Lev. 4 Of sins of ignorance, and their sacrifice, Lev. 4:1–2; committed by the priest according to the guilt of the people; he must offer a perfect young bullock, and sprinkle the blood seven times before the veil of the holy place, and upon the horns of the incense altar, Lev. 4:3–12.

This must necessarily be understood of more than common sins and daily infirmities; for if every such sin had required an offering, it had not been possible either for most sinners to bear such a charge, or for the altar to receive so many sacrifices, or for the priests to manage so infinite a…

The priest that is anointed, i.e. the high priest, who only was anointed after the first time. See Ex. 29:7, Ex. 30:30, Ex. 40:15, Lev. 10:7, Num. 3:3. His anointing is mentioned, because he was not complete high priest till he was anointed.

He shall lay his hand upon the bullock’s head, to testify both his acknowledgment of his sin, and his faith in God’s promise for the expiation of his sins through Christ, whom that sacrifice typified.

Into the tabernacle; which was not required nor allowed in any other sacrifice, possibly to show the greatness of the high priest’s sin, which needed more than ordinary diligence in him and favour from God to expiate it.

Seven times; a number much used in Scripture, as a number of perfection; and here prescribed, either to show that his sins needed more than ordinary purgation, and more frequent and manifest exercises of his faith and repentance, both which graces he was obliged to join with that ceremonial rite.

The altar of sweet incense which is in the tabernacle; the altar of burnt-offerings was without the tabernacle. All the blood; so also below, Lev. 4:18, Lev. 4:30, Lev. 4:34, to wit, all the rest, as it is expressed Lev. 5:9, for part was disposed elsewhere.

So no part of this was to be eaten by the priests, as it was in other sin-offerings, Lev. 6:26. The reason is plain, because the offerer might not eat of his own sin-offering, and the priest was the offerer in this case, as also in the sin-offering for the whole congregation below, Lev.

The whole congregation; the body of the people, or the greater part of them, their rulers concurring with them.

Against it; against any one of the said commandments. A young bullock; but if the sin of the congregation was only the omission of some ceremonial duty, a kid of the goats was to be offered, Num. 15:24.

The elders of the congregation, i.e. the rulers of the people, of whom see Ex. 3:16, Ex. 24:1, who here acted in the name of all the people, who could not possibly perform this act in their own persons.

Before the Lord; that is, before the holy of holies, where the Lord was in a more special manner present; namely, the altar of incense, as before, Lev. 4:7.

For a sin-offering, to wit, for the priest’s sin-offering, called the first bullock. Lev. 4:21.

A ruler, to wit, of the people, or a civil magistrate. Through ignorance; either not knowing it to be sin, or not observing and considering it till it be done. See before on Lev. 4:22.

The disjunctive or is here put for the copulative and, as it is 1 Cor. 12:13, 1 Cor. 13:8, 1 Cor. 15:11; for it is evident that he speaks of the same person, and of the same sin.

The burnt-offering is so called by way of eminency, to wit, the daily burnt-offering, of which Ex. 29:38, of which place see Lev. 1:11. It is a sin-offering, and therefore to be killed where the burnt-offering is killed, as is expressed Lev. 6:25, Lev.

Both ceremonially and judicially, as to all ecclesiastical censures or civil punishments; and really, upon condition of their repentance and faith in the Messias to come.

The common people, whether Israelites, or strangers embodied with them and proselytes; for both were under one and the same law, Ex. 12:49, Num. 15:16.

A female was here sufficient, because the sin of one of those was less than the sin of the ruler, for whom a male was required, Lev. 4:21.

He, to wit, the offerer. And slay, not by himself, but by the hands of the priest.

Shall burn them, i.e. the fat; but he useth the plural number, because the fat was of several kinds, as we saw Lev. 4:8–9. According to the offerings made by fire; Heb. upon the offerings, together with them, or after them; because the burnt-offerings were to have the first place. See Poole “Lev.