Reflections on Leviticus 5

Leviticus 05 (Contemporary English Version)

1. If you refuse to testify in court about something you saw or know has happened, you have sinned and can be punished.
   
2. You are guilty and unfit to worship me, if you accidentally touch the dead body of any kind of unclean animal.
   
3. You are guilty if you find out that you have accidentally touched any waste that comes from a human body.
   
4. You are guilty the moment you realize that you have made a hasty promise to do something good or bad.
   
5. As soon as you discover that you have committed any of these sins, you must confess what you have done.
   
6. Then you must bring a female sheep or goat to me as the price for your sin. A priest will sacrifice the animal, and you will be forgiven.
   
7. If you are poor and cannot afford to bring an animal, you may bring two doves or two pigeons. One of these will be a sacrifice to ask my forgiveness, and the other will be a sacrifice to please me.
   
8. Give both birds to the priest, who will offer one as a sacrifice to ask my forgiveness. He will wring its neck without tearing off its head,
   
9. splatter some of its blood on one side of the bronze altar, and drain out the rest at the foot of the altar.
   
10. Then he will follow the proper rules for offering the other bird as a sacrifice to please me. You will be forgiven when the priest offers these sacrifices as the price for your sin.
    
11. If you are so poor that you cannot afford doves or pigeons, you may bring two pounds of your finest flour. This is a sacrifice to ask my forgiveness, so don't sprinkle olive oil or sweet-smelling incense on it.
    
12. Give the flour to a priest, who will scoop up a handful and send it up in smoke together with the other offerings. This is a reminder that all of the flour belongs to me.
    
13. By offering this sacrifice, the priest pays the price for any of these sins you may have committed. The priest gets the rest of the flour, just as he does with grain sacrifices.
    
14. The LORD told Moses what the people must do to make things right when they find out they have cheated the LORD without meaning to: If this happens, you must either sacrifice a ram that has nothing wrong with it or else pay the price of a ram with the official money used by the priests.
    
15. (SEE 5:14)
    
16. In addition, you must pay what you owe plus a fine of twenty percent. Then the priest will offer the ram as a sacrifice to make things right, and you will be forgiven.
    
17. If you break any of my commands without meaning to, you are still guilty, and you can be punished. When you realize what you have done, you must either bring to the priest a ram that has nothing wrong with it or else pay him for one. The priest will then offer it as a sacrifice to make things right, and you will be forgiven.
    
18. (SEE 5:17)
    
19. (SEE 5:17)
    
    

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    The sin offering, which is the fourth of the five sacrifices outlined in this handbook of sacrifices, carries into the first part of chapter five. Verses 14 and following in this chapter pick up with explanations regarding the fifth sacrifice, which is the guilt offering. Distinctions between these last two sacrifices are not totally clear. Generally speaking, though, the sin offering related to unintentional trespasses against another person whereas the guilt offering related to unintentional trespasses against "the LORD's holy things." (5:14)
    
    Four examples are given in the first verses of the chapter regarding trespasses requiring the sin offering. The first was the withholding of information regarding an act the person had witnessed. The second was the touching of anything unclean related to an animal, while the third was the touching of anything unclean related to humans. The fourth was to make a rash oath and then not keep it.  The offering involved confession of the sin and what was considered restitution for the sin by making a sacrifice. Depending on the person's financial means, his sacrifice could be something from the flock, such as a lamb or goat, a bird, such as a dove or pigeon, or fine flour.
    
    Beginning with verse 14 a transition is made to the guilt offering. This transition is noted with the words, "Then the LORD spoke to Moses." This phrase notes a change in subject. The Lord told Moses this: "If someone offends by sinning unintentionally in regard to any of the LORD's holy things."  (5:14, 15) So now the offense regarded the Lord's holy things. No examples are given, however, of what these types of sins might be other than to say the person violates "any of the LORD's commands concerning anything prohibited." (5:17) A person who makes such a violation bore "the consequences of his guilt." Thus the designation as a guilt offering. Restitution included compensation for whatever the loss of property was, either in silver or with an animal from the flock, plus a 20 percent fine. Then the person was to offer a sacrifice of a ram.