Leviticus 5

Listen to Leviticus 5
1 "If anyone sins in that he hears a public 1adjuration to testify, and though he is a witness, whether he has seen or come to know the matter, yet does not speak, he shall 2bear his iniquity;
2 or 3if anyone touches an unclean thing, whether a carcass of an unclean wild animal or a carcass of unclean livestock or a carcass of unclean swarming things, and it is hidden from him and he has become unclean, and he realizes his guilt;
3 or if he touches 4human uncleanness, of whatever sort the uncleanness may be with which one becomes unclean, and it is hidden from him, when he comes to know it, and realizes his guilt;
4 or if anyone utters with his lips a 5rash oath to do evil or to do good, any sort of rash oath that people 6swear, and it is hidden from him, when he comes to know it, and he realizes his guilt in any of these;
5 when he realizes his guilt in any of these and 7confesses the sin he has committed,
6 he shall bring to the LORD as his compensation[a] for the sin that he has committed, a female from the flock, a lamb or a goat, for a sin offering. And the priest shall make atonement for him for his sin.
7 "But 8if he cannot afford a lamb, then he shall bring to the LORD as his compensation for the sin that he has committed two 9turtledoves or two pigeons,[b] one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering.
8 He shall bring them to the priest, who shall offer first the one for the sin offering. He shall 10wring its head from its neck 11but shall not sever it completely,
9 and he shall sprinkle some of the blood of the sin offering on the side of the altar, while 12the rest of the blood shall be drained out 13at the base of the altar; it is a sin offering.
10 Then he shall offer the second for a burnt offering according to the rule. 14And the priest shall make atonement for him for the sin that he has committed, and he shall be forgiven.
11 "But if he cannot afford two turtledoves or two pigeons, then he shall bring as his offering for the sin that he has committed a 15tenth of an ephah[c] of fine flour for a sin offering. He 16shall put no oil on it and shall put no frankincense on it, for it is a sin offering.
12 And he shall bring it to 17the priest, and the priest shall take a handful of it as its memorial portion and 18burn this on the altar, on the LORD's food offerings; it is a sin offering.
13 Thus 19the priest shall make atonement for him for the sin which he has committed in any one of these things, and he shall be forgiven. And the remainder[d] shall be for the priest, as in the grain offering."

Laws for Guilt Offerings

14 The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
15 20"If anyone commits a breach of faith and sins unintentionally in any of the holy things of the LORD, 21he shall bring to the LORD as his compensation, a ram without blemish out of the flock, valued[e] in silver shekels,[f] according to the 22shekel of the sanctuary, for a guilt offering.
16 He shall also make restitution for what he has done amiss in the holy thing and 23shall add a fifth to it and give it to the priest. 24And the priest shall make atonement for him with the ram of the guilt offering, and he shall be forgiven.
17 25"If anyone sins, doing any of the things that by the LORD's commandments ought not to be done, 26though he did not know it, then realizes his guilt, he shall bear his iniquity.
18 27He shall bring to the priest a ram without blemish out of the flock, or its equivalent for a guilt offering, and 28the priest shall make atonement for him for the mistake that he made unintentionally, and he shall be forgiven.
19 It is a guilt offering; he has indeed incurred guilt before[g] the LORD."

Leviticus 5 Commentary

Chapter 5

Concerning various trespasses. (1-13) Concerning trespasses against the Lord. (14-19)

