Leviticuschapter 5

A.Four hidden sins that must be confessedvv. 1-6

1 “If someone sins by failing to testify when he hears a public charge about something he has witnessed, whether he has seen it or learned of it, he shall bear the iniquity. 2 Or if a person touches anything unclean—whether the carcass of any unclean wild animal or livestock or crawling creature—even if he is unaware of it, he is unclean and guilty. 3 Or if he touches human uncleanness—anything by which one becomes unclean—even if he is unaware of it, when he realizes it, he is guilty. 4 Or if someone swears thoughtlessly with his lips to do anything good or evil—in whatever matter a man may rashly pronounce an oath—even if he is unaware of it, when he realizes it, he is guilty in the matter. 5 If someone incurs guilt in one of these ways, he must confess the sin he has committed, 6 and he must bring his guilt offering to the LORD for the sin he has committed: a female lamb or goat from the flock as a sin offering. And the priest will make atonement for him concerning his sin.

B.Two birds, or a handful of flourvv. 7-13

7 If, however, he cannot afford a lamb, he may bring to the LORD as restitution for his sin two turtledoves or two young pigeons—one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering. 8 He is to bring them to the priest, who shall first present the one for the sin offering. He is to twist its head at the front of its neck without severing it; 9 then he is to sprinkle some of the blood of the sin offering on the side of the altar, while the rest of the blood is drained out at the base of the altar. It is a sin offering. 10 And the priest must prepare the second bird as a burnt offering according to the ordinance. In this way the priest will make atonement for him for the sin he has committed, and he will be forgiven. 11 But if he cannot afford two turtledoves or two young pigeons, he may bring a tenth of an ephah of fine flour as a sin offering. He must not put olive oil or frankincense on it, because it is a sin offering. 12 He is to bring it to the priest, who shall take a handful from it as a memorial portion and burn it on the altar atop the offerings made by fire to the LORD; it is a sin offering. 13 In this way the priest will make atonement for him for any of these sins he has committed, and he will be forgiven. The remainder will belong to the priest, like the grain offering.”

C.Trespass against the holy thingsvv. 14-19

14 Then the LORD said to Moses, 15 “If someone acts unfaithfully and sins unintentionally against any of the LORD’s holy things, he must bring his guilt offering to the LORD: an unblemished ram from the flock, of proper value in silver shekels according to the sanctuary shekel; it is a guilt offering. 16 Regarding any holy thing he has harmed, he must make restitution by adding a fifth of its value to it and giving it to the priest, who will make atonement on his behalf with the ram as a guilt offering, and he will be forgiven. 17 If someone sins and violates any of the LORD’s commandments even though he was unaware, he is guilty and shall bear his punishment. 18 He is to bring to the priest an unblemished ram of proper value from the flock as a guilt offering. Then the priest will make atonement on his behalf for the wrong he has committed in ignorance, and he will be forgiven. 19 It is a guilt offering; he was certainly guilty before the LORD.”

Commentary on this chapter: read the Exposition

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Chapter summary

The trespass offering continues the sin-offering law.

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The trespass offering continues the sin-offering law. A witness who refuses to testify; one who touches an unclean thing or a dead body; one who swears rashly. Each brings a trespass offering, with a graduated scale of victims down to two turtledoves or two young pigeons, and for the very poor a tenth part of an ephah of fine flour (without oil or frankincense, as befits a sin offering). Restitution for sanctuary trespass adds a fifth and pays in a ram without blemish. The chapter's care is pastoral: no Israelite, rich or poor, is beyond the reach of atonement.

Drawn from Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory, Matthew Henry, Complete Commentary, John Wesley, Notes on the Old Testament and John Calvin, Commentaries.

