Leviticus 4:18 kjv
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.
Leviticus 4:18 nkjv
And he shall put some of the blood on the horns of the altar which is before the LORD, which is in the tabernacle of meeting; and he shall pour the remaining blood at the base of the altar of burnt offering, which is at the door of the tabernacle of meeting.
Leviticus 4:18 niv
He is to put some of the blood on the horns of the altar that is before the LORD in the tent of meeting. The rest of the blood he shall pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offering at the entrance to the tent of meeting.
Leviticus 4:18 esv
And he shall put some of the blood on the horns of the altar that is in the tent of meeting before the LORD, and the rest of the blood he shall pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offering that is at the entrance of the tent of meeting.
Leviticus 4:18 nlt
He will then put some of the blood on the horns of the altar for fragrant incense that stands in the LORD's presence inside the Tabernacle. He will pour out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar for burnt offerings at the entrance of the Tabernacle.
Leviticus 4 18 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Lev 4:1 | "Speak to the people of Israel, saying, 'If anyone...sins unintentionally..." | Context for unintentional sins in Lev 4. |
| Lev 4:3 | "...if it is the anointed priest who sins...he shall bring a bull..." | Blood applied to inner altar for priest's sin. |
| Lev 4:14 | "...if the whole congregation...sins...they shall offer a bull..." | Blood applied to inner altar for congregation's sin. |
| Lev 4:25 | "...take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger..." | Contrast: blood applied to outer altar for leader's sin. |
| Lev 4:30 | "...he shall take some of its blood with his finger... and pour out..." | Contrast: blood applied to outer altar for ordinary person's sin. |
| Lev 5:9 | "...some of the blood of the sin offering on the side of the altar..." | General blood application in other sin offerings. |
| Lev 16:18 | "Then he shall go out to the altar that is before the LORD..." | Altar of incense used in Day of Atonement rituals. |
| Ex 30:6 | "...and you shall put it before the veil that is by the ark of the testimony..." | Location of the altar of incense. |
| Ex 30:10 | "Aaron shall make atonement on its horns once a year with the blood..." | Significance of horns of the altar of incense for atonement. |
| Lev 17:11 | "For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you..." | Theological basis for blood atonement. |
| Ex 27:1-2 | "You shall make the altar of acacia wood... with its horns on its four corners." | Description of the altar of burnt offering (outer altar). |
| Ex 40:6-7 | "You shall set the altar of burnt offering... and set the altar of incense..." | Positioning of both altars in the Tabernacle. |
| Num 15:24 | "...the whole congregation shall offer one bull as a burnt offering..." | Unintentional communal sin similar to Lev 4. |
| Heb 9:11-12 | "But when Christ appeared as a high priest...he entered once for all..." | Christ as the ultimate High Priest, entering a more perfect Tabernacle. |
| Heb 9:13-14 | "For if the blood of goats and bulls...purifies the flesh...how much more..." | Superiority of Christ's blood to animal sacrifices. |
| Heb 9:22 | "Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins." | Principle of blood purification for forgiveness. |
| Heb 10:1-4 | "For since the law has but a shadow... it can never, by the same sacrifices... make perfect those who draw near." | Old Covenant sacrifices were a shadow. |
| Heb 10:10 | "And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." | Christ's single, definitive sacrifice. |
| Heb 12:24 | "...to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel." | Superiority of Christ's blood for new covenant. |
| Eph 1:7 | "In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses..." | Redemption and forgiveness through Christ's blood. |
| Col 1:20 | "...and through him to reconcile to himself all things... by making peace by the blood of his cross." | Reconciliation through Christ's blood. |
| 1 Jn 1:7 | "But if we walk in the light...the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin." | Ongoing cleansing through Christ's blood. |
Leviticus 4 verses
Leviticus 4 18 Meaning
Leviticus 4:18 details a crucial procedural step in the sin offering ritual specifically for the unintentional sins of an anointed priest or the entire community. It instructs the priest to take a portion of the sacrificial animal's blood and apply it to the horns of the altar of incense, which is situated before the Lord within the sacred Tent of Meeting. Subsequently, the remaining large quantity of the blood is to be poured out at the very base of the altar of burnt offering in the outer courtyard. This dual action symbolizes the comprehensive cleansing and atonement for sins that defile the Tabernacle's holy spaces and thereby impact the divine-human relationship.
Leviticus 4 18 Context
Leviticus chapter 4 meticulously outlines the laws concerning the sin offering (Hebrew: chatta't), specifically for unintentional sins committed by various categories of people in Israel: the anointed priest, the entire congregation, a leader, or an ordinary member of the community. The severity of the ritual, particularly concerning the handling of the blood, corresponds to the status of the sinning party and the scope of the sin's defilement. Verse 18 is part of the procedure for the sin offering when either the anointed priest (Lev 4:3-12) or the whole congregation (Lev 4:13-21) sins unintentionally. Their sins were considered more serious because they had a wider impact, potentially defiling the very inner sanctum where God's presence dwelled. Historically, these laws were given to Israel after their exodus from Egypt and the establishment of the Tabernacle at Mount Sinai. The purpose was to provide a means for maintaining a holy relationship with a holy God, allowing His divine presence to remain amidst a sinful people, thus ensuring the continuity of the covenant and their journey toward the Promised Land. The Tabernacle rituals were essential for purifying the sacred space and its worshippers from defilement.
Leviticus 4 18 Word analysis
- and he shall put: (Hebrew: w'natan, וְנָתַן) This verb denotes a deliberate, precise action carried out by the officiating priest, emphasizing his authorized role in the ritual. It is distinct from pouring.
