The Torah · Old Testament
Leviticus 5
Confession, affordable offerings and restitution for sacred things
General context
The opening cases concern a witness who withholds testimony, contact with uncleanness and a rash oath. A person guilty in these matters must confess the particular sin and bring an offering. Someone unable to afford a lamb may bring two birds; someone unable to afford those may bring fine flour without oil or frankincense. The priest makes atonement, and forgiveness is stated. A new address then concerns an offense in the Lord's holy things. It requires an unblemished ram, repayment for the harm and an added fifth. The final case requires a ram for an offense committed without knowing it, while still declaring the person guilty.
Cited passages: Leviticus 5:1, Leviticus 5:2, Leviticus 5:3, Leviticus 5:4, Leviticus 5:5, Leviticus 5:6, Leviticus 5:7, Leviticus 5:8, Leviticus 5:9, Leviticus 5:10, Leviticus 5:11, Leviticus 5:12, Leviticus 5:13, Leviticus 5:14, Leviticus 5:15, Leviticus 5:16, Leviticus 5:17, Leviticus 5:18, Leviticus 5:19
Leviticus 5 (KJV)
1And if a soul sin, and hear the voice of swearing, and is a witness, whether he hath seen or known of it; if he do not utter it, then he shall bear his iniquity.
2Or 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.
3Or if he touch the uncleanness of man, whatsoever uncleanness it be that a man shall be defiled withal, and it be hid from him; when he knoweth of it, then he shall be guilty.
4Or 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.
5And it shall be, when he shall be guilty in one of these things, that he shall confess that he hath sinned in that thing:
6And he shall bring his trespass offering unto the Lord for his sin which he hath sinned, a female from the flock, a lamb or a kid of the goats, for a sin offering; and the priest shall make an atonement for him concerning his sin.
7And if he be not able to bring a lamb, then he shall bring for his trespass, which he hath committed, two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, unto the Lord; one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering.
8And he shall bring them unto the priest, who shall offer that which is for the sin offering first, and wring off his head from his neck, but shall not divide it asunder:
9And he shall sprinkle of the blood of the sin offering upon the side of the altar; and the rest of the blood shall be wrung out at the bottom of the altar: it is a sin offering.
10And he shall offer the second for a burnt offering, according to the manner: and the priest shall make an atonement for him for his sin which he hath sinned, and it shall be forgiven him.
11But if he be not able to bring two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, then he that sinned shall bring for his offering the tenth part of an ephah of fine flour for a sin offering; he shall put no oil upon it, neither shall he put any frankincense thereon: for it is a sin offering.
12Then shall he bring it to the priest, and the priest shall take his handful of it, even a memorial thereof, and burn it on the altar, according to the offerings made by fire unto the Lord: it is a sin offering.
13And the priest shall make an atonement for him as touching his sin that he hath sinned in one of these, and it shall be forgiven him: and the remnant shall be the priest’s, as a meat offering.
14And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
15If a soul commit a trespass, and sin through ignorance, in the holy things of the Lord; then he shall bring for his trespass unto the Lord a ram without blemish out of the flocks, with thy estimation by shekels of silver, after the shekel of the sanctuary, for a trespass offering:
16And he shall make amends for the harm that he hath done in the holy thing, and shall add the fifth part thereto, and give it unto the priest: and the priest shall make an atonement for him with the ram of the trespass offering, and it shall be forgiven him.
17And if a soul sin, and commit any of these things which are forbidden to be done by the commandments of the Lord; though he wist it not, yet is he guilty, and shall bear his iniquity.
18And he shall bring a ram without blemish out of the flock, with thy estimation, for a trespass offering, unto the priest: and the priest shall make an atonement for him concerning his ignorance wherein he erred and wist it not, and it shall be forgiven him.
19It is a trespass offering: he hath certainly trespassed against the Lord.
This page shows the King James Version. In the app, reading opens in the Berean Standard Bible unless you have chosen another translation. The reader includes five translations: the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), the King James Version (KJV), the World English Bible (WEB), the Bible in Basic English (BBE), and the American Standard Version (ASV). Search covers three of them: Berean Standard, King James, and World English. Basic English and American Standard readers search the King James words.
Historical context
The witness in verse 1 is accountable for failing to speak about something seen or known. The ASV describes an adjuration, and the BBE describes being put under oath; the KJV's 'voice of swearing' should be read in that testimony setting. Reduced offerings in verses 7-13 depend explicitly on what the person can afford. Those provisions belong to the opening cases. The later requirement to repay harm in holy things adds a fifth to the amount and accompanies a ram offering.
Cited passages: Leviticus 5:1, Leviticus 5:5, Leviticus 5:6, Leviticus 5:7, Leviticus 5:10, Leviticus 5:11, Leviticus 5:12, Leviticus 5:13, Leviticus 5:14, Leviticus 5:15, Leviticus 5:16, Leviticus 5:17, Leviticus 5:18
Literary context
The movement from a flock animal to birds and then flour gives concrete form to accommodation for limited means. The repeated atonement and forgiveness language accompanies these alternatives. A fresh speech formula in verse 14 marks the transition to offenses involving holy things, so the chapter's different cases should not be collapsed into one undifferentiated rule.
Cited passages: Leviticus 5:5, Leviticus 5:6, Leviticus 5:7, Leviticus 5:8, Leviticus 5:9, Leviticus 5:10, Leviticus 5:11, Leviticus 5:12, Leviticus 5:13, Leviticus 5:14, Leviticus 5:15, Leviticus 5:16, Leviticus 5:17, Leviticus 5:18, Leviticus 5:19
Key moments
- Confession of the offense (Leviticus 5:5). The person is instructed to confess the particular sin.
- An offering of flour (Leviticus 5:11). Someone unable to afford two birds may bring fine flour, with no oil or frankincense.
- Repairing harm in holy things (Leviticus 5:16). The rule requires repayment with an added fifth, alongside priestly atonement with the ram.
For reflection
How does the chapter hold together confession, a person's means and responsibility for repairing harm?
