Leviticus — Chapter 5
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1And if a soul sin, and hear the voice of swearing, and
2Or if a soul touch any unclean thing, whether
3Or if he touch the uncleanness of man, whatsoever uncleanness
4Or if a soul swear, pronouncing with
5And it shall be, when he shall be guilty in one of these
6And he shall bring his trespass offering unto the LORD for his sin which he hath sinned, a female from the flock, a lamb or a kid of the goats, for a sin offering; and the priest shall make an atonement for him concerning his sin.
7And if he be not able to bring a lamb, then he shall bring for his trespass, which he hath committed, two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, unto the LORD; one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering.
8And he shall bring them unto the priest, who shall offer
9And he shall sprinkle of the blood of the sin offering upon the side of the altar; and the rest of the blood shall be wrung out at the bottom of the altar: it
10And he shall offer the second
11But if he be not able to bring two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, then he that sinned shall bring for his offering the tenth part of an ephah of fine flour for a sin offering; he shall put no oil upon it, neither shall he put
12Then shall he bring it to the priest, and the priest shall take his handful of it,
13And the priest shall make an atonement for him as touching his sin that he hath sinned in one of these, and it shall be forgiven him: and
14And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
15If a soul commit a trespass, and sin through ignorance, in the holy things of the LORD; then he shall bring for his trespass unto the LORD a ram without blemish out of the flocks, with thy estimation by shekels of silver, after the shekel of the sanctuary, for a trespass offering:
16And he shall make amends for the harm that he hath done in the holy thing, and shall add the fifth part thereto, and give it unto the priest: and the priest shall make an atonement for him with the ram of the trespass offering, and it shall be forgiven him.
17And if a soul sin, and commit any of these things which are forbidden to be done by the commandments of the LORD; though he wist
18And he shall bring a ram without blemish out of the flock, with thy estimation, for a trespass offering, unto the priest: and the priest shall make an atonement for him concerning his ignorance wherein he erred and wist
19It
1And if any one sin, in that he heareth the voice of adjuration, he being a witness, whether he hath seen or known, if he do not utter [it], then he shall bear his iniquity.
2Or if any one touch any unclean thing, whether it be the carcass of an unclean beast, or the carcass of unclean cattle, or the carcass of unclean creeping things, and it be hidden from him, and he be unclean, then he shall be guilty.
3Or if he touch the uncleanness of man, whatsoever his uncleanness be wherewith he is unclean, and it be hid from him; when he knoweth of it, then he shall be guilty.
4Or if any one swear rashly with his lips to do evil, or to do good, whatsoever it be that a man shall utter rashly with an oath, and it be hid from him; when he knoweth of it, then he shall be guilty in one of these [things].
5And it shall be, when he shall be guilty in one of these [things], that he shall confess that wherein he hath sinned:
6and he shall bring his trespass-offering unto Jehovah for his sin which he hath sinned, a female from the flock, a lamb or a goat, for a sin-offering; and the priest shall make atonement for him as concerning his sin.
7And if his means suffice not for a lamb, then he shall bring his trespass-offering for that wherein he hath sinned, two turtle-doves, or two young pigeons, unto Jehovah; one for a sin-offering, and the other for a burnt-offering.
8And he shall bring them unto the priest, who shall offer that which is for the sin-offering first, and wring off its head from its neck, but shall not divide it asunder:
9and he shall sprinkle of the blood of the sin-offering upon the side of the altar; and the rest of the blood shall be drained out at the base of the altar: it is a sin-offering.
10And he shall offer the second for a burnt-offering, according to the ordinance; and the priest shall make atonement for him as concerning his sin which he hath sinned, and he shall be forgiven.
11But if his means suffice not for two turtle-doves, or two young pigeons, then he shall bring his oblation for that wherein he hath sinned, the tenth part of an ephah of fine flour for a sin-offering: he shall put no oil upon it, neither shall he put any frankincense thereon; for it is a sin-offering.
12And he shall bring it to the priest, and the priest shall take his handful of it as the memorial thereof, and burn it on the altar, upon the offerings of Jehovah made by fire: it is a sin-offering.
13And the priest shall make atonement for him as touching his sin that he hath sinned in any of these things, and he shall be forgiven: and [the remnant] shall be the priest`s, as the meal-offering.
14And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying,
15If any one commit a trespass, and sin unwittingly, in the holy things of Jehovah; then he shall bring his trespass-offering unto Jehovah, a ram without blemish out of the flock, according to thy estimation in silver by shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, for a trespass-offering:
16and he shall make restitution for that which he hath done amiss in the holy thing, and shall add the fifth part thereto, and give it unto the priest; and the priest shall make atonement for him with the ram of the trespass-offering, and he shall be forgiven.
17And if any one sin, and do any of the things which Jehovah hath commanded not to be done; though he knew it not, yet is he guilty, and shall bear his iniquity.
18And he shall bring a ram without blemish out of the flock, according to thy estimation, for a trespass-offering, unto the priest; and the priest shall make atonement for him concerning the thing wherein he erred unwittingly and knew it not, and he shall be forgiven.
