Leviticus 4:4 kjv
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 4:4 nkjv
He shall bring the bull to the door of the tabernacle of meeting before the LORD, lay his hand on the bull's head, and kill the bull before the LORD.
Leviticus 4:4 niv
He is to present the bull at the entrance to the tent of meeting before the LORD. He is to lay his hand on its head and slaughter it there before the LORD.
Leviticus 4:4 esv
He shall bring the bull to the entrance of the tent of meeting before the LORD and lay his hand on the head of the bull and kill the bull before the LORD.
Leviticus 4:4 nlt
He must bring the bull to the LORD at the entrance of the Tabernacle, lay his hand on the bull's head, and slaughter it before the LORD.
Leviticus 4 4 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Exo 29:10 | "And thou shalt cause the bullock to be brought before the tabernacle...lay their hands upon the head..." | Laying on hands for ordination/atonement |
| Lev 1:3-4 | "If his offering be a burnt sacrifice...he shall bring...he shall put his hand upon the head..." | Similar procedure for burnt offering |
| Lev 3:2 | "He shall lay his hand upon the head of his offering, and kill it..." | Similar procedure for peace offering |
| Lev 4:15 | "And the elders...shall lay their hands upon the head of the bullock..." | Congregation's leaders identify with sin offering |
| Lev 8:14 | "And he brought the bullock for the sin offering: and Aaron and his sons laid their hands upon the head..." | Priests consecrated through sin offering ritual |
| Num 8:12 | "And the Levites shall lay their hands upon the heads of the bullocks..." | Levite consecration via sin offering |
| Isa 53:6 | "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned...the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all." | Prophecy of vicarious sin transfer to Messiah |
| Jn 1:29 | "The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." | Jesus as the ultimate sin-bearing sacrifice |
| Rom 3:25 | "Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood..." | Christ as propitiatory sacrifice for sins |
| Rom 8:3 | "For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh..." | God’s solution for sin through Christ |
| 2 Cor 5:21 | "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." | Christ's identification with our sin |
| Heb 7:27 | "Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice...for this he did once, when he offered up himself." | Christ's perfect, singular sacrifice |
| Heb 9:12 | "Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us." | Christ's eternal atonement by His own blood |
| Heb 9:22 | "And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission." | Necessity of blood for forgiveness |
| 1 Pet 1:18-19 | "Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed...with corruptible things...but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish..." | Christ's sinless sacrifice for redemption |
| 1 Jn 1:9 | "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." | Principle of confession and divine forgiveness |
| Psa 32:5 | "I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid...and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin." | Confession as prerequisite for forgiveness |
| Exo 25:22 | "And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat..." | The Tent of Meeting as a place of divine encounter |
| Exo 29:11 | "And thou shalt kill the bullock before the LORD, by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation." | Specific place for killing sacrificial animals |
| Lev 6:25 | "Speak unto Aaron and to his sons, saying, This is the law of the sin offering: In the place where the burnt offering is killed shall the sin offering be killed..." | Further specification of killing location |
| Mt 27:29 | "And they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews!" | Parallel of "laying on" or identifying with Christ's humiliation |
Leviticus 4 verses
Leviticus 4 4 Meaning
Leviticus 4:4 details the initial steps for an unintentional sin offering made by a priest or the whole congregation. It describes the sinner bringing a specific animal, a bullock, to a sacred location, the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, before the presence of the Lord. The core ritual involves the offender placing their hand upon the animal's head, symbolically transferring their sin and guilt onto it, and then sacrificing the bullock at that designated place. This sequence underscores the requirement for identification with the sacrificial victim before atonement could occur.
Leviticus 4 4 Context
Leviticus chapter 4 introduces the laws for the sin offering (chatta’th), specifically dealing with unintentional sins committed by different classes of people within Israel. Prior chapters covered offerings for consecration or communion with God (burnt offering, grain offering, peace offering), whereas the sin offering addresses the defilement caused by breaking God's commands unintentionally. Verse 4 begins the detailed procedure for the sin offering when either the anointed priest (Lev 4:3) or the entire congregation (Lev 4:13) commits such a sin. The context emphasizes the high value placed on maintaining holiness and the need for immediate, precise atonement even for non-willful transgression, ensuring God's holy presence could remain among His people. The instructions highlight the necessity of specific rituals and designated sacred spaces for reconciliation.