- some of the blood: (Hebrew: middam, מִדָּם) This indicates a specific, select portion of the life-giving fluid of the sacrificed animal. "Blood" (Hebrew: dam, דָּם) is central to Israelite sacrificial theology, signifying life itself and acting as the vehicle for atonement according to divine decree (Lev 17:11).
- on the horns: (Hebrew: al qarnot, עַל קַרְנוֹת) These were distinctive projections at the four corners of altars. The horns symbolically represented strength, power, and also served as a point of appeal or refuge (1 Kgs 1:50; Ex 30:10). In ritual, they were key points for blood application, concentrating the power of atonement.
- of the altar: This refers specifically to the altar of incense (often called the golden altar due to its gold overlay), which stood inside the Holy Place of the Tabernacle (Ex 30:1-10). Its inner location signifies the gravity of sins by the priest or congregation, which affected the direct realm of God's presence and daily communion.
- that is before the LORD: (Hebrew: asher liphne YHWH, אֲשֶׁר לִפְנֵי יְהוָה) This phrase emphasizes the altar's position directly facing the veil that separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place (Holy of Holies), where the Ark of the Covenant, God's dwelling place, was located. This proximity underscores that these particular sins impacted God's very presence among His people.
- in the tent of meeting: (Hebrew: b'ohel mo'ed, בְּאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד) This designates the Tabernacle, the portable sanctuary where God covenanted to "meet" with Israel (Ex 29:42-43). The cleansing of this space was paramount for God to continue His fellowship with His people.
- and all the rest of the blood: (Hebrew: w'et kol-dam ha'yeTer, וְאֵת כָּל־דַּם הַיֶּתֶר) This highlights the considerable quantity of remaining blood. After specific applications, the vast majority was handled in a particular manner, emphasizing the completeness of the sacrificial giving.
- he shall pour out: (Hebrew: yishpōkh, יִשְׁפֹּךְ) This action is distinct from applying or sprinkling. To "pour out" implies emptying completely, signifying the full expenditure of life for atonement, rather than mere dabbing.
- at the base: (Hebrew: el yesod, אֶל יְסוֹד) The foundation or lowest part of the altar. Pouring blood here symbolized that the full life given was consecrated to God and returned to the earth from which it came, often signifying completion or finality.
- of the altar of burnt offering: (Hebrew: mizbe'ach ha'olah, מִזְבַּח הָעֹלָה) This refers to the large bronze altar located in the outer courtyard of the Tabernacle (Ex 27:1-8). This was the primary site where animals were sacrificed and burnt. Pouring blood here further ensures the complete purification of the entire sacrificial precinct.
- "and he shall put some of the blood on the horns of the altar that is before the LORD in the tent of meeting": This phrase defines the sacred and specific target for a portion of the blood. The selection of the inner altar (incense altar) and its horns, located "before the LORD" in the very Holy Place, indicates that sins committed by the anointed priest or the entire congregation had a deep defiling effect, reaching into the immediate presence of God. The application of blood here served to ritually purify this holy space from the contagion of such significant communal or priestly sins, which would otherwise impede Israel's fellowship with the Holy One.
- "and all the rest of the blood he shall pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offering": This contrasting action describes the disposal of the greater quantity of the blood. The outpouring at the outer altar (burnt offering altar) signifies the complete surrender of the animal's life and the comprehensive cleansing of the outer parts of the Tabernacle and its courtyard. Together with the inner application, this act represents a full atonement and purification that extended from the most sacred inner chambers to the general area where Israelite worshippers assembled, underscoring the thoroughness of God's provision for dealing with sin's defilement.
Leviticus 4 18 Bonus section
- The ritual differences within Leviticus 4 regarding blood application (inner versus outer altars) reveal a profound theological hierarchy: the closer one is to God, or the wider the scope of one's influence, the greater the potential for defilement and the more intense the required purification of sacred space. The sins of the high priest and the congregation impacted the inner sanctuary, while the sins of a leader or ordinary person only required purification of the outer altar.
- The act of pouring blood at the base of the altar symbolically rendered the blood unusable for any other purpose and integrated it into the ground, emphasizing the finality and totality of the life offered in atonement, effectively 'removing' the sin's consequence.
- The horns of the altars, beyond their functional purpose, carried spiritual significance. To touch them or apply blood to them connected the essence of the atonement directly to the altar's symbolic strength and sacrality.
- This detailed procedure was not arbitrary but designed by God to educate Israel on the seriousness of sin, the necessity of substitutionary atonement, and the absolute holiness required for fellowship with Him. It prepared them conceptually for the coming of a perfect sacrifice that would eternally reconcile them to God without further need for such rituals.
Leviticus 4 18 Commentary
Leviticus 4:18 prescribes a two-part blood ritual critical for atoning for the gravest unintentional sins within Israel: those of the high priest or the entire community. The distinct handling of the sin offering's blood—applying a portion to the horns of the golden altar within the Holy Place, then pouring the remainder at the base of the bronze altar in the courtyard—highlights the comprehensive nature of sin's defilement and atonement. The inner altar application purifies the immediate space before God's presence, indicating that significant sins could impede direct communion and desecrate the sanctuary itself. The outpouring at the outer altar signifies the complete life-payment for sin and purifies the common access point to God. This dual ritual visually portrayed that atonement had been thoroughly made, purging the effects of sin from all consecrated areas of the Tabernacle, allowing God to continue dwelling among His imperfect people. This meticulous process powerfully prefigures the unique and perfect atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ, whose shed blood cleanses believers from all sin, granting immediate and eternal access into God's very presence, effectively accomplishing what these rituals could only foreshadow.