Leviticus5
New American Standard
1‘Now if a person sins after he hears a public order to testify when he is a witness, whether he has seen or otherwise known, if he does not tell it, then he will bear his punishment.
2Or if a person touches any unclean thing, whether a carcass of an unclean animal, or the carcass of unclean cattle, or a carcass of unclean swarming things, though it is hidden from him and he is unclean, then he will be guilty.
3Or if he touches human uncleanness, of whatever sort his uncleanness may be with which he becomes unclean, and it is hidden from him, and then he comes to know it, he will be guilty.
4Or if a person swears thoughtlessly with his lips to do evil or to do good, in whatever matter people speak thoughtlessly with an oath, and it is hidden from him, and then he comes to know it, he will be guilty of one of these things.
5So it shall be when he becomes guilty of one of these things, that he shall confess that in which he has sinned.
6He shall also bring his guilt offering to the Lord for his sin which he has committed, a female from the flock, a lamb or a goat as a sin offering. So the priest shall make atonement on his behalf for his sin.
7‘But if he cannot afford a lamb, then he shall bring to the Lord his guilt offering for that in which he has sinned, two turtledoves or two young doves, one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering.
8He shall bring them to the priest, who shall first offer that which is for the sin offering, and shall pinch off its head at the front of its neck, but he shall not sever it.
9He shall also sprinkle some of the blood of the sin offering on the side of the altar, while the rest of the blood shall be drained out at the base of the altar: it is a sin offering.
10The second he shall then prepare as a burnt offering according to the ordinance. So the priest shall make atonement on his behalf for his sin which he has committed, and it will be forgiven him.
11‘But if his means are insufficient for two turtledoves or two young doves, then for his offering for that which he has sinned, he shall bring the tenth of an ephah of fine flour as a sin offering; he shall not put oil on it or place incense on it, for it is a sin offering.
12He shall bring it to the priest, and the priest shall take his handful of it as its memorial portion and offer it up in smoke on the altar, with the offerings of the Lord by fire: it is a sin offering.
13So the priest shall make atonement for him concerning his sin which he has committed from one of these, and it will be forgiven him; then the rest shall become the priest’s, like the grain offering.’”
14Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
15“If a person acts unfaithfully and sins unintentionally against the Lord’s holy things, then he shall bring his guilt offering to the Lord: a ram without defect from the flock, according to your assessment in silver by shekels, in terms of the shekel of the sanctuary, as a guilt offering.
16And he shall make restitution for that which he has sinned against the holy thing, and shall add to it a fifth part of it and give it to the priest. The priest shall then make atonement for him with the ram of the guilt offering, and it will be forgiven him.
17“Now if a person sins and does any of the things which the Lord has commanded not to be done, though he was unaware, he is still guilty and shall bear his punishment.
18He is then to bring to the priest a ram without defect from the flock, according to your assessment, as a guilt offering. So the priest shall make atonement for him concerning his sin which he committed unintentionally and did not know it, and it will be forgiven him.
19It is a guilt offering; he was certainly guilty before the Lord.”
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Leviticus 5.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: Concerning various trespasses. (1–13). Concerning trespasses against the Lord. (14–19).
