Leviticus 4:13 Now if the whole congregation of Israel strays unintentionally and the matter escapes the notice of the assembly so that they violate any of the LORD's commandments and incur guilt by doing what is forbidden,

Bible > Leviticus > Chapter 4 > Verse 13

◄ Leviticus 4:13 ►

New International Version
“’If the whole Israelite community sins unintentionally and does what is forbidden in any of the LORD’s commands, even though the community is unaware of the matter, when they realize their guilt

New Living Translation
“If the entire Israelite community sins by violating one of the LORD’s commands, but the people don’t realize it, they are still guilty.

English Standard Version
“If the whole congregation of Israel sins unintentionally and the thing is hidden from the eyes of the assembly, and they do any one of the things that by the LORD’s commandments ought not to be done, and they realize their guilt,

Berean Standard Bible
Now if the whole congregation of Israel strays unintentionally and the matter escapes the notice of the assembly so that they violate any of the LORD’s commandments and incur guilt by doing what is forbidden,

King James Bible
And if the whole congregation of Israel sin through ignorance, and the thing be hid from the eyes of the assembly, and they have done somewhat against any of the commandments of the LORD concerning things which should not be done, and are guilty;

New King James Version
‘Now if the whole congregation of Israel sins unintentionally, and the thing is hidden from the eyes of the assembly, and they have done something against any of the commandments of the LORD in anything which should not be done, and are guilty;

New American Standard Bible
‘Now if the entire congregation of Israel does wrong unintentionally and the matter escapes the notice of the assembly, and they commit any of the things which the LORD has commanded not to be done, and they become guilty;

NASB 1995
‘Now if the whole congregation of Israel commits error and the matter escapes the notice of the assembly, and they commit any of the things which the LORD has commanded not to be done, and they become guilty;

NASB 1977
‘Now if the whole congregation of Israel commits error, and the matter escapes the notice of the assembly, and they commit any of the things which the LORD has commanded not to be done, and they become guilty;

Legacy Standard Bible
‘Now if the whole congregation of Israel commits error, and the matter is hidden from the sight of the assembly, and they commit any of the things which Yahweh has commanded not to be done, and they become guilty;

Amplified Bible
‘Now if the whole congregation of Israel sins unintentionally, and the matter escapes the notice of the assembly, and they have done any one of the things which the LORD has commanded not to be done, and they become guilty;

Christian Standard Bible
“Now if the whole community of Israel errs, and the matter escapes the notice of the assembly, so that they violate any of the LORD’s commands and incur guilt by doing what is prohibited,

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Now if the whole community of Israel errs, and the matter escapes the notice of the assembly, so that they violate any of the LORD’s commands and incur guilt by doing what is prohibited,

American Standard Version
And if the whole congregation of Israel err, and the thing be hid from the eyes of the assembly, and they have done any of the things which Jehovah hath commanded not to be done, and are guilty;

Contemporary English Version
When the nation of Israel disobeys me without meaning to, the whole nation is still guilty.

English Revised Version
And if the whole congregation of Israel shall err, and the thing be hid from the eyes of the assembly, and they have done any of the things which the LORD hath commanded not to be done, and are guilty;

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"If the whole congregation of Israel unintentionally does something wrong, without the assembly being aware of it, if they do even one thing that is forbidden by any of the LORD's commands, they will be guilty.

Good News Translation
If it is the whole community of Israel that sins and becomes guilty of breaking one of the LORD's commands without intending to,

International Standard Version
"If the whole congregation of Israel goes astray, and if the sin is hidden from the eyes of the assembly, and if they go astray from one of the LORD's commands that should not be violated, then they will stand guilty.

Majority Standard Bible
Now if the whole congregation of Israel strays unintentionally and the matter escapes the notice of the assembly so that they violate any of the LORD’s commandments and incur guilt by doing what is forbidden,

NET Bible
"'If the whole congregation of Israel strays unintentionally and the matter is not noticed by the assembly, and they violate one of the Lord's commandments, which must not be violated, so they become guilty,

New Heart English Bible
"'If the whole congregation of Israel sins, and the thing is hidden from the eyes of the assembly, and they have done any of the things which the LORD has commanded not to be done, and are guilty;

Webster's Bible Translation
And if the whole congregation of Israel shall sin through ignorance, and the thing be hid from the eyes of the assembly, and they have done somewhat against any of the commandments of the LORD concerning things which should not be done, and are guilty;

