Leviticus 5:1-13

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. ”

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.

Cross References

• 1. 5:1 1 Kgs. 8:31; Prov. 29:24; [1 Sam. 14:24, 26; Matt. 26:63]
• 2. 5:1 ver. 17; ch. 7:18; 10:17; 17:16; 19:8; 20:17, 19; Num. 5:31; [Num. 9:13]
• 3. 5:2 ch. 11:24, 28, 31, 39; Num. 19:11, 13, 16
• 4. 5:3 See ch. 12; ch. 13; ch. 15
• 5. 5:4 [Judg. 11:30, 31; 1 Sam. 14:24; 25:22; Mark 6:23; Acts 23:12]
• 6. 5:4 Eccles. 5:2
• 7. 5:5 ch. 16:21; 26:40; Num. 5:7; Ezra 10:1; [Josh. 7:19]
• 8. 5:7 ch. 12:8; 14:21
• 9. 5:7 See ch. 1:14
• 10. 5:8 ch. 1:15, 17
• 11. 5:8 ch. 1:15, 17
• 12. 5:9 ch. 1:15
• 13. 5:9 ch. 4:7, 18, 30, 34
• 14. 5:10 See ch. 4:20, 26, 31, 35
• 15. 5:11 Num. 5:15
• 16. 5:11 Num. 5:15
• 17. 5:12 ch. 2:2
• 18. 5:12 ch. 4:35
• 19. 5:13 [See ver. 10 above]

Footnotes

• [a] 5:6 Hebrew 'his guilt penalty'; so throughout Leviticus
• [b] 5:7 Septuagint 'two young pigeons'; also verse 11
• [c] 5:11 An 'ephah' was about 3/5 bushel or 22 liters
• [d] 5:13 Septuagint; Hebrew 'it'