Leviticus 5:2

Leviticus 5:2 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Or 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.
• New International Version (NIV)“ ‘If anyone becomes aware that they are guilty—if they unwittingly touch anything ceremonially unclean (whether the carcass of an unclean animal, wild or domestic, or of any unclean creature that moves along the ground) and they are unaware that they have become unclean, but then they come to realize their guilt;
• English Standard Version (ESV)or if anyone touches an unclean thing, whether a carcass of an unclean wild animal or a carcass of unclean livestock or a carcass of unclean swarming things, and it is hidden from him and he has become unclean, and he realizes his guilt;
• New King James Version (NKJV)‘Or if a person touches any unclean thing, whether it is the carcass of an unclean beast, or the carcass of unclean livestock, or the carcass of unclean creeping things, and he is unaware of it, he also shall be unclean and guilty.

Context of Leviticus 5:2

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. “If you touch anything unclean —the unclean dead body of a wild or tame animal or the body of an unclean, swarming creature—and then ignore what you did, you are unclean and will be guilty. 3“If you become unclean by touching human uncleanness of any kind and then ignore it (although you know what you did), you will be guilty. 4“If you hastily take a vow about what you will or will not do (as some people do) and then ignore it (although you know what you said), you will be guilty.

Leviticus 5:2 word by word

א֣וֹ נֶ֗פֶשׁ אֲשֶׁ֣ר תִּגַּע֮ בְּכָל־דָּבָ֣ר טָמֵא֒ אוֹ֩ בְנִבְלַ֨ת חַיָּ֜ה טְמֵאָ֗ה א֤וֹ בְּנִבְלַת֙ בְּהֵמָ֣ה טְמֵאָ֔ה א֕וֹ בְּנִבְלַ֖ת שֶׁ֣רֶץ טָמֵ֑א וְנֶעְלַ֣ם מִמֶּ֔נּוּ וְה֥וּא טָמֵ֖א וְאָשֵֽׁם׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Or if a soulנֶ֫פֶשׁnephesh · soul: personH5315
• touchנָגַעnâga‛ · to touchH5060
• any uncleanטָמֵאţâmê' · uncleanH2931
• thingדָּבָרdâbâr · word: thingH1697
• a carcaseנְבֵלָהnebêlâh · carcassH5038
• beastחַיָּהchay · living thingH2416
• cattleבְּהֵמָהbehêmâh · animalH929
• creeping thingsשֶׁ֫רֶץsherets · swarmH8318
• it be hiddenעָלַם‛âlam · to concealH5956
• and guiltyאָשַׁם'âsham 'âshêm · be guiltyH816

Cross-references for Leviticus 5:2

• Leviticus 7:21Those who touch anything unclean, human or animal, or any other disgusting uncleanness and still eat the Lord’s fellowship offering must be excluded from the people.”
• Leviticus 11:24“Regarding the creatures mentioned above, this is how you would become unclean: Whoever touches their dead bodies will be unclean until evening.
• Numbers 19:11“Whoever touches the dead body of any human being will be unclean for seven days.
• Deuteronomy 14:8Also, you may not eat pigs. (Although their hoofs are divided, they don’t chew their cud.) Never eat their meat or touch their dead bodies.
• Isaiah 52:11Run away! Run away! Get away from there! Do not touch anything unclean. Get away from it! Make yourselves pure, you Levites who carry the utensils for the Lord’s temple.
• Haggai 2:13Haggai asked, “Suppose a person becomes unclean by touching a corpse. If he touches any of these things, does that make them unclean?” The priests answered, “That makes them unclean.”
• 2 Corinthians 6:17The Lord says, “Get away from unbelievers. Separate yourselves from them. Have nothing to do with anything unclean. Then I will welcome you.”
• Leviticus 5:4“If you hastily take a vow about what you will or will not do (as some people do) and then ignore it (although you know what you said), you will be guilty.
• Psalms 19:12Who can notice every mistake? Forgive my hidden faults.
• Luke 11:44How horrible it will be for you! You are like unmarked graves. People walk on them without knowing what they are.”
• Leviticus 5:17“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 4:13“If the whole congregation of Israel unintentionally does something wrong, without the assembly being aware of it, if they do even one thing that is forbidden by any of the Lord’s commands, they will be guilty.

Commentaries on Leviticus 5:2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2Any unclean thing - Either the dead body of a clean animal, or the living or dead carcass of any unclean creature. All such persons were to wash their clothes and themselves in clean water, and were considered as unclean till the evening, Leviticus 11:24-31. But if this had been neglected, they were obliged to bring a trespass-offering. What this meant, see in the notes on Leviticus 7 (note).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. 2unclean: "Clean" and "unclean" did not relate to hygiene (see Leviticus 11:1–15:33). They referred to whether someone could participate in worship. For animals, it meant if they were suitable for sacrifice or eating. There is a list of ceremonially clean and unclean animals in 11:1–47. To become ceremonially clean after touching an unclean animal, a person had to wash their clothes. They also had to stay away from the community until evening (11:25). This…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22. if a soul touch any unclean thing--A person who, unknown to himself at the time, came in contact with any thing unclean, and either neglected the requisite ceremonies of purification or engaged in the services of religion while under the taint of ceremonial defilement, might be afterwards convinced that he had committed an offense.Read the comment

Topics related to Leviticus 5:2

• Creeping Things
• Defilement
• Sanitation
• Uncleanness

In the dictionaries

• Ezekiel, Book of
• Harm
• Sinoffering
• Thereunto
• Atonement
• Carcass; Carcase
• Criticism
• Exodus, the Book of
• Genesis
• Guilt

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