Leviticus 4:13

_AND IF THE WHOLE CONGREGATION OF ISRAEL SIN THROUGH IGNORANCE, AND THE THING BE HID FROM THE EYES OF THE ASSEMBLY, AND THEY HAVE DONE SOMEWHAT AGAINST ANY OF THE COMMANDMENTS OF THE LORD CONCERNING THINGS WHICH SHOULD NOT BE DONE, AND ARE GUILTY;_ If the whole congregation of Israel sin through ignorance. In consequence of some culpable neglect or misapprehension of the law the people might contract national guilt, and national expiation was necessary. The same sacrifice was to be offered as in the former case, but with this difference in the ceremonial, that the elders or heads of the tribes, as representing the people, and being the principal aggressors in misleading the congregation, laid their hands on the head of the victim. The priest then took the blood into the holy place, where, after dipping his finger in it seven times, he sprinkled the drops seven times before the veil; thi...

13._And if the whole congregation. _The very same sacrifice which was enjoined on the priest is required of the people; since he who went into the sanctuary in the name of all to present all the tribes before God, represented the whole body. It seems indeed that the kind of ignorance here spoken of is different from the former kind; since it was said “if the thing be hid;” yet I think that these infirmities are comprised, in which it often happens that men are blinded for a time. (261) For many do not search into themselves, and therefore slumber in their sins; whereas if they honestly examined their doings, their conscience would straightway smite them. It might, then, happen that the whole people should fail to be aware of their sin, whilst dealing with themselves too gently and indulgently. The meaning therefore is, that although no sense of sin should at first arouse them to repentan...

13-21 If the leaders of the people, through mistake, caused them to err, an offering must be brought, that wrath might not come upon the whole congregation. When sacrifices were offered, the persons, on whose behalf they were devoted, were to lay their hands on the heads of the victims, and to confess their sins. The elders were to do so, when the sacrifices were offered for the whole congregation. The load of sin was supposed then to be borne by the guiltless animal. When the offering is completed, it is said, atonement is made, and the sin shall be forgiven. The saving of churches and kingdoms from ruin, is owing to the satisfaction and mediation of Christ....

Verse Leviticus 4:13. _IF THE WHOLE CONGREGATION OF ISRAEL SIN_] This probably refers to some oversight in acts of religious worship, or to some transgression of the letter of the law, which arose out of the peculiar circumstances in which they were then found, such as the case mentioned 1 Samuel 14:32, c., where the people, through their long and excessive fatigue in their combat with the Philistines, being faint, _flew on the spoil_, and _took sheep_, _oxen_, and _calves, and slew them on the ground, and did eat with_ _the blood_ and this was partly occasioned by the rash adjuration of Saul, mentioned 1 Samuel 14:24: _Cursed be the man that eateth_ any food until evening...

CONGREGATION ... ASSEMBLY - Each of the Hebrew words signifies the people in a collected body. It does not appear that there is any difference between them in the connection in which they are here used....

EXPOSITION THE SIN OFFERING (Leviticus 4:1, Leviticus 5:1). At the time of the Mosaic legislation, burnt offerings and meat offerings were already in existence, and had existed from the time of the Fall. A beginning, therefore, is made with them, and the regulations of the peace offerings naturally follow, because these sacrifices succeed in order to the burnt and meat offerings, and because sacrifices in some respects of the same nature as peace offerings had previously existed under a different name (cf. Exodus 10:25 with Exodus 24:5, and see above notes on...

AND IF THE WHOLE CONGREGATION OF ISRAEL SIN THROUGH IGNORANCE,.... That is, all Israel, or the greatest part of them, as Gersom interprets it, through the ignorant teaching of the judges, who by their instruction cause the people to err, and commit sins of ignorance, as Baal Hatturim on the place observes, and Maimonides elsewhere g; wherefore Jarchi, and some others, by the congregation of Israel understand the sanhedrim, or the bench of judges, consisting of seventy one. Ainsworth remarks on the words, that the church may err: AND THE THING BE HID FROM THE EYES OF THE ASSEMBLY; congregation or church, so that they do not know that it is a sin which they have committed: AND THEY HAVE DONE [SOMEWHAT AGAINST] ANY OF THE COMMANDMENTS OF THE LORD, [CONCERNING THINGS] WHICH SHOULD NOT BE DONE; transgressed negative precepts: AND ARE GUILTY; of sin, though as yet they know it not. g Hilch...

4. THE SIN OFFERING Chapter S 4-5:13 _ 1. The second utterance of Jehovah (Leviticus 4:1)_ 2. The sin offering for the high priest (Leviticus 4:3) 3. The sin offering for the congregation (Leviticus 4:13) 4. The sin offering for the ruler (Leviticus 4:22) 5. The sin offering for one of the people (Leviticus 4:27) 6. The sin offering for special inadvertent offences (Leviticus 5:1) The burnt of

LEVITICUS 4:1 TO LEVITICUS 5:13. THE SIN OFFERING. This, and the guilt offering, whose ritual follows, are unknown before the Exile, save as fines (2 Kings 12:16; Amos 2:8). Ezek. mentions both, but is conscious of no difference between them. Probably the distinction between them grew up gradually (see on Ezekiel 5:14 ff.). The ritual is derived partly from that of the burnt offering and peace offering; partly from other old rites. No idea of substitution seems to be implied (though it is true that a ritual tablet from Babylonia states that idea very clearly; th

CONGREGATION. assembly. Not the same word as in Leviticus 4:14. SIN. Hebrew. _shagah._ See App-44. See 1 Samuel 14:32. SOMEWHAT, &C, AND CONCERNING, &C. These two _Ellipses_ rightly supplied. See App-6....