vv1-13
The offences here noticed are, 1. A man's concealing the truth, when he was sworn as a witness to speak the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. If, in such a case, for fear of offending one that has been his friend, or may be his enemy, a man refuses to give evidence, or gives it but in part, he shall bear his iniquity. And that is a heavy burden, which, if some course be not taken to get it removed, will sink a man to hell. Let all that are called at any time to be witnesses, think of this law, and be free and open in their evidence, and take heed of prevaricating. An oath of the Lord is a sacred thing, not to be trifled with. 2. A man's touching any thing that was ceremonially unclean. Though his touching the unclean thing only made him ceremonially defiled, yet neglecting to wash himself according to the law, was either carelessness or contempt, and contracted moral guilt. As soon as God, by his Spirit, convinces our consciences of any sin or duty, we must follow the conviction, as not ashamed to own our former mistake. 3. Rash swearing, that a man will do or not do such a thing. As if the performance of his oath afterward prove unlawful, or what cannot be done. Wisdom and watchfulness beforehand would prevent these difficulties. In these cases the offender must confess his sin, and bring his offering; but the offering was not accepted, unless accompanied with confession and humble prayer for pardon. The confession must be particular; that he hath sinned in that thing. Deceit lies in generals; many will own they have sinned, for that all must own; but their sins in any one particular they are unwilling to allow. The way to be assured of pardon, and armed against sin for the future, is to confess the exact truth. If any were very poor, they might bring some flour, and that should be accepted. Thus the expense of the sin-offering was brought lower than any other, to teach that no man's poverty shall ever bar the way of his pardon. If the sinner brought two doves, one was to be offered for a sin-offering, and the other for a burnt-offering. We must first see that our peace be made with God, and then we may expect that our services for his glory will be accepted by him. To show the loathsomeness of sin, the flour, when offered, must not be made grateful to the taste by oil, or to the smell by frankincense. God, by these sacrifices, spoke comfort to those who had offended, that they might not despair, nor pine away in their sins. Likewise caution not to offend any more, remembering how expensive and troublesome it was to make atonement.
vv14-19
Here are offerings to atone for trespasses against a neighbour. If a man put to his own use unwittingly, any thing dedicated to God, he was to bring this sacrifice. We are to be jealous over ourselves, to ask pardon for the sin, and make satisfaction for the wrong, which we do but suspect ourselves guilty of. The law of God is so very broad, the occasions of sin in this guilty of. The law of God is so very broad, the occasions of sin in this world are so numerous, and we are so prone to evil, that we need to fear always, and to pray always, that we may be kept from sin. Also we should look before us at every step. The true Christian daily pleads guilty before God, and seeks forgiveness through the blood of Christ. And the gospel salvation is so free, that the poorest is not shut out; and so full, that the most burdened conscience may find relief from it. Yet the evil of sin is so displayed as to cause every pardoned sinner to abhor and dread it.
Key Words
נֶפֶשׁ: properly, a breathing creature, i.e. animal of (abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal, accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or mental)
חָטָא: properly, to miss; hence (figuratively and generally) to sin; by inference, to forfeit, lack, expiate, repent, (causatively) lead astray, condemn
שָׁמַע: to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to tell, etc.)
אָלָה: an imprecation
עֵד: concretely, a witness; abstractly, testimony; specifically, a recorder, i.e. prince
אוֹ: desire (and so probably in Proverbs 31:4); hence (by way of alternative) or, also if
רָאָה: to see, literally or figuratively (in numerous applications, direct and implied, transitive, intransitive and causative)
יָדַע: to know (properly, to ascertain by seeing); used in a great variety of senses, figuratively, literally, euphemistically and inferentially (including observation, care, recognition; and causatively, instruction, designation, punishment, etc.)
נֹחַ: Noach, the patriarch of the flood
נָשָׂא: to lift, in a great variety of applications, literal and figurative, absolute and relative
Cross References
Leviticus 5Illustrates 'voice of swearing' as judicial adjuration, where the High Priest adjures Jesus under oath.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Parallels hearing the voice of swearing/cursing but failing to testify and bearing guilt.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Directly links confession with the trespass offering and requirements for making full restitution.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Parallels the concept of secret or unknown ceremonial sins requiring spiritual cleansing.
Supported by Matthew Poole
An example of a rash oath to do harm, which is later realized to be sinful.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Specific case of eating holy things in ignorance, requiring restitution plus a fifth part.
Supported by JFB
Highlights the principle of guilt and responsibility even when a sin is committed in ignorance.
Supported by JFB
Warning of defiling the Tabernacle if one touches uncleanness and neglects purification.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Contrasts concealing sins with confessing and forsaking them to obtain God's mercy.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Expresses the spiritual relief of acknowledging and confessing sin to receive forgiveness.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Fulfillment of the poor person's offering (turtledoves/pigeons) by Mary at Jesus' purification.
Supported by JFB
Uses 'bear his iniquity' to describe Christ bearing the guilt of transgressors.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Establishes strict penalties for touching unclean things and eating of peace offerings.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Further detail on the restitution and adding of the fifth part for trespasses.
Supported by JFB