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Leviticus 5

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Cases Requiring a Sin Offering 1–6

1
And 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. ​
2
Or 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. ​
3
Or 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.
4
Or 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. ​
5
And it shall be, when he shall be guilty in one of these things, that he shall confess that wherein he hath sinned: ​
6
and 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.

Graduated Offerings for the Poor 7–13

7
And 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. ​
8
And 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:
9
and 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.
10
And 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.
11
But 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. ​
12
And 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.
13
And 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.

The Trespass Offering 14–19

14
And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying, ​
15
If 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: ​
16
and 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. ​
17
And 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. ​
18
And 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.
19
It is a trespass-offering: he is certainly guilty before Jehovah.

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for Leviticus 5

Verse 1

the voice of swearing — Alah is an oath that carries a curse, here a public adjuration summoning witnesses. One who saw or knew and 'do not utter it' (nagad, to declare) 'shall bear his iniquity'. The high priest laid the same kind of oath on Christ: 'I adjure thee by the living God' (Matt 26:63).

Verse 2

a carcase of an unclean beast — Beast, cattle and creeping thing (sherets, the swarming kind, Lev 11:29) are the unclean creatures of Lev 11, whose carcase 'shall be unclean until the even' (Lev 11:24). 'Hidden' is alam, concealed from his knowledge; the uncleanness stands, and the guilt follows when he learns of it.

Verse 4

pronouncing with his lips — Bata, to speak rashly. It occurs in only three verses: here, Ps 106:33 ('he spake unadvisedly with his lips') and Prov 12:18. The oath, 'to do evil, or to do good', is spoken without thought, forgotten, and brings guilt 'when he knoweth of it'.

Verse 5

he shall confess — Yadah, to acknowledge. The same verb is used when Aaron confesses 'all the iniquities of the children of Israel' over the live goat (Lev 16:21), and in Lev 26:40. Confession comes before the offering of v.6: 'whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy' (Prov 28:13).

Verse 7

two turtledoves, or two young pigeons — For one 'not able' (literally, whose hand does not reach enough) to bring a lamb, one bird is the sin offering and one the burnt offering. Mary brought 'a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons' after the birth of Christ (Luke 2:24), as Lev 12:8 allows the poor.

Verse 11

no oil… neither… frankincense — This is the last step down: a tenth of an ephah of fine flour (soleth), and it is still 'a sin offering'. The grain offering of Lev 2:1 has 'oil… and frankincense'; here both are withheld. It is the exception to 'almost all things are by the law purged with blood' (Heb 9:22).

Verse 14

the LORD spake unto Moses — A new address begins. Vv.1–13 set out the sin offering for named failings; from v.15 comes the trespass offering (asham) for wrong done in the LORD's holy things. The same opening formula introduces the trespass against a neighbour in Lev 6:1–7.

Verse 15

a trespass… in the holy things — Ma'al is a breach of faith, here committed 'through ignorance' (shegagah, an inadvertence). The offering is a ram without blemish, valued 'by shekels of silver, after the shekel of the sanctuary', the standard of Ex 30:13.

Verse 16

add the fifth part thereto — Restitution comes first, with a fifth added and given to the priest; the same rule meets one who eats 'of the holy thing unwittingly' (Lev 22:14) and the false oath of Lev 6:5. Then the priest 'make an atonement' (kaphar, to cover) with the ram, 'and it shall be forgiven him' (salach).

Verse 17

though he wist it not — The case is a commandment broken unknowingly, as in Lev 4:2 ('sin through ignorance'), and still 'yet is he guilty, and shall bear his iniquity', as in v.1. The prayer of David has the same reach: 'Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults' (Ps 19:12).