Leviticus 5:2-3

5:2 Or when there is ¹  a person who touches anything ceremonially ²  unclean, whether the carcass of an unclean wild animal, or the carcass of an unclean domesticated animal, or the carcass of an unclean creeping thing, even if he did not realize it, ³  but he himself has become unclean and is guilty; ⁴  5:3 or when he touches human uncleanness with regard to anything by which he can become unclean, ⁵  even if he did not realize it, but he himself has later come to know it and is guilty;

Leviticus 5:6-7

5:6 and he must bring his penalty for guilt ⁶  to the Lord for his sin that he has committed, a female from the flock, whether a female sheep or a female goat, for a sin offering. So the priest will make atonement ⁷  on his behalf for ⁸  his sin.

5:7 “‘If he cannot afford an animal from the flock, ⁹  he must bring his penalty for guilt for his sin that he has committed, ¹⁰  two turtledoves or two young pigeons, ¹¹  to the Lord, one for a sin offering and one for a burnt offering.

Leviticus 5:18-19

5:18 and must bring a flawless ram from the flock, convertible into silver shekels, ¹²  for a guilt offering to the priest. So the priest will make atonement ¹³  on his behalf for his error which he committed ¹⁴  (although he himself had not known it) and he will be forgiven. ¹⁵  5:19 It is a guilt offering; he was surely guilty before the Lord.”

---

¹ tc The insertion of the words “when there is” is a reflection of the few Hebrew mss, Smr, and LXX that have כִּי (ki, “when, if”; cf. vv. 3 and esp. 4) rather than the MT’s אֲשֶׁר (’asher, “who”). Many English versions render this as a conditional clause (“if”).

² tn The word “ceremonially” has been supplied in the translation to clarify that the uncleanness involved is ritual or ceremonial in nature.

³ tn Heb “and it is hidden from him,” meaning that the person who contracted the ceremonial uncleanness was not aware at the time what had happened, but later found out that he had become ceremonially unclean. This same phrase occurs again in both vv. 3 and 4.

⁴ sn Lev 5:2-3 are parallel laws of uncleanness (contracted from animals and people, respectively), and both seem to assume that the contraction of uncleanness was originally unknown to the person (vv. 2 and 3) but became known to him or her at a later time (v. 3; i.e., “has come to know” in v. 3 is to be assumed for v. 2 as well). Uncleanness itself did not make a person “guilty” unless he or she failed to handle it according to the normal purification regulations (see, e.g., “wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he will be unclean till evening,” Lev 15:5 NIV; cf. Lev 11:39-40; 15:5-12, 16-24; Num 19, etc.). The problem here in Lev 5:2-3 is that, because the person had not been aware of his or her uncleanness, he or she had incurred guilt for not carrying out these regular procedures, and it would now be too late for that. Thus, the unclean person needs to bring a sin offering to atone for the contamination caused by his or her neglect of the purity regulations.

⁵ tn Heb “or if he touches uncleanness of mankind to any of his uncleanness which he becomes unclean in it.”

⁶ tn In this context the word for “guilt” (אָשָׁם, ’asham) refers to the “penalty” for incurring guilt, the so-called consequential אָשָׁם (J. Milgrom, Leviticus [AB], 1:303; cf. the note on Lev 5:1).

⁷ sn The focus of sin offering “atonement” was purging impurities from the tabernacle (see the note on Lev 1:4).

⁸ tn See the note on 4:26 regarding the use of מִן (min).

⁹ tn Heb “and if his hand does not reach enough of a flock animal” (see the note on v. 11 below). The term translated “animal from the flock” (שֶׂה, seh) is often translated “lamb” (e.g., KJV, NASB, NIV, NCV) or “sheep” (e.g., NRSV, TEV, NLT), but it clearly includes either a sheep or a goat here (cf. v. 6), referring to the smaller pasture animals as opposed to the larger ones (i.e., cattle; cf. 4:3). Some English versions use the more generic “animal” (e.g., NAB, CEV).

¹⁰ tn Heb “and he shall bring his guilt which he sinned,” which is an abbreviated form of Lev 5:6, “and he shall bring his [penalty for] guilt to the Lord for his sin which he committed.” The words “for his sin” have been left out in v. 7, and “to the Lord” has been moved so that it follows the mention of the birds.

¹¹ tn See the note on Lev 1:14 above.

¹² tn The statement here is condensed. See the full expression in 5:15 and the note there.

¹³ sn Regarding “make atonement” see the note on Lev 1:4.

¹⁴ tn Heb “on his straying which he strayed.” See the note on Lev 4:2.

¹⁵ tn Heb “there shall be forgiveness to him” or “it shall be forgiven to him” (KJV and NASB both similar).