Leviticus 5:11

Translation
King James Version
But 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 any frankincense thereon: for it is a sin offering.
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KJV (with Strong's)
But if he H3027 be not able to bring H5381 two H8147 turtledoves H8449, or two H8147 young H1121 pigeons H3123, then he that sinned H2398 shall bring H935 for his offering H7133 the tenth H6224 part of an ephah H374 of fine flour H5560 for a sin offering H2403; he shall put H7760 no oil H8081 upon it, neither shall he put H5414 any frankincense H3828 thereon: for it is a sin offering H2403.
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Complete Jewish Bible
"'But if his means are insufficient even for two doves or two young pigeons, then he is to bring as his offering for the sin he committed two quarts of fine flour for a sin offering; he is not to put any olive oil or frankincense on it, because it is a sin offering.
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Berean Standard Bible
But if he cannot afford two turtledoves or two young pigeons, he may bring a tenth of an ephah of fine flour as a sin offering. He must not put olive oil or frankincense on it, because it is a sin offering.
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American Standard Version
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.
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World English Bible Messianic
“‘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, the tenth part of an efah of fine flour for a sin offering. He shall put no oil on it, neither shall he put any frankincense on it, for it is a sin offering.
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Geneva Bible (1599)
But if he be not able to bring two turtle doues, or two yong pigeons, then he that hath sinned, shall bring for his offring, the tenth parte of an Ephah of fine floure for a sinne offring, he shall put none oyle thereto, neither put any incense thereon: for it is a sinne offering.
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Young's Literal Translation
`And if his hand reach not to two turtle-doves, or to two young pigeons, then he hath brought in his offering--he who hath sinned--a tenth of an ephah of flour for a sin-offering; he putteth no oil on it, nor doth he put on it frankincense, for it is a sin-offering,
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See also
Numbers 5:15Leviticus 2:1Leviticus 2:2Psalms 69:1Psalms 69:21Leviticus 5:9Leviticus 2:15
In the KJVVerse 2,842 of 31,102

Study This Verse

SUMMARY

Leviticus 5:11 stands as a profound testament to God's boundless mercy and equitable provision within the Old Testament sacrificial system. It outlines the final, most accessible tier of the sin offering, allowing even the most impoverished Israelite to make atonement for unintentional sins by presenting a mere tenth part of an ephah of fine flour. This unique bloodless offering, specifically devoid of oil and frankincense, underscores the solemnity of sin while ensuring that no individual, regardless of their economic standing, was excluded from the path to reconciliation and fellowship with a holy God.

CONTEXT

  • Literary Context: Leviticus 5:11 is intricately woven into the detailed instructions concerning the chatta't, or sin offering, primarily outlined in Leviticus 4 and continuing into Leviticus 5. The purpose of the sin offering was to atone for unintentional transgressions against God's commands, whether committed by a priest, the entire congregation, a leader, or an individual. Recognizing the diverse economic realities among the Israelites, God mercifully established a tiered system for these offerings. The standard offerings involved animals—a bull for a priest or the whole congregation, a goat or lamb for a leader or common individual. However, for those of lesser means, Leviticus 5:7 permitted two turtledoves or two young pigeons. Leviticus 5:11 represents the ultimate expression of this divine compassion, providing an accessible means of atonement for those too poor to afford even the birds, thereby ensuring that financial hardship would never be a barrier to seeking forgiveness and maintaining covenant relationship with Yahweh.
  • Historical & Cultural Context: Ancient Israelite society, like many agrarian cultures, experienced significant economic disparities. Poverty was a real and often debilitating condition, making the prescribed animal sacrifices a considerable burden for some. The "tenth part of an ephah" (an omer, roughly 2.2 liters or 4 pounds) of fine flour was an exceedingly small and affordable quantity, demonstrating God's practical consideration for the economically disadvantaged. The specific exclusion of "oil" and "frankincense" from this flour offering is highly significant. These ingredients were standard components of the grain offering (minchah) described in Leviticus 2, which typically symbolized thanksgiving, devotion, or fellowship. Their deliberate omission from the sin offering of flour served to distinguish its purpose: it was not a joyous celebration or a gift of firstfruits, but a solemn act of atonement and purification for sin. This stark contrast emphasized the gravity of sin and the serious, non-celebratory nature of seeking forgiveness, even when the offering itself was minimal.
  • Key Themes: This verse powerfully contributes to several key themes within Leviticus and the broader Pentateuch. Foremost is the theme of God's holiness and justice, which demands atonement for sin, even unintentional ones, to maintain the purity of the covenant community. Equally prominent is God's mercy and compassion, demonstrated by the tiered sacrificial system that accommodates the poor, ensuring that no one is excluded from the means of reconciliation due to economic status. This highlights the theme of accessibility to God, emphasizing that His grace is not reserved for the wealthy or privileged. Furthermore, the distinct nature of the flour offering underscores the theme of the gravity of sin, as it is presented without the celebratory elements found in other offerings, reinforcing the solemnity required in addressing transgression. The overall system, including this provision, points to the overarching theme of atonement and purification, foreshadowing the ultimate, perfect sacrifice for sin.

EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

Key Word Analysis

  • Sin Offering (Hebrew, חַטָּאת, chaṭṭâʼâh', H2403): This multifaceted Hebrew term (H2403) refers not only to the offense itself but also to the guilt or penalty associated with sin, and crucially, the sacrifice made to cleanse or atone for sin. In Leviticus 5:11, its usage explicitly designates the flour as the means by which the transgression is addressed and covered, emphasizing that even unintentional sins require a divine remedy and a specific ritual for purification.
  • Ephah (Hebrew, אֵיפָה, ʼêyphâh', H374): An ancient Hebrew unit of dry measure (H374), approximately 22 liters. The "tenth part of an ephah" (an omer) signifies a very small quantity, underscoring the minimal material burden placed upon the impoverished offerer. This small measure highlights God's profound condescension and accessibility, ensuring that even the most destitute could participate in the sacrificial system and find a path to atonement.
  • Fine Flour (Hebrew, סֹלֶת, çôleth', H5560): This term (H5560) refers to the highest quality, most refined flour, typically reserved for priestly offerings or the finest grain offerings. Despite the offerer's poverty and the small quantity, God still required the best available quality. This detail emphasizes that while God accommodates financial limitations, the sincerity and integrity of the offering, represented by its quality, remain paramount. It reflects a heart that, despite its limitations, desires to give its best to God.

Verse Breakdown

  • "But if he be not able to bring two turtledoves, or two young pigeons": This opening clause establishes the specific economic condition that necessitates this particular offering. It defines the threshold of extreme poverty, indicating that the individual cannot even afford the modest bird offering, which was already a concession from the more expensive animal sacrifices. This sets the stage for God's ultimate provision for the destitute, highlighting His compassionate awareness of their circumstances.
  • "then he that sinned shall bring for his offering the tenth part of an ephah of fine flour for a sin offering": This is the divine alternative prescribed for those in dire poverty. A small measure of high-quality flour is designated as the acceptable offering. The explicit phrase "for a sin offering" reiterates the specific and solemn purpose of this offering: it is solely for atonement for unintentional sin, maintaining its place within the chatta't category despite its unique bloodless composition.
  • "he shall put no oil upon it, neither shall he put [any] frankincense thereon": This is a critical negative instruction that distinctly sets this sin offering apart from other grain offerings (like the minchah). Oil and frankincense were typically associated with offerings of thanksgiving, devotion, or joyous fellowship. Their deliberate exclusion here emphasizes the solemn, non-celebratory, and purifying nature of the sin offering, underscoring that it is solely about dealing with the defilement of sin, not about joyous communion or a general gift.
  • "for it [is] a sin offering": This concluding phrase serves as a powerful reiteration and justification for the preceding instructions. It reinforces the specific, solemn, and atoning purpose of this flour offering, clarifying that its unique composition does not diminish its efficacy as a divinely ordained means of addressing sin and restoring the offerer to a right relationship within the covenant community.