World English Bible
“‘If the whole congregation of Israel sins, and the thing is hidden from the eyes of the assembly, and they have done any of the things which Yahweh has commanded not to be done, and are guilty;

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
And if all the congregation of Israel errs ignorantly, and the thing has been hidden from the eyes of the assembly, and they have done [something against] one of all the commands of YHWH [regarding things] which are not to be done, and have been guilty;

Young's Literal Translation
And if the whole company of Israel err ignorantly, and the thing hath been hidden from the eyes of the assembly, and they have done something against one of all the commands of Jehovah concerning things which are not to be done, and have been guilty;

Smith's Literal Translation
And if all the assembly of Israel shall err, and the word was hid from the eyes of the assembly, and they did behind from the commands of Jehovah, which shall not be done, and they were guilty,

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
And if all the multitude of Israel shall be ignorant, and through ignorance shall do that which is against the commandment of the Lord,

Catholic Public Domain Version
But if all the crowd of Israel will have been ignorant, and through inexperience will have done what is contrary to the commandment of the Lord,

New American Bible
If the whole community of Israel errs inadvertently and without even being aware of it violates any of the LORD’s prohibitions, and thus are guilty,

New Revised Standard Version
If the whole congregation of Israel errs unintentionally and the matter escapes the notice of the assembly, and they do any one of the things that by the LORD’s commandments ought not to be done and incur guilt;

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
And if the whole congregation of Israel go wrong, and the thing is hidden from the eyes of the assembly, and they have done somewhat against any of the commandments of the LORD concerning things which should not be done and are guilty;

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And if all of the assembly of Israel will stray and the matter will be hidden from the eyes of the assembly and they will do one thing of all the commandments of LORD JEHOVAH that are not done, and will be guilty;

OT Translations

JPS Tanakh 1917
And if the whole congregation of Israel shall err, the thing being hid from the eyes of the assembly, and do any of the things which the LORD hath commanded not to be done, and are guilty:

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And if the whole congregation of Israel trespass ignorantly, and a thing should escape the notice of the congregation, and they should do one thing forbidden of any of the commands of the Lord, which ought not to be done, and should transgress:

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

Laws for Sin Offerings
…12all the rest of the bull—he must take outside the camp to a ceremonially clean place where the ashes are poured out, and there he must burn it on a wood fire on the ash heap. 13Now if the whole congregation of Israel strays unintentionally and the matter escapes the notice of the assembly so that they violate any of the LORD’s commandments and incur guilt by doing what is forbidden, 14when they become aware of the sin they have committed, then the assembly must bring a young bull as a sin offering and present it before the Tent of Meeting.…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

Numbers 15:24-26
and if it was done unintentionally without the knowledge of the congregation, then the whole congregation is to prepare one young bull as a burnt offering, a pleasing aroma to the LORD, with its grain offering and drink offering according to the regulation, and one male goat as a sin offering. / The priest is to make atonement for the whole congregation of Israel, so that they may be forgiven; for the sin was unintentional and they have brought to the LORD a food offering and a sin offering, presented before the LORD for their unintentional sin. / Then the whole congregation of Israel and the foreigners residing among them will be forgiven, since it happened to all the people unintentionally.

Hebrews 9:7
But only the high priest entered the second room, and then only once a year, and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance.

Numbers 15:22-23
Now if you stray unintentionally and do not obey all these commandments that the LORD has spoken to Moses— / all that the LORD has commanded you through Moses from the day the LORD gave them and continuing through the generations to come—

Hebrews 9:22
According to the law, in fact, nearly everything must be purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

Numbers 15:27-29
Also, if one person sins unintentionally, he is to present a year-old female goat as a sin offering. / And the priest shall make atonement before the LORD on behalf of the person who erred by sinning unintentionally; and when atonement has been made for him, he will be forgiven. / You shall have the same law for the one who acts in error, whether he is a native-born Israelite or a foreigner residing among you.

Hebrews 10:26-27
If we deliberately go on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no further sacrifice for sins remains, / but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume all adversaries.

Numbers 35:11-12
designate cities to serve as your cities of refuge, so that a person who kills someone unintentionally may flee there. / You are to have these cities as a refuge from the avenger, so that the manslayer will not die until he stands trial before the assembly.

