Leviticus 4 21

Leviticus 4:21 kjv

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.

Leviticus 4:21 nkjv

Then he shall carry the bull outside the camp, and burn it as he burned the first bull. It is a sin offering for the assembly.

Leviticus 4:21 niv

Then he shall take the bull outside the camp and burn it as he burned the first bull. This is the sin offering for the community.

Leviticus 4:21 esv

And he shall carry the bull outside the camp and burn it up as he burned the first bull; it is the sin offering for the assembly.

Leviticus 4:21 nlt

Then the priest must take what is left of the bull and carry it outside the camp and burn it there, just as is done with the sin offering for the high priest. This offering is for the sin of the entire congregation of Israel.

Leviticus 4 verses

Leviticus 4 21 Meaning

Leviticus 4:21 describes the final stage of the ritual for the sin offering of either the high priest or the whole congregation of Israel, whose unintentional sin had defiled the community and the sanctuary. The verse instructs that the carcass of the sacrificed bullock, whose blood had been presented within the Tabernacle, must be physically removed from the consecrated camp. Once outside, it was to be completely consumed by fire in a designated clean area. This thorough expulsion and destruction of the sin-bearing animal underscored the defiling nature of sin and the complete, judgmental purging required for atonement. The instruction to burn it "as he burned the first bullock" indicates adherence to an established divine pattern for major sin offerings. The mention of "the burning place of the congregation" signifies that this seemingly external act was a specific, ritually clean location integral to the community's purification from sin.

Leviticus 4 21 Context

Leviticus chapter 4 meticulously outlines the procedures for chatta't, the sin offering, which provides atonement for unintentional sins committed by various groups. It details the sacrifice required, the handling of its blood within the Tabernacle, and the subsequent disposal of the carcass. The specific laws are tailored to the status of the offender: the anointed priest (vv. 3-12), the whole congregation of Israel (vv. 13-21), a ruler (vv. 22-26), and a common person (vv. 27-35).

Leviticus 4:21 falls within the section addressing the sin of "the whole congregation" (vv. 13-21). If the community as a whole sins unintentionally and becomes aware of its guilt, a young bull must be brought. The elders lay their hands on its head (v. 15), identifying with the sacrifice. The blood is then treated with extreme solemnity, brought into the Holy Place of the Tabernacle, where it is sprinkled seven times before the veil and smeared on the horns of the altar of incense (vv. 16-18). This demonstrates that corporate sin defiled God's dwelling place, requiring internal cleansing. Only after this ritual application of blood does verse 21 command the removal and burning of the carcass outside the camp. This entire sequence highlights that communal sin necessitates a communal atonement process, similar in gravity and procedure to that of the high priest's personal sin. The consistent theme is God's absolute holiness, the pervasive nature of sin's defilement, and the divine demand for thorough purgation to maintain the purity of the covenant community.

Leviticus 4 21 Word analysis

• And he shall carry forth (וְהוֹצִיא, v'hohtzi): This Hiphil perfect form, joined by "and," signifies a direct and definite command for action by the officiating priest. The root yatsa' (יצא) means "to go out, bring out," emphasizing the active and necessary physical removal of the defiling entity.
• the bullock (אֶת־הַפָּר, et-ha-par): Refers to a young male bovine, specifically designated as the high-value sacrifice for sins of the priest or the entire community. Its value reflects the gravity of the sin being atoned for. It is prescribed as "without blemish" (Lev 4:3, 14), symbolizing the perfect offering God demands.
• outside the camp (אֶל־מִחוּץ לַמַּחֲנֶה, el-mikhuts la-machaneh): A pivotal theological concept. Mikhuts (מִחוּץ) means "outside," and machaneh (מַחֲנֶה) refers to the Israelite encampment. This specified location highlights ritual separation. The "camp" represented God's holy dwelling place with His people, a microcosm of sacred space. Therefore, anything associated with severe sin's removal (like these specific sin offering carcasses, lepers, or uncleanness) had to be expelled from this sacred area to preserve its purity. It symbolizes judgment and thorough purging of defilement from the community.
• and burn him (וְשָׂרַף אֹתוֹ, v'saraf oto): The verb saraf (שָׂרַף) means "to burn, consume by fire." This is not just disposal but total destruction. In a sacrificial context, fire can signify judgment, complete consumption, and the utter destruction of the sin (symbolically placed on the animal) so it no longer pollutes. It is a cleansing and annihilating force, emphasizing the finality of sin's judgment.
• as he burned (כַּאֲשֶׁר שָׂרַף, ka'asher saraf): The phrase ka'asher (כַּאֲשֶׁר), "as, according to that which," emphasizes precise adherence to an established procedure. This indicates the meticulous nature of these divinely ordained rituals and their non-negotiable standards.
• the first bullock (אֵת הַפָּר הָרִאשֹׁוֹן, et ha-par ha-rishon): This refers to the bullock offered for the anointed priest's sin described in Leviticus 4:3-12. By referencing this prior case, the verse establishes continuity and underscores that the congregation's sin, when its blood is brought into the holy place, demands the same strict and defiling disposal as that of the high priest. It ensures consistency in protocol for the most grievous (though unintentional) sins.
• at the burning place of the congregation: While not in all KJV renditions of 4:21 (which usually concludes with "it is a sin offering for the congregation"), this phrase implies a specific, ritually clean location designated for this purpose outside the camp, often referenced in conjunction with the "place of ashes" (Lev 4:12). It wasn't an arbitrary waste heap. This detail underlines that even the physical disposal of that which carried sin was part of the meticulously ordered ritual. It connects the "place" of judgment to the "congregation" for whom the atonement was made. This area, though external, was critical for maintaining the internal purity of the holy community by completely separating the sin's physical embodiment from it.

