Attributed commentary excerpt
John Gill's Exposition on Leviticus 4:2
A historical reference excerpt for this verse. Read it alongside the biblical text and other available sources.
Exposition of the Old and New Testament
John Gill (1697–1771) · 18th-century historical commentary
Source: BibleWord.ai's local reference edition of this named work.
Speak unto the children of Israel, [saying], etc.] For this law concerning the sin offering, as the rest, only belonged to them, and such as were proselyted to them: if a soul should sin through ignorance; sin is from the soul, though committed by the body; it is the soul that sins, (<261804>Ezekiel 18:4) it includes, as Aben Ezra observes, both Israelites and proselytes; who sinned through ignorance either of the law, that such things were forbidden, or of having committed them, they being done unobserved, and through inadvertency; or were forgotten that they were done, or were done through error and mistake; these sins are what the apostle calls the errors of the people, their strayings out of the way through ignorance and inadvertency, (<580502>Hebrews 5:2 9:7) such sins as a man is overtaken with unawares, and is drawn into at once through temptation and the prevalence of corruption; these are the errors and secret faults which David distinguishes from presumptuous sins, (<191912>Psalm 19:12,13): against any of the commandments of the Lord ([concerning things] which ought not to be done.) The Jewish writers f83 distinguish the commandments of the Lord into affirmative and negative, and make their number to be six hundred and thirteen; two hundred and forty eight are affirmative, according to the number of bones in a man’s body, and three hundred sixty five are negative ones, according to the number of the days of the year; and they observe f84, it is only the transgression of negative precepts that is here meant, and for which a sin offering was to be brought: and shall do against any of them; it must be something done, and not merely said: hence the Jews f85 say, that as the neglect of circumcision, and of the passover, does not come under this law, because they are affirmative precepts; so neither blasphemy, because there is nothing done, only something said: of these sins of ignorance, they give instances as follows; if any man eats the fat that is about the kidneys, thinking it is the fat that is about the heart; or that lies with a woman forbidden by the law, thinking her to be his wife; or that commits idolatry, by bowing to the idol, thinking that the law forbids sacrifice, incense, and libation, but not bowing; or that profanes the sabbath, thinking it is a common day f86.
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