Or if his sin, wherein he hath 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 before the LORD: it is a sin offering. Leviticus 4:22-24

The priest will then dip his finger in the blood, wipe it on the horns of the altar, and pour the remaining blood at the foot of the altar. The rest of the procedure is just like it was for a peace offering. If this procedure is followed correctly, God will forgive the ruler for sinning through ignorance.

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. 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. Leviticus 4:25-26

If an ordinary person sins through ignorance, kill a young unblemished female sheep or goat.

If an ordinary person sins through ignorance, he shall bring a young unblemished female goat, and he shall put his hand on the goat's head and kill it in the place where they kill burnt offerings before the Lord.

And if any one of the common people sin through ignorance, while he doeth somewhat against any of the commandments of the LORD concerning things which ought not to be done, and be guilty; Or if his sin, which he hath sinned, come to his knowledge: then he shall bring his offering, a kid of the goats, a female without blemish, for his sin which he hath 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. Leviticus 4:27-29

The priest will take some of the goat's blood and wipe it on the horns of the altar and pour the rest of the blood at the bottom of the altar. He will then burn all of the goat's fat on the altar, like he does for peace offerings. This will smell good to God and God will forgive the ordinary person for sinning through ignorance.

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. 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. Leviticus 4:30-31

If a lamb is selected, the person who sinned through ignorance shall put his hands on the lamb's head and kill it in the place where they kill burnt offerings before the Lord. The priest will take the lamb's blood and bring it to the tabernacle. Then the priest will then wipe some of the blood on the horns of the altar and pour the rest of the blood at the bottom of the altar. He will then burn all of the lamb's fat on the altar, like he does for peace offerings. This will smell good to God and God will forgive the ordinary person for sinning through ignorance.

If he bring a lamb for a sin offering, he shall bring it a female without blemish. 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. 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 upon the altar, according to the offerings made by fire unto the LORD: and the priest shall make an atonement for his sin that he hath committed, and it shall be forgiven him. Leviticus 4:32-35

A similar, but slightly different, procedure is given in Numbers 15. Here the ignorant sinner must kill a young female goat, but (unlike in Leviticus 4) it doesn't need to be unblemished. Also, Numbers doesn't provide the option of killing a female sheep. This procedure, by the way, applies to everyone who sins through ignorance, whether they are an Israelite or a stranger. (See What should you do if you sin through ignorance?)

And if any soul sin through ignorance, then he shall bring a she goat of the first year for a sin offering. And the priest shall make an atonement for the soul that sinneth ignorantly, when he sinneth by ignorance before the LORD, to make an atonement for him; and it shall be forgiven him. Ye shall have one law for him that sinneth through ignorance, both for him that is born among the children of Israel, and for the stranger that sojourneth among them. Numbers 15:27-29