Leviticus 5:4

Leviticus 5:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Or 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.
• New International Version (NIV)or if anyone thoughtlessly takes an oath to do anything, whether good or evil (in any matter one might carelessly swear about) even though they are unaware of it, but then they learn of it and realize their guilt—
• English Standard Version (ESV)or if anyone utters with his lips a rash oath to do evil or to do good, any sort of rash oath that people swear, and it is hidden from him, when he comes to know it, and he realizes his guilt in any of these;
• New King James Version (NKJV)‘Or if a person swears, speaking thoughtlessly with his lips to do evil or to do good, whatever it is that a man may pronounce by an oath, and he is unaware of it—when he realizes it, then he shall be guilty in any of these matters.

Context of Leviticus 5:4

2Or if any one touch any unclean thing, whether it be the carcase of an unclean beast, or the carcase of unclean cattle, or the carcase of an unclean crawling thing, and it be hid from him, — he also is unclean and guilty; 3or if he touch the uncleanness of man, any uncleanness of him by which he is defiled, and it be hid from him, when he knoweth [it], then he is guilty. Or if any one swear, talking rashly with the lips, to do evil or to do good, in everything that a man shall say rashly with an oath, and it be hid from him, when he knoweth [it], then is he guilty in one of these. 5And it shall be, when he shall be guilty in one of these, that he shall confess wherein he hath sinned; 6and he shall bring his trespass-offering to Jehovah for his sin which he hath sinned, a female from the small cattle, a sheep or doe goat, for a sin-offering; and the priest shall make atonement for him [to cleanse him] from his sin.

Leviticus 5:4 word by word

א֣וֹ נֶ֡פֶשׁ כִּ֣י תִשָּׁבַע֩ לְבַטֵּ֨א בִשְׂפָתַ֜יִם לְהָרַ֣ע׀ א֣וֹ לְהֵיטִ֗יב לְ֠כֹל אֲשֶׁ֨ר יְבַטֵּ֧א הָאָדָ֛ם בִּשְׁבֻעָ֖ה וְנֶעְלַ֣ם מִמֶּ֑נּוּ וְהוּא־יָדַ֥ע וְאָשֵׁ֖ם לְאַחַ֥ת מֵאֵֽלֶּה׃Read the interlinear

• oneאֶחָד'echâd · oneH259
• swearשָׁבַעshâba‛ · to swearH7650
• rashlyבָּטָהbâţâ' bâţâh · to speak rashlyH981
• lipsשָׂפָהώâphâh ώepheth · lipsH8193
• evilרָעַעrâ‛a‛ · be evilH7489
• goodיָטַבyâţab · be goodH3190
• everythingכֹּלkôl kôl · allH3605
• manאָדָם'âdâm · manH120
• oathשְׁבוּעָהshebû‛âh · oathH7621
• guiltyאָשַׁם'âsham 'âshêm · be guiltyH816

Cross-references for Leviticus 5:4

• Leviticus 27:2Speak unto the children of Israel and say unto them, When any one devoteth [anything] by a vow, the persons shall be for Jehovah according to thy valuation.
• Joshua 2:14And the men said to her, Our lives shall pay for yours, if ye do not make this our business known; and it shall be when Jehovah shall give us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with thee.
• Joshua 9:15And Joshua made peace with them, and made a covenant with them, to let them live; and the princes of the assembly swore unto them.
• Judges 9:19— if ye then have dealt truly and sincerely with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, rejoice ye in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you;
• Judges 11:31then shall that which cometh forth from the door of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, be Jehovah's, and I will offer it up for a burnt-offering.
• Judges 21:7What shall we do for wives for them that remain? since we have sworn by Jehovah that we will not give them of our daughters for wives.
• 1 Samuel 1:11And she vowed a vow, and said, O Jehovah of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thy handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thy handmaid, but wilt give unto thy handmaid a man child, then I will give him to Jehovah all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.
• 1 Samuel 14:24But the men of Israel were distressed that day. Now Saul had adjured the people, saying, Cursed be the man that eateth food until evening, and [until] I am avenged on mine enemies. So none of the people tasted food.
• 1 Samuel 24:21Swear now therefore to me by Jehovah, that thou wilt not cut off my seed after me, and that thou wilt not destroy my name out of my father's house.
• 1 Samuel 25:22So and more also do God to the enemies of David, if I leave of all that is his by the morning light any male.
• 2 Samuel 21:7But the king spared Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan the son of Saul, because of Jehovah's oath that was between them, between David and Jonathan the son of Saul.
• 2 Kings 6:31And he said, God do so, and more also to me, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat shall remain on him this day!
• Psalms 132:2How he swore unto Jehovah, vowed unto the Mighty One of Jacob:
• Ecclesiastes 5:2Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thy heart be hasty to utter anything before God: for God is in the heavens, and thou upon earth; therefore let thy words be few.
• Ezekiel 17:18He despised the oath, and broke the covenant; and behold, he had given his hand, yet hath he done all these things: he shall not escape.
• Matthew 14:7whereupon he promised with oath to give her whatsoever she should ask.

Commentaries on Leviticus 5:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4To do evil, or to do good - It is very likely that rash promises are here intended; for if a man vow to do an act that is evil, though it would be criminal to keep such an oath or vow, yet he is guilty because he made it, and therefore must offer the trespass-offering. If he neglect to do the good he has vowed, he is guilty, and must in both cases confess his iniquity, and bring his trespass-offering.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
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4People were allowed to take oaths in the name of the Lord. But making a foolish or careless vow misused the Lord’s name and showed disrespect (Exodus 20:7). For this reason, the law required people to keep the vows they made (see Numbers 30:2; Deuteronomy 23:21–23; Ecclesiastes 5:4–6).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 4-194. if a soul swear--a rash oath, without duly considering the nature and consequences of the oath, perhaps inconsiderately binding himself to do anything wrong, or neglecting to perform a vow to do something good. In all such cases a person might have transgressed one of the divine commandments unwittingly, and have been afterwards brought to a sense of his delinquency.Read the comment

Topics related to Leviticus 5:4

• Defilement
• Ignorance
• Sin
• Vows

In the dictionaries

• Harm
• Sinoffering
• Thereunto
• Criticism
• Exodus, the Book of
• Genesis
• Good
• Guilt
• Heifer, Red
• Law in the Old Testament

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