Lectionary Calendar
Wednesday, July 23rd, 2025
the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
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Read the Bible

New King James Version

Leviticus 4:15

And the elders of the congregation shall lay their hands on the head of the bull before the LORD. Then the bull shall be killed before the LORD.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Church;   Government;   Hand;   Ignorance;   Thompson Chain Reference - Hands;   Imposition of Hands;   Laying on of Hands;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Offerings;   Sacrifices;   Sin-Offering;  

Dictionaries:

- Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Laying on of Hands;   Worship;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Horn;   Holman Bible Dictionary - High Priest;   Laying on of Hands;   Leviticus;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Ignorance;   Priests and Levites;   Propitiation;   Sacrifice and Offering;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Elder (2);  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Tabernacle, the;   Priesthood, the;   Worship, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Congregation;   Sacrifice;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Burnt Offering;   Elder;  

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
The Zakenim of the congregation shall lay their hands on the head of the bull before the LORD; and the bull shall be killed before the LORD.
King James Version
And the elders of the congregation shall lay their hands upon the head of the bullock before the Lord : and the bullock shall be killed before the Lord .
Lexham English Bible
And the elders of the community shall place their hands on the bull's head before Yahweh, and he shall slaughter the bull before Yahweh.
New Century Version
The elders of the group of people must put their hands on the bull's head before the Lord , and it must be killed before the Lord .
New English Translation
the elders of the congregation must lay their hands on the head of the bull before the Lord , and someone must slaughter the bull before the Lord .
Amplified Bible
'Then the elders of the congregation shall lay their hands on the head of the bull before the LORD [to transfer symbolically the congregation's guilt to the sacrifice], and they shall kill the bull before the LORD.
New American Standard Bible
'Then the elders of the congregation shall lay their hands on the head of the bull before the LORD, and the bull shall be slaughtered before the LORD.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And the Elders of the Congregation shal put their handes vpon the head of the bullocke before the Lorde, and he shall kill the bullocke before the Lorde.
Legacy Standard Bible
Then the elders of the congregation shall lay their hands on the head of the bull before Yahweh, and the bull shall be slaughtered before Yahweh.
Contemporary English Version
where your tribal leaders will lay their hands on its head, before having it killed in my presence.
Complete Jewish Bible
The leaders of the community are to lay their hands on the bull's head and slaughter the bull in the presence of Adonai .
Darby Translation
and the elders of the assembly shall lay their hands on the head of the bullock before Jehovah; and one shall slaughter the bullock before Jehovah.
Easy-to-Read Version
The elders of the people must put their hands on the bull's head in front of the Lord . Then they must kill the bull in front of the Lord .
English Standard Version
And the elders of the congregation shall lay their hands on the head of the bull before the Lord , and the bull shall be killed before the Lord .
George Lamsa Translation
And the elders of the congregation shall lay their hands upon the head of the bullock before the LORD and the bullock shall be killed before the LORD.
Good News Translation
the leaders of the community shall put their hands on its head, and it shall be killed there.
Christian Standard Bible®
The elders of the community are to lay their hands on the bull’s head before the Lord and it is to be slaughtered before the Lord.
Literal Translation
And the elders of the congregation shall lay their hands on the head of the bull before the face of Jehovah. And they shall slaughter the bull before the face of Jehovah.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And the Elders of the congregacion shall laye their handes vpon his heade before the LORDE, & kyll ye bullocke before the LORDE.
American Standard Version
And the elders of the congregation shall lay their hands upon the head of the bullock before Jehovah; and the bullock shall be killed before Jehovah.
Bible in Basic English
And let the chiefs of the people put their hands on its head before the Lord, and put the ox to death before the Lord.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And the elders of the multitude shall put their handes vpon the head of the bullocke before the Lorde: And the bullocke shalbe slayne before the Lord.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And the elders of the congregation shall lay their hands upon the head of the bullock before the LORD; and the bullock shall be killed before the LORD.
King James Version (1611)
And the Elders of the Congregation shall lay their hands vpon the head of the bullocke, before the Lord: and the bullocke shall be killed before the Lord.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And the elders of the congregation shall lay their hands on the head of the calf before the Lord, and they shall slay the calf before the Lord.
English Revised Version
And the elders of the congregation shall lay their hands upon the head of the bullock before the LORD: and the bullock shall be killed before the LORD.
Berean Standard Bible
The elders of the congregation are to lay their hands on the bull's head before the LORD, and it shall be slaughtered before the LORD.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And the eldere men of the puple schulen sette hondis on the heed therof bifor the Lord; and whanne the calf is offrid in the siyt of the Lord,
Young's Literal Translation
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.
Update Bible Version
And the elders of the congregation shall lay their hands on the head of the bull before Yahweh; and the bull shall be killed before Yahweh.
Webster's Bible Translation
And the elders of the congregation shall lay their hands upon the head of the bullock before the LORD: and the bullock shall be killed before the LORD.
World English Bible
The elders of the congregation shall lay their hands on the head of the bull before Yahweh; and the bull shall be killed before Yahweh.
New Living Translation
The elders of the community must then lay their hands on the bull's head and slaughter it before the Lord .
New Life Bible
Then the leaders of the people will lay their hands on the bull's head before the Lord. And the bull will be killed before the Lord.
New Revised Standard
The elders of the congregation shall lay their hands on the head of the bull before the Lord , and the bull shall be slaughtered before the Lord .
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
and the elders of the assembly shall lean their hands upon the head of the bullock before Yahweh, - and shall slay the bullock, before Yahweh;
Douay-Rheims Bible
And the ancients of the people shall put their hands upon the head thereof before the Lord. And the calf being immolated in the sight of the Lord:
Revised Standard Version
and the elders of the congregation shall lay their hands upon the head of the bull before the LORD, and the bull shall be killed before the LORD.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
'Then the elders of the congregation shall lay their hands on the head of the bull before the LORD, and the bull shall be slain before the LORD.

