Limitless Word
When he becomes aware of his sin, he must bring as his offering a male goat with no defects.
Leviticus 4:23 · New Living Translation
Parallel translations
  • WEB if his sin, in which he has sinned, is made known to him, he shall bring as his offering a goat, a male without defect.
  • KJV Or if his sin, wherein he hath sinned, come to his knowledge; he shall bring his offering, a kid of the goats, a male without blemish:
  • BSB When he becomes aware of the sin he has committed, he must bring an unblemished male goat as his offering.
  • NKJV or if his sin which he has committed comes to his knowledge, he shall bring as his offering a kid of the goats, a male without blemish.
  • NASB if his sin which he has committed is made known to him, he shall bring as his offering a goat, a male without defect.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

When the ruler's sin becomes known, he must bring a male goat without defect. Awareness of sin calls for prompt, costly repentance.

Overview

Once the leader becomes aware of his offense, he brings a male goat, an offering more modest than the priest's bull yet still flawless. The unblemished animal pictures the purity required to deal with sin. Every such spotless sacrifice points forward to Christ, the Lamb without blemish (1 Peter 1:19).

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 19

  • Lev 4:14when the sin in which they have sinned is known, then the assembly shall offer a young bull for a sin offering, and bring it before the Tent of Meeting.
  • Lev 5:4“‘Or if anyone swears rashly with his lips to do evil, or to do good, whatever it is that a man might utter rashly with an oath, and it is hidden from him; when he knows of it, then he shall be guilty of one of these.
  • Rom 8:3For what the law couldn’t do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God did, sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh;
  • Num 29:19and one male goat for a sin offering; besides the continual burnt offering, with its meal offering and their drink offerings.
  • Num 29:5and one male goat for a sin offering, to make atonement for you;
  • Num 29:16and one male goat for a sin offering, besides the continual burnt offering, its meal offering, and its drink offering.
  • Num 7:34one male goat for a sin offering;
  • Lev 4:28if his sin, which he has sinned, is made known to him, then he shall bring for his offering a goat, a female without defect, for his sin which he has sinned.
  • Lev 9:3You shall speak to the children of Israel, saying, ‘Take a male goat for a sin offering; and a calf and a lamb, both a year old, without defect, for a burnt offering;
  • Num 29:11one male goat for a sin offering; besides the sin offering of atonement, and the continual burnt offering, and its meal offering, and their drink offerings.
  • Lev 4:3if the anointed priest sins so as to bring guilt on the people, then let him offer for his sin, which he has sinned, a young bull without defect to Yahweh for a sin offering.
  • Num 15:24then it shall be, if it was done unwittingly, without the knowledge of the congregation, that all the congregation shall offer one young bull for a burnt offering, for a pleasant aroma to Yahweh, with its meal offering, and its drink offering, according to the ordinance, and one male goat for a sin offering.
  • Num 7:16one male goat for a sin offering;
  • Num 28:15One male goat for a sin offering to Yahweh; it shall be offered besides the continual burnt offering, and its drink offering.
  • Num 7:28one male goat for a sin offering;
  • 2 Kgs 22:10–13Shaphan the scribe told the king, saying, “Hilkiah the priest has delivered a book to me.” Then Shaphan read it before the king.
  • Lev 23:19You shall offer one male goat for a sin offering, and two male lambs a year old for a sacrifice of peace offerings.
  • Num 28:30one male goat, to make atonement for you.
  • Num 7:22one male goat for a sin offering;

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (2)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Leviticus videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Leviticus 4:23YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on LeviticusMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

Every sacrifice, every priest, and every day of atonement points beyond itself to the one perfect offering and the great High Priest who, by his own blood, makes the unclean holy once for all.

How Leviticus 4:23 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.