If, however, he brings a lamb as a sin offering, he must bring an unblemished female.
Parallel translations
- WEB “‘If he brings a lamb as his offering for a sin offering, he shall bring a female without defect.
- KJV And if he bring a lamb for a sin offering, he shall bring it a female without blemish.
- NKJV ‘If he brings a lamb as his sin offering, he shall bring a female without blemish.
- NASB ‘But if he brings a lamb as his offering for a sin offering, he shall bring a female without defect.
- NLT “If the people bring a sheep as their sin offering, it must be a female with no defects.
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
A worshiper may instead bring a lamb as his sin offering, also female and without defect. God graciously allows alternatives suited to the offerer.
Overview
The law permits a lamb in place of a goat, showing flexibility while maintaining the standard of an unblemished animal. Such provision keeps atonement accessible to those with differing means and flocks. The spotless lamb especially anticipates 'the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world' (John 1:29).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 18
- Lev 4:28When he becomes aware of the sin he has committed, he must bring an unblemished female goat as his offering for that sin.
- 1 Pet 3:18For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit,
- 1 Pet 2:22“He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in His mouth.”
- John 1:29The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
- Rev 5:8–9When He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp, and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.
- 1 Pet 2:24He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. “By His stripes you are healed.”
- Exod 12:5Your lamb must be an unblemished year-old male, and you may take it from the sheep or the goats.
- Heb 9:14how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself unblemished to God, purify our consciences from works of death, so that we may serve the living God!
- 1 Pet 1:18–20For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life you inherited from your forefathers,
- Luke 1:35The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the Holy One to be born will be called the Son of God.
- Heb 7:26Such a high priest truly befits us—One who is holy, innocent, undefiled, set apart from sinners, and exalted above the heavens.
- Lev 5:6and he must bring his guilt offering to the LORD for the sin he has committed: a female lamb or goat from the flock as a sin offering. And the priest will make atonement for him concerning his sin.
- Eph 5:27and to present her to Himself as a glorious church, without stain or wrinkle or any such blemish, but holy and blameless.
- Lev 3:6–7If, however, one’s peace offering to the LORD is from the flock, he must present a male or female without blemish.
- John 1:36When he saw Jesus walking by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!”
- Isa 53:7He was oppressed and afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so He did not open His mouth.
- Exod 12:3Tell the whole congregation of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man must select a lamb for his family, one per household.
- Rev 5:6Then I saw a Lamb who appeared to have been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which represent the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth.
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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 4:32 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.