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Leviticus 5:4

in Leviticus 5

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.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

Or if any one swear rashly with his lips to do evil, or to do good, whatsoever it be that a man shall utter rashly with an oath, and it be hid from him; when he knoweth of it, then he shall be guilty in one of these things.

KJV

Or if a soul swear, pronouncing with his lips to do evil, or to do good, whatsoever it be that a man shall pronounce with an oath, and it be hid from him; when he knoweth of it, then he shall be guilty in one of these.

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This verse in Leviticus 5

Commentary

6 notes on this verse

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

To do evil, or to do good - It is very likely that rash promises are here intended; for if a man vow to do an act that is evil, though it would be criminal to keep such an oath or vow, yet he is guilty because he made it, and therefore must offer the trespass-offering. If he neglect to do the good he has vowed, he is guilty, and must in both cases confess his iniquity, and bring his trespass-offering.

This site's exposition

Or if he touches human uncleanness

on Leviticus 5:3-5

All four cases share one condition: the thing was hidden. Verses 2 to 4 each say even if he is unaware of it, and hold him guilty when he realizes it.

This site's exposition

swears thoughtlessly with his lips

The third case is a rash oath, spoken without thought, to do good or to do evil. In Adam Clarke's reading, a man who vowed an evil act would sin by keeping the oath, yet he was guilty for having made it.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

), guilty if he do not perform his oath, and yet, if the matter of it were evil, guilty if he do. Such wretched dilemmas as these do some men bring themselves into by their own rashness and folly; go which way they will their consciences are wounded, sin stares them in the face, so sadly are they snared in the words of their mouth.

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens

A commentator

John Wesley

1703–1791

Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament (1765)

proposed

Or rather to his neighbour. And it be hid from him - That is, he did not know, or not consider, that what he swore to do, was or would be impossible, or unlawful: When he discovers it to be so, either by his own consideration, or by information from others, whether it was good or evil which he swore to do.
Or if a soul swear,....

The words behind it

21 Hebrew words

Every 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.

  • א֣וֹor

    ʾoH176 →321 times

  • נֶ֡פֶשׁanyone

    nefeshH5315 →754 times

  • כִּ֣יif

    kiH3588 →4482 times

  • תִשָּׁבַע֩it will swear an oath

    tishava'H7650 →186 times

  • לְבַטֵּ֨אby speaking rashly

    levate'H981 →

  • בִשְׂפָתַ֜יִםwith lips

    visfatayimH8193 →

  • לְהָרַ֣ע׀to do evil

    lehara'H7489 →

  • א֣וֹor

    ʾoH176 →321 times

  • לְהֵיטִ֗יבto do good

    leheitivH3190 →117 times

  • לְ֠כֹלto all

    lekholH3605 →5413 times

  • אֲשֶׁ֨רthat

    ʾasherH834 →5497 times

  • יְבַטֵּ֧אhe will speak rashly

    yevate'H981 →

  • הָאָדָ֛ם<the> humankind

    haadamH120 →551 times

  • בִּשְׁבֻעָ֖הin an oath

    bishvuahH7621 →

  • וְנֶעְלַ֣םand it will be hidden

    vene'lamH5956 →28 times

  • מִמֶּ֑נּוּfrom him

    mimenuH4480 →1188 times

  • וְהוּא־and he

    vehu'-H1931 →1879 times

  • יָדַ֥עhe knew

    yada'H3045 →945 times

  • וְאָשֵׁ֖םand he will be guilty

    veashemH816 →35 times

  • לְאַחַ֥תto one

    leachatH259 →971 times

  • מֵאֵֽלֶּה׃of these [things]

    meelehH428 →746 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

18 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

Judges 11:31then whatever comes out the door of my house to greet me on my triumphant return from the Ammonites will belong to the LORD, and I will offer it up as a burnt offering.”5 worksEcclesiastes 5:2–6Do not be quick to speak, and do not be hasty in your heart to utter a word before God. After all, God is in heaven and you are on earth. So let your words be few.5 worksActs 23:12When daylight came, the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul.4 worksMark 6:23And he swore to her, “Whatever you ask of me, I will give you, up to half my kingdom!”4 worksNumbers 30:2If a man makes a vow to the LORD or swears an oath to obligate himself by a pledge, he must not break his word; he must do everything he has promised.4 worksNumbers 30:8But if her husband prohibits her when he hears of it, he nullifies the vow that binds her or the rash promise she has made, and the LORD will absolve her.3 works
The other 12 cross-references, with their words ▾
1 Samuel 25:22May God punish David, and ever so severely, if I let one of Nabal’s men survive until morning.”3 worksLeviticus 4:23When he becomes aware of the sin he has committed, he must bring an unblemished male goat as his offering.3 works1 Samuel 1:11And she made a vow, pleading, “O LORD of Hosts, if only You will look upon the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, not forgetting Your maidservant but giving her a son, then I will dedicate him to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall ever come over his head.”2 works1 Samuel 14:24–28Now the men of Israel were in distress that day, for Saul had placed the troops under an oath, saying, “Cursed is the man who eats any food before evening, before I have taken vengeance on my enemies.” So none of the troops tasted any food.2 worksEzekiel 17:18–19He despised the oath by breaking the covenant. Seeing that he gave his hand in pledge yet did all these things, he will not escape!’2 worksJudges 21:7What should we do about wives for the survivors, since we have sworn by the LORD not to give them our daughters in marriage?”2 worksMatthew 14:7so much that he promised with an oath to give to her whatever she asked.2 works2 Kings 6:31He announced, “May God punish me, and ever so severely, if the head of Elisha son of Shaphat remains on his shoulders through this day!”2 worksNumbers 30:6If a woman marries while under a vow or rash promise by which she has bound herself,2 worksJudges 9:19if you have acted faithfully and honestly toward Jerubbaal and his house this day, then may you rejoice in Abimelech, and he in you.2 worksJudges 21:18But we cannot give them our daughters as wives.” For the Israelites had sworn, “Cursed is he who gives a wife to a Benjamite.”2 worksLeviticus 27:2–34“Speak to the Israelites and say to them, ‘When someone makes a special vow to the LORD involving the value of persons,2 works

The walk

8 stops

Each 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

    Acts 23:12

    When daylight came, the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul.

    it leads to

    • Acts 23:30

      When I was informed that there was a plot against the man, I sent him to you at once. I also instructed his accusers to present their case against him before you.

    • Isaiah 8:9–10

      Huddle together, O peoples, and be shattered; pay attention, all you distant lands; prepare for battle, and be shattered; prepare for battle, and be shattered!

    • Acts 23:21

      Do not let them persuade you, because more than forty men are waiting to ambush him. They have bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they have killed him; they…

    • Acts 23:14

      They went to the chief priests and elders and said, “We have bound ourselves with a solemn oath not to eat anything until we have killed Paul.

    • Psalms 2:1–3

      Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?

  • Through

    Mark 6:23

    And he swore to her, “Whatever you ask of me, I will give you, up to half my kingdom!”

    it leads to

    • Esther 5:3

      “What is it, Queen Esther?” the king inquired. “What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be given to you.”

    • Esther 7:2

      and as they drank their wine on that second day, the king asked once more, “Queen Esther, what is your petition? It will be given to you. What is your request? Even up to…

    • Esther 5:6

      And as they drank their wine, the king said to Esther, “What is your petition? It will be given to you. What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be…

Where this verse is studied

About Leviticus

The Scapegoat, William Holman Hunt, 1854. Public domain.
The Scapegoat, William Holman Hunt, 1854. Public domain.
Leviticus: the study guide →Read Leviticus 5 →

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 and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.

Read on in Leviticus 5 →