Levítico 5

1 Y CUANDO alguna persona pecare, que hubiere oído la voz del que juró, y él fuere testigo que vió, ó supo, si no lo denunciare, él llevará su pecado.

2 Asimismo la persona que hubiere tocado en cualquiera cosa inmunda, sea cuerpo muerto de bestia inmunda, ó cuerpo muerto de animal inmundo, ó cuerpo muerto de reptil inmundo, bien que no lo supiere, será inmunda y habrá delinquido:

3 O si tocare á hombre inmundo en cualquiera inmundicia suya de que es inmundo, y no lo echare de ver; si después llega á saberlo, será culpable.

4 También la persona que jurare, pronunciando con sus labios hacer mal ó bien, en cualesquiera cosas que el hombre profiere con juramento, y él no lo conociere; si después lo entiende, será culpado en una de estas cosas.

5 Y será que cuando pecare en alguna de estas cosas, confesará aquello en que pecó:

6 Y para su expiación traerá á Jehová por su pecado que ha cometido, una hembra de los rebaños, una cordera ó una cabra como ofrenda de expiación; y el sacerdote hará expiación por él de su pecado.

7 Y si no le alcanzare para un cordero, traerá en expiación por su pecado que cometió, dos tórtolas ó dos palominos á Jehová; el uno para expiación, y el otro para holocausto.

8 Y ha de traerlos al sacerdote, el cual ofrecerá primero el que es para expiación, y desunirá su cabeza de su cuello, mas no la apartará del todo:

9 Y rociará de la sangre de la expiación sobre la pared del altar; y lo que sobrare de la sangre lo exprimirá al pie del altar; es expiación.

10 Y del otro hará holocausto conforme al rito; y hará por él el sacerdote expiación de su pecado que cometió, y será perdonado.

11 Mas si su posibilidad no alcanzare para dos tórtolas, ó dos palominos, el que pecó traerá por su ofrenda la décima parte de un epha de flor de harina por expiación. No pondrá sobre ella aceite, ni sobre ella pondrá incienso, porque es expiación.

12 Traerála, pues, al sacerdote, y el sacerdote tomará de ella su puño lleno, en memoria suya, y la hará arder en el altar sobre las ofrendas encendidas á Jehová: es expiación.

13 Y hará el sacerdote expiación por él de su pecado que cometió en alguna de estas cosas, y será perdonado; y el sobrante será del sacerdote, como el presente de vianda.

14 Habló más Jehová á Moisés, diciendo:

15 Cuando alguna persona cometiere falta, y pecare por yerro en las cosas santificadas á Jehová, traerá su expiación á Jehová, un carnero sin tacha de los rebaños, conforme á tu estimación, en siclos de plata del siclo del santuario, en ofrenda por el pecado:

16 Y pagará aquello de las cosas santas en que hubiere pecado, y añadirá á ello el quinto, y lo dará al sacerdote: y el sacerdote hará expiación por él con el carnero del sacrificio por el pecado, y será perdonado.

17 Finalmente, si una persona pecare, ó hiciere alguna de todas aquellas cosas que por mandamiento de Jehová no se han de hacer, aun sin hacerlo á sabiendas, es culpable, y llevará su pecado.

18 Traerá, pues, al sacerdote por expiación, según tú lo estimes, un carnero sin tacha de los rebaños: y el sacerdote hará expiación por él de su yerro que cometió por ignorancia, y será perdonado.

19 Es infracción, y ciertamente delinquió contra Jehová.

Levítico 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.

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.