Leviticus 5:2
in Leviticus 5Or 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.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Or if any one touch any unclean thing, whether it be the carcass of an unclean beast, or the carcass of unclean cattle, or the carcass of unclean creeping things, and it be hidden from him, and he be unclean, then he shall be guilty.
KJV
Or if a soul touch any unclean thing, whether it be a carcase of an unclean beast, or a carcase of unclean cattle, or the carcase of unclean creeping things, and if it be hidden from him; he also shall be unclean, and guilty.
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This verse in Leviticus 5
Commentary
5 notes on this verseAny unclean thing - Either the dead body of a clean animal, or the living or dead carcass of any unclean creature. All such persons were to wash their clothes and themselves in clean water, and were considered as unclean till the evening, Lev 11:24-31. But if this had been neglected, they were obliged to bring a trespass-offering. What this meant, see in the notes on Leviticus 7 (note).
This site's exposition
and hear the voice of swearing
on Leviticus 5:1-2
The chapter opens with four cases and the first one is a silence. A man put under oath as a witness who keeps back what he saw shall bear his iniquity, and that phrase occurs here for the first time in Scripture before returning at verse 17 to close the chapter. Verse 2 turns from what a man withholds to what he touches, and the word unclean occurs here for the first time in Scripture, six chapters ahead of the laws that define it.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
If it be hidden from him - If he do it unawares, yet that would not excuse him, because he should have been more circumspect to avoid all unclean things. Hereby God designed to awaken men to watchfulness against, and repentance for, their unknown, or unobserved sins. He shall be clean - Not morally, for the conscience was not directly polluted by these things, but ceremonially.
Or if a soul touch any unclean thing,....
If at first it be hidden from him, yet when he knows it he shall be guilty. Note, As soon as ever God by his Spirit convinces our consciences of any sin or duty we must immediately set in with the conviction, and prosecute it, as those that are not ashamed to own our former mistake.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
AND HE IS A WITNESS, WHETHER HE HATH SEEN OR KNOWN. The section here discusses the offering of higher or lower value (see above, Note 15), the verse before us stating that this offering is required in the case of a false oath concerning testimony.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 5 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
24 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| א֣וֹ | ʾo | or | H176 → | 321 times |
| נֶ֗פֶשׁ | nefesh | anyone | H5315 → | 754 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | who | H834 → | 5497 times |
| תִּגַּע֮ | tiga' | it will touch | H5060 → | 150 times |
| בְּכָל־ | bekhol | <in> every | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| דָּבָ֣ר | davar | thing | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| טָמֵא֒ | tame' | unclean | H2931 → | 88 times |
| אוֹ֩ | ʾo | or | H176 → | 321 times |
| בְנִבְלַ֨ת | venivlat | <in> a carcass of | H5038 → | 48 times |
| חַיָּ֜ה | chaiyah | an animal | H2416 → | 498 times |
| טְמֵאָ֗ה | temeah | unclean | H2931 → | 88 times |
| א֤וֹ | ʾo | or | H176 → | 321 times |
| בְּנִבְלַת֙ | benivlat | <in> a carcass of | H5038 → | 48 times |
| בְּהֵמָ֣ה | behemah | livestock | H929 → | 190 times |
| טְמֵאָ֔ה | temeah | unclean | H2931 → | 88 times |
| א֕וֹ | ʾo | or | H176 → | 321 times |
| בְּנִבְלַ֖ת | benivlat | <in> a carcass of | H5038 → | 48 times |
| שֶׁ֣רֶץ | sheretz | a swarming thing | H8318 → | 15 times |
| טָמֵ֑א | tame' | unclean | H2931 → | 88 times |
| וְנֶעְלַ֣ם | vene'lam | and it will be hidden | H5956 → | 28 times |
| מִמֶּ֔נּוּ | mimenu | from him | H4480 → | 1188 times |
| וְה֥וּא | vehu' | and he | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| טָמֵ֖א | tame' | [is] unclean | H2931 → | 88 times |
| וְאָשֵֽׁם׃ | veashem | and he will be guilty | H816 → | 35 times |
א֣וֹor
ʾoH176 →321 times
נֶ֗פֶשׁanyone
nefeshH5315 →754 times
אֲשֶׁ֣רwho
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
תִּגַּע֮it will touch
tiga'H5060 →150 times
בְּכָל־<in> every
bekholH3605 →5413 times
דָּבָ֣רthing
davarH1697 →1440 times
טָמֵא֒unclean
tame'H2931 →88 times
אוֹ֩or
ʾoH176 →321 times
בְנִבְלַ֨ת<in> a carcass of
venivlatH5038 →48 times
חַיָּ֜הan animal
chaiyahH2416 →498 times
טְמֵאָ֗הunclean
temeahH2931 →88 times
א֤וֹor
ʾoH176 →321 times
בְּנִבְלַת֙<in> a carcass of
benivlatH5038 →48 times
בְּהֵמָ֣הlivestock
behemahH929 →190 times
טְמֵאָ֔הunclean
temeahH2931 →88 times
א֕וֹor
ʾoH176 →321 times
בְּנִבְלַ֖ת<in> a carcass of
benivlatH5038 →48 times
שֶׁ֣רֶץa swarming thing
sheretzH8318 →15 times
טָמֵ֑אunclean
tame'H2931 →88 times
וְנֶעְלַ֣םand it will be hidden
vene'lamH5956 →28 times
מִמֶּ֔נּוּfrom him
mimenuH4480 →1188 times
וְה֥וּאand he
vehu'H1931 →1879 times
טָמֵ֖א[is] unclean
tame'H2931 →88 times
וְאָשֵֽׁם׃and he will be guilty
veashemH816 →35 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
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.
it leads to
- Leviticus 4:27
And if one of the common people sins unintentionally and does what is prohibited by any of the LORD’s commandments, he incurs guilt.
- Leviticus 4:13
Now 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…
- Psalms 19:12
Who can discern his own errors? Cleanse me from my hidden faults.
- Leviticus 4:2–4
“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 4:22
When a leader sins unintentionally and does what is prohibited by any of the commandments of the LORD his God, he incurs guilt.
- Leviticus 4:27
Through
Deuteronomy 14:8Although they chew the cud, they do not have a divided hoof. They are unclean for you, as well as the pig; though it has a divided hoof, it does not chew the cud.…
it leads to
- Leviticus 11:26–27
Every animal with hooves not completely divided or that does not chew the cud is unclean for you. Whoever touches any of them will be unclean.
- Isaiah 66:3
Whoever slaughters an ox is like one who slays a man; whoever sacrifices a lamb is like one who breaks a dog’s neck; whoever presents a grain offering is like one who offers pig’s…
- Isaiah 65:4
sitting among the graves, spending nights in secret places, eating the meat of pigs and polluted broth from their bowls.
- Leviticus 11:26–27
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Leviticus
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.