Leviticus 4 · Verse 22

Leviticus 4:22

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;
Leviticus 4:22, King James Version

Leviticus 4:22 in other translations

BSBWhen a leader sins unintentionally and does what is prohibited by any of the commandments of the LORD his God, he incurs guilt.
WEB“‘When a ruler sins, and unwittingly does any one of all the things which the LORD his God has commanded not to be done, and is guilty,
ASVWhen 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;
YLT‘When a prince doth sin, and hath done something against one of all the commands of Jehovah his God regarding things which are not to be done, through ignorance, and hath been guilty--
DARBYWhen a prince sinneth and through inadvertence doeth somewhat against any of all the commandments of Jehovah his God in things which should not be done, and is guilty;
BBEIf a ruler does wrong, and in error does any of the things which, by the order of the Lord his God, are not to be done, causing sin to come on him;
WebsterWhen 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;

What does Leviticus 4:22 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Leviticus 4:22-26
22-26. 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. The trespass of such a civil functionary being less serious in its character and consequences than that either of the high priest or the congregation, a sin offering of inferior value was required--"a kid of the goats"; and neither was the blood carried into the sanctuary, but applied only to the altar of burnt offering; nor was the carcass taken without the camp; it was eaten by the priests-in-waiting.

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 22 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.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Leviticus 4:22-26
Those who have power to call others to account, are themselves accountable to the Ruler of rulers. The sin of the ruler, committed through ignorance, must come to his knowledge, either by the check of his own conscience, or by the reproof of his friends; both which even the best and greatest, not only should submit to, but be thankful for. That which I see not, teach thou me, and, Show me wherein I have erred, are prayers we should put up to God every day; that if, through ignorance, we fall into sin, we may not through ignorance abide in it.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Leviticus 4:22 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.

אֲשֶׁ֥ר'a.SherthatH834
נָשִׂ֖יאna.Si'a leaderH5387
יֶֽחֱטָ֑אye.che.Ta'he will sinH2398
וְעָשָׂ֡הve.'a.Sahand he will doH6213
אַחַ֣ת'a.ChatoneH259
מִכָּל\־mi.kolof allH3605
מִצְוֹת֩mitz.Vot[the] commandments ofH4687
יְהוָ֨הYah.wehYahwehH3068
אֱלֹהָ֜יו'e.lo.HavGod hisH430
אֲשֶׁ֧ר'a.SherwhichH834
לֹא\־lo'-notH3808
תֵעָשֶׂ֛ינָהte.'a.Sei.nahthey will be doneH6213
בִּשְׁגָגָ֖הbish.ga.Gahby inadvertenceH7684
וְאָשֵֽׁם\׃ve.'a.Shemand he will be guiltyH816

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

Cross references for Leviticus 4:22

  • Leviticus 4:2

    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:

  • 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;

  • Numbers 31:13

    And Moses, and Eleazar the priest, and all the princes of the congregation, went forth to meet them without the camp.

  • 2 Samuel 24:10-17

    And David’s heart smote him after that he had numbered the people. And David said unto the Lord, I have sinned greatly in that I have done: and now, I beseech thee, O Lord, take away the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly. For when David was up in the morning, the word of the Lord came unto the prophet Gad, David’s seer, saying, Go and say unto David, Thus saith the Lord, I offer thee three things; choose thee one of them, that I may do it unto thee. So Gad came to David, and told him, and said unto him, Shall seven years of famine come unto thee in thy land? or wilt thou flee three months before thine enemies, while they pursue thee? or that there be three days’ pestilence in thy land? now advise, and see what answer I shall return to him that sent me. …

  • Exodus 18:21

    Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens:

  • 2 Samuel 21:1-3

    Then there was a famine in the days of David three years, year after year; and David enquired of the Lord. And the Lord answered, It is for Saul, and for his bloody house, because he slew the Gibeonites. And the king called the Gibeonites, and said unto them; (now the Gibeonites were not of the children of Israel, but of the remnant of the Amorites; and the children of Israel had sworn unto them: and Saul sought to slay them in his zeal to the children of Israel and Judah.) Wherefore David said unto the Gibeonites, What shall I do for you? and wherewith shall I make the atonement, that ye may bless the inheritance of the Lord?

  • Numbers 16:2

    And they rose up before Moses, with certain of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty princes of the assembly, famous in the congregation, men of renown:

  • Leviticus 4:27

    And if any one of the common people sin through ignorance, while he doeth somewhat against any of the commandments of the Lord concerning things which ought not to be done, and be guilty;

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
a ruler hath sinned.Under the term {nasi,} that is, one preferred or elevated above others, from {nasa,} to exalt, it is probable that any person is meant who held any kind of political dignity among the people; and it evidently means the head of a tribe as in Nu 1:4, 16; 7:2. But the Rabbins generally understand it of the prince of the great sanhedrin, who, when they were under the regal form of government, was the king. A kid of the goats was the sacrifice in this case; and the rites were nearly the same as in the preceding, only the fat was burnt as that of the peace offering. (ver. 26.)
Ex 18:21; Nu 16:2; 2Sa 21:1-3; 24:10-17
and done.
2,13

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

Context

  • Leviticus 4:21

    And he shall carry forth the bullock without the camp, and burn him as he burned the first bullock: it is a sin offering for the congregation.

  • Leviticus 4:22

    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;

  • Leviticus 4:23

    Or if his sin, wherein he hath sinned, come to his knowledge; he shall bring his offering, a kid of the goats, a male without blemish:

Read all of Leviticus 4

Leviticus 4:22 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y cuando pecare el príncipe, é hiciere por yerro algo contra alguno de todos los mandamientos de Jehová su Dios, sobre cosas que no se han de hacer, y pecare;
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Si un chef a péché, et a fait par erreur, à l’égard de l’un de tous les commandements de l’ Éternel, son Dieu, ce qui ne doit pas se faire, et s’est rendu coupable,
German
Elberfelder 1871		Wenn ein Fürst sündigt und tut aus Versehen eines von allen den Verboten Jehovas, seines Gottes, die nicht getan werden sollen, und verschuldet sich,
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Si peccaverit princeps, et fecerit unum e pluribus per ignorantiam, quod Domini lege prohibetur: