15 and the elders of the company have laid their hands on the head of the bullock, before Jehovah, and `one' hath slaughtered the bullock before Jehovah.
and it hath been, the city which `is' near unto the slain one, even the elders of that city have taken a heifer of the herd, which hath not been wrought with, which hath not drawn in the yoke, and the elders of that city have brought down the heifer unto a hard valley, which is not tilled nor sown, and have beheaded there the heifer in the valley. `And the priests, sons of Levi, have come nigh -- for on them hath Jehovah thy God fixed to serve Him, and to bless in the name of Jehovah, and by their mouth is every strife, and every stroke -- and all the elders of that city, who are near unto the slain one, do wash their hands over the heifer which is beheaded in the valley, and they have answered and said, Our hands have not shed this blood, and our eyes have not seen -- receive atonement for Thy people Israel, whom Thou hast ransomed, O Jehovah, and suffer not innocent blood in the midst of Thy people Israel; and the blood hath been pardoned to them, and thou dost put away the innocent blood out of thy midst, for thou dost that which `is' right in the eyes of Jehovah.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Leviticus 4
Commentary on Leviticus 4 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 4
This chapter is concerning the sin-offering, which was properly intended to make atonement for a sin committed through ignorance,
Lev 4:1-12
The laws contained in the first three chapters seem to have been delivered to Moses at one time. Here begin the statutes of another session, another day. From the throne of glory between the cherubim God delivered these orders. And he enters now upon a subject more strictly new than those before. Burnt-offerings, meat-offerings, and peace-offerings, it should seem, had been offered before the giving of the law upon mount Sinai; those sacrifices the patriarchs had not been altogether unacquainted with (Gen. 8:20; Ex. 20:24), and in them they had respect to sin, to make atonement for it, Job 1:5. But the law being now added because of transgressions (Gal. 3:19), and having entered, that eventually the offence might abound (Rom. 5:20), they were put into a way of making atonement for sin more particularly by sacrifice, which was (more than any of the ceremonial institutions) a shadow of good things to come, but the substance is Christ, and that one offering of himself by which he put away sin and perfected for ever those who are sanctified.
Lev 4:13-21
This is the law for expiating the guilt of a national sin, by a sin offering. If the leaders of the people, through mistake concerning the law, caused them to err, when the mistake was discovered an offering must be brought, that wrath might not come upon the whole congregation. Observe,
Lev 4:22-26
Observe here,
Lev 4:27-35