The Meaning of Leviticus 4:2 Explained

Leviticus 4:2

KJV: Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a soul shall sin through ignorance against any of the commandments of the LORD concerning things which ought not to be done, and shall do against any of them:

YLT: Speak unto the sons of Israel, saying, When a person doth sin through ignorance against any of the commands of Jehovah regarding things which are not to be done, and hath done something against one of these --

Darby: Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a soul shall sin through inadvertence against any of the commandments of Jehovah in things that ought not to be done, and do any of them;

ASV: Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If any one shall sin unwittingly, in any of the things which Jehovah hath commanded not to be done, and shall do any one of them:

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Speak  unto the children  of Israel,  saying,  If a soul  shall sin  through ignorance  against any of the commandments  of the LORD  [concerning things] which ought not to be done,  and shall do  against any  of them: 

What does Leviticus 4:2 Mean?

Context Summary

Leviticus 4:1-21 - Sin-Offerings For Priests And Congregation
The sweet savor offerings have now been considered. They are all concerned with consecration and communion. We now approach the sacrifices for sin; and first, for sins of ignorance. Here provision is made for the anointed priest, for the whole assembly, for the ruler and for one of the common people. Do we realize sufficiently the sinfulness of our sins of omission-i.e., of coming short of God's glory? See how much they cost! The innocent victim had to suffer; as afterward our Lord suffered without the gate, that He might make an atonement and sanctify His people with His own blood. We learn what the Apostle meant when he described our Lord as being "made sin for us."
After certain portions had been placed upon the altar of burned-offering, the remainder of the carcass was burned without the camp, as though it were an altogether polluted thing. Note that the sin of the priest was deemed to require a more costly offering than that of the ordinary man, because he had sinned against fuller light. [source]

Chapter Summary: Leviticus 4

1  The sin offering of ignorance
3  for the priest
13  for the congregation
22  for the ruler
27  for any of the people

What do the individual words in Leviticus 4:2 mean?

speak to the sons of Israel saying a person if sins unintentionally against any of the commandments of Yahweh [in anything] which not ought to be done and does one of them
דַּבֵּ֞ר אֶל־ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֘ל‪‬ לֵאמֹר֒ נֶ֗פֶשׁ כִּֽי־ תֶחֱטָ֤א בִשְׁגָגָה֙ מִכֹּל֙ מִצְוֺ֣ת יְהוָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֖ר לֹ֣א תֵעָשֶׂ֑ינָה וְעָשָׂ֕ה מֵאַחַ֖ת מֵהֵֽנָּה

דַּבֵּ֞ר  speak 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: דָּבַר 
Sense: to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing.
בְּנֵ֣י  the  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֘ל‪‬  of  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
לֵאמֹר֒  saying 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
נֶ֗פֶשׁ  a  person 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: נֶפֶשׁ  
Sense: soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion.
תֶחֱטָ֤א  sins 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: חָטָא 
Sense: to sin, miss, miss the way, go wrong, incur guilt, forfeit, purify from uncleanness.
בִשְׁגָגָה֙  unintentionally 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular
Root: שְׁגָגָה  
Sense: sin, sin of error or inadvertence, inadvertent sin.
מִכֹּל֙  against  any 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
מִצְוֺ֣ת  of  the  commandments 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct
Root: מִצְוָה  
Sense: commandment.
יְהוָ֔ה  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֲשֶׁ֖ר  [in  anything]  which 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
תֵעָשֶׂ֑ינָה  ought  to  be  done 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, third person feminine plural
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
וְעָשָׂ֕ה  and  does 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
מֵאַחַ֖ת  one 
Parse: Preposition-m, Number, feminine singular
Root: אֶחָד  
Sense: one (number).
מֵהֵֽנָּה  of  them 
Parse: Preposition-m, Pronoun, third person feminine plural
Root: הֵנָּה  
Sense: they, these, the same, who.