Leviticus 5

1 “ ‘If anyone sins because they do not speak up when they hear a public charge to testify regarding something they have seen or learned about, they will be held responsible.
2 “ ‘If anyone becomes aware that they are guilty—if they unwittingly touch anything ceremonially unclean (whether the carcass of an unclean animal, wild or domestic, or of any unclean creature that moves along the ground) and they are unaware that they have become unclean, but then they come to realize their guilt;
3 or if they touch human uncleanness (anything that would make them unclean) even though they are unaware of it, but then they learn of it and realize their guilt;
4 or if anyone thoughtlessly takes an oath to do anything, whether good or evil (in any matter one might carelessly swear about) even though they are unaware of it, but then they learn of it and realize their guilt—
5 when anyone becomes aware that they are guilty in any of these matters, they must confess in what way they have sinned.
6 As a penalty for the sin they have committed, they must bring to the LORD a female lamb or goat from the flock as a sin offering[a] ; and the priest shall make atonement for them for their sin.
7 “ ‘Anyone who cannot afford a lamb is to bring two doves or two young pigeons to the LORD as a penalty for their sin—one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering.
8 They are to bring them to the priest, who shall first offer the one for the sin offering. He is to wring its head from its neck, not dividing it completely,
9 and is to splash some of the blood of the sin offering against the side of the altar; the rest of the blood must be drained out at the base of the altar. It is a sin offering.
10 The priest shall then offer the other as a burnt offering in the prescribed way and make atonement for them for the sin they have committed, and they will be forgiven.
11 “ ‘If, however, they cannot afford two doves or two young pigeons, they are to bring as an offering for their sin a tenth of an ephah[b] of the finest flour for a sin offering. They must not put olive oil or incense on it, because it is a sin offering.
12 They are to bring it to the priest, who shall take a handful of it as a memorial[c] portion and burn it on the altar on top of the food offerings presented to the LORD. It is a sin offering.
13 In this way the priest will make atonement for them for any of these sins they have committed, and they will be forgiven. The rest of the offering will belong to the priest, as in the case of the grain offering.’ ”

The Guilt Offering

14 The LORD said to Moses:
15 “When anyone is unfaithful to the LORD by sinning unintentionally in regard to any of the LORD’s holy things, they are to bring to the LORD as a penalty a ram from the flock, one without defect and of the proper value in silver, according to the sanctuary shekel.[d] It is a guilt offering.
16 They must make restitution for what they have failed to do in regard to the holy things, pay an additional penalty of a fifth of its value and give it all to the priest. The priest will make atonement for them with the ram as a guilt offering, and they will be forgiven.
17 “If anyone sins and does what is forbidden in any of the LORD’s commands, even though they do not know it, they are guilty and will be held responsible.
18 They are to bring to the priest as a guilt offering a ram from the flock, one without defect and of the proper value. In this way the priest will make atonement for them for the wrong they have committed unintentionally, and they will be forgiven.
19 It is a guilt offering; they have been guilty of[e] wrongdoing against the LORD.”

Cross References 44

  • 1. Proverbs 29:24; Matthew 26:63
  • 2. ver 17; S Exodus 28:38; Leviticus 7:18; Leviticus 17:16; Leviticus 19:8; Leviticus 20:17; Leviticus 24:15; Numbers 5:31; Numbers 9:13; Numbers 15:31; Numbers 19:20; Numbers 30:15
  • 3. Lev 11:11,24-40; Deuteronomy 14:8; Isaiah 52:11
  • 4. ver 3; Leviticus 7:21; Leviticus 11:8,24; Leviticus 13:45; Numbers 19:22; Job 15:16; Psalms 51:5; Isaiah 6:5; Isaiah 64:6; Ezekiel 36:17; Haggai 2:13
  • 5. Numbers 19:11-16
  • 6. Leviticus 7:20; Leviticus 11:25; Leviticus 14:19; Leviticus 21:1; Numbers 5:2; Numbers 9:6; Numbers 19:7; Ezekiel 44:25
  • 7. Numbers 30:6,8
  • 8. Isaiah 41:23
  • 9. Leviticus 16:21; Leviticus 26:40; Numbers 5:7; Joshua 7:19; 1 Kings 8:47; Proverbs 28:13
  • 10. S Leviticus 1:10; S Leviticus 4:3
  • 11. S Leviticus 4:28
  • 12. S Exodus 32:30
  • 13. ver 11; Leviticus 12:8; Leviticus 14:21; Leviticus 27:8
  • 14. Leviticus 12:8; Leviticus 14:22,30
  • 15. S Genesis 15:9; Numbers 6:10
  • 16. Leviticus 1:15
  • 17. Leviticus 1:17
  • 18. S Exodus 24:6
  • 19. Leviticus 1:15
  • 20. S Leviticus 4:7; Leviticus 4:7,18
  • 21. Leviticus 1:14-17; 1 Chronicles 15:13
  • 22. S Exodus 32:30
  • 23. S Leviticus 4:26
  • 24. S ver 7
  • 25. S Genesis 15:9
  • 26. S Exodus 16:36
  • 27. S Leviticus 2:1
  • 28. S Leviticus 2:2
  • 29. Leviticus 2:9
  • 30. S Exodus 32:30; Leviticus 4:26
  • 31. Leviticus 2:3
  • 32. S Exodus 29:41
  • 33. S Leviticus 4:2
  • 34. Leviticus 22:14
  • 35. S Exodus 29:3; Leviticus 6:6; Numbers 5:8; Numbers 6:14; Numbers 15:6; Numbers 28:11
  • 36. S Exodus 30:13
  • 37. ver 16,18; Leviticus 6:5,6; Leviticus 7:1,7; Leviticus 14:12-17; Leviticus 19:21,22; Numbers 6:12; Numbers 18:9; 1 Samuel 6:3; Ezra 10:19; Isaiah 53:10
  • 38. Leviticus 6:4
  • 39. ver 15; Leviticus 27:13; Leviticus 22:14; Numbers 5:7
  • 40. ver 15; Leviticus 4:2
  • 41. S ver 1
  • 42. Leviticus 6:6; Leviticus 14:12
  • 43. S ver 15
  • 44. 2 Kings 12:16

Footnotes 5

  • [a]. Or "purification offering" ; here and throughout this chapter
  • [b]. That is, probably about 3 1/2 pounds or about 1.6 kilograms
  • [c]. Or "representative"
  • [d]. That is, about 2/5 ounce or about 12 grams
  • [e]. Or "offering; atonement has been made for their"

Leviticus 5 Commentaries

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