Leviticus 4:2 - Exposition

If a soul shall sin. The conditions to be fulfilled in presenting a sin offering differed according to the position held by the offerer in the state. If it were the high priest, he had

(1) to offer a young bull in the court of the tabernacle;

If a soul shall sin through ignorance. The expression, "through ignorance" ( bishgagah ) , is intended to cover all sins except those committed "with a high hand," or defiantly, whether the agent was ignorant that they were sins or was led into them by inconsiderateness or infirmity (cf. Psalms 19:12 , Psalms 19:13 , "Who can understand his errors? Cleanse thou me from secret faults. Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins"). A better translation of bishgagah would be by want of consideration, or by inadvertence. Our Lord could say, even of those who crucified him, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do;" and therefore even for them a sin offering might be made and be accepted. But for deliberate and determined sin the Law has no atonement, no remedy. The words, shall do against any of them , i.e; against the commandments, would be better rendered shall do any of them, i.e; the things which ought not to be done. There is no exact apodosis to this verse; it is a general heading to the chapter.