Leviticus 4 33

Leviticus 4:33 kjv

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.

Leviticus 4:33 nkjv

Then he shall lay his hand on the head of the sin offering, and kill it as a sin offering at the place where they kill the burnt offering.

Leviticus 4:33 niv

They are to lay their hand on its head and slaughter it for a sin offering at the place where the burnt offering is slaughtered.

Leviticus 4:33 esv

and lay his hand on the head of the sin offering and kill it for a sin offering in the place where they kill the burnt offering.

Leviticus 4:33 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 33 Meaning

Leviticus 4:33 describes the final ritual steps performed by a common person presenting a sin offering (חַטָּאת, chaṭṭāṯ) for an unintentional sin. The individual would place their hand upon the head of the sacrificial animal, an act symbolizing identification with the animal and the transfer of their sin and guilt onto it. Immediately following this, the animal would be slain in the prescribed area on the north side of the altar of burnt offering, thereby providing atonement (כָּפַר, kāpar) for the individual's unwitting transgression against God's commands. This act culminates the individual's role in the purification process, enabling their reconciliation with God.

Leviticus 4 33 Context

Leviticus chapter 4 meticulously details the laws for the sin offering, known in Hebrew as chaṭṭāṯ. This offering was specifically prescribed for unintentional sins, transgressions committed without premeditation or defiant rebellion, yet still defiling and requiring purification for maintaining a holy relationship with God. The procedures varied based on the status of the individual committing the sin: the anointed priest (vv. 3-12), the whole congregation (vv. 13-21), a leader (vv. 22-26), or a common individual (vv. 27-35). Verse 33 falls under the instruction for a common person who "sins unintentionally in anything against any of the commandments of the Lord."

Historically, the sin offering underscored God's absolute holiness and the pervasive nature of sin, even unwitting. It provided a divine remedy for human failing within the Mosaic Covenant, distinguishing Israel's worship from pagan practices that often sought to appease capricious deities. The detailed rituals highlighted the seriousness of sin, the necessity of blood atonement, and the pathway to communal and individual purity, allowing for ongoing communion with a holy God. The entire Tabernacle/Temple sacrificial system pointed to a greater, ultimate sacrifice yet to come.

Leviticus 4 33 Word Analysis

• And he shall lay his hand (וְשָׂמַךְ יָדוֹ, vəśāmakh yādô):
  • וְשָׂמַךְ (vəśāmakh) "and he shall lay" (from סָמַךְ, samakh): To lean, support, put hands upon. This is a crucial ritualistic act. It signifies identification of the offerer with the sacrifice. It also symbolizes the transfer of guilt and sin from the individual to the animal, conceptually burdening the animal with the defilement that needs to be cleansed. This act is central to the substitutionary nature of the sacrifice, where an innocent life takes the place of the guilty. It highlights personal accountability and participation in the atonement process.
  • יָדוֹ (yādô) "his hand": Denotes the individual Israelite, male or female, who brought the offering. The personal engagement underscores their active role in seeking atonement.
• upon the head (עַל רֹאשׁ, ʻal ro'sh):
  • רֹאשׁ (ro'sh) "head": The head is often seen as the seat of identity or control. Laying the hand on the head makes the identification explicit and personal, directly connecting the offerer's being (their sin, guilt) with the substitute. This specific point of contact ritualistically directs the transfer of accountability.
• of the sin offering (הַחַטָּאת, ha-chaṭṭāṯ):
  • חַטָּאת (chaṭṭāṯ): This term uniquely refers to both "sin" and the "sin offering" or "purification offering." It underscores the inherent connection between the transgression and the means of its rectification. The chaṭṭāṯ was not primarily for forgiveness in the sense of overcoming anger (as in pagan appeasement), but for cleansing impurity that made the worshiper unfit for God's presence, whether that impurity arose from moral fault or ritual defilement. Its purpose was to atone for sins committed unknowingly or unintentionally, which would otherwise hinder fellowship with a holy God and community.
• and slay it (וְשָׁחַט אֹתוֹ, vəshāḥaṭ ’ôtô):
  • וְשָׁחַט (vəshāḥaṭ) "and slay" (from שָׁחַט, shachaṭ): To slaughter, kill ritually. This is a specific term for the priestly or ritually clean slaughtering of animals for sacrifice, ensuring the blood is shed properly. It implies not just death, but the controlled, prescribed taking of life, foundational to the concept of atonement through blood.
  • אֹתוֹ (’ôtô) "it": Refers to the animal itself (typically a female goat for a common person), the innocent substitute that undergoes death.
• for a sin offering (לְחַטָּאת, lə-chaṭṭāṯ):
  • לְחַטָּאת (lə-chaṭṭāṯ): Reiterates the purpose. The killing is not for meat or any other reason but specifically for the chaṭṭāṯ ritual—to make atonement and purify. It emphasizes the divinely ordained purpose of the act, establishing purity for fellowship.
• in the place where they kill the burnt offering (בִּמְקוֹם אֲשֶׁר יִשְׁחַט אֶת־הָעֹלָה, bimqôm ’ăsher yishḥaṭ ’et-hā‘ōlāh):
  • בִּמְקוֹם (bimqôm) "in the place": The ritual precision of God's law demands a specific, sacred location for sacrifice.
  • אֲשֶׁר יִשְׁחַט אֶת־הָעֹלָה (’ăsher yishḥaṭ ’et-hā‘ōlāh) "where they kill the burnt offering": This specified location was on the north side of the altar in the Tabernacle (or later the Temple), "before the Lord." This fixed, sacred space underlined the seriousness and sacredness of the sacrificial act, emphasizing that it was an act performed before God, not merely a utilitarian act. Sharing the location with the burnt offering (whole burnt offering, often a general act of devotion) highlighted that the chaṭṭāṯ, though focused on specific sin, was part of a broader devotional and purification system maintaining a relationship with God. The location might also reflect the orientation for blood disposal and altar proximity.

