Leviticus 5:1

Leviticus 5:1 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And 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.
• New International Version (NIV)“ ‘If anyone sins because they do not speak up when they hear a public charge to testify regarding something they have seen or learned about, they will be held responsible.
• English Standard Version (ESV)"If anyone sins in that he hears a public adjuration to testify, and though he is a witness, whether he has seen or come to know the matter, yet does not speak, he shall bear his iniquity;
• New King James Version (NKJV)‘If a person sins in hearing the utterance of an oath, and is a witness, whether he has seen or known of the matter—if he does not tell it, he bears guilt.

Context of Leviticus 5:1

“When someone sins in any of these ways: If he has seen, heard, or known about something he has witnessed, and did not respond to a public call to testify, he will bear his iniquity. 2Or if someone touches anything unclean — a carcass of an unclean wild animal, or unclean livestock, or an unclean swarming creature — without being aware of it, he is unclean and incurs guilt. 3Or if he touches human uncleanness — any uncleanness by which one can become defiled — without being aware of it, but later recognizes it, he incurs guilt.

Leviticus 5:1 word by word

וְנֶ֣פֶשׁ כִּֽי־תֶחֱטָ֗א וְשָֽׁמְעָה֙ ק֣וֹל אָלָ֔ה וְה֣וּא עֵ֔ד א֥וֹ רָאָ֖ה א֣וֹ יָדָ֑ע אִם־ל֥וֹא יַגִּ֖יד וְנָשָׂ֥א עֲוֹנֽוֹ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And if a soulנֶ֫פֶשׁnephesh · soul: personH5315
• sinחָטָאchâţâ' · to sinH2398
• and hearשָׁמַעshâma‛ · to hear: hearH8085
• the voiceקוֹלqôl qôl · voice: [sound of]H6963
• of swearingאָלָה'âlâh · oathH423
• a witnessעֵד‛êd · witnessH5707
• whetherאוֹ'ô 'av · orH176
• he hath seenרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
• or knownיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
• if he do not utterנָגַדnâgad · to tellH5046
• then he shall bearנָשָׂאnâώâ' nâsâh · to lift: guiltH5375
• his iniquityעָוֺן‛âvôn ‛âvôn · iniquity: crimeH5771

Cross-references for Leviticus 5:1

• Leviticus 5:15“If someone offends by sinning unintentionally in regard to any of the Lord’s holy things, he must bring his penalty for guilt to the Lord: an unblemished ram from the flock (based on your assessment of its value in silver shekels, according to the sanctuary shekel) as a guilt offering.
• Leviticus 4:2“Tell the Israelites: When someone sins unintentionally against any of the Lord’s commands and does anything prohibited by them —
• Ezekiel 18:4Look, every life belongs to me. The life of the father is like the life of the son — both belong to me. The person who sins is the one who will die.
• Exodus 22:11there must be an oath before the Lord between the two of them to determine whether or not he has taken his neighbor’s property. Its owner must accept the oath, and the other man does not have to make restitution.
• Judges 17:2He said to his mother, “The 1,100 pieces of silver taken from you, and that I heard you place a curse on — here’s the silver. I took it.” Then his mother said, “My son, may you be blessed by the Lord!”
• 1 Kings 8:31When a man sins against his neighbor and is forced to take an oath, and he comes to take an oath before your altar in this temple,
• 1 Kings 22:16But the king said to him, “How many times must I make you swear not to tell me anything but the truth in the name of the Lord?”
• 2 Chronicles 18:15But the king said to him, “How many times must I make you swear not to tell me anything but the truth in the name of the Lord?”
• Proverbs 29:24To be a thief’s partner is to hate oneself; he hears the curse but will not testify.
• Proverbs 30:9Otherwise, I might have too much and deny you, saying, “Who is the Lord?” or I might have nothing and steal, profaning the name of my God.
• Matthew 26:63But Jesus kept silent. The high priest said to him, “I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.”
• Leviticus 5:17“If someone sins and without knowing it violates any of the Lord’s commands concerning anything prohibited, he is guilty, and he will bear his iniquity.
• Leviticus 7:18If any of the meat of his fellowship sacrifice is eaten on the third day, it will not be accepted. It will not be credited to the one who presents it; it is repulsive. The person who eats any of it will bear his iniquity.
• Leviticus 17:16But if he does not wash his clothes and bathe himself, he will bear his iniquity.”
• Leviticus 19:8Anyone who eats it will bear his iniquity, for he has profaned what is holy to the Lord. That person is to be cut off from his people.
• Leviticus 20:17If a man marries his sister, whether his father’s daughter or his mother’s daughter, and they have sexual relations, it is a disgrace. They are to be cut off publicly from their people. He has had sexual intercourse with his sister; he will bear his iniquity.

Commentaries on Leviticus 5:1

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1If a soul sin - It is generally supposed that the case referred to here is that of a person who, being demanded by the civil magistrate to answer upon oath, refuses to tell what he knows concerning the subject; such a one shall bear his iniquity - shall be considered as guilty in the sight of God, of the transgression which he has endeavored to conceal, and must expect to be punished by him for hiding the iniquity to which he was privy, or suppressing the…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1-13Verses 1-13 Special occasions are mentioned on which sin-offerings are to be made with a particular confession of the offence for which atonement is sought Leviticus 5:5. Leviticus 5:1 Swearing - Adjuration. The case appears to be that of one who has been put upon his oath as a witness by a magistrate, and fails to utter all he has seen and heard (compare the marginal references. and Proverbs 29:24; Numbers 5:21). Leviticus 5:2-3 Hid from him - Either…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1Concerning various trespasses. (1-13) Concerning trespasses against the Lord. (14-19) Verses 1-13 The offences here noticed are, 1. A man's concealing the truth, when he was sworn as a witness to speak the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. If, in such a case, for fear of offending one that has been his friend, or may be his enemy, a man refuses to give evidence, or gives it but in part, he shall bear his iniquity. And that is a heavy…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1The first sin was not testifying when summoned as a witness in court. This verse considers not testifying to be an active sin. This was because it helped the criminal. he shall bear the iniquity: Expecting God's punishment for the sin, the guilty person offered a sacrifice to remove the guilt and escape the punishment.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 11. if a soul ... hear the voice of swearing--or, according to some, "the words of adjuration." A proclamation was issued calling any one who could give information, to come before the court and bear testimony to the guilt of a criminal; and the manner in which witnesses were interrogated in the Jewish courts of justice was not by swearing them directly, but adjuring them by reading the words of an oath: "the voice of swearing." The offense, then, for the…Read the comment

Topics related to Leviticus 5:1

• Evidence
• Witness

In the dictionaries

• Harm
• Sinoffering
• Thereunto
• Witness
• Adjuration
• Criticism
• Exodus, the Book of
• Genesis
• Guilt
• Heifer, Red

Commentaries on Leviticus 5

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings