Leviticus 1:4
in Leviticus 1He is to lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, so it can be accepted on his behalf to make atonement for him.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And he shall lay his hand upon the head of the burnt-offering; and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him.
KJV
And he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering; and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him.
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This verse in Leviticus 1
Commentary
10 notes on this verseHe shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt-offering - By the imposition of hands the person bringing the victim acknowledged, 1. The sacrifice as his own. 2. That he offered it as an atonement for his sins. 3. That he was worthy of death because he had sinned, having forfeited his life by breaking the law. 4. That he entreated God to accept the life of the innocent animal in place of his own.
This site's exposition
of his own voluntary will
on Leviticus 1:3-4
No sin has been named and no occasion is given, so the first sacrifice in the book is one a man brings because he wants to. Verse 4 then lays his hand on the head of the animal and says it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him, which is substitution stated at the start of Leviticus in one sentence. Adam Clarke reads the laid hand as the offerer owning the victim as his own and asking that its life be taken in the place of his. The two verses stand together, a gift given freely and a death counted for the giver.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
And although burnt-offerings were commonly offered by way of thanksgiving; yet they were sometimes offered by way of atonement for sin, that is, for sins in general, as appears from Job i, 5, but for particular sins there were special sacrifices.
As things most common, that men might never want a sacrifice when they needed, or God required it. A burnt sacrifice - Strictly so called, such as was to be all burnt, the skin excepted. For every sacrifice was burnt, more or less.
And he shall put his hand on the head of the burnt offering,....
The sacrifice was to be killed by the priests of Levites, before the Lord, that is, in a devout religious manner, and with an eye to God and his honour. This signified that our Lord Jesus was to make his soul, or life, an offering for sin. Messiah the prince must be cut off as a sacrifice, but not for himself, Dan. ix.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
shall put his hand upon the head--This was a significant act which implied not only that the offerer devoted the animal to God, but that he confessed his consciousness of sin and prayed that his guilt and its punishment might be transferred to the victim. and it shall be--rather, "that it may be an acceptable atonement."
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3 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
No doubt there are clear distinctions in the teaching of the burnt offering, the meat offering, the peace offering and the sin offering. In those various sacrifices we have views of our Lord's atoning work taken from different standpoints. On another occasion it will be profitable to note these delightful lessons and lay them to heart, but at this time I am not about to enter into such matters. These instructive distinctions are the special property of those who by reason of years have had their senses exercised and, therefore, can discern not only the great work of our Lord, but the details of it. I am not sufficiently strong in mind at this time to bring forth "butter in a lordly dish" for men of robust constitution, but I must be content to serve the little ones with a cup of milk. I cannot carry the great cluster from Eshcol and, therefore, I will bring you a few grapes in my trembling hands. I desire to preach, this morning, so that I may fulfill the prayer of a little boy who, one Saturday evening before he went to bed, said in his prayers, "Lord, grant that our minister may say something tomorrow that I may understand." I am very sorry that such a prayer should ever be necessary, but I am afraid it is not only necessary for children, but sometimes for grownup people to pray, "Lord, help our minister to say something that we can understand and that is worth understanding." Some of my Brothers appear to dwell on high Olympus among the clouds—it were better if they lived on Calvary. Little dew comes from the dark mountains of intellectual dreaminess—far more refreshing drops are found upon Mount Hermon of the Gospel! I feel like Dr. Guthrie when he desired those around him to sing him a child's hymn—I would like to be a little child in preaching to you. Simple things are the most sublime and, to a sick man, the most sweet.
No doubt there are clear distinctions in the teaching of the burnt offering, the meat offering, the peace offering and the sin offering. In those various sacrifices we have views of our Lord's atoning work taken from different standpoints. On another occasion it will be profitable to note these delightful lessons and lay them to heart, but at this time I am not about to enter into such matters.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
And he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering - The usual ceremony. By it the sacrificer identified himself with his victim Lev 3:2, Lev 3:8; Lev 4:15; Lev 8:14; Rom 12:1. To make atonement for him - This phrase belongs more especially to the sin-offerings and the trespass-offerings (compare Lev 4:20, Lev 4:26, Lev 4:31, Lev 4:35; Lev 5:16, Lev 5:18; Lev 6:7, etc.) It is not used in reference to the peace-offerings, and but rarely in reference to the burnt-offerings. It should be noticed that it is here introduced in close connection with the imposition of hands by the worshipper, not, as it is when it refers to the sin-offering, with the special functions of the priest, Lev 4:26, Lev 4:35; 2Ch 29:23.
The words behind it
9 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְסָמַ֣ךְ | vesamakh | and he will lean | H5564 → | 48 times |
| יָד֔וֹ | yado | hand his | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| עַ֖ל | ʾal | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| רֹ֣אשׁ | rosh | [the] head of | H7218 → | 599 times |
| הָעֹלָ֑ה | haolah | the burnt offering | H5930 → | 287 times |
| וְנִרְצָ֥ה | venirtzah | and it will be accepted | H7521 → | 56 times |
| ל֖וֹ | lo | for <the> him | ||
| לְכַפֵּ֥ר | lekhaper | to make atonement | H3722 → | 102 times |
| עָלָֽיו׃ | ʾalav | on him | H5921 → | 5755 times |
וְסָמַ֣ךְand he will lean
vesamakhH5564 →48 times
יָד֔וֹhand his
yadoH3027 →1618 times
עַ֖לon
ʾalH5921 →5755 times
רֹ֣אשׁ[the] head of
roshH7218 →599 times
הָעֹלָ֑הthe burnt offering
haolahH5930 →287 times
וְנִרְצָ֥הand it will be accepted
venirtzahH7521 →56 times
ל֖וֹfor <the> him
lo
לְכַפֵּ֥רto make atonement
lekhaperH3722 →102 times
עָלָֽיו׃on him
ʾalavH5921 →5755 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Romans 12:1Therefore I urge you, brothers, on account of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.
it leads to
- 1 Peter 2:5
you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
- Romans 6:13
Do not present the parts of your body to sin as instruments of wickedness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and present the parts of…
- Hebrews 13:15–16
Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise, the fruit of lips that confess His name.
- Romans 6:19
I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to escalating wickedness, so now…
- Ephesians 4:1
As a prisoner in the Lord, then, I urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling you have received:
- 1 Peter 2:5
Through
Leviticus 3:8He is to lay his hand on the head of his offering and slaughter it in front of the Tent of Meeting. Then Aaron’s sons shall sprinkle its blood on all sides of the…
it leads to
- Leviticus 1:5
And he shall slaughter the young bull before the LORD, and Aaron’s sons the priests are to present the blood and sprinkle it on all sides of the altar at the entrance to the…
- Leviticus 1:5
Through
Exodus 29:10You are to present the bull at the front of the Tent of Meeting, and Aaron and his sons are to lay their hands on its head.
it leads to
- Leviticus 8:14
Moses then brought the bull near for the sin offering, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on its head.
- Leviticus 8:14
Through
Leviticus 3:2He is to lay his hand on the head of the offering and slaughter it at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. Then Aaron’s sons the priests shall sprinkle the blood on all…
it leads to
- Exodus 29:10
You are to present the bull at the front of the Tent of Meeting, and Aaron and his sons are to lay their hands on its head.
- Exodus 29:10
Where this verse is studied
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About Leviticus
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Andrew Bonar, A Commentary on Leviticus; Charles Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 1771: “Putting the Hand Upon the Head of the Sacrifice” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.