Words-group analysis:

• "he shall lay his hand upon the head of the sin offering": This phrase encapsulates the vicarious substitutionary atonement. The hand on the head establishes a symbolic link, transferring the offerer's spiritual "burden" onto the animal. This visual and tactile act of identification is a precursor to the shedding of blood, signifying that the animal now bears the weight of the sin and is about to pay its consequence.
• "and slay it for a sin offering in the place where they kill the burnt offering": This phrase details the execution of the atonement in a precise, ritualistic manner and location. The act of slaying (shachaṭ), rather than merely killing, highlights the sacred and ordained nature of the sacrifice. Doing so in the specific place for burnt offerings reinforces the sanctity of the Tabernacle's sacrificial operations and the singular authority of God in prescribing these means of approach. It connects the removal of sin (sin offering) with the act of complete dedication (burnt offering), emphasizing purity as essential for true worship.

Leviticus 4 33 Bonus Section

• Female Goat for a Common Person: While Leviticus 4:28 specifies a female goat or female lamb for a common person, verse 32 details a lamb as an option. The use of a goat was often common, as it represented a readily available and typical offering for the common Israelite, reflecting God's grace in making atonement accessible.
• Blood Ritual after Slaughter: Though not mentioned in v. 33, immediately after the slaughter, the priest would take some of the blood and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering and pour the rest at the base of the altar. This blood application was the actual act of atonement (Lev 4:34). It underscored the concept that "the life of the creature is in the blood" (Lev 17:11) and was vital for making reconciliation.
• Holiness and Separation: The specific regulations for the chaṭṭāṯ highlighted that even unintentional breaches of God's holy law were serious. They defiled the individual and could, if unaddressed, pollute the sanctuary, jeopardizing God's presence among His people. The sin offering thus functioned as a purifying agent to restore ritual and spiritual cleanness, essential for a people called to be holy as God is holy (Lev 11:44).

Leviticus 4 33 Commentary

Leviticus 4:33 succinctly captures a pivotal moment in the ancient Israelite's atonement process for unintentional sin. The act of placing one's hand on the sacrificial animal's head symbolizes profound identification and the legal transfer of sin and guilt. This intimate gesture signified that the animal was, in essence, taking the place of the guilty individual, absorbing their defilement. The subsequent ritualistic slaying was the consequence of that transferred sin – death. This blood sacrifice was indispensable, as the shedding of blood was divinely ordained as the means for atonement and cleansing, establishing a re-purification and restoration of the covenant relationship. The specific location of slaughter underscored the sacred order of divine worship, emphasizing that atonement was not a casual act but a precise, divinely instituted procedure. While a temporary and recurring means of covering sin under the Old Covenant, this elaborate ritual profoundly prefigured the ultimate and perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ. He, "who knew no sin," willingly allowed humanity's sins to be laid upon Him, suffering the full penalty on the cross as the final and sufficient Sin Offering, forever purifying those who believe from their transgressions (2 Cor 5:21, Heb 9:26, Heb 10:10). The efficacy of Christ's sacrifice meant that the continual slaying of animals became obsolete, for His once-for-all shedding of blood accomplished complete and eternal redemption.