Leviticus 5:1-13

The Law of Guilt Offerings

1 'Now if a person sins after he hears a public ¹adjuration to testify when he is a witness, whether he has seen or otherwise known, if he does not tell it, then he will bear his guilt.

2 'Or if a person touches ²any unclean thing, whether a carcass of an unclean beast or the carcass of unclean cattle or a carcass of unclean swarming things, though it is hidden from him and he is unclean, then he will be guilty.

3 'Or if he touches human uncleanness, of whatever sort his uncleanness may be with which he becomes unclean, and it is hidden from him, and then he comes to know it, he will be guilty.

4 'Or if a person ³swears thoughtlessly with his lips to do evil or to do good, in whatever * matter a man may speak thoughtlessly with an oath, and it is hidden from him, and then he comes to know it, he will be guilty in one of these.

5 'So it shall be when he becomes guilty in one of these, that he shall ⁴confess that in which he has sinned.

6 'He shall also bring his guilt offering to the LORD for his sin which he has committed, ⁵a female from the flock, a lamb or a goat * as a sin offering. So the priest shall make atonement on his behalf for his sin.

7 'But if he cannot afford * a lamb, then he shall bring to the LORD his guilt offering for that in which he has sinned, two turtledoves or two young pigeons, ⁶one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering.

8 'He shall bring them to the priest, who shall offer first that which is for the sin offering and shall nip its head at the front of its neck, but he ⁷shall not sever it.

9 'He shall also sprinkle some of the blood of the sin offering ⁸on the side of the altar, while the rest of the blood shall be drained out ⁹at the base of the altar: it is a sin offering.

10 'The second he shall then prepare as a burnt offering ¹⁰according to the ordinance. ¹¹So the priest shall make atonement on his behalf for his sin which he has committed, and it will be forgiven him.

11 'But ¹²if his means are insufficient for two turtledoves or two young pigeons, then for his offering for that which he has sinned, he shall bring the tenth of an ephah of fine flour for a sin offering; ¹³he shall not put oil on it or place incense on it, for it is a sin offering.

12 'He shall bring it to the priest, and the priest shall take his handful * of it as its memorial portion and offer it up in smoke on the altar, with the offerings of the LORD by fire: it is a sin offering.

13 'So the priest shall make atonement for him concerning his sin which he has committed from ¹⁴one of these, and it will be forgiven him; then ¹⁵the rest shall become the priest's, like 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. Proverbs 29:24; Jeremiah 23:10
• 2. Lev 11:8, 11, 24-40; Numbers 19:11-16; Deuteronomy 14:8
• 3. Numbers 30:6, 8; Psalms 106:33
• 4. Leviticus 16:21; Leviticus 26:40; Numbers 5:7; Proverbs 28:13
• 5. Leviticus 4:28, 32
• 6. Leviticus 12:6, 8; Leviticus 14:22, 30, 31
• 7. Leviticus 1:17
• 8. Leviticus 1:15
• 9. Leviticus 4:7, 18
• 10. Leviticus 1:14-17
• 11. Leviticus 4:20, 26; Leviticus 5:13, 16
• 12. Leviticus 14:21-32; Leviticus 27:8
• 13. Leviticus 2:1, 2
• 14. Leviticus 5:4, 5
• 15. Leviticus 2:3

Footnotes

• [a] Lit "voice of an oath"
• [b] Or "iniquity"
• [c] Lit "sinned"
• [d] Lit "female goat"
• [e] Lit "his hand does not reach enough for"
• [f] Lit "sinned"
• [g] Lit "hand does not reach"
• [h] I.e. Approx one bu
• [i] Lit "upon"
• [j] Lit "sinned"