Leviticus 4 21 Bonus section

• Types of Sin Offerings: It's important to distinguish this specific treatment of the sin offering from others in Leviticus 4-6. Only sin offerings for the high priest (Lev 4:3-12) and the entire congregation (Lev 4:13-21)—where blood was brought into the Holy Place of the Tabernacle—required the carcass to be burned outside the camp. For rulers and ordinary individuals, the meat of the sin offering was to be eaten by the priests in a holy place within the court (Lev 6:26), as it "bear the iniquity of the congregation" (Lev 10:17), effectively internalizing the expiation. This distinction highlights the difference in severity and scope of defilement addressed.
• The Weight of Corporate Sin: The elaborate ritual for the congregation's unintentional sin emphasizes that collective actions and ignorance have consequences, just as individual transgressions do. The need for a high-value bullock and a comprehensive, public ritual of expiation reinforced the understanding that corporate sin defiles the entire covenant community, potentially endangering God's continued presence among them.
• Christ's Atonement and Purity: The meticulous purity standards illustrated in this verse, demanding the physical removal of anything ritually unclean from God's presence, powerfully underline the perfection and completeness of Christ's atonement. He fully absorbed the uncleanness and judgment, becoming "sin" for us (2 Cor 5:21), so that we might be brought into a permanent, purified fellowship with a holy God. He completely burnt up our sin on the cross, ensuring no vestige remains for those who believe.

Leviticus 4 21 Commentary

Leviticus 4:21 encapsulates a profound theological truth within a prescribed ritual action: the utter incompatibility of sin with God's holiness. The bullock, a substitute laden with the symbolic guilt of the congregation, must be violently expelled "outside the camp" and utterly consumed by fire. This exclusion emphasizes the severe defilement caused by communal sin, so intense that even the offering making atonement for it cannot remain within the hallowed space where God dwells. The camp represents God's presence among His people; anything associated with major sin, once dealt with by blood inside the sanctuary, had to be removed far from that presence to signal its complete alienation.

The command to "burn him as he burned the first bullock" highlights the fixed, non-negotiable nature of divine commands concerning sin. Whether for the high priest or the entire community, the process for significant, contaminating sin was rigorously the same. Burning signified the finality of judgment and the comprehensive obliteration of sin's influence. It wasn't just a physical act of waste disposal but a visible testimony to the consequences of sin and the radical nature of God's purification.

The nuanced phrasing "at the burning place of the congregation" indicates a specifically designated and ritually clean location beyond the camp for this solemn act. This was not haphazard disposal but an organized, ritual site, reaffirming that the complete purging of sin was an integral, God-ordained part of the atonement process for the community. This rigorous separation of sin through removal and destruction allowed the camp to remain holy, a fitting dwelling place for the Almighty.

This Levitical ritual serves as a potent shadow pointing to the ultimate sin offering: Jesus Christ. Just as the sin offering was taken outside the camp, rejected and scorned, Jesus "suffered outside the gate" (Heb 13:12) of Jerusalem, bearing the reproach and judgment due to human sin. He became the full realization of that defiled, yet atoning, sacrifice, allowing His divine fire of purity and justice to completely consume sin in His own body. Through His once-for-all sacrifice, He eternally purifies His people, making us able to dwell in God's presence, freed from the necessity of continual sacrifices for sin. Our part, therefore, is to continually put away our sin, separating ourselves from what defiles, metaphorically "carrying it forth outside the camp" of our lives and utterly burning it, just as Christ bore and destroyed the penalty of our sin.