19It is a trespass-offering: he is certainly guilty before Jehovah.
1“‘When a person sins in that he hears a public curse against one who fails to testify and he is a witness (he either saw or knew what had happened) and he does not make it known, then he will bear his punishment for iniquity.
2Or when there is a person who touches anything ceremonially unclean, whether the carcass of an unclean wild animal, or the carcass of an unclean domesticated animal, or the carcass of an unclean creeping thing, even if he did not realize it, he has become unclean and is guilty;
3or when he touches human uncleanness with regard to anything by which he can become unclean, even if he did not realize it, but he has later come to know it and is guilty;
4or when a person swears an oath, speaking thoughtlessly with his lips, whether to do evil or to do good, with regard to anything which the individual might speak thoughtlessly in an oath, even if he did not realize it, but he has later come to know it and is guilty with regard to one of these oaths—
5when an individual becomes guilty with regard to one of these things he must confess how he has sinned,
6and he must bring his penalty for guilt to the Lord for his sin that he has committed—a female from the flock, whether a female sheep or a female goat, for a sin offering. So the priest will make atonement on his behalf for his sin.
7“‘If he cannot afford an animal from the flock, he must bring his penalty for guilt for his sin that he has committed, two turtledoves or two young pigeons, to the Lord, one for a sin offering and one for a burnt offering.
8He must bring them to the priest and present first the one that is for a sin offering. The priest must pinch its head at the nape of its neck, but must not sever the head from the body.
9Then he must sprinkle some of the blood of the sin offering on the wall of the altar, and the remainder of the blood must be squeezed out at the base of the altar—it is a sin offering.
10The second bird he must make a burnt offering according to the standard regulation. So the priest will make atonement on behalf of this person for his sin which he has committed, and he will be forgiven.
11“‘If he cannot afford two turtledoves or two young pigeons, he must bring as his offering for his sin which he has committed a tenth of an ephah of choice wheat flour for a sin offering. He must not place olive oil on it, and he must not put frankincense on it, because it is a sin offering.
12He must bring it to the priest, and the priest must scoop out from it a handful as its memorial portion and offer it up in smoke on the altar on top of the other gifts of the Lord—it is a sin offering.
13So the priest will make atonement on his behalf for his sin which he has committed by doing one of these things, and he will be forgiven. The remainder of the offering will belong to the priest like the grain offering.’”
14Then the Lord spoke to Moses:
15“When a person commits a trespass and sins by straying unintentionally from the regulations about the Lord’s holy things, then he must bring his penalty for guilt to the Lord, a flawless ram from the flock, convertible into silver shekels according to the standard of the sanctuary shekel, for a guilt offering.
16And whatever holy thing he violated he must restore and must add one-fifth to it and give it to the priest. So the priest will make atonement on his behalf with the guilt-offering ram, and he will be forgiven.
17“If a person sins and violates any of the Lord’s commandments that must not be violated (although he did not know it at the time, but later realizes he is guilty), then he will bear his punishment for iniquity
18and must bring a flawless ram from the flock, convertible into silver shekels, for a guilt offering to the priest. So the priest will make atonement on his behalf for his error that he committed (although he himself had not known it), and he will be forgiven.
19It is a guilt offering; he was surely guilty before the Lord.”
1“‘If anyone sins, in that he hears the voice of adjuration, he being a witness, whether he has seen or known, if he doesn’t report it, then he shall bear his iniquity.
2“‘Or if anyone touches any unclean thing, whether it is the carcass of an unclean animal, or the carcass of unclean livestock, or the carcass of unclean creeping things, and it is hidden from him, and he is unclean, then he shall be guilty.
3“‘Or if he touches the uncleanness of man, whatever his uncleanness is with which he is unclean, and it is hidden from him; when he knows of it, then he shall be guilty.
4“‘Or if anyone swears rashly with his lips to do evil, or to do good, whatever it is that a man might utter rashly with an oath, and it is hidden from him; when he knows of it, then he shall be guilty of one of these.
5It shall be, when he is guilty of one of these, he shall confess that in which he has sinned:
6and he shall bring his trespass offering to Yahweh for his sin which he has sinned, a female from the flock, a lamb or a goat, for a sin offering; and the priest shall make atonement for him concerning his sin.
7“‘If he can’t afford a lamb, then he shall bring his trespass offering for that in which he has sinned, two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, to Yahweh; one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering.
8He shall bring them to the priest, who shall first offer the one which is for the sin offering, and wring off its head from its neck, but shall not sever it completely.
9He shall sprinkle some of the blood of the sin offering on the side of the altar; and the rest of the blood shall be drained out at the base of the altar. It is a sin offering.
10He shall offer the second for a burnt offering, according to the ordinance; and the priest shall make atonement for him concerning his sin which he has sinned, and he shall be forgiven.
