Leviticus Chapter 5

Updated: September 14, 2025

Sins Requiring a Sin Offering

(Leviticus 4:1-35)

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.

Laws for Guilt Offerings

(Leviticus 6:1-7; Leviticus 7:1-10)

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.

King James Bible

Text courtesy of BibleProtector.com.

Sins Requiring a Sin Offering
(Leviticus 4:1–35; Leviticus 6:24–30)

1 “‘If anyone sins, in that he hears the voice of adjuration, he being a witness, whether he has seen or known, if he doesn’t report it, then he shall bear his iniquity. 2 “‘Or if anyone touches any unclean thing, whether it is the carcass of an unclean animal, or the carcass of unclean livestock, or the carcass of unclean creeping things, and it is hidden from him, and he is unclean, then he shall be guilty. 3 “‘Or if he touches the uncleanness of man, whatever his uncleanness is with which he is unclean, and it is hidden from him; when he knows of it, then he shall be guilty. 4 “‘Or if anyone swears rashly with his lips to do evil, or to do good, whatever it is that a man might utter rashly with an oath, and it is hidden from him; when he knows of it, then he shall be guilty of one of these. 5 It shall be, when he is guilty of one of these, he shall confess that in which he has sinned: 6 and he shall bring his trespass offering to Yahweh for his sin which he has sinned, a female from the flock, a lamb or a goat, for a sin offering; and the priest shall make atonement for him concerning his sin.

7 “‘If he can’t afford a lamb, then he shall bring his trespass offering for that in which he has sinned, two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, to Yahweh; one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering. 8 He shall bring them to the priest, who shall first offer the one which is for the sin offering, and wring off its head from its neck, but shall not sever it completely. 9 He shall sprinkle some of the blood of the sin offering on the side of the altar; and the rest of the blood shall be drained out at the base of the altar. It is a sin offering. 10 He shall offer the second for a burnt offering, according to the ordinance; and the priest shall make atonement for him concerning his sin which he has sinned, and he shall be forgiven.

11 “‘But if he can’t afford two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, then he shall bring his offering for that in which he has sinned, the tenth part of an ephah of fine flour for a sin offering. He shall put no oil on it, neither shall he put any frankincense on it, for it is a sin offering. 12 He shall bring it to the priest, and the priest shall take his handful of it as the memorial portion, and burn it on the altar, on the offerings of Yahweh made by fire. It is a sin offering. 13 The priest shall make atonement for him concerning his sin that he has sinned in any of these things, and he will be forgiven; and the rest shall be the priest’s, as the meal offering.’”

Laws for Guilt Offerings
(Leviticus 6:1–7; Leviticus 7:1–10)

14 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 15 “If anyone commits a trespass, and sins unwittingly, in the holy things of Yahweh; then he shall bring his trespass offering to Yahweh, a ram without blemish from the flock, according to your estimation in silver by shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, for a trespass offering. 16 He shall make restitution for that which he has done wrong in the holy thing, and shall add a fifth part to it, and give it to the priest; and the priest shall make atonement for him with the ram of the trespass offering, and he will be forgiven.

17 “If anyone sins, and does any of the things which Yahweh has commanded not to be done; though he didn’t know it, yet he is guilty, and shall bear his iniquity. 18 He shall bring a ram without blemish from of the flock, according to your estimation, for a trespass offering, to the priest; and the priest shall make atonement for him concerning the thing in which he sinned and didn’t know it, and he will be forgiven. 19 It is a trespass offering. He is certainly guilty before Yahweh.”

Sins Requiring a Sin Offering
(Leviticus 4:1–35; Leviticus 6:24–30)

1 “If someone sins by failing to testify when he hears a public charge about something he has witnessed, whether he has seen it or learned of it, he shall bear the iniquity.

2 Or 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.

3 Or if he touches human uncleanness—anything by which one becomes unclean—even if he is unaware of it, when he realizes it, he is guilty.

4 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.

