“When a ruler hath sinned, and done somewhat through ignorance against any of the commandments of the Lord his God concerning things which should not be done, and is guilty;”
When a leader sins unintentionally and does what is forbidden in any of the commands of the Lord his God, he is guilty. The third category of sin offering addresses the leader — the nasi, the head of a tribe or a division within the community. The graduated scale of sin offerings — high priest (bull), community (bull), leader (male goat), individual (female goat or lamb) — reflects the graduated accountability of different roles within the covenant community. The leader's sin offering requires a male goat, less costly than the bull but still a male without defect. The accountability of leadership is real and requires a real offering, even if it is not as costly as the high priest's accountability.
COMMUNITY REFLECTIONS
Publish a reflection on this verse
No reflections on this verse yet. Be the first to write one!