Leviticus 5:4

4 Or [if] someone swears rashly to do what is good or evil-concerning anything a person may speak rashly in an oath[a]-without being aware of it, but [later] recognizes it, he incurs guilt in such an instance.[b]

Leviticus 5:4 Meaning and Commentary

Leviticus 5:4

Or if a soul swear
A rash or vain oath:

pronouncing with his lips;
not in his heart, as Jarchi notes; not saying within himself that he would do this, or that, or the other thing, but expressing his oath plainly and distinctly, with an audible voice:

to do good, or to do evil;
which was either impossible or unlawful for him to do; whether the good or evil he swears to do is to himself or to another; whether he swears to do good to himself, and evil to another, or, good to another, and evil to himself, see ( Psalms 15:4 Psalms 15:5 ) . The Targum of Jonathan paraphrases it,

``whatsoever a man expresses, whether of anything present or future;''

as if he swears he has done such and such a thing, whether good or evil; or that he will do it, be it what it will, and it is not in the power of his hands to do it, or, if he did it, it would be doing a wrong thing:

whatsoever [it be] that a man shall pronounce with an oath, and it
be hid from him;
he has forgot that he ever swore such an oath:

and when he knoweth [of it], then he shall be guilty in one of
these;
when he is told of it, and it is made clearly to appear to him, that he did at such a time, and in such a place, deliver out a rash oath concerning this, or the other thing, then he shall be chargeable with guilt in one of these; either in rashly swearing to do good when it was not in his power, or to do evil, which would have been unlawful. The Targum of Jonathan is,

``if he knows that he has falsified, and repents not, he is guilty.''

Leviticus 5:4 In-Context

2 Or [if] someone touches anything unclean-a carcass of an unclean wild animal, or unclean livestock, or an unclean swarming creature -without being aware of it, he is unclean and guilty.
3 Or [if] he touches human uncleanness-any uncleanness by which one can become defiled-without being aware of it, but [later] recognizes [it], he is guilty.
4 Or [if] someone swears rashly to do what is good or evil-concerning anything a person may speak rashly in an oath-without being aware of it, but [later] recognizes it, he incurs guilt in such an instance.
5 If someone incurs guilt in one of these cases, he is to confess he has committed that sin.
6 He must bring his restitution for the sin he has committed to the Lord: a female lamb or goat from the flock as a sin offering. In this way the priest will make atonement on his behalf for his sin.

Footnotes 2

  • [a]. Nm 30:2; Dt 23:21-22; Ec 5:5
  • [b]. Lit in one of such things
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