Leviticus 4: The sin offering

In plain English: Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

In plain English: "Speak to the Israelites and say, 'If anyone sins by mistake (without meaning to) against any of the things Yahweh has commanded not to be done, and does any one of them,

The Hebrew word: "Unintentionally" is shegagah, which the dictionary gives as "a mistake or inadvertent transgression".

How it is translated: In Leviticus this Bible says "unwittingly" in 4 of the 6 verses that use the word, and "unintentionally" in 1, this one.

Good to know: The offerings in this chapter are for wrongs done without meaning to. Numbers 15:30 says the one who sins "with a high hand" is to be cut off from his people.

In plain English: if it is the anointed priest who sins, bringing guilt on the people, he is to bring Yahweh a young bull with no defect as a sin offering (or: purification offering) for the sin he has committed.

The Hebrew word: "Sin offering" is chatta'ah, the same word as "sin" later in this verse ("for his sin"). The dictionary gives it as "an offence", and also its "sacrifice, or expiation".

How it is translated: In Leviticus this Bible says "sin" in 58 of the 66 verses that use chatta'ah. It comes from the word chata, which this Bible gives as "purified" in 8:15, where Moses purifies the altar with blood.

What changes: Read as "purification offering", the name says the offering makes clean: here its blood is put in front of the veil and on the horns of the altar (verses 6 and 7). Read as "sin offering", the name says what it is for: a sin that was done.

Good to know: "The anointed priest" uses mashiach, which the dictionary gives as "anointed", and "specifically, the Messiah". In Leviticus the word is in 4 verses, always for the priest. Aaron is anointed in 8:12.

In plain English: He is to bring the bull to the door of the Tent of Meeting before Yahweh, lay his hand on the bull's head, and kill the bull before Yahweh.

In plain English: The anointed priest is to take some of the bull's blood and bring it into the Tent of Meeting.

In plain English: The priest is to dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle some of it seven times before Yahweh, in front of the veil (curtain) of the sanctuary.

In plain English: The priest is to put some of the blood on the horns of the altar of sweet incense before Yahweh, which is in the Tent of Meeting. He is to pour out all the rest of the bull's blood at the base of the altar of burnt offering, at the door of the Tent of Meeting.

Good to know: The altar of sweet incense is the golden altar inside the Tent, in front of the veil (Exodus 40:26). The altar of burnt offering stands outside, at the door (Exodus 40:29).

In plain English: He is to take all the fat from the bull of the sin offering: the fat that covers the insides, and all the fat that is on the insides,

In plain English: and the two kidneys with the fat on them, by the loins, and the covering of the liver, which he is to remove with the kidneys,

In plain English: just as it is removed from the bull of the sacrifice of peace offerings. The priest is to burn them on the altar of burnt offering.

In plain English: He is to carry the bull's skin and all its meat, with its head, its legs, its insides, and its dung,

In plain English: all the rest of the bull, outside the camp to a clean place where the ashes are poured out, and burn it on wood with fire. It is to be burned where the ashes are poured out.

In plain English: If the whole community of Israel sins by mistake (or: goes astray), and the matter is hidden from the eyes of the assembly, and they have done any of the things Yahweh has commanded not to be done, and are guilty,

In plain English: when the sin they have committed becomes known, the assembly is to offer a young bull as a sin offering and bring it before the Tent of Meeting.

In plain English: The elders of the community are to lay their hands on the bull's head before Yahweh, and the bull is to be killed before Yahweh.

In plain English: The anointed priest is to bring some of the bull's blood into the Tent of Meeting.

In plain English: The priest is to dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle it seven times before Yahweh, in front of the veil.

In plain English: He is to put some of the blood on the horns of the altar that is before Yahweh in the Tent of Meeting, and pour out all the rest of the blood at the base of the altar of burnt offering, at the door of the Tent of Meeting.

In plain English: He is to take all its fat from it and burn it on the altar.

In plain English: He is to do with this bull just as he did with the bull of the sin offering. The priest is to make atonement for them, and they will be forgiven.

In plain English: He is to carry the bull outside the camp and burn it as he burned the first bull. It is the sin offering for the assembly.

In plain English: When a leader (or: ruler) sins, and by mistake does any one of the things Yahweh his God has commanded not to be done, and is guilty,

In plain English: if the sin he has committed is made known to him, he is to bring as his offering a male goat with no defect.

In plain English: He is to lay his hand on the goat's head and kill it before Yahweh, in the place where the burnt offering is killed. It is a sin offering.

In plain English: The priest is to take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering. He is to pour out the rest of its blood at the base of the altar of burnt offering.

In plain English: He is to burn all its fat on the altar, like the fat of the sacrifice of peace offerings. The priest is to make atonement for him for his sin, and he will be forgiven.

In plain English: If any of the common people (literally: the people of the land) sins by mistake, doing any of the things Yahweh has commanded not to be done, and is guilty,

In plain English: if the sin he has committed is made known to him, he is to bring as his offering a female goat with no defect, for the sin he has committed.

In plain English: He is to lay his hand on the head of the sin offering and kill it in the place of the burnt offering.

In plain English: The priest is to take some of its blood with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and pour out all the rest of its blood at the base of the altar.

In plain English: He is to take away all its fat, just as the fat is taken away from the sacrifice of peace offerings. The priest is to burn it on the altar as a pleasant aroma to Yahweh. The priest is to make atonement for him, and he will be forgiven.

In plain English: If he brings a lamb as his offering for a sin offering, he is to bring a female with no defect.

In plain English: He is to lay his hand on the head of the sin offering and kill it as a sin offering in the place where the burnt offering is killed.

In plain English: The priest is to take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and pour out all the rest of its blood at the base of the altar.

In plain English: He is to remove all its fat, just as the fat of the lamb is removed from the sacrifice of peace offerings. The priest is to burn it on the altar, on top of Yahweh's offerings made by fire. The priest is to make atonement for him for the sin he has committed, and he will be forgiven.