Verses 1-13 The offences here noticed are, 1. A man's concealing the truth, when he was sworn as a witness to speak the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. If, in such a case, for fear of offending one that has been his friend, or may be his enemy, a man refuses to give evidence, or gives it but in part, he shall bear his iniquity. And that is a heavy burden, which, if some course be not taken to get it removed, will sink a man to hell. Let all that are called at any time to be witnesses, think of this law, and be free and open in their evidence, and take heed of prevaricating. An oath of the Lord is a sacred thing, not to be trifled with. 2. A man's touching any thing that was ceremonially unclean. Though his touching the unclean thing only made him ceremonially defiled, yet neglecting to wash himself according to the law, was either carelessness or contempt, and contracted moral guilt. As soon as God, by his Spirit, convinces our consciences of any sin or duty, we must follow the conviction, as not ashamed to own our former mistake. 3. Rash swearing, that a man will do or not do such a thing. As if the performance of his oath afterward prove unlawful, or what cannot be done. Wisdom and watchfulness beforehand would prevent these difficulties. In these cases the offender must confess his sin, and bring his offering; but the offering was not accepted, unless accompanied with confession and humble prayer for pardon. The confession must be particular; that he hath sinned in that thing. Deceit lies in generals; many will own they have sinned, for that all must own; but their sins in any one particular they are unwilling to allow. The way to be assured of pardon, and armed against sin for the future, is to confess the exact truth. If any were very poor, they might bring some flour, and that should be accepted. Thus the expense of the sin-offering was brought lower than any other, to teach that no man's poverty shall ever bar the way of his pardon. If the sinner brought two doves, one was to be offered for a sin-offering, and the other for a burnt-offering. We must first see that our peace be made with God, and then we may expect that our services for his glory will be accepted by him. To show the loathsomeness of sin, the flour, when offered, must not be made grateful to the taste by oil, or to the smell by frankincense. God, by these sacrifices, spoke comfort to those who had offended, that they might not despair, nor pine away in their sins. Likewise caution not to offend any more, remembering how expensive and troublesome it was to make atonement.

Verses 14-19 Here are offerings to atone for trespasses against a neighbour. If a man put to his own use unwittingly, any thing dedicated to God, he was to bring this sacrifice. We are to be jealous over ourselves, to ask pardon for the sin, and make satisfaction for the wrong, which we do but suspect ourselves guilty of. The law of God is so very broad, the occasions of sin in this guilty of. The law of God is so very broad, the occasions of sin in this world are so numerous, and we are so prone to evil, that we need to fear always, and to pray always, that we may be kept from sin. Also we should look before us at every step. The true Christian daily pleads guilty before God, and seeks forgiveness through the blood of Christ. And the gospel salvation is so free, that the poorest is not shut out; and so full, that the most burdened conscience may find relief from it. Yet the evil of sin is so displayed as to cause every pardoned sinner to abhor and dread it.

Cross References 28

  • 1. 1 Kings 8:31; Proverbs 29:24; [1 Samuel 14:24, 26; Matthew 26:63]
  • 2. ver. 17; Leviticus 7:18; Leviticus 10:17; Leviticus 17:16; Leviticus 19:8; Leviticus 20:17, 19; Numbers 5:31; [Numbers 9:13]
  • 3. Leviticus 11:24, 28, 31, 39; Numbers 19:11, 13, 16
  • 4. See Leviticus 12; Leviticus 13; Leviticus 15
  • 5. [Judges 11:30, 31; 1 Samuel 14:24; 1 Samuel 25:22; Mark 6:23; Acts 23:12]
  • 6. Ecclesiastes 5:2
  • 7. Leviticus 16:21; Leviticus 26:40; Numbers 5:7; Ezra 10:1; [Joshua 7:19]
  • 8. Leviticus 12:8; Leviticus 14:21
  • 9. See Leviticus 1:14
  • 10. Leviticus 1:15, 17
  • 11. Leviticus 1:15, 17
  • 12. Leviticus 1:15
  • 13. Leviticus 4:7, 18, 30, 34
  • 14. See Leviticus 4:20, 26, 31, 35
  • 15. Numbers 5:15
  • 16. Numbers 5:15
  • 17. Leviticus 2:2
  • 18. Leviticus 4:35
  • 19. [See ver. 10 above]
  • 20. Leviticus 22:14; [Ezra 10:2]
  • 21. [Ezra 10:19]
  • 22. See Exodus 30:13
  • 23. Leviticus 6:5; Leviticus 22:14; Leviticus 27:13, 15, 27, 31; Numbers 5:7
  • 24. [See ver. 10 above]
  • 25. Leviticus 4:2
  • 26. Numbers 15:29; [Luke 12:48]
  • 27. ver. 15
  • 28. [See ver. 10 above]

Footnotes 7

  • [a]. Hebrew his guilt penalty; so throughout Leviticus
  • [b]. Septuagint two young pigeons; also verse 11
  • [c]. An ephah was about 3/5 bushel or 22 liters
  • [d]. Septuagint; Hebrew it
  • [e]. Or flock, or its equivalent
  • [f]. A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams
  • [g]. Or he has paid full compensation to

Chapter Summary

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.

Leviticus 5 Commentaries

The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.