Leviticus 5:2

2 "Or if you touch anything ritually unclean, like the carcass of an unclean animal, wild or domestic, or a dead reptile, and you weren't aware of it at the time, but you're contaminated and you're guilty;

Leviticus 5:2 Meaning and Commentary

Leviticus 5:2

Or if a soul touch any unclean thing
Meaning an Israelite, for only such were bound by this law, which pronounced a person unclean that touched anything that was so in a ceremonial sense; this is the general, including whatsoever by the law was unclean; the particulars follow:

whether [it be] a carcass of an unclean beast,
as the camel, the coney, the hare, and the swine, ( Leviticus 11:2-3 )

or a carcass of unclean cattle;
as the horse, and the ass, which were unclean for food, and their dead carcasses not to be touched, ( Leviticus 11:26-28 )

or the carcass of unclean creeping things:
such as are mentioned in ( Leviticus 11:29-31 )

and if it be hidden from him;
that he has touched them; or the uncleanness contracted by touching, he having inadvertently done it; or being ignorant of the law concerning such uncleanness:

he also shall be unclean;
in a ceremonial sense, by thus touching them:

and guilty;
of a breach of the command which forbids the touching of them: this is by way of prolepsis or anticipation; for as yet the law concerning unclean beasts, and creeping things, and pollution by touching them, was not given: Jarchi and Gersom interpret this guilt, of eating of holy things, and going into the sanctuary when thus defiled: in the Jewish Misnah ^F23 it is said, the word "hidden" is twice used, to show that he is guilty, for the ignorance of uncleanness, and for the ignorance of the sanctuary.

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FOOTNOTES:

F23 Misn. Shebuot, c. 2. sect. 5.

Leviticus 5:2 In-Context

1 "If you sin by not stepping up and offering yourself as a witness to something you've heard or seen in cases of wrongdoing, you'll be held responsible.

2 "Or if you touch anything ritually unclean, like the carcass of an unclean animal, wild or domestic, or a dead reptile, and you weren't aware of it at the time, but you're contaminated and you're guilty;

3 "Or if you touch human uncleanness, any sort of ritually contaminating uncleanness, and you're not aware of it at the time, but later you realize it and you're guilty;

4 "Or if you impulsively swear to do something, whether good or bad - some rash oath that just pops out - and you aren't aware of what you've done at the time, but later you come to realize it and you're guilty in any of these cases;

5 "When you are guilty, immediately confess the sin that you've committed