Leviticus 4 · Verse 13

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;
Leviticus 4:13, King James Version

Leviticus 4:13 in other translations

BSBNow 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 forbidden,
WEB“‘If the whole congregation of Israel sins, and the thing is hidden from the eyes of the assembly, and they have done any of the things which the LORD has commanded not to be done, and are guilty;
ASVAnd if the whole congregation of Israel err, and the thing be hid from the eyes of the assembly, and they have done any of the things which Jehovah hath commanded not to be done, and are guilty;
YLT‘And if the whole company of Israel err ignorantly, and the thing hath been hidden from the eyes of the assembly, and they have done something against one of all the commands of Jehovah concerning things which are not to be done, and have been guilty;
DARBYAnd if the whole assembly of Israel sin inadvertently, and the thing be hid from the eyes of the congregation, and they do somewhat against any of all the commandments of Jehovah in things which should not be done, and are guilty;
BBEAnd if all the people of Israel do wrong, without anyone's knowledge; if they have done any of the things which by the Lord's order are not to be done, causing sin to come on them;
WebsterAnd if the whole congregation of Israel shall 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;

What does Leviticus 4:13 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Leviticus 4:13-21
13-21. 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 then 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. This done, he returned to the court of the priests, and ascending the altar, put some portion upon its horns; then he poured it out at the foot of the altar. 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.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 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 1Sam 14:32, etc., 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 1Sam 14:24 : Cursed be the man that eateth any food until evening. The sacrifices and rites in this case were the same as those prescribed in the preceding, only here the elders of the congregation, i. e., three of the Sanhedrin, according to Maimonides, laid their hands on the head of the victim in the name of all the congregation.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Leviticus 4:13-21
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.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Leviticus 4:13 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וְאִ֨םve.'Imand ifH518
כָּל\־kol-allH3605
עֲדַ֤ת'a.Dat[the] congregation ofH5712
יִשְׂרָאֵל֙Yis.ra.'ElIsraelH3478
יִשְׁגּ֔וּyish.Guthey will go astrayH7686
וְנֶעְלַ֣םve.ne'.Lamand it will be hiddenH5956
דָּבָ֔רda.Var[the] matterH1697
מֵעֵינֵ֖יme.'ei.Neifrom [the] eyes ofH5869
הַקָּהָ֑לha.ka.Halthe assemblyH6951
וְ֠עָשׂוּVe.'a.suand they will doH6213
אַחַ֨ת'a.ChatoneH259
מִכָּל\־mi.kolof allH3605
מִצְוֹ֧תmitz.Vot[the] commandments ofH4687
יְהוָ֛הYah.wehYahwehH3068
אֲשֶׁ֥ר'a.SherwhichH834
לֹא\־lo'-notH3808
תֵעָשֶׂ֖ינָהte.'a.Sei.nahthey will be doneH6213
וְאָשֵֽׁמוּ\׃ve.'a.She.muand they will be guiltyH816

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Leviticus 4:13

  • Leviticus 5:17

    And if a soul sin, and commit any of these things which are forbidden to be done by the commandments of the Lord; though he wist it not, yet is he guilty, and shall bear his iniquity.

  • Leviticus 5:2-5

    Or if a soul touch any unclean thing, whether it be a carcase of an unclean beast, or a carcase of unclean cattle, or the carcase of unclean creeping things, and if it be hidden from him; he also shall be unclean, and guilty. Or if he touch the uncleanness of man, whatsoever uncleanness it be that a man shall be defiled withal, and it be hid from him; when he knoweth of it, then he shall be guilty. Or if a soul swear, pronouncing with his lips to do evil, or to do good, whatsoever it be that a man shall pronounce with an oath, and it be hid from him; when he knoweth of it, then he shall be guilty in one of these. And it shall be, when he shall be guilty in one of these things, that he shall confess that he hath sinned in that thing:

  • Ezra 10:19

    And they gave their hands that they would put away their wives; and being guilty, they offered a ram of the flock for their trespass.

  • 1 Timothy 1:13

    Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.

  • Leviticus 6:4

    Then it shall be, because he hath sinned, and is guilty, that he shall restore that which he took violently away, or the thing which he hath deceitfully gotten, or that which was delivered him to keep, or the lost thing which he found,

  • Hosea 5:15

    I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me early.

  • Hebrews 10:26-29

    For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?

  • Leviticus 4:1-2

    And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a soul shall sin through ignorance against any of the commandments of the Lord concerning things which ought not to be done, and shall do against any of them:

  • Numbers 15:24-29

    Then it shall be, if ought be committed by ignorance without the knowledge of the congregation, that all the congregation shall offer one young bullock for a burnt offering, for a sweet savour unto the Lord, with his meat offering, and his drink offering, according to the manner, and one kid of the goats for a sin offering. And the priest shall make an atonement for all the congregation of the children of Israel, and it shall be forgiven them; for it is ignorance: and they shall bring their offering, a sacrifice made by fire unto the Lord, and their sin offering before the Lord, for their ignorance: And it shall be forgiven all the congregation of the children of Israel, and the stranger that sojourneth among them; seeing all the people were in ignorance. And if any soul sin through ignorance, then he shall bring a she goat of the first year for a sin offering. …

  • Joshua 7:11

    Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them: for they have even taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and they have put it even among their own stuff.

  • 1 Corinthians 11:27

    Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.

  • Joshua 7:24-26

    And Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver, and the garment, and the wedge of gold, and his sons, and his daughters, and his oxen, and his asses, and his sheep, and his tent, and all that he had: and they brought them unto the valley of Achor. And Joshua said, Why hast thou troubled us? the Lord shall trouble thee this day. And all Israel stoned him with stones, and burned them with fire, after they had stoned them with stones. And they raised over him a great heap of stones unto this day. So the Lord turned from the fierceness of his anger. Wherefore the name of that place was called, The valley of Achor, unto this day.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
the whole congregation.This may refer 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 found, as in the case mentioned in 1 Sa 14:32, et seq. The sacrifices and rites in this case were the same as in the preceding; only here the elders laid their hands on the head of the victim, in the name of all the congregation.
through ignorance.
1,2; 5:2-5,17; Nu 15:24-29; Jos 7:11,24-26; 1Ti 1:13; Heb 10:26-29
and are guilty.
5:2-5,17; 6:4; Ezr 10:19; Ho 5:15; *marg:
1Co 11:27

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Leviticus 4:12

    Even the whole bullock shall he carry forth without the camp unto a clean place, where the ashes are poured out, and burn him on the wood with fire: where the ashes are poured out shall he be burnt.

  • 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;

  • Leviticus 4:14

    When the sin, which they have sinned against it, is known, then the congregation shall offer a young bullock for the sin, and bring him before the tabernacle of the congregation.

Read all of Leviticus 4

Leviticus 4:13 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y si toda la congregación de Israel hubiere errado, y el negocio estuviere oculto á los ojos del pueblo, y hubieren hecho algo contra alguno de los mandamientos de Jehová en cosas que no se han de hacer, y fueren culpables;
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et si toute l’assemblée d’Israël a péché par erreur et que la chose soit restée cachée aux yeux de la congrégation, et qu’ils aient fait, à l’égard de l’un de tous les commandements de l’ Éternel, ce qui ne doit pas se faire, et se soient rendus coupables,
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und wenn die ganze Gemeinde Israel aus Versehen sündigt und die Sache ist verborgen vor den Augen der Versammlung, und sie tun eines von allen Verboten Jehovas, die nicht getan werden sollen, und verschulden sich,
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Quod si omnis turba Israël ignoraverit, et per imperitiam fecerit quod contra mandatum Domini est,