Commentary - Leviticus 4:13-21

Bird's-eye view

In this section of Leviticus, the Lord lays out the protocol for dealing with corporate, unintentional sin. This is not about individual mishaps, but about when the entire nation, the congregation of Israel, goes astray together. The sin is done in ignorance, hidden from the assembly's eyes, but ignorance is no excuse before a holy God. Guilt is still incurred. This passage is a powerful illustration of the doctrine of corporate responsibility and the pervasive nature of sin. It's not just that individuals sin; communities can sin, and often do. The remedy God provides is not a town hall meeting or a new policy initiative, but a blood sacrifice. A bull is brought, the elders as representatives of the people lay their hands on it, and it is slaughtered. This is a graphic depiction of substitutionary atonement. The blood is then meticulously applied to the holy places, cleansing the tabernacle which has been polluted by the people's sin. This whole ritual is a shadow, a type, pointing forward to the one final sacrifice for the sin of God's people, the Church. Christ is the bull, and by His blood, we, the congregation of the faithful, are forgiven and cleansed.

What we see here is that sin is a pollutant. It defiles not just the sinner, but the land and the dwelling place of God. Atonement, therefore, is not just a legal transaction that pardons guilt; it is a cleansing agent that purifies the contaminated space so that a holy God can continue to dwell with His people. The passage concludes with the promise of forgiveness, which is the direct result of the atonement made by the priest. This is the heart of the gospel in Leviticus: God provides the way for sin to be dealt with, for pollution to be cleansed, and for fellowship to be restored, all through the shedding of blood.

Outline

Context In Leviticus

Leviticus 4 establishes the regulations for the sin offering, or purification offering. The chapter is structured by addressing different categories of people and the specific requirements for each when they sin unintentionally. It begins with the anointed priest (4:3-12), then moves to the whole congregation (our text, 4:13-21), a ruler (4:22-26), and finally a common person (4:27-35). This structure highlights a key principle: responsibility is tiered. The sin of a high priest has graver consequences for the nation than the sin of an ordinary Israelite, and the sin of the whole congregation is a most serious affair. Our passage fits squarely within this framework, detailing the remedy when the entire covenant community has collectively erred. It underscores the reality that God deals with His people not just as a collection of individuals, but as a corporate body, a unified assembly.

Verse by Verse Commentary

13 ‘Now if the whole congregation of Israel commits error, and the matter is hidden from the sight of the assembly, and they commit any of the things which Yahweh has commanded not to be done, and they become guilty;

The scenario here is corporate sin. It's not just one man, but the "whole congregation of Israel." This is a national sin. We live in an individualistic age, and so we tend to think of sin in individualistic terms. But the Bible is clear that nations, communities, and churches can sin collectively. The sin is committed in ignorance; it is "hidden from the sight of the assembly." Perhaps they adopted a practice from a neighboring pagan nation without realizing its idolatrous roots. Perhaps they misinterpreted a law. Whatever the case, their ignorance does not render them innocent. They still "commit" the act, they still transgress what Yahweh has commanded, and the result is that "they become guilty." Guilt is an objective reality before God, whether we feel it or not, and whether we are aware of the specific transgression or not. The standard is God's perfect law, not our awareness.

14 when the sin which they have committed becomes known, then the assembly shall bring near a bull from the herd for a sin offering and bring it before the tent of meeting.

The ignorance does not last forever. The sin eventually "becomes known." Perhaps a prophet points it out, or circumstances reveal the error. The moment of revelation demands a response. And the response is not to form a committee or issue a public apology. The response is to bring a sacrifice. The guilt must be dealt with, and God has prescribed the means. Notice the animal required: a young bull. This is the same sacrifice required for the high priest. This indicates the gravity of the sin. When the whole nation sins, it is as serious as when the high priest sins. The bull is brought "before the tent of meeting," to the place where God has promised to meet with His people. Sin is a breach in that relationship, and it must be addressed at the front door of God's house.

15 Then the elders of the congregation shall lay their hands on the head of the bull before Yahweh, and the bull shall be slaughtered before Yahweh.

Here we have the central act of identification. The "elders of the congregation," as the designated representatives of the people, lay their hands on the bull's head. This is not a gentle pat. This is a formal, legal act of transference. They are identifying the bull with the people and the people's sin with the bull. In this action, they are saying, "This bull now stands for us. Let the penalty we deserve fall upon it." This is the doctrine of substitution in living color. The guilt of the people is imputed to the animal. And immediately following this identification, the bull is slaughtered. The wages of sin is death (Rom. 6:23). The people sinned, and so death is required. But God, in His mercy, provides a substitute. The bull dies in their place, "before Yahweh." This is all done in the presence of God, according to His command.