5 If someone incurs guilt in one of these ways, he must confess the sin he has committed, 6 and he must bring his guilt offering to the LORD for the sin he has committed: a female lamb or goat from the flock as a sin offering. And the priest will make atonement for him concerning his sin.

7 If, however, he cannot afford a lamb, he may bring to the LORD as restitution for his sin two turtledoves or two young pigeons—one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering. 8 He is to bring them to the priest, who shall first present the one for the sin offering. He is to twist its head at the front of its neck without severing it; 9 then he is to sprinkle some of the blood of the sin offering on the side of the altar, while the rest of the blood is drained out at the base of the altar. It is a sin offering. 10 And the priest must prepare the second bird as a burnt offering according to the ordinance. In this way the priest will make atonement for him for the sin he has committed, and he will be forgiven.

11 But if he cannot afford two turtledoves or two young pigeons, he may bring a tenth of an ephah of fine flour a as a sin offering. He must not put olive oil or frankincense on it, because it is a sin offering. 12 He is to bring it to the priest, who shall take a handful from it as a memorial portion and burn it on the altar atop the offerings made by fire to the LORD; it is a sin offering. 13 In this way the priest will make atonement for him for any of these sins he has committed, and he will be forgiven. The remainder will belong to the priest, like the grain offering.”

Laws for Guilt Offerings
(Leviticus 6:1–7; Leviticus 7:1–10)

14 Then the LORD said to Moses, 15 “If someone acts unfaithfully and sins unintentionally against any of the LORD’s holy things, he must bring his guilt offering to the LORD: an unblemished ram from the flock, of proper value b in silver shekels according to the sanctuary shekel; c it is a guilt offering. 16 Regarding any holy thing he has harmed, he must make restitution by adding a fifth of its value to it and giving it to the priest, who will make atonement on his behalf with the ram as a guilt offering, and he will be forgiven.

17 If someone sins and violates any of the LORD’s commandments even though he was unaware, he is guilty and shall bear his punishment. 18 He is to bring to the priest an unblemished ram of proper value from the flock as a guilt offering. Then the priest will make atonement on his behalf for the wrong he has committed in ignorance, and he will be forgiven. 19 It is a guilt offering; he was certainly guilty d before the LORD.”

Footnotes:

11 a A tenth of an ephah  is approximately 2 dry quarts or 2.2 liters (probably about 2.6 pounds or 1.2 kilograms of flour).
15 b Or flock or its equivalence
15 c A shekel  is approximately 0.4 ounces or 11.4 grams of silver.
19 d Or he has paid full compensation

Sins Requiring a Sin Offering

(Leviticus 4:1-35)

1And when a person doth sin, and hath heard the voice of an oath, and he is witness, or hath seen, or hath known -- if he declare not, then he hath borne his iniquity: 2'Or when a person cometh against any thing unclean, or against a carcase of an unclean beast, or against a carcase of unclean cattle, or against a carcase of an unclean teeming creature, and it hath been hidden from him, and he unclean, and guilty; 3'Or when he cometh against uncleanness of man, even any of his uncleanness whereby he is unclean, and it hath been hidden from him, and he hath known, and hath been guilty: 4'Or when a person sweareth, speaking wrongfully with the lips to do evil, or to do good, even anything which man speaketh wrongfully with an oath, and it hath been hid from him; -- when he hath known then he hath been guilty of one of these; 5'And it hath been when he is guilty of one of these, that he hath confessed concerning that which he hath sinned, 6and hath brought in his guilt-offering to Jehovah for his sin which he hath sinned, a female out of the flock, a lamb, or a kid of the goats, for a sin-offering, and the priest hath made atonement for him, because of his sin.

7'And if his hand reach not to the sufficiency of a lamb, then he hath brought in his guilt-offering -- he who hath sinned -- two turtle-doves or two young pigeons to Jehovah, one for a sin-offering, and one for a burnt-offering; 8and he hath brought them in unto the priest, and hath brought near that which is for a sin-offering first, and hath wrung off its head from its neck, and doth not separate it, 9and he hath sprinkled of the blood of the sin-offering on the side of the altar, and that which is left of the blood is wrung out at the foundation of the altar; it is a sin-offering. 10'And the second he maketh a burnt-offering, according to the ordinance, and the priest hath made atonement for him, because of his sin which he hath sinned, and it hath been forgiven him.