11“‘But if he can’t afford two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, then he shall bring his offering for that in which he has sinned, one tenth of an ephah of fine flour for a sin offering. He shall put no oil on it, and he shall not put any frankincense 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 the memorial portion, and burn it on the altar, on the offerings of Yahweh made by fire. It is a sin offering.
13The priest shall make atonement for him concerning his sin that he has sinned in any of these things, and he will be forgiven; and the rest shall be the priest’s, as the meal offering.’”
14Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
15“If anyone commits a trespass, and sins unwittingly, in the holy things of Yahweh; then he shall bring his trespass offering to Yahweh, a ram without defect from the flock, according to your estimation in silver by shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, for a trespass offering.
16He shall make restitution for that which he has done wrong in the holy thing, and shall add a fifth part to it, and give it to the priest; and the priest shall make atonement for him with the ram of the trespass offering, and he will be forgiven.
17“If anyone sins, and does any of the things which Yahweh has commanded not to be done; though he didn’t know it, yet he is guilty, and shall bear his iniquity.
18He shall bring a ram without defect from of the flock, according to your estimation, for a trespass offering, to the priest; and the priest shall make atonement for him concerning the thing in which he sinned and didn’t know it, and he will be forgiven.
19It is a trespass offering. He is certainly guilty before Yahweh.”
Summary
Section 1 — Specific Sins Requiring a Sin Offering (vv.1-4): Four cases are named: (1) Failing to testify when one has witnessed something and hears a public adjuration (v.1); (2) Touching an unclean carcass — wild animal, livestock, or swarming thing — unknowingly (v.2); (3) Touching human uncleanness unknowingly (v.3); (4) Making a rash oath to do evil or good and forgetting it (v.4). In each case, when the person "realizes his guilt," he must act. Section 2 — Confession and the Sin Offering (vv.5-6): When guilt is realized, the person must confess the specific sin and bring a female lamb or goat as a sin offering. The priest makes atonement. Section 3 — Provision for the Poor: Two Birds (vv.7-10): If the offender cannot afford a lamb, he brings two turtledoves or two pigeons — one for a sin offering, one for a burnt offering. The priest wrings the neck of the first (sin offering), sprinkles blood on the altar side, drains the rest at the base. The second is offered as a burnt offering. Atonement is made; forgiveness is granted. Section 4 — Provision for the Poorest: Flour (vv.11-13): If even two birds are unaffordable, the offender brings a tenth of an ephah of fine flour — no oil, no frankincense (because it is a sin offering, not a grain offering). The priest burns a memorial portion. Atonement is made; forgiveness is granted. The remainder goes to the priest. Section 5 — The Guilt/Trespass Offering: Sacred Things (vv.14-16): If anyone commits a "breach of faith" in the holy things of the LORD (misusing tithes, firstfruits, or dedicated items), he brings a ram without blemish, valued in silver shekels. He also makes restitution: the full value plus one-fifth (20%) given to the priest. Atonement is made; forgiveness is granted. Section 6 — The Guilt Offering: Unknown Violations (vv.17-19): If anyone sins by violating God's commandments without knowing it, he is still guilty and must bear his iniquity. He brings a ram without blemish (or its equivalent value) as a guilt offering. The priest makes atonement for his unintentional error. "It is a guilt offering; he has indeed incurred guilt before the LORD."
Authorship & Background
Map & Geography
- No specific geographic locations are referenced in this chapter.
Commentary
- Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com Guzik highlights the four specific sins of vv.1-4 (withholding testimony, touching uncleanness, rash oaths) and emphasizes God's gracious provision for the poor — scaling the offering to the offerer's ability without eliminating the requirement. He notes the guilt offering's distinctive feature: restitution plus one-fifth, showing that sin creates a debt.
- Charles Spurgeon:
Reflection
- 1. Silence when truth is required is sin (v.1). Is there a situation where you know the truth but have remained silent — out of fear, convenience, or self-protection? God calls withholding testimony a sin that must be confessed and atoned for. Where is He calling you to speak?
- 2. God scales the offering to the offerer's ability (vv.7, 11) — lamb, birds, or flour. He never turns away the poor, but He never eliminates the need for atonement either. How does this balance of grace and justice shape your understanding of God? He meets you where you are but never pretends sin doesn't matter.
- 3. Restitution plus one-fifth (v.16). When you wrong someone, is it enough to simply stop? Or does God require you to make it right — and then some? Is there a relationship where you owe restitution? What would "restoration plus 20%" look like in that situation?
- 4. "Though he did not know it, then realizes his guilt, he shall bear his iniquity" (v.17). Ignorance does not remove guilt. What sins might you be committing that you are not yet aware of? Pray for the Spirit to reveal hidden faults (Ps 139:23-24) and trust that Christ's blood covers even what you cannot see.
- 5. Confession is the hinge between guilt and forgiveness (v.5). "When he realizes his guilt... and confesses." Is there unconfessed sin in your life — something you have realized but not yet brought to God? What keeps you from confessing? Fear? Shame? Pride? "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive" (1 John 1:9).