Acts 3:17-19
And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders. / But in this way God has fulfilled what He foretold through all the prophets, saying that His Christ would suffer. / Repent, then, and turn back, so that your sins may be wiped away,

Deuteronomy 21:1-9
If one is found slain, lying in a field in the land that the LORD your God is giving you to possess, and it is not known who killed him, / your elders and judges must come out and measure the distance from the victim to the neighboring cities. / Then the elders of the city nearest the victim shall take a heifer that has never been yoked or used for work, ...

1 John 1:7-9
But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. / If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. / If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

2 Chronicles 29:21-24
They brought seven bulls, seven rams, seven lambs, and seven male goats as a sin offering for the kingdom, for the sanctuary, and for Judah. And the king commanded the priests, the descendants of Aaron, to offer them on the altar of the LORD. / So they slaughtered the bulls, and the priests took the blood and splattered it on the altar. They slaughtered the rams and splattered the blood on the altar. And they slaughtered the lambs and splattered the blood on the altar. / Then they brought the goats for the sin offering before the king and the assembly, who laid their hands on them. ...

Luke 23:34
Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up His garments by casting lots.

2 Chronicles 30:18-20
A large number of the people—many from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun—had not purified themselves, yet they ate the Passover, contrary to what was written. But Hezekiah interceded for them, saying, “May the LORD, who is good, provide atonement for everyone / who sets his heart on seeking God—the LORD, the God of his fathers—even if he is not cleansed according to the purification rules of the sanctuary.” / And the LORD heard Hezekiah and healed the people.

Acts 17:30
Although God overlooked the ignorance of earlier times, He now commands all people everywhere to repent.

Ezra 6:17
For the dedication of the house of God they offered a hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs, and a sin offering for all Israel of twelve male goats, one for each tribe of Israel.

Treasury of Scripture

And if the whole congregation of Israel sin through ignorance, and the thing be hid from the eyes of the assembly, and they have done somewhat against any of the commandments of the LORD concerning things which should not be done, and are guilty;

1 Samuel 14:32
And the people flew upon the spoil, and took sheep, and oxen, and calves, and slew them on the ground: and the people did eat them with the blood.

through ignorance

Leviticus 4:1,2
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, …

1 Samuel 14:32
And the people flew upon the spoil, and took sheep, and oxen, and calves, and slew them on the ground: and the people did eat them with the blood.

Leviticus 5:2-5,17
Or if a soul touch any unclean thing, whether it be a carcase of an unclean beast, or a carcase of unclean cattle, or the carcase of unclean creeping things, and if it be hidden from him; he also shall be unclean, and guilty…

and are guilty

Leviticus 6:4
Then it shall be, because he hath sinned, and is guilty, that he shall restore that which he took violently away, or the thing which he hath deceitfully gotten, or that which was delivered him to keep, or the lost thing which he found,

Ezra 10:19
And they gave their hands that they would put away their wives; and being guilty, they offered a ram of the flock for their trespass.

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Leviticus 4

1. The sin offering of ignorance
3. for the priest
13. for the congregation
22. for the ruler
27. for any of the people

Berean Study Bible

Now if the whole congregation of Israel
The phrase "whole congregation of Israel" refers to the collective body of the Israelites, God's chosen people. In Hebrew, "congregation" is "עֵדָה" (edah), which implies a gathering or assembly. This highlights the communal aspect of Israel's identity and their collective responsibility before God. Historically, Israel was not just a collection of individuals but a covenant community bound together by their relationship with Yahweh. This communal identity is crucial in understanding the corporate nature of sin and repentance in the Old Testament.

sins unintentionally
The Hebrew word for "sins" is "חָטָא" (chata), which means to miss the mark or to err. "Unintentionally" is "בִּשְׁגָגָה" (bishgagah), indicating an error made without intent or knowledge. This distinction is important because it differentiates between willful disobedience and inadvertent transgression. In the ancient Near Eastern context, unintentional sins still required atonement, underscoring the holiness of God and the pervasive nature of sin.

and the matter escapes the notice of the assembly
The phrase "escapes the notice" suggests a lack of awareness or oversight by the community. In Hebrew, "escapes" is "נֶעְלַם" (ne'lam), meaning hidden or concealed. This implies that the sin was not recognized or acknowledged by the people. The "assembly" (קָהָל, qahal) refers to the gathered community, emphasizing the role of communal discernment and accountability in maintaining covenant faithfulness.

so that they violate any of the LORD’s commandments
"Violate" in Hebrew is "עָשָׂה" (asah), meaning to do or to act. This indicates an action contrary to God's law. "The LORD’s commandments" refers to the divine instructions given to Israel, encapsulated in the Torah. These commandments were not merely legalistic rules but expressions of God's character and will for His people. Violating them, even unintentionally, disrupted the covenant relationship.