16 Then the anointed priest shall bring some of the blood of the bull to the tent of meeting; 17 and the priest shall dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle it seven times before Yahweh in front of the veil.

The death of the substitute is not the end of the story. The blood, which represents the life of the animal poured out in death, is now the instrument of cleansing. The priest takes the blood inside the Holy Place. He sprinkles it seven times "in front of the veil." The veil separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place, where the Ark of the Covenant and the presence of God resided. Sin pollutes. The sin of the people has defiled the sanctuary. The blood is applied to cleanse it. The number seven signifies perfection or completion. This is a thorough cleansing. The way to God, which was defiled by sin, is being purified by the blood of the substitute.

18 And he shall put some of the blood on the horns of the altar which is before Yahweh in the tent of meeting; and all the blood he shall pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offering which is at the doorway of the tent of meeting.

The cleansing continues. The priest applies the blood to the horns of the golden altar of incense. The horns of the altar represent its power and efficacy. The prayers of the saints offered on this altar were hindered by the people's sin; now the altar is purified so that worship can resume. The remainder of the blood is poured out at the base of the large bronze altar in the courtyard. This is where the sacrifices were burned. The foundation of their worship system is cleansed by the blood. Every aspect of their approach to God, from the outer court to the inner sanctuary, was polluted by their sin and must be purified by the blood.

19 He shall then raise up all its fat from it and offer it up in smoke on the altar.

Just as with the other sin offerings, the fat portions are removed and burned on the altar. The fat was considered the richest, best part of the animal, and it belonged to God. This is offered up as a pleasing aroma to the Lord. While the death of the animal deals with the penalty and the blood deals with the pollution, this act represents the offering of the best to God. It is an act of worship and consecration that is part of the process of reconciliation.

20 He shall also do with the bull just as he did with the bull of the sin offering; thus he shall do with it. So the priest shall make atonement for them, and they will be forgiven.

The procedure is explicitly linked to the one for the high priest's sin, reinforcing the seriousness of the congregation's sin. The key statement is at the end. The priest "shall make atonement for them, and they will be forgiven." Atonement means to cover, to cleanse, to propitiate. The priest, acting as the mediator, applies the blood and offers the sacrifice, and the result is forgiveness. This is not automatic. It is a result of God's gracious provision and the obedient actions of the priest and the people. Forgiveness is granted because the penalty has been paid and the defilement has been cleansed. This is the gospel logic. Atonement leads to forgiveness.

21 Then he shall bring out the bull to a place outside the camp and burn it as he burned the first bull; it is the sin offering for the assembly.

Finally, the carcass of the bull, everything except the fat, is taken "outside the camp" and burned. This is highly significant. The bull has become sin for the people. It is laden with their guilt and pollution. Therefore, it is unclean and cannot remain in the camp where the holy God dwells. It must be utterly removed and disposed of. The author of Hebrews picks up on this very detail, explaining that Jesus also suffered "outside the gate" to sanctify the people through His own blood (Heb. 13:11-12). Our sin was placed on Him, and He was cast out, bearing our reproach. This bull, taken outside the camp, is a vivid picture of Christ, made sin for us, who endured the curse of God outside the holy city so that we might be brought into the assembly of the saints and made clean.

Application

First, we must take the doctrine of corporate sin seriously. We are not isolated individuals. We are part of families, churches, and nations. And these entities can and do sin. We participate in the sins of our culture, often without even realizing it. We must have the humility to recognize that when sin is pointed out in our community, the correct response is not defensiveness, but corporate repentance. We must bring the sacrifice of a broken and contrite heart before God.

Second, this passage shows us the filthiness of sin. Sin is not just a mistake; it is a pollutant that defiles everything it touches. It contaminates our worship, our relationships, and our community. This is why the blood is so central. Only the blood of a perfect substitute can cleanse such a deep stain. We must never treat sin lightly. It required the blood of God's own Son to purify us.

Finally, we see the glorious sufficiency of Christ's sacrifice. The blood of this bull had to be applied again and again. But Christ, our great High Priest, offered Himself once for all. He is the bull for the congregation. His blood cleanses not a physical tent, but the heavenly sanctuary itself. He was cast "outside the camp," bearing our shame, so that we could be forgiven completely. Because of His atonement, we are forgiven. This is not a temporary pardon, but an eternal forgiveness. Therefore, let us walk in the reality of that forgiveness, hating our sin and clinging to the Savior who bore it all for us.