Leviticus 5:1-13

Cases Requiring Sin Offerings

1 "When someone sins [in any of these ways]: [If] he has seen, heard, or known about something he has witnessed, and did not respond to a public call to testify, he is guilty.^[a]

2 Or [if] someone touches anything unclean-a carcass of an unclean wild animal, or unclean livestock, or an unclean swarming creature^{[b] [c]}-without being aware of it, he is unclean and guilty.

3 Or [if] he touches human uncleanness^[d]-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^[e]-without being aware of it, but [later] recognizes it, he incurs guilt in such an instance.^[f]

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.^[g]

7 "But if he cannot afford an animal from the flock, then he may bring to the Lord two turtledoves or two young pigeons as restitution for his sin-one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering.

8 He is to bring them to the priest, who will first present the one for the sin offering. He must twist its head at the back of the neck without severing [it].^[h]

9 Then he will sprinkle some of the blood of the sin offering on the side of the altar, while the rest of the blood is to be drained out at the base of the altar;^[i] it is a sin offering.

10 He must prepare the second [bird] as a burnt offering according to the regulation.^[j] In this way the priest will make atonement on his behalf for the sin he has committed, and he will be forgiven.

11 "But if he cannot afford^[k] two turtledoves or two young pigeons, he may bring two quarts^[l] of fine^[m] flour^[n] as an offering for his sin. He must not put olive oil or frankincense on it, for it is a sin offering.

12 He is to bring it to the priest, who will take a handful from it as its memorial portion and burn [it] on the altar along with the fire offerings to the Lord; it is a sin offering.

13 In this way the priest will make atonement on his behalf concerning the sin he has committed in any of these cases, and he will be forgiven. The rest will belong to the priest, like the grain offering."^[o]

Leviticus 5:1-13 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO LEVITICUS 5

This chapter treats of the trespass offering, points at the sins for which it was to be made, and the matter of it; it was for secret sins, and sins of ignorance, such as refusing to bear witness in a known case, Le 5:1 touching unclean things and false swearing, Le 5:2-4 the things directed to in such cases are confession, Le 5:5 sacrifice of a lamb, or kid of the goats, Le 5:6 and in case of poverty, two turtle doves, or two young pigeons; concerning the offering of which instructions are given, Le 5:7-10 and if not able to bring them, then a meat offering of fine flour, about which rules are laid down, Le 5:11-13 and for sins committed through ignorance in holy things or sacrileges, the sacrifice of a ram is enjoined, and satisfaction ordered to be made for the injury done in the holy thing, by adding a fifth part to it, Le 5:14-16 and for sins committed ignorantly against negative precepts, only a ram is appointed for the trespass offering, Le 5:17-19.

Footnotes

• [a]. Pr 29:24
• [b]. a fish, insect, rodent, or reptile; Lv 11:20-23,29-31; Gn 1:20
• [c]. Lv 11:24-40; Dt 14:8
• [d]. Lv 12:2; 15:2,19; 18:19
• [e]. Nm 30:2; Dt 23:21-22; Ec 5:5
• [f]. Lit in one of such things
• [g]. Lv 1:4; 4:20,31,35; 6:7
• [h]. Lv 1:15,17
• [i]. Lv 4:25,30
• [j]. Lv 1:14-17
• [k]. Lit if his hand is not sufficient for
• [l]. Lit one-tenth of an ephah
• [m]. Or wheat; Ex 29:2
• [n]. Lit flour as a sin offering
• [o]. Lv 2:3,10