Context

Law · Moses — Leviticus overview

A. 1–6 Four hidden sins that must be confessed
B. 7–13 Two birds, or a handful of flour
C. 14–19 Trespass against the holy things

Top cross-references8 chapters ▾

Leviticus 411 verses
- Leviticus 4:2“Tell the Israelites to do as follows with one who sins unintentionally against any of the LORD’s commandments and does what is forbidden by them:
- Leviticus 4:7The priest must then put some of the blood on the horns of the altar of fragrant incense that is before the LORD in the Tent of Meeting. And he is to pour out the rest of the bull’s blood at the base of the altar of burnt offering at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.
- Leviticus 4:13Now if the whole congregation of Israel strays unintentionally and the matter escapes the notice of the assembly so that they violate any of the LORD’s commandments and incur guilt by doing what is forbidden,
- Leviticus 4:18He is also to put some of the blood on the horns of the altar that is before the LORD in the Tent of Meeting, and he must pour out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar of burnt offering at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.
- Leviticus 4:20He shall offer this bull just as he did the bull for the sin offering; in this way the priest will make atonement on their behalf, and they will be forgiven.
- Leviticus 4:26He must burn all its fat on the altar, like the fat of the peace offerings; thus the priest will make atonement for that man’s sin, and he will be forgiven.
- Read Leviticus 4: 5 more there →
Leviticus 24 verses
- Leviticus 2:1“When anyone brings a grain offering to the LORD, his offering must consist of fine flour. He is to pour olive oil on it, put frankincense on it,
- Leviticus 2:2and bring it to Aaron’s sons the priests. The priest shall take a handful of the flour and oil, together with all the frankincense, and burn this as a memorial portion on the altar, an offering made by fire, a pleasing aroma to the LORD.
- Leviticus 2:3The remainder of the grain offering shall belong to Aaron and his sons; it is a most holy part of the offerings made by fire to the LORD.
- Leviticus 2:9The priest is to remove the memorial portion from the grain offering and burn it on the altar as an offering made by fire, a pleasing aroma to the LORD.
- Read Leviticus 2 →
Leviticus 13 verses
- Leviticus 1:14If, instead, one’s offering to the LORD is a burnt offering of birds, he is to present a turtledove or a young pigeon.
- Leviticus 1:15Then the priest shall bring it to the altar, twist off its head, and burn it on the altar; its blood should be drained out on the side of the altar.
- Leviticus 1:17He shall tear it open by its wings, without dividing the bird completely. And the priest is to burn it on the altar atop the burning wood. It is a burnt offering, an offering made by fire, a pleasing aroma to the LORD.
- Read Leviticus 1 →
Leviticus 52 verses
- Leviticus 5:15“If someone acts unfaithfully and sins unintentionally against any of the LORD’s holy things, he must bring his guilt offering to the LORD: an unblemished ram from the flock, of proper value in silver shekels according to the sanctuary shekel; it is a guilt offering.
- Leviticus 5:17If someone sins and violates any of the LORD’s commandments even though he was unaware, he is guilty and shall bear his punishment.
- Read Leviticus 5 →

4 more chapters this one speaks with

Numbers 52 verses
- Numbers 5:7and must confess the sin he has committed. He must make full restitution, add a fifth to its value, and give all this to the one he has wronged.
- Numbers 5:15then he is to bring his wife to the priest. He must also bring for her an offering of a tenth of an ephah of barley flour. He is not to pour oil over it or put frankincense on it, because it is a grain offering for jealousy, an offering of memorial as a reminder of iniquity.
- Read Numbers 5 →
Leviticus 122 verses
- Leviticus 12:1Then the LORD said to Moses,
- Leviticus 12:8But if she cannot afford a lamb, she shall bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons, one for a burnt offering and the other for a sin offering. Then the priest will make atonement for her, and she will be clean.’”
- Read Leviticus 12 →
Leviticus 62 verses
- Leviticus 6:4once he has sinned and becomes guilty, he must return what he has stolen or taken by extortion, or the deposit entrusted to him, or the lost property he found,
- Leviticus 6:6Then he must bring to the priest his guilt offering to the LORD: an unblemished ram of proper value from the flock.
- Read Leviticus 6 →
Ezra 102 verses
- Ezra 10:2Then Shecaniah son of Jehiel, an Elamite, said to Ezra: “We have been unfaithful to our God by marrying foreign women from the people of the land, yet in spite of this, there is hope for Israel.
- Ezra 10:19Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib, and Gedaliah. They pledged to send their wives away, and for their guilt they presented a ram from the flock as a guilt offering.
- Read Ezra 10 →

Cross-references from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and OpenBible.info.