Leviticus 4:15
in Leviticus 4The elders of the congregation are to lay their hands on the bull’s head before the LORD, and it shall be slaughtered before the LORD.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And the elders of the congregation shall lay their hands upon the head of the bullock before Jehovah; and the bullock shall be killed before Jehovah.
KJV
And the elders of the congregation shall lay their hands upon the head of the bullock before the Lord: and the bullock shall be killed before the Lord.
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This verse in Leviticus 4
Commentary
5 notes on this verseAnd the elders of the congregation shall lay their hands upon the head of the bullock before the Lord,.... These must be two at least, some say three, and some say five (h); the more generally received notion is, that they were three of the sanhedrim (i); though the Targum of Jonathan makes them to be the twelve rulers of the twelve tribes: and the bullock shall be killed before the Lord; in the court near the altar of burnt offering, either by a priest, or Levite, or by a butcher, as the above Targum expresses it. (h) Misn.
This site's exposition
if the whole congregation of Israel strays unintentionally
on Leviticus 4:13-15
A nation can be guilty of something none of it noticed. The matter escapes the notice of the assembly, and still they incur guilt, so the guilt stands before the knowledge arrives.
This site's exposition
The elders of the congregation are to lay their hands
The elders lay their hands on the bull on behalf of the whole congregation. John Gill records the disagreement over how many took part, at least two, with some saying three and some five. The Targum of Jonathan names the twelve rulers of the tribes.
The record, by era
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
The fat was the only part of the animal which was offered on the altar; for the carcass, with its appurtenances and offals, was carried without the camp, into the place where the ashes were deposited, and there consumed with fire.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
In this case the imposition of hands is performed by the elders in behalf of the nation. But in other respects the rites were performed by the high priest in the same manner as in the sin-offering for himself.
The words behind it
15 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְ֠סָמְכוּ | vesamekhu | and they will lean | H5564 → | 48 times |
| זִקְנֵ֨י | ziknei | [the] elders of | H2205 → | 178 times |
| הָעֵדָ֧ה | haedah | the congregation | H5712 → | 149 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| יְדֵיהֶ֛ם | yedeihem | hands their | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| רֹ֥אשׁ | rosh | [the] head of | H7218 → | 599 times |
| הַפָּ֖ר | hapar | the bull | H6499 → | 132 times |
| לִפְנֵ֣י | lifnei | <to> before | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| יְהוָ֑ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| וְשָׁחַ֥ט | veshachat | and someone will cut [the] throat of | H7819 → | 81 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַפָּ֖ר | hapar | the bull | H6499 → | 132 times |
| לִפְנֵ֥י | lifnei | <to> before | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| יְהוָֽה׃ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
וְ֠סָמְכוּand they will lean
vesamekhuH5564 →48 times
זִקְנֵ֨י[the] elders of
zikneiH2205 →178 times
הָעֵדָ֧הthe congregation
haedahH5712 →149 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
יְדֵיהֶ֛םhands their
yedeihemH3027 →1618 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
רֹ֥אשׁ[the] head of
roshH7218 →599 times
הַפָּ֖רthe bull
haparH6499 →132 times
לִפְנֵ֣י<to> before
lifneiH6440 →2123 times
יְהוָ֑הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
וְשָׁחַ֥טand someone will cut [the] throat of
veshachatH7819 →81 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַפָּ֖רthe bull
haparH6499 →132 times
לִפְנֵ֥י<to> before
lifneiH6440 →2123 times
יְהוָֽה׃Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 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
Numbers 11:16Then the LORD said to Moses, “Bring Me seventy of the elders of Israel known to you as leaders and officers of the people. Bring them to the Tent of Meeting and have them…
it leads to
- Exodus 24:1
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Come up to the LORD—you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of Israel’s elders—and you are to worship at a distance.
- Exodus 24:9
Then Moses went up with Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel,
- Exodus 24:1
Through
Leviticus 1:4He 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.
it leads to
- 2 Chronicles 29:23–24
Then they brought the goats for the sin offering before the king and the assembly, who laid their hands on them.
- Leviticus 3:2
He 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…
- Leviticus 3:8
He 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…
- 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 29:15
Take one of the rams, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on its head.
- 2 Chronicles 29:23–24
Through
Leviticus 8:14Moses then brought the bull near for the sin offering, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on its head.
it leads to
- Ezekiel 43:19
You are to give a young bull from the herd as a sin offering to the Levitical priests who are of the family of Zadok, who approach Me to minister before Me, declares the…
- Ezekiel 43:19
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies5
About Leviticus
This page draws on 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 and Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch.