New International Reader s Version - NIrV - 1996
Leviticus 5
1
" 'Suppose a person has been called as a witness to something he has seen or learned about. Then if he does not tell what he knows, he has sinned. And he will be held accountable for it.
Reference
2
" 'Or suppose a person touches something that is not "clean." It could be the dead bodies of wild animals or of livestock. Or it could be the dead bodies of creatures that move along the ground. Even though he is not aware that he touched them, he has become "unclean." And he is guilty.
Reference
3
" 'Or suppose he touches something "unclean" that comes from a human being. It could be anything that would make him "unclean." Suppose he is not aware that he touched it. When he finds out about it, he will be guilty.
4
" 'Or suppose a person takes an oath and makes a promise to do something without thinking it through. It does not matter what he promised. It does not matter whether he took the oath without thinking about it carefully. And suppose he is not aware that he did not think it through. When he finds out about it, he will be guilty.
Reference
5
" 'When someone is guilty in any of those ways, he must admit he has sinned.
Reference
Parallel theme
Romans 10:10
Joshua 7:19
Sin
Proverbs 28:13
Numbers 5:7
Leviticus 26:40
Leviticus 16:21
6
He must bring a sin offering to pay for the sin he has committed. He must bring to the Lord a female lamb or goat from the flock. The priest will sacrifice the animal. That will pay for the person's sin.
Reference
7
" 'Suppose he can't afford a lamb. Then he must get two doves or two young pigeons. He must bring them to the Lord to pay for his sin. One of them is for a sin offering. The other is for a burnt offering.
Reference
8
" 'He must bring them to the priest. The priest will offer the one for the sin offering first. He must twist its head. But he must not twist it off completely.
Reference
9
" 'Then he must sprinkle some of the blood of the sin offering against the side of the altar. He must empty out the rest of the blood at the bottom of the altar. It is a sin offering.
Reference
Blood
Leviticus 4:30
Leviticus 4:18
Leviticus 4:7
Hebrews 12:24
Parallel theme
Hebrews 2:10
Isaiah 42:21
Sin
Leviticus 4:34
Leviticus 4:25
10
" 'Then the priest will offer the other bird as a burnt offering. He must do it in the way the law requires. That will pay for the sin the person has committed. And he will be forgiven.
Reference
Parallel theme
Romans 5:11
Sacrifice
Ephesians 5:2
Leviticus 5:16
Leviticus 4:31
Sin
Leviticus 4:26
Leviticus 4:20
1 John 2:2
James 5:15
Leviticus 4:35
Leviticus 5:13
11
" 'But suppose he can't afford two doves or two young pigeons. Then he must bring eight cups of fine flour as an offering for his sin. It is a sin offering. He must not put olive oil or incense on it. That is because it is a sin offering.
Reference
Sin
Numbers 5:15
12
" 'He must bring it to the priest. The priest must take a handful of it. He must burn that part on the altar. It will be a reminder that all good things come from the Lord. The priest must burn it on top of the offerings that are made to the Lord with fire. It is a sin offering.
Reference
13
" 'In that way the priest will pay for any of the sins the person has committed. And he will be forgiven. The rest of the offering will belong to the priest. It is the same as in the case of the grain offering.' "
Reference
14
The Lord spoke to Moses. He said,
15
"Suppose a person sins by breaking the law. And he does it without meaning to. He sins against me or my priests by refusing to give them one of the holy things that are set apart for them. "Then he must bring me a ram from the flock. It must not have any flaws. It must be worth the required amount of silver. It must be weighed out in keeping with the standard weights that are used in the sacred tent. It is a guilt offering. It will pay for his sin.
Reference
Holy
Leviticus 7:1
Leviticus 7:6
Parallel theme
Ezra 10:19
Sacrifice
Exodus 30:13
Leviticus 6:6
Sin
Leviticus 4:2
16
"He must also pay for the holy thing he refused to give. He must add a fifth of its value to it. He must give all of it to the priest. The priest will pay for the person's sin with the ram. It is a guilt offering. And he will be forgiven.
Reference
Holy
Leviticus 22:14
Leviticus 27:15
Parallel theme
Numbers 5:7
Leviticus 27:13
Leviticus 27:31
Leviticus 27:27
Sacrifice
Leviticus 5:10
17
"Suppose a person sins by doing something I command him not to do. Even though he does not know it, he is guilty. He will be held accountable for it.