Literary Devices

Leviticus 5:11 masterfully employs several literary devices to convey its profound theological truths. The most prominent is Gradation or Tiering, evident in the progressive scale of offerings for unintentional sin (bull, goat/lamb, birds, and finally flour). This tiered system is a powerful demonstration of God's Compassion and Accessibility, ensuring that no Israelite was excluded from the means of atonement due to economic hardship. There is also a significant Contrast established by the explicit exclusion of oil and frankincense from this sin offering, setting it apart from the joyous grain offerings. This contrast highlights the solemnity and specific purpose of atonement for sin, distinguishing it from offerings of fellowship or thanksgiving. Furthermore, the "fine flour" itself carries rich Symbolism. Despite the offerer's poverty, the requirement of "fine flour" symbolizes the principle that even the smallest offering, when given from a sincere heart, should be of the highest quality available to the offerer, reflecting a heart devoted to God's standard, not merely a transactional exchange. The very absence of oil and frankincense also functions as a powerful symbol, signifying the gravity of sin and the non-celebratory nature of its atonement.

THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS

Leviticus 5:11 is a profound theological statement on God's character, revealing His unparalleled mercy, justice, and unwavering commitment to providing a path to atonement for all people, regardless of their socio-economic status. It underscores the universal reality of sin and the inherent need for divine provision to address it, even for unintentional transgressions that defile. This verse highlights that God's justice, which demands atonement for sin, is always tempered with His boundless compassion, ensuring that no one is left without a means to approach Him and find purification. The tiered system of offerings, culminating in this most accessible flour offering, beautifully illustrates God's desire for all His people to be reconciled to Him and maintain covenant fellowship. While the Old Testament sacrifices, including this flour offering, provided a temporary covering for sin and pointed to the seriousness of transgression, they inherently pointed to a greater, more perfect sacrifice to come, one that would truly take away sin.

REFLECTION AND APPLICATION

Leviticus 5:11 offers timeless truths for contemporary believers, reminding us that God's heart is always for the marginalized and the poor, ensuring that His grace and the means of reconciliation are accessible to all, not just the privileged or financially capable. This passage challenges any notion that our financial or material contributions are the sole or primary measure of our devotion or acceptance before God. Instead, it profoundly emphasizes the sincerity of the heart and the willingness to offer what we have, even if it seems small or insignificant by worldly standards. The "fine flour" requirement, even for the impoverished, teaches us to offer God our "best," not necessarily in terms of quantity or monetary value, but in terms of quality, effort, and purity of intention. This principle applies to all aspects of our lives: our time, talents, and resources. God desires our wholehearted devotion, expressed through genuine offerings, no matter how humble they may appear. Ultimately, this verse reassures us that God always provides a way for reconciliation, a way that is accessible to all who humbly seek it, demonstrating His unwavering commitment to relationship with His people.

Questions for Reflection

  • How does Leviticus 5:11 challenge our assumptions about God's requirements for worship and atonement, particularly concerning material offerings?
  • In what ways does this passage affirm God's profound compassion for the economically disadvantaged and marginalized?
  • What does the explicit exclusion of oil and frankincense from this sin offering teach us about the solemn nature of sin and its atonement?
  • How can we apply the principle of offering our "best" to God, even when our resources seem limited, in our modern lives and spiritual disciplines?

FAQ

Why was a bloodless offering permitted for sin, when the Old Testament typically emphasized the necessity of blood for atonement?

