Leviticus 4:15

15 And the elders of the congregation ¹shall lay their hands on the head of the bull before the LORD, and the bull shall be killed before the LORD.

Leviticus 4:15 Meaning and Commentary

Leviticus 4:15

And 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 ^F8; the more generally received notion is, that they were three of the sanhedrim ^F9; 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.

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FOOTNOTES:

F8 Misn. Sotah, c. 9. sect. 1.
F9 Maimon & Bartenora in Misn. Menachot, c. 9. sect. 7. Maimon. Hilchot Maaseh Hakorbanot, c. 3. sect. 10.

Leviticus 4:15 In-Context

13 "If the whole congregation of Israel sins unintentionally and the thing is hidden from the eyes of the assembly, and they do any one of the things that by the LORD's commandments ought not to be done, and they realize their guilt,

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

15 And the elders of the congregation shall lay their hands on the head of the bull before the LORD, and the bull shall be killed before the LORD.

16 Then the anointed priest shall bring some of the blood of the bull into the tent of meeting,

17 and the priest shall dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle it seven times before the LORD in front of the veil.

Cross References

• 1. See Leviticus 1:4