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.

And the ancients of the people shall put their hands upon the head thereof before the Lord. And the calf being immolated in the sight of the Lord,

and the elders of the assembly shall lay their hands on the head of the bullock before Jehovah; and one shall slaughter the bullock before Jehovah.

and the elders of the company have laid their hands on the head of the bullock, before Jehovah, and one hath slaughtered the bullock before Jehovah.

And let the chiefs of the people put their hands on its head before the Lord, and put the ox to death before the Lord.

The elders of the congregation shall lay their hands on the head of the bull before the LORD; and the bull shall be killed before the LORD.

And the elders of the people shall place their hands upon its head in the sight of the Lord. And when the calf has been immolated in the sight of the Lord,

Ponentque seniores synagogae marius suas super caput juvenci coram Jehova: tune mactabit juvencum coram Jehova.

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.

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.

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.

The elders - Who here acted in the name of all the people, who could not possibly perform this act in their own persons.