Leviticus 4 29

Leviticus 4:29 kjv

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 4:29 nkjv

And he shall lay his hand on the head of the sin offering, and kill the sin offering at the place of the burnt offering.

Leviticus 4:29 niv

They are to lay their hand on the head of the sin offering and slaughter it at the place of the burnt offering.

Leviticus 4:29 esv

And he shall lay his hand on the head of the sin offering and kill the sin offering in the place of burnt offering.

Leviticus 4:29 nlt

They must lay a hand on the head of the sin offering and slaughter it at the place where burnt offerings are slaughtered.

Leviticus 4 verses

Leviticus 4 29 Meaning

Leviticus 4:29 details a crucial step in the procedure for the sin offering of a common person. It describes the physical action where the offerer lays their hand upon the head of the animal to be sacrificed. This action signifies identification, transfer of guilt, and substitution, where the offerer's sin is symbolically placed upon the innocent animal. Following this, the verse mandates the slaughter of the animal in the designated area near the altar of burnt offering, emphasizing the necessity of a life taken for atonement.

Leviticus 4 29 Context

Leviticus chapter 4 specifically details the procedure for chatta't (sin) offerings, which were prescribed for unintentional sins, committed by ignorance or oversight. These sins could defile the individual or the community, hindering their fellowship with a holy God. The chapter outlines variations based on the status of the offender: an anointed priest (vv. 3-12), the whole congregation (vv. 13-21), a leader (vv. 22-26), or a common individual (vv. 27-35), with our verse specifically addressing the latter. Historically and culturally, these rituals were essential within the Israelite covenant for maintaining purity and addressing transgressions against YHWH’s holiness. They stand in stark contrast to pagan worship, where sacrifices often aimed to appease capricious deities or were part of fertility rites, lacking the structured concept of specific atonement for moral failures and the transfer of guilt as outlined in God’s Law. These procedures emphasized the gravity of sin, the need for blood to make atonement, and YHWH’s provision for forgiveness.

Leviticus 4 29 Word Analysis

• And he shall lay (וְסָמַךְ wə·sā·maḵ):
  • Meaning: The Hebrew verb samakh means to lean upon, rest upon, or support. In the context of sacrifices, it signifies the formal act of transferring something—be it authority, blessing, or in this case, sin—from the offerer to the one or thing upon which the hand is laid.
  • Significance: It's an act of deep identification. The offerer symbolically places their own being and guilt onto the animal. This is not a casual touch but a deliberate, firm action representing the transference of identity and culpability. It sets the stage for the animal to bear the consequences of the offerer's sin.
• his hand (יָדוֹ yā·ḏōw):
  • Meaning: Refers to the offerer's singular hand.
  • Significance: The action is individual and intentional. It highlights personal responsibility for the sin and the deliberate act of seeking atonement through the prescribed means.
• on the head (עַל־רֹאשׁ ‘al-rōš):
  • Meaning: The most prominent part of the body.
  • Significance: Placing the hand on the head symbolizes placing sin or identity onto the entire being of the animal. It ensures the whole animal is designated for this specific purpose of sin-bearing. The head is also where thoughts originate, further linking it to conscious or unconscious transgression.
• of the sin offering (הַחַטָּאת haḵ·ḥaṭ·ṭāṯ):
  • Meaning: Chatta't (also hatta't). While commonly translated as "sin offering," the word itself primarily means "sin," "punishment for sin," or "purification." The animal itself is called "the sin."
  • Significance: This implies that the animal literally "becomes sin" or "bears sin." It doesn't just atone for sin but embodies the very essence of sin's guilt and consequences for the purpose of its removal. This highlights the concept of substitutionary atonement where the innocent animal takes the place of the guilty offerer.
• and slaughter it (וְשָׁחַט wə·šā·ḥaṭ):
  • Meaning: The Hebrew verb shachat refers to ritual slaughter, typically by cutting the throat.
  • Significance: This precise act is critical. It ensures the shedding of blood, which the Law repeatedly states is necessary for atonement because "the life of the flesh is in the blood" (Lev 17:11). The act of taking a life for sin emphasizes the gravity of sin—it carries the penalty of death.
• at the place (בִּמְקוֹם bim·qōwm):
  • Meaning: Specific designated location.
  • Significance: Underscores the highly ordered and regulated nature of Tabernacle worship. Every step had a divine prescription. This points to the specificity of God’s plan for dealing with sin, which later finds its ultimate specificity in Christ’s crucifixion at a particular time and place.
• of the burnt offering (הָעֹלָה hā·‘ō·lāh):
  • Meaning: The Olah, meaning "what goes up" or "ascent," indicating a sacrifice entirely consumed by fire upon the altar, signifying total devotion.
  • Significance: This phrase clarifies that the slaughtering of the sin offering happens in the same general vicinity as the daily burnt offerings, typically on the north side of the altar (Lev 1:11). This links the particular act of atoning for an unintentional sin with the overarching system of sacrifice that speaks to propitiation and consecration.

Words-Group Analysis:

• "And he shall lay his hand on the head of the sin offering": This phrase encapsulates the vital principle of substitution and identification. The human offerer transfers their guilt to the innocent animal, making the animal the sin-bearer. It underscores the profound theological truth that someone else must bear the penalty for sin.
• "and slaughter it at the place of the burnt offering": This segment emphasizes the necessity of blood atonement and the divinely ordained ritual precision. The death of the animal signifies the penalty of sin and the mechanism through which atonement is secured. Placing it "at the place of the burnt offering" links it to the central act of communion with a holy God through continuous sacrifice and purification, showing that forgiveness is provided within the established covenant relationship.

Leviticus 4 29 Bonus Section

• Types of Chatta't Offering Animals: For an individual (common person) described here, the specific animal specified earlier in Leviticus 4 was a female goat (v. 28) or a female lamb (v. 32). This particularity shows that God prescribed distinct sacrifices for various offenders and situations.
• Intentional vs. Unintentional Sins: The sin offering specifically dealt with unintentional sins. High-handed, deliberate sins ("with a defiant hand" or "blasphemes the Lord," Num 15:30-31) were typically not atoned for by these sacrifices, sometimes resulting in being "cut off from among his people." This highlights the difference in severity and divine response to different categories of sin, underscoring that while God provided atonement for failures due to weakness, deliberate rebellion had graver consequences.
• Ritual Purity: These offerings were crucial not just for moral wrongdoing, but also for restoring ritual purity after an unintentional transgression had made an Israelite ceremonially unclean, thus hindering their ability to participate fully in the communal worship and access to the sacred spaces.

Leviticus 4 29 Commentary

Leviticus 4:29 is pivotal in illustrating the principle of substitutionary atonement in Old Testament worship. The act of laying hands signifies the personal transfer of guilt and responsibility for unintentional sin from the human offerer to the animal sacrifice. This makes the innocent animal, the chatta't (the 'sin-bearer'), accountable for the transgression, which then faces the penalty of death through ritual slaughter. The shedding of the animal's blood at the altar's specific location, near where the daily whole burnt offerings were made, underscores that life must be given for sin to be expiated and divine holiness upheld. This entire elaborate ritual foreshadows the ultimate and perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ, who, being innocent, became sin for humanity (2 Cor 5:21), bore its penalty (Isa 53:4-6; 1 Pet 2:24), and shed His blood on the cross once for all (Heb 9:22, Heb 10:11-14) as the complete and final sin offering, rendering all previous animal sacrifices obsolete in His fulfillment. This divine provision shows God's graciousness in offering a way for sinful humanity to approach and be reconciled to Him.