Contextual Overview

13 "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; 14 when the sin which they have committed becomes known, then the assembly shall offer a young bull for the sin, and bring it before the tabernacle of meeting. 15 And the elders of the congregation shall lay their hands on the head of the bull before the LORD. Then the bull shall be killed before the LORD. 16 The anointed priest shall bring some of the bull's blood to the tabernacle of meeting. 17 Then the priest shall dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle it seven times before the LORD, in front of the veil. 18 And he shall put some of the blood on the horns of the altar which is before the LORD, which is in the tabernacle of meeting; and he shall pour the remaining blood at the base of the altar of burnt offering, which is at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. 19 He shall take all the fat from it and burn it on the altar. 20 And he shall do with the bull as he did with the bull as a sin offering; thus he shall do with it. So the priest shall make atonement for them, and it shall be forgiven them. 21 Then he shall carry the bull outside the camp, and burn it as he burned the first bull. It is a sin offering for the assembly.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

the elders: Exodus 24:1, Exodus 24:9, Numbers 11:16, Numbers 11:25, Deuteronomy 21:3-9

lay: Leviticus 4:4, Leviticus 1:4, Leviticus 16:21

Reciprocal: Leviticus 3:8 - he shall Leviticus 4:24 - in the place Leviticus 4:29 - General 2 Chronicles 29:23 - they laid

Cross-References

Genesis 4:24
If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, Then Lamech seventy-sevenfold."
Leviticus 26:18
"And after all this, if you do not obey Me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins.
Leviticus 26:21
"Then, if you walk contrary to Me, and are not willing to obey Me, I will bring on you seven times more plagues, according to your sins.
Leviticus 26:24
then I also will walk contrary to you, and I will punish you yet seven times for your sins.
Leviticus 26:28
then I also will walk contrary to you in fury; and I, even I, will chastise you seven times for your sins.
1 Kings 16:7
And also the word of the LORD came by the prophet Jehu the son of Hanani against Baasha and his house, because of all the evil that he did in the sight of the LORD in provoking Him to anger with the work of his hands, in being like the house of Jeroboam, and because he killed them.
Psalms 59:11
Do not slay them, lest my people forget; Scatter them by Your power, And bring them down, O Lord our shield.
Psalms 79:12
And return to our neighbors sevenfold into their bosom Their reproach with which they have reproached You, O Lord.
Proverbs 6:31
Yet when he is found, he must restore sevenfold; He may have to give up all the substance of his house.
Ezekiel 9:4
and the LORD said to him, "Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done within it."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And the elders of the congregation shall lay their hands upon the head of the bullock before the Lord,.... These must be two at least, some say three, and some say five h; the more generally received notion is, that they were three of the sanhedrim i; though the Targum of Jonathan makes them to be the twelve rulers of the twelve tribes:

and the bullock shall be killed before the Lord; in the court near the altar of burnt offering, either by a priest, or Levite, or by a butcher, as the above Targum expresses it.

h Misn. Sotah, c. 9. sect. 1. i Maimon & Bartenora in Misn. Menachot, c. 9. sect. 7. Maimon. Hilchot Maaseh Hakorbanot, c. 3. sect. 10.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

In this case the imposition of hands is performed by the elders in behalf of the nation. But in other respects the rites were performed by the high priest in the same manner as in the sin-offering for himself.


 
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