Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Leviticus 4:15
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.
15. the elders ] This expression, common in JE and Deut., occurs in P here and in Lev 9:1, Jos 20:4 only.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
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.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
The elders of the congregation, i.e. the rulers of the people, of whom see Exo 3:16; 24:1, who here acted in the name of all the people, who could not possibly perform this act in their own persons.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
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.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(15) And the elders of the congregation shall lay their hands.As the whole congregation could not lay their hands on the victim, their representatives had to perform this act. (See Lev. 4:4.) But as the elders also were far too many to do it, since they were seventy in number, it was ordained during the second Temple that three of their members should lay their hands upon the sacrifice. Besides this sin offering there was only one other congregational offering upon which there was this laying of hands: i.e., the scape-goat (Lev. 16:21).
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Lev 4:15. The elders of the congregation They were to do this as representatives of the whole people, from whom they are plainly distinguished; see Lev 4:13. It is to be observed, that the same ceremonies are prescribed for the sins of the high-priest and of the whole congregation. The altar of sweet incense, in particular, Lev 4:7; Lev 4:18 was to be atoned for each; to remind them, that they were each unworthy to offer prayers to God, while in a state of sin, which polluted in a certain sense the very altar and sanctuary itself; see ch. Lev 16:9.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Lev 4:15 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.
Ver. 15. And the elders. ] These, as the representative congregation, took upon them the guilt of their common errors, as those did in 2Ch 29:23 .
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
the elders: Exo 24:1, Exo 24:9, Num 11:16, Num 11:25, Deu 21:3-9
lay: Lev 4:4, Lev 1:4, Lev 16:21
Reciprocal: Lev 3:8 – he shall Lev 4:24 – in the place Lev 4:29 – General 2Ch 29:23 – they laid
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Lev 4:15. The elders Who here acted in the name of all the people, who could not possibly perform this act in their own persons.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
4:15 And the {g} 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.
(g) For all the people could not lay on their hands: therefore it was sufficient that the elders of the people did it in the name of all the congregation.