11And if his hand reach not to two turtle-doves, or to two young pigeons, then he hath brought in his offering -- he who hath sinned -- a tenth of an ephah of flour for a sin-offering; he putteth no oil on it, nor doth he put on it frankincense, for it is a sin-offering, 12and he hath brought it in unto the priest, and the priest hath taken a handful from it -- the fulness of his hand -- its memorial -- and hath made perfume on the altar, according to the fire-offerings of Jehovah; it is a sin-offering. 13And the priest hath made atonement for him, for his sin which he hath sinned against one of these, and it hath been forgiven him, and the remnant hath been to the priest, like the present.'

Laws for Guilt Offerings

(Leviticus 6:1-7; Leviticus 7:1-10)

14And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, saying, 15When a person committeth a trespass, and hath sinned through ignorance against the holy things of Jehovah, then he hath brought in his guilt-offering to Jehovah, a ram, a perfect one, out of the flock, at thy valuation in silver -- shekels by the shekel of the sanctuary -- for a guilt-offering. 16'And that which he hath sinned against the holy thing he repayeth, and its fifth is adding to it, and hath given it to the priest, and the priest maketh atonement for him with the ram of the guilt-offering, and it hath been forgiven him.

17And when any person sinneth, and hath done something against one of all the commands of Jehovah regarding things which are not to be done, and hath not known, and he hath been guilty, and hath borne his iniquity, 18'Then he hath brought in a ram, a perfect one, out of the flock, at thy valuation, for a guilt-offering, unto the priest; and the priest hath made atonement for him, for his ignorance in which he hath erred and he hath not known, and it hath been forgiven him; 19it is a guilt-offering; he hath been certainly guilty before Jehovah.'

New Bible Challenges and Quizzes being added regularly.

Begin a Bible Quiz

The F.O.G Commentary

Leviticus 5 – When Good People Make Mistakes

What’s Leviticus 5 about?

This chapter tackles something we all face but rarely talk about in religious circles: what happens when you mess up without meaning to, or when you realize you’ve been sitting on something you should have spoken up about? It’s God’s practical guide for dealing with the inevitable human condition of moral failure – even the unintentional kind.

The Full Context

Leviticus 5 sits right in the heart of Israel’s sacrificial system, written by Moses around 1440 BC during the wilderness wandering. The Israelites had just received the covenant at Sinai and were learning how to live as God’s holy people. But here’s the thing – they were still very much human, which meant they were going to mess up. A lot.

This chapter addresses a critical gap in the previous sacrificial instructions. Leviticus 1-4 covered intentional sins and major offerings, but what about those gray areas? What about when you realize weeks later that you should have testified in court? Or when you accidentally touch something unclean and forget about it? Chapter 5 is God saying, “I know you’re going to stumble even when you’re trying your best – here’s how we deal with that.”

What the Ancient Words Tell Us

The Hebrew word ’asham appears throughout this chapter, and it’s fascinating because it means both “guilt” and “guilt offering.” It’s like the word carries the problem and the solution in one package. When you see this word, you’re not just talking about feeling bad – you’re talking about objective moral debt that needs to be addressed.

Grammar Geeks

The phrase “realizes his guilt” in verse 5 uses a Hebrew construction that literally means “becomes guilty regarding it.” It’s not about feeling guilty – it’s about the moment when you recognize you’ve actually done something that created real moral debt, whether you meant to or not.

Notice how the chapter starts with specific scenarios – failing to testify, touching unclean things, making rash oaths. These aren’t hypotheticals; they’re the stuff of everyday life in ancient Israel. Someone witnesses a crime but doesn’t want to get involved. A person accidentally brushes against a dead animal while walking. Someone makes a promise in anger they can’t keep.

