Leviticus 4:22
in Leviticus 4When a leader sins unintentionally and does what is prohibited by any of the commandments of the LORD his God, he incurs guilt.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
When a ruler sinneth, and doeth unwittingly any one of all the things which Jehovah his God hath commanded not to be done, and is guilty;
KJV
When a ruler hath sinned, and done somewhat through ignorance against any of the commandments of the Lord his God concerning things which should not be done, and is guilty;
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This verse in Leviticus 4
Commentary
7 notes on this verseWhen a ruler hath sinned,.... Or "prince", the "nasi", one that is lifted up above others in honour, power, and authority, or that bears the weight of government: the word comes from one which signifies to lift up, or to bear; it may be understood of a governor of a family, or of a tribe, as Aben Ezra observes; and so in the Talmud (k) it is said, it means the prince of a tribe, such as Nachson the son of Amminadab, prince of the tribe of Judah.
This site's exposition
When a ruler hath sinned
on Leviticus 4:22-23
The word rendered ruler is nasi, which John Gill traces to a root meaning lifted up, and it covers the head of a tribe or of a household as well as a king. His animal steps down from a bullock to a male kid of the goats. Verse 22 is also the one place in the chapter that says the commandments of the LORD his God, where verses 2, 13 and 27 say only the LORD, so the man set over other men is the one reminded whose he is.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
He is a prince to others, but let him know the Lord is a God to him. The sin of the ruler which he committed through ignorance is supposed afterwards to come to his knowledge (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
A young bullock - The same sacrifice which was offered for all the people, to shew how much his sin was aggravated by his quality. Sin-offering - Hebrew. sin, which word is oft taken in that sense.
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
When a ruler hath sinned - Under the term נשיא nasi, it is probable that any person is meant who held any kind of political dignity among the people, though the rabbins generally understand it of the king. A kid of the goats was the sacrifice in this case, the rites nearly the same as in the preceding cases, only the fat was burnt as that of the peace-offering. See Lev 4:26 and Lev 3:5.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
When a ruler hath sinned, and done somewhat through ignorance against any of the commandments--Whatever was the form of government, the king, judge, or subordinate, was the party concerned in this law.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Ruler - Either the head of a tribe Num 1:4-16, or the head of a division of a tribe (Num 34:18; compare Jos 22:30).
The words behind it
14 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| אֲשֶׁ֥ר | ʾasher | that | H834 → | 5497 times |
| נָשִׂ֖יא | nasi' | a leader | H5387 → | |
| יֶֽחֱטָ֑א | yecheta' | he will sin | H2398 → | 238 times |
| וְעָשָׂ֡ה | veasah | and he will do | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| אַחַ֣ת | ʾachat | one | H259 → | 971 times |
| מִכָּל־ | mikol | of all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| מִצְוֹת֩ | mitzvot | [the] commandments of | H4687 → | 181 times |
| יְהוָ֨ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֱלֹהָ֜יו | ʾelohav | God his | H430 → | 2601 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֧ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| לֹא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| תֵעָשֶׂ֛ינָה | teaseinah | they will be done | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| בִּשְׁגָגָ֖ה | bishgagah | by inadvertence | H7684 → | 19 times |
| וְאָשֵֽׁם׃ | veashem | and he will be guilty | H816 → | 35 times |
אֲשֶׁ֥רthat
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
נָשִׂ֖יאa leader
nasi'H5387 →
יֶֽחֱטָ֑אhe will sin
yecheta'H2398 →238 times
וְעָשָׂ֡הand he will do
veasahH6213 →2628 times
אַחַ֣תone
ʾachatH259 →971 times
מִכָּל־of all
mikolH3605 →5413 times
מִצְוֹת֩[the] commandments of
mitzvotH4687 →181 times
יְהוָ֨הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֱלֹהָ֜יוGod his
ʾelohavH430 →2601 times
אֲשֶׁ֧רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
לֹא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
תֵעָשֶׂ֛ינָהthey will be done
teaseinahH6213 →2628 times
בִּשְׁגָגָ֖הby inadvertence
bishgagahH7684 →19 times
וְאָשֵֽׁם׃and he will be guilty
veashemH816 →35 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
Leviticus 4:2“Tell the Israelites to do as follows with one who sins unintentionally against any of the LORD’s commandments and does what is forbidden by them:
it leads to
- Psalms 19:12
Who can discern his own errors? Cleanse me from my hidden faults.
- Numbers 15:22–29
Now if you stray unintentionally and do not obey all these commandments that the LORD has spoken to Moses—
- Leviticus 4:27
And if one of the common people sins unintentionally and does what is prohibited by any of the LORD’s commandments, he incurs guilt.
- Hebrews 9:7
But only the high priest entered the second room, and then only once a year, and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance.
- James 3:10
Out of the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, this should not be!
- Psalms 19:12
Through
Leviticus 4:13Now if the whole congregation of Israel strays unintentionally and the matter escapes the notice of the assembly so that they violate any of the LORD’s commandments and incur guilt by doing what is…
it leads to
- Leviticus 5:17
If someone sins and violates any of the LORD’s commandments even though he was unaware, he is guilty and shall bear his punishment.
- Leviticus 5:2–5
Or if a person touches anything unclean—whether the carcass of any unclean wild animal or livestock or crawling creature—even if he is unaware of it, he is unclean and guilty.
- Leviticus 5:17
Through
Numbers 16:2a rebellion against Moses, along with 250 men of Israel renowned as leaders of the congregation and representatives in the assembly.
it leads to
- Numbers 26:9
and the sons of Eliab were Nemuel, Dathan, and Abiram. It was Dathan and Abiram, chosen by the congregation, who fought against Moses and Aaron with the followers of Korah who rebelled against the…
- Numbers 26:9
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies2
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); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.