Answer: While the principle of "without shedding of blood is no remission" (Hebrews 9:22) is foundational to the Old Testament sacrificial system, the flour offering in Leviticus 5:11 was a unique exception granted by God's profound mercy for the extremely poor. It demonstrated God's compassionate accommodation for those who could not afford even the smallest animal sacrifice. It's crucial to understand that this bloodless offering, while providing a temporary covering for sin, still operated within a broader system that ultimately pointed to the necessity of blood for full and final remission. It was a divine provision to ensure no one was excluded from the means of atonement due to poverty, rather than a contradiction of the blood principle. God's character is both just (requiring atonement) and merciful (providing accessible means).

What is the significance of "fine flour" if the person making the offering was poor?

Answer: The requirement for "fine flour" (Hebrew: solet), which was the highest quality of flour available, is highly significant. It underscores that even when the quantity of the offering was minimal due to the offerer's poverty, the quality of the offering was still to be the best available to them. This detail emphasizes that God values the sincerity of the heart and the integrity of the offering, regardless of its material size. It teaches that even in our limitations, we are called to offer God our best, reflecting a heart of reverence, humility, and genuine desire for reconciliation and worship. It's not about the magnitude of the gift, but the purity of the heart behind it.

CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT

Leviticus 5:11, with its compassionate provision for the poorest to make atonement, beautifully prefigures the ultimate, universally accessible sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Just as God provided a way for the destitute to approach Him through a humble flour offering, so too in Christ has He provided the perfect, once-for-all atonement accessible to all humanity, regardless of their earthly status, wealth, or merit. Jesus, the Lamb of God, became poor for our sakes (2 Corinthians 8:9), entering into our human condition to offer Himself as the spotless sacrifice. His blood, shed on the cross, is the true and eternal remission for sins, fulfilling and superseding all the temporary Old Testament sacrifices, whether of animals or flour (Hebrews 9:12). He is not only the perfect sin offering, taking away the sin of the world (John 1:29), but also the "bread of life" (John 6:35), providing spiritual sustenance and eternal life to all who believe. In Christ, God's mercy and provision for atonement are no longer limited by economic means or the need for repeated rituals, but are freely available through faith to everyone who calls upon His name (Romans 10:12-13).

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Commentary on Leviticus 5 verses 7–13

Provision is here made for the poor of God's people, and the pacifying of their consciences under the sense of guilt. Those that were not able to bring a lamb might bring for a sin-offering a pair of turtle-doves or two young pigeons; nay, if any were so extremely poor that they were not able to procure these so often as they would have occasion, they might bring a pottle of fine flour, and this should be accepted. Thus the expense of the sin-offering was brought lower than that of any other offering, to teach us that no man's poverty shall ever be a bar in the way of his pardon. The poorest of all may have atonement made for them, if it be not their own fault. Thus the poor are evangelized; and no man shall say that he had not wherewithal to bear the charges of a journey to heaven. Now,

I. If the sinner brought two doves, one was to be offered for a sin-offering and the other for a burnt-offering, Lev 5:7. Observe, 1. Before he offered the burnt-offering, which was for the honour and praise of God, he must offer the sin-offering, to make atonement. We must first see to it that our peace be made with God, and then we may expect that our services for his glory will be accepted. The sin-offering must make way for the burnt-offering. 2. After the sin-offering, which made atonement, came the burnt-offering, as an acknowledgment of the great mercy of God in appointing and accepting the atonement.

II. If he brought fine flour, a handful of it was to be offered, but without either oil or frankincense (Lev 5:11), not only because this would make it too costly for the poor, for whose comfort this sacrifice was appointed, but because it was a sin-offering, and therefore, to show the loathsomeness of the sin for which it was offered, it must not be made grateful either to the taste by oil or to the smell by frankincense. The unsavouriness of the offering was to intimate that the sinner must never relish his sin again as he had done. God by these sacrifices did speak, 1. Comfort to those that had offended, that they might not despair, nor pine away in their iniquity; but, peace being thus made for them with God, they might have peace in him. 2. Caution likewise not to offend any more, remembering what an expensive troublesome thing it was to make atonement.

Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 7–13. Public domain.
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Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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