and incur guilt by doing what is forbidden
The term "incur guilt" is derived from the Hebrew "אָשֵׁם" (asham), which conveys the idea of bearing responsibility for wrongdoing. "Doing what is forbidden" highlights the seriousness of transgressing God's law. In the ancient Israelite sacrificial system, guilt required atonement through prescribed offerings, pointing to the need for reconciliation with God. This underscores the gravity of sin and the necessity of divine forgiveness, foreshadowing the ultimate atonement through Christ.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(13) And if the whole congregation.--As the whole Church, in its corporate body, is no more exempt from human frailty than its highest spiritual chief, the law now prescribes the sin offering for the congregation (Leviticus 4:13-21). The case here assumed is that of the whole congregation having ignorantly committed some act which at the time of its committal they believed to be lawful, but which they afterwards discovered to be sinful. The two terms respectively rendered in the Authorised Version by congregation and assembly denote the same body of people, and are used interchangeably, so that the same congregation or assembly which inadvertently committed the sin afterwards recognised it. (Comp. Numbers 15:24-26.) An instance of such a national and congregational sin is recorded in 1Samuel 14:32, where we are told that the Israelites, after smiting the Philistines, "flew upon the spoil, and took sheep, and oxen, and calves, and slew them on the ground, and the people did eat them with the blood." According to the ancient interpretation, however, which obtained at the time of Christ, "the whole congregation of Israel" and "the assembly" here spoken of denote the great Sanhedrin, the representatives of the people, who, through error, might proclaim a decree calculated to mislead the nation, thus accounting for the apparent discrepancy between this passage and Numbers 15:22-26.

Pulpit Commentary

Verses 13-21. - The case of the whole congregation. A nation may become guilty of national sin in different ways, according to its political constitution: most directly, by the action of a popular Legislature passing a decree such as that of the Athenian assembly, condemning the whole of the Mitylenean people to death (Thucyd., 3:36), or by approving an act of sacrilege (Malachi 3:9); indirectly, by any complicity in or condoning of a sin done in its name by its rulers. The ritual of the sin offering is the same as in the case of the high priest. The elders of the congregation (according to the Targum of Jonathan, twelve in number), acting for the nation, lay their hands on the victim's head, and the high priest, as before, presents the blood, by sprinkling it seven times before the Lord, even before the vail; and putting some of the blood upon the horns of the altar which is before the Lord, that is in the tabernacle of the congregation. It is added that he shall thus make an atonement, or covering of sin, for them, and it shall be forgiven them.

Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

Now if
וְאִ֨ם (wə·’im)
Conjunctive waw | Conjunction
Strong's 518: Lo!, whether?, if, although, Oh that!, when, not

the whole
כָּל־ (kāl-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

congregation
עֲדַ֤ת (‘ă·ḏaṯ)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 5712: A stated assemblage

of Israel
יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ (yiś·rā·’êl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3478: Israel -- 'God strives', another name of Jacob and his desc

sins unintentionally
יִשְׁגּ֔וּ (yiš·gū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 7686: To stray, to mistake, to transgress, to reel, be enraptured

and the matter
דָּבָ֔ר (dā·ḇār)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1697: A word, a matter, thing, a cause

escapes
וְנֶעְלַ֣ם (wə·ne‘·lam)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5956: To veil from sight, conceal

the notice
מֵעֵינֵ֖י (mê·‘ê·nê)
Preposition-m | Noun - cdc
Strong's 5869: An eye, a fountain

of the assembly
הַקָּהָ֑ל (haq·qā·hāl)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6951: Assembly, convocation, congregation

so that they violate
וְ֠עָשׂוּ (wə·‘ā·śū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 6213: To do, make

any
אַחַ֨ת (’a·ḥaṯ)
Number - feminine singular
Strong's 259: United, one, first

of the LORD’s
יְהוָ֛ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

commandments
מִצְוֺ֧ת (miṣ·wōṯ)
Noun - feminine plural construct
Strong's 4687: Commandment

and incur guilt
וְאָשֵֽׁמוּ׃ (wə·’ā·šê·mū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 816: To be guilty, to be punished, perish

by doing what
אֲשֶׁ֥ר (’ă·šer)
Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

is forbidden,
לֹא־ (lō-)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

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OT Law: Leviticus 4:13 If the whole congregation of Israel sins (Le Lv Lev.)