If the sin … is made known to him: see verse 14.

A goat, a male: if the receptor language has a single word that contains the idea of maleness as well as the idea of goat, then it should be used here. The choice of the animal is related to the status of the person who had sinned. A male goat was considered of less value than a bull (see verse 3) but more valuable than a female goat (see verse 28).

Without blemish: see 1.3 and 22.17-25.

In some languages translators may feel that it is necessary to add the implicit information which states the purpose of the sacrifice, “to obtain the forgiveness of God” (Bible en français courant).

Quoted with permission from Péter-Contesse, René and Ellington, John. A Handbook on Leviticus. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1990. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .