Leviticus 4:20

Lev 4:20 And he shall do with the bullock as he did with the bullock for a sin offering, so shall he do with this: and the priest shall make an atonement for them, and it shall be forgiven them.

Ver. 20. As he did with the bullock.] For even ignorance and infirmities are deadly sins, direct fruits of the flesh, {Joh 3:6} and such as for which Christ laid down his life, even "for the errors (αγνοηματα) of the people." {Heb 9:7}

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Lev 4:20. For a sin-offering — That is, for the priest’s sin-offering, called the first bullock, Lev 4:21.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

4:20 A similar form of the phrase they will be forgiven appears frequently in passages dealing with atonement (4:26, 31, 35; 5:10, 13, 16, 18; 6:7; 19:22; Num 15:25, 26, 28). God is willing to forgive a repentant person’s sin and restore him or her to the community of faith.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

20. the bullock of the sin offering] i.e. the bullock referred to in Lev_4:3-12; called ‘the first bullock’ in Lev_4:21.

Another law in Num_15:22-26 prescribes an offering to be brought by the whole congregation which differs from that here enjoined, viz. a young bullock for a Burnt-Offering with the accompanying Meal-Offering and Drink-Offering, and a he-goat for a Sin-Offering. The most probable explanation of the divergence is that the laws are from different sources.

Jewish tradition interprets ‘the congregation’ in this section as referring to the Sanhedrin, and ‘the assembly’ as meaning the children of Israel. If the Sanhedrin were to give a wrong decision on some point of observance, thereby causing the people who followed such decision to transgress, then the sacrifice enjoined in this section would be necessary. A short treatise of the Mishna (Horaioth) discusses decisions of this kind, and the circumstances under which the sacrifice of Lev_4:13-21 should be brought. This interpretation was probably prompted by a desire to reconcile this law with that of Num_15:22-26. But in Lev_4:13-21 the words ‘assembly’ and ‘congregation’ denote the same thing, the whole community. Note that in Lev_4:14; Lev_4:21 the rendering ‘congregation’ of A.V. is corrected in R.V. to ‘assembly,’ the Heb. word ḳâhâl being the same as in Lev_4:13 where both R.V. and A.V. translate ‘assembly.’

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

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

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

20. Make… atonement for them — The radical significance of this term is to cover the sinner from the holiness of God lest he be consumed because of his sin. The term atonement in the Old Testament corresponds not to the Greek of which atonement is the translation in Rom_5:11, καταλλαγην, reconciliation, or a state of harmonized variance, irrespective of the means, but to propitiation, ιλαστηριον, (Rom_3:25,) and ιλασμος. 1Jn_2:2; 1Jn_4:10. See note on Lev_1:4.

It shall be forgiven — For the nature of the Old Testament forgiveness, see Introduction, (7.)

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

For a sin-offering - That is, for the priest's sin-offering, called the first bullock, ver. 21.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

"And let the priest make an atonement for them, that it may be forgiven them," or, "so will they be forgiven." This formula recurs with all the sin-offerings (with the exception of the one for the high priest), viz., Lev 4:26, Lev 4:31, Lev 4:35, Lev 5:10, Lev 5:13; Num 15:25-26, Num 15:28; also with the trespass-offerings, Lev 5:16, Lev 5:18; Lev 19:22, - the only difference being, that in the sin-offerings presented for defilements cleansing is mentioned, instead of forgiveness, as the effect of the atoning sacrifice (Lev 12:7-8; Lev 13:20, Lev 13:53; Num 8:21).

Keil & Delitzsch — Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (1861–1891) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API. (Old Testament only.)

atonement

(See Scofield "Exo 29:33").

The Scofield Reference Bible (1917 edition), notes by C. I. Scofield — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

he must do

"the priest must do"

the priest will make atonement for the people

The abstract noun "atonement" can be stated as a verb. AT: "the priest will atone for the people's sins" (See: Abstract Nouns)

they will be forgiven

This can be stated in active form. AT: "Yahweh will forgive them" (See: Active or Passive)

translationWords

cow

sin offering

priest

atonement

forgive

assembly

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

ועשה לפר AND HE SHALL DO WITH THE BULLOCK — with this bullock —כאשר עשה לפר החטאת AS HE DID WITH THE BULLOCK FOR A SIN-OFFERING – i. e. as is expressly set forth in the case of the bullock of the anointed priest. This statement thus serves to bring under the command of offering the fat portions the lobe of the liver and the two kidneys which are not expressly mentioned there but which are not expressly mentioned here; and it serves also to repeat the command referring to these rites, teaching thereby that if he (the anointed priest) omitted one of all the applications of the blood it (the sacrifice) becomes invalid (Sifra, Vayikra Dibbura d'Chovah, Chapter 6 5). Since we find in regard to blood which had to be placed on the outer altar, that if he places it there by one application alone he nevertheless effected atonement (cf. Mish. Zevachim 4:1), Scripture was compelled to intimate here that the omission of one application impedes the validity of the rite (Zevachim 39a).

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.