Leviticus 4 4 Word analysis
And he shall bring: (וְהֵבִיא wəhêḇîʾ) Implies a responsibility or obligation for the individual or collective represented (the priest or the congregation's elders) to personally initiate the sacrificial process. This is an active and necessary step for atonement.
the bullock: (אֶת־הַפַּר ’eṯ-happār) A young male ox, signifying a valuable and significant sacrifice. This choice indicates the gravity of the sin, particularly for a priest or the community, and the high cost of atonement required for serious defilement, even if unintentional. It implies strength, purity, and unblemished quality necessary for the offering.
unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: (אֶל־פֶּתַח אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד ’el-petaḥ ’ohel mô‘ēḏ) The precise, holy location where God met with Israel (the Tent of Meeting). "Door" signifies the point of entry and access to God's presence, highlighting that atonement must occur at the divinely appointed place. This space functions as the ceremonial interface between the holy and the common, enabling the restoration of a relationship with God. It emphasizes ordered worship and God's specified pathway for access.
before the LORD: (לִפְנֵי יְהוָה liḵnê YHWH) Indicates the offering is directly in God's sight, an act of worship and petition to Him. This reinforces the sanctity of the place and the direct, personal nature of seeking forgiveness from the divine sovereign. It emphasizes the truth that only God can forgive sin.
and shall lay his hand upon the head of the bullock: (וְסָמַךְ יָדוֹ עַל־רֹאשׁ הַפַּר wəsāmaḵ yādô ‘al-rō’š happar) A critical ritual act. Sāmaḵ implies leaning, pressing firmly, or relying on. This act symbolizes identification and substitution: the sin and guilt of the offender are ceremonially transferred from the person onto the innocent animal, and the animal takes the place of the sinner. It’s a physical embodiment of confession and the imputation of sin onto the sacrifice.
and kill the bullock: (וְשָׁחַט אֶת־הַפַּר wəšaḥaṭ ’eṯ-happār) The act of slaughter, resulting in the shedding of blood. Shaḥaṭ specifically refers to the cutting of the throat. This is the culmination of the identification and transfer, as the innocent animal's life is taken to atone for the sin of the one it represents. This reinforces the principle that "without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness" (Heb 9:22), emphasizing the gravity of sin and the cost of expiation.
He shall bring...before the LORD...lay his hand...and kill the bullock: This sequence outlines the necessary ritual steps: Presentation (bringing the offering), Identification (laying on of hands), and Execution (killing the sacrifice). Each step is indispensable and precisely ordered, underscoring the seriousness and specificity of God's covenant requirements for sin atonement. The action flows from the individual's admission of sin to the animal's death, signifying the cost and process of reconciliation.
Leviticus 4 4 Bonus section
The Hebrew word for "sin offering" (chatta’th) is intrinsically linked to the word for "sin" (chet). However, in certain contexts, chatta’th can also denote the consequence of sin, or the act of cleansing from sin, emphasizing its dual role as both an offering for sin and an offering that removes or purifies from sin. The high value of the bullock also reflects the standing of the sinner – the more influential the person (e.g., priest) or group (e.g., congregation), the more valuable the sacrifice. This principle teaches that spiritual leadership carries greater responsibility, and their errors have broader consequences, requiring a more significant act of atonement to purify the entire community. This passage demonstrates God's demand for absolute holiness, not just intentional obedience, providing a meticulous system for dealing with inevitable human failing and maintaining a restored relationship with His people.
Leviticus 4 4 Commentary
Leviticus 4:4 lays out the foundational steps for the priestly or congregational sin offering, centralizing the concepts of substitution and atonement. The demand to bring a "bullock," a significant and costly animal, emphasizes the gravity of sin, even unintentional sin, and the price required for its removal. The "door of the Tent of Meeting" specifies that reconciliation with God can only happen through His appointed means and at His designated sacred space, signifying God's precise terms for drawing near. The act of "laying hands on the head of the bullock" is profound. It's a vivid, physical representation of sin being imputed or transferred from the offending party onto the innocent victim. This ritualistic act is not merely symbolic; it’s an identification. The subsequent act of "killing the bullock" seals this identification, highlighting that sin leads to death, and an innocent life must be taken to satisfy divine justice and bring about purification. This meticulously detailed procedure points to a deeper theological truth: the need for an innocent substitute to bear the consequences of sin, ultimately fulfilled in the perfect and singular sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, who willingly became identified with humanity's sin to provide a complete and final atonement (2 Cor 5:21; Heb 9:12).