The beauty is in how the text treats unintentional sin. The Hebrew phrase “but then realizes it” (v’yada) appears multiple times, acknowledging that sometimes we don’t even know we’ve crossed a line until later. God isn’t expecting perfection; He’s providing a pathway back when we inevitably fall short.

What Would the Original Audience Have Heard?

The F.O.G Bible Project

This page has a unique origin story and vision. Find out why your visit today is about more than words.

What is the F.O.G?

For ancient Israelites, this chapter would have been incredibly reassuring. In a world where religious purity was tied to community belonging and divine favor, the fear of unknown contamination was real. What if you accidentally ate something unclean? What if you touched a corpse without realizing it? What if someone needed your testimony and you stayed silent?

Did You Know?

In ancient Near Eastern cultures, unintentional religious violations could result in permanent exile or death. Israel’s system was revolutionary because it provided restoration rather than just punishment – but only if the person took responsibility once they realized their mistake.

The graduated payment system would have spoken volumes. Rich or poor, everyone had a way back. Can’t afford a lamb? Bring two doves. Can’t afford birds? Bring some flour. The message was clear: God wants you back more than He wants your expensive sacrifice.

But there’s something else the original audience would have caught that we might miss. The specific mention of witnessing crimes and staying silent (Leviticus 5:1) wasn’t just about legal proceedings – it was about community responsibility. In a covenant community, your neighbor’s justice was your business too.

Wrestling with the Text

Here’s where things get interesting – and a bit uncomfortable. This chapter forces us to wrestle with the concept of objective guilt versus subjective feelings. Modern Western culture tends to focus on intention: “I didn’t mean to hurt anyone, so I shouldn’t feel bad.” But the Hebrew worldview recognized that some actions create real consequences regardless of intent.

Think about it this way: if you accidentally give someone food poisoning, your good intentions don’t make them less sick. The damage is real, even if the intent was pure. Leviticus 5 acknowledges this reality while providing a path forward.

Wait, That’s Strange…

Why does the text lump together ceremonial uncleanness (touching dead animals) with moral failures (staying silent about crimes)? In Hebrew thinking, both disrupted the community’s relationship with God – one through ritual contamination, the other through injustice. The solution was the same: acknowledgment and restoration.

The graduated offerings also challenge our assumptions about fairness. Why should the rich person bring a more expensive animal? It’s not because God values money – it’s because true sacrifice costs something. A wealthy person giving flour isn’t really giving up anything meaningful, while a poor person offering flour might be giving up a meal.

How This Changes Everything

This chapter revolutionizes how we think about moral failure and restoration. It introduces the radical idea that you can mess up unintentionally and still need to make things right. It’s not about shame or punishment – it’s about acknowledgment and repair.

The confession element is crucial here. Verse 5 requires that the person “confess in what way he has sinned.” The Hebrew word vidah means to acknowledge openly, not just to feel privately sorry. There’s something powerful about naming your failure out loud.

“God’s grace doesn’t eliminate responsibility – it provides a pathway through it.”

But here’s the game-changer: this system assumes you’re going to fail. It doesn’t say “if you sin unintentionally” but “when you realize your guilt.” It’s built into the fabric of religious life because God knows we’re human. The goal isn’t perfection; it’s responsive integrity – the willingness to make things right when you realize you’ve gone wrong.

For the modern reader, this principle translates powerfully. How many relationships could be saved if we embraced this model? Instead of defensive denial (“I didn’t mean to hurt you”), what if we practiced responsive integrity (“I didn’t intend to hurt you, but I did, and I want to make it right”)?

Key Takeaway

True spiritual maturity isn’t about never making mistakes – it’s about what you do when you realize you’ve made them. God provides the pathway; we just have to be humble enough to walk it.

Leviticus Chapter 5

Add Comment

God's Word is too vast for a single perspective. We all have a story, and as believers we all carry the Holy Spirit who is the Revealer. With this in mind - I would love to read your comments.