Reference
Parallel theme
Psalm 19:12
Luke 12:48
Sin
Leviticus 5:15
Word
Leviticus 4:27
Leviticus 4:13
Leviticus 4:22
18
"He must bring to the priest a ram from the flock as a guilt offering. It must not have any flaws. And it must be worth the required amount of money. "The priest will sacrifice the animal. That will pay for what the person has done wrong without meaning to. And he will be forgiven.
19
It is a guilt offering. He has been guilty of doing wrong against me."
Summary of Leviticus 5
Leviticus chapter 5 continues discussing the law of sin offerings and presents several cases in which a person has sinned before the Lord. The chapter highlights various situations that may take place in day-to-day life, for instance, when a person remains silent when asked to testify, unclean animals touch a person, or an unwise vow is made. The chapter also instructs on what to offer when a person has sinned and cannot prepare a proper sacrifice.
The first case that is presented in Leviticus chapter 5 refers to a situation in which a person knows certain information and is asked to testify but refuses to do so. Such a person is guilty and should bring a female lamb or goat as a trespass offering. The priest was to make atonement for him, and the person would be forgiven (Leviticus 5:1-2).
The next case that is highlighted in these verses refers to a person who touched something unclean. The unclean object could be the dead body of an unclean animal or a person who was unclean. Although the person might have been unaware of touching an unclean object, he would be accountable to God once the contamination was discovered (Leviticus 5:3-4). The person was brought to full awareness when the contact took place; thus, he was considered guilty.
Another situation in which a person can commit a trespass against the Lord is making an unwise vow. Vows can be made for good things or bad things, but a person must always be prepared to accept the consequences of his words. A person should confess his trespass to the Lord and bring a trespass offering. The offering included a female lamb or goat as a sin offering (Leviticus 5:5-6). Afterward, the priest would make atonement for the person to restore his friendship with God.
When a poor person cannot bring an offering from the flock, they were instructed to bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons. One bird would serve as a sin offering, and the other as a burnt offering. The priest was to make atonement for the person using the birds (Leviticus 5:7).
It is noteworthy that the Israelites were allowed to make sacrifices using the economic resources available to them. The people were not allowed to leave their sins unpunished, but God was also merciful to those who could not afford expensive sacrifices. Thus, if a poor person could not afford a lamb or a goat, he could substitute them with birds. Moreover, if a person did not have any resources, they could bring the tenth part of an ephah of fine flour as a sin offering. Interestingly, in contrast to the grain offering described in chapter 2, this one was accompanied by no oil or frankincense (Leviticus 5:9).
The priest would take a handful of the flour and burn it on the fire as a sweet aroma to the Lord. The rest of the flour would belong to the priest, who would use it to make atonement for the person, and they would be forgiven (Leviticus 5:10).
The next case concerns a person who acted unwisely and unfaithfully concerning something that belonged to God. When this person realized their trespass, they were to bring a trespass offering to the Lord. The priest was to make atonement for the person using a ram without blemish from the flock. The value of the ram would be estimated according to the sanctuary shekel (Leviticus 5:14).
In addition to the trespass offering, restitution was required to complete the atonement. A person had to return whatever was entrusted to them or its assessed value. The priest was to add one fifth of the value of the restitution, and the Lord’s forgiveness was given when the trespass offering was made (Leviticus 5:15-16).
The final case that is covered in Leviticus chapter 5 involves making a trespass offering when a person sins against the Lord. In some cases, the trespass may not seem serious because it was committed unintentionally or the person was unaware of having violated God’s regulations. However, once the offender became aware of having committed the trespass, they were to confess and bring a trespass offering to the Lord. The priest was to make atonement for them using a ram without blemish, and the person would be forgiven (Leviticus 5:17-19). The emphasis in the chapter is that the Lord does not want people to carry sins and guilt without seeking His forgiveness.
Leviticus chapter 5 reveals important information about the Israelite sacrifices. Notably, the offerings and trespasses that should be presented to God were dependent on individual financial capabilities. The chapter does not present any situations in which a rich person should ignore the trespasses because of their wealth. Instead, Leviticus 5:3-19 provides different options that applied to all individuals regardless of their financial status. Although the trespass offerings varied among the cases, the responsibility of presenting an offering to God was equal among all Israelites.
Leviticus chapter 5 continues the previous chapter’s discussion of sin offerings while also introducing information about trespass offerings. The chapter provides a list of cases that can occur in day-to-day Israelite life that require presenting a trespass offering to God. In each of these cases, the offender was required to confess their trespass and present an offering to the priest. Moreover, if the offender had violated the rights of another person, restitution should be made to restore the violated rights. Thus, a person was obliged to make a formal confession, present an offering, and make restitution.
The first case that is presented in Leviticus chapter 5 refers to a situation in which a person knows certain information and is asked to testify but refuses to do so. Such a person is guilty and should bring a female lamb or goat as a trespass offering. The priest was to make atonement for him, and the person would be forgiven (Leviticus 5:1-2).
The next case that is highlighted in these verses refers to a person who touched something unclean. The unclean object could be the dead body of an unclean animal or a person who was unclean. Although the person might have been unaware of touching an unclean object, he would be accountable to God once the contamination was discovered (Leviticus 5:3-4). The person was brought to full awareness when the contact took place; thus, he was considered guilty.
Another situation in which a person can commit a trespass against the Lord is making an unwise vow. Vows can be made for good things or bad things, but a person must always be prepared to accept the consequences of his words. A person should confess his trespass to the Lord and bring a trespass offering. The offering included a female lamb or goat as a sin offering (Leviticus 5:5-6). Afterward, the priest would make atonement for the person to restore his friendship with God.
When a poor person cannot bring an offering from the flock, they were instructed to bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons. One bird would serve as a sin offering, and the other as a burnt offering. The priest was to make atonement for the person using the birds (Leviticus 5:7).
It is noteworthy that the Israelites were allowed to make sacrifices using the economic resources available to them. The people were not allowed to leave their sins unpunished, but God was also merciful to those who could not afford expensive sacrifices. Thus, if a poor person could not afford a lamb or a goat, he could substitute them with birds. Moreover, if a person did not have any resources, they could bring the tenth part of an ephah of fine flour as a sin offering. Interestingly, in contrast to the grain offering described in chapter 2, this one was accompanied by no oil or frankincense (Leviticus 5:9).
The priest would take a handful of the flour and burn it on the fire as a sweet aroma to the Lord. The rest of the flour would belong to the priest, who would use it to make atonement for the person, and they would be forgiven (Leviticus 5:10).
The next case concerns a person who acted unwisely and unfaithfully concerning something that belonged to God. When this person realized their trespass, they were to bring a trespass offering to the Lord. The priest was to make atonement for the person using a ram without blemish from the flock. The value of the ram would be estimated according to the sanctuary shekel (Leviticus 5:14).
In addition to the trespass offering, restitution was required to complete the atonement. A person had to return whatever was entrusted to them or its assessed value. The priest was to add one fifth of the value of the restitution, and the Lord’s forgiveness was given when the trespass offering was made (Leviticus 5:15-16).
The final case that is covered in Leviticus chapter 5 involves making a trespass offering when a person sins against the Lord. In some cases, the trespass may not seem serious because it was committed unintentionally or the person was unaware of having violated God’s regulations. However, once the offender became aware of having committed the trespass, they were to confess and bring a trespass offering to the Lord. The priest was to make atonement for them using a ram without blemish, and the person would be forgiven (Leviticus 5:17-19). The emphasis in the chapter is that the Lord does not want people to carry sins and guilt without seeking His forgiveness.
Leviticus chapter 5 reveals important information about the Israelite sacrifices. Notably, the offerings and trespasses that should be presented to God were dependent on individual financial capabilities. The chapter does not present any situations in which a rich person should ignore the trespasses because of their wealth. Instead, Leviticus 5:3-19 provides different options that applied to all individuals regardless of their financial status. Although the trespass offerings varied among the cases, the responsibility of presenting an offering to God was equal among all Israelites.
Leviticus chapter 5 continues the previous chapter’s discussion of sin offerings while also introducing information about trespass offerings. The chapter provides a list of cases that can occur in day-to-day Israelite life that require presenting a trespass offering to God. In each of these cases, the offender was required to confess their trespass and present an offering to the priest. Moreover, if the offender had violated the rights of another person, restitution should be made to restore the violated rights. Thus, a person was obliged to make a formal confession, present an offering, and make restitution.