Old Testament · Law

Leviticus 5

The Guilt Offering

For specific wrongs — lying, cheating, carelessness with holy things. Guilt isn't meant to stay. It's meant to be dealt with.

King James Version BSB 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.

Understand This

Leviticus 5, explained

What Leviticus 5 is saying

Additional cases requiring the sin offering include failing to testify, touching uncleanness unknowingly, and rash oaths. A sliding scale of affordability is introduced: a female goat or lamb, or two doves, or even a tenth of an ephah of flour for the poorest. The guilt offering (asham) is introduced for sacrilege against holy things and for uncertain sin, requiring restitution of the principal plus one-fifth to the priest.

The background behind it

The guilt offering (asham) is distinguished from the sin offering by its emphasis on restitution and its monetary valuation. The inclusion of flour as an acceptable sin offering for the destitute ensures that poverty never prevents atonement—an extraordinary theological statement about accessibility.

Themes running underneath

The sliding scale reveals God's pastoral heart: atonement must be accessible to everyone regardless of economic status. The guilt offering's restitution requirement (principal plus 20%) establishes that forgiveness involves making the injured party whole. Sin against holy things requires both sacrifice and material compensation.

Why it still matters

The accessibility principle teaches that God never prices anyone out of forgiveness. The restitution requirement challenges cheap grace—genuine repentance includes concrete efforts to repair the damage done.

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Scripture text: King James Version — public domain.