God’s Word Translation
Leviticus 5:17
17“If any of you do wrong—even one thing forbidden by any of the Lord’s commands, but you didn’t know it—when you realize your guilt, you must be punished.
Leviticus 5:17 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And 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.
- New International Version (NIV)“If anyone sins and does what is forbidden in any of the Lord’s commands, even though they do not know it, they are guilty and will be held responsible.
- English Standard Version (ESV)"If anyone sins, doing any of the things that by the Lord's commandments ought not to be done, though he did not know it, then realizes his guilt, he shall bear his iniquity.
- New King James Version (NKJV)“If a person sins, and commits any of these things which are forbidden to be done by the commandments of the Lord, though he does not know it, yet he is guilty and shall bear his iniquity.
Context of Leviticus 5:17
15“If any of you fail to do your duty by unintentionally doing something wrong with any of the Lord’s holy things, bring a guilt offering to the Lord. It must be a ram that has no defects or its value in silver weighed according to the official standards of the holy place. 16Pay for whatever holy things you used plus one-fifth more. Give it to the priest. So the priest will use the ram sacrificed for the guilt offering to make peace with the Lord for what you did wrong, and you will be forgiven. “If any of you do wrong—even one thing forbidden by any of the Lord’s commands, but you didn’t know it—when you realize your guilt, you must be punished. 18You must bring the priest a ram that has no defects from the flock or its value in money for a guilt offering. The priest will make peace with the Lord for the wrong you did unintentionally (although you didn’t know what you did), and you will be forgiven. 19It is a guilt offering because you are certainly guilty as far as the Lord is concerned.”
Read all of Leviticus 5Leviticus 5:17 word by word
וְאִם־נֶ֙פֶשׁ֙ כִּ֣י תֶֽחֱטָ֔א וְעָֽשְׂתָ֗ה אַחַת֙ מִכָּל־מִצְוֹ֣ת יְהוָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֖ר לֹ֣א תֵעָשֶׂ֑ינָה וְלֹֽא־יָדַ֥ע וְאָשֵׁ֖ם וְנָשָׂ֥א עֲוֹנֽוֹ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And if a soulנֶ֫פֶשׁnephesh · soul: personH5315
- sinחָטָאchâţâ' · to sinH2398
- and commitעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
- anyאֶחָד'echâd · oneH259
- by the commandmentsמִצְוָהmitsvâh · commandmentH4687
- of the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- though he wistיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
- not, yet is he guiltyאָשַׁם'âsham 'âshêm · be guiltyH816
- and shall bearנָשָׂאnâώâ' nâsâh · to lift: guiltH5375
- his iniquityעָוֺן‛âvôn ‛âvôn · iniquity: crimeH5771
Cross-references for Leviticus 5:17
- Leviticus 5:1⌞The Lord continued,⌟ “Now, if you are a witness under oath and won’t tell what you saw or what you know, you are sinning and will be punished.
- Leviticus 4:2“Tell the Israelites: If a person unintentionally does something wrong—even one thing that is forbidden by any of the Lord’s commands—this is what he must do.
- Leviticus 5:15“If any of you fail to do your duty by unintentionally doing something wrong with any of the Lord’s holy things, bring a guilt offering to the Lord. It must be a ram that has no defects or its value in silver weighed according to the official standards of the holy place.
- Psalms 19:12Who can notice every mistake? Forgive my hidden faults.
- Luke 12:48But the servant who didn’t know ⌞what his master wanted⌟ and did things for which he deserved punishment will receive a light beating. A lot will be expected from everyone who has been given a lot. More will be demanded from everyone who has been entrusted with a lot.
- Romans 14:23But if a person has doubts and still eats, he is condemned because he didn’t act in faith. Anything that is not done in faith is sin.
Commentaries on Leviticus 5:17
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 17Though he wist it not - Ignorance of the Law, or even of the consequences of the act at the time that it was committed, was not to excuse him from the obligation to offer the sacrifice.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 14-19Verses 14-19 Here are offerings to atone for trespasses against a neighbour. If a man put to his own use unwittingly, any thing dedicated to God, he was to bring this sacrifice. We are to be jealous over ourselves, to ask pardon for the sin, and make satisfaction for the wrong, which we do but suspect ourselves guilty of. The law of God is so very broad, the occasions of sin in this guilty of. The law of God is so very broad, the occasions of sin in this…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 17-19This paragraph explains the main principles of the guilt offering. Even if someone did not know they did something wrong, they were still guilty and had to give the right guilt offering. This rule applied to both sacred property (set apart for God) and ordinary property (Leviticus 5:14–16; 6:1–7).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 17-1917-19. if a soul sin ... though he wist it not, yet is he guilty--This also refers to holy things, and it differs from the preceding in being one of the doubtful cases,--that is, where conscience suspects, though the understanding be in doubt whether criminality or sin has been committed. The Jewish rabbis give, as an example, the case of a person who, knowing that "the fat of the inwards" is not to be eaten, religiously abstained from the use of it; but…Read the comment
Topics related to Leviticus 5:17
In the dictionaries
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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