The Pulpit Commentary - Leviticus 4:3-27
Gradations in guilt. In Israel, as we have seen, sin was divided into the pardonable and the unpardonable—into "sins through ignorance" and sins of presumption. But this was not the only distinction. Of those which might be forgiven there were some more serious than others, demanding variety in expiation. Special regulations were given as to the sin of the "priest that is anointed" ( Leviticus 4:3 ), the "whole congregation of Israel" ( Leviticus 4:13 ), the ruler ( Leviticus 4:22 ... read more
The Pulpit Commentary - Leviticus 4:3-12
The high priest's burnt offering. The difference between the high priest's offering and that for the whole congregation on the one hand, and the offering for an offending ruler or any of the common people on the other, lay in the sprinkling of the blood of the victim seven times before the Lord, before the vail of the sanctuary. This betokened the purifying by this sacrifice of the public worship of the people as distinguished from their private and individual life. The different modes of... read more