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

2“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. “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. 5“So if you are guilty of any of these sins, you must confess it. 6Bring your guilt offering to the Lord for the sin you committed. It must be a female sheep or goat as an offering for sin. Then the priest will make peace with the Lord for what you did wrong.

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

Words taken from the KJV.

• Or if a soulנֶ֫פֶשׁnephesh · soul: personH5315
• swearשָׁבַעshâba‛ · to swearH7650
• pronouncingבָּטָהbâţâ' bâţâh · to speak rashlyH981
• lipsשָׂפָהώâphâh ώepheth · lipsH8193
• to do evilרָעַעrâ‛a‛ · be evilH7489
• or to do goodיָטַבyâţab · be goodH3190
• that a manאָדָם'âdâm · manH120
• with an oathשְׁבוּעָהshebû‛âh · oathH7621
• and it be hidעָלַם‛âlam · to concealH5956
• from him; when he knowethיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
• then he shall be guiltyאָשַׁם'âsham 'âshêm · be guiltyH816
• in oneאֶחָד'echâd · oneH259

Cross-references for Leviticus 5:4

• Leviticus 27:2“Tell the Israelites: If any of you makes a special vow ⌞to give a person⌟ to the Lord, you may give money instead of the person.
• Joshua 2:14The men promised her, “We pledge our lives for your lives. If you don’t tell anyone what we’re doing here, we’ll treat you kindly and honestly when the Lord gives us this land.”
• Joshua 9:15So Joshua made peace with them by making a treaty which allowed them to live. The leaders of the congregation swore to it with an oath.
• Judges 9:19So if you are now acting with sincerity and integrity toward Jerubbaal and his family, then be happy with Abimelech and let Abimelech be happy with you.
• Judges 11:31then whatever comes out of the doors of my house to meet me when I return safely from Ammon will belong to the Lord. I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering.”
• Judges 21:7What will we do to provide wives for the men who are left? We swore to the Lord that we would not let any of our daughters marry them.”
• 1 Samuel 1:11She made this vow, “Lord of Armies, if you will look at my misery, remember me, and give me a boy, then I will give him to you for as long as he lives. A razor will never be used on his head.”
• 1 Samuel 14:24Israel’s soldiers were driven hard that day. Saul made the troops swear, “Cursed is anyone who eats food before the evening comes and before I’ve gotten revenge on my enemies.” So none of his troops tasted any food.
• 1 Samuel 24:21Swear an oath to the Lord for me that you will not wipe out my descendants or destroy my name in my father’s family.”
• 1 Samuel 25:22May God punish me if I leave even one of his men alive in the morning.”
• 2 Samuel 21:7But the king spared Mephibosheth, Jonathan’s son and Saul’s grandson, because of the oath in the Lord’s name between David and Jonathan, son of Saul.
• 2 Kings 6:31He said, “May God strike me dead if the head of Elisha, son of Shaphat, stays on his ⌞body⌟ today.”
• Psalms 132:2Remember how he swore an oath to the Lord and made this vow to the Mighty One of Jacob:
• Ecclesiastes 5:2Don’t be in a hurry to talk. Don’t be eager to speak in the presence of God. Since God is in heaven and you are on earth, limit the number of your words.
• Ezekiel 17:18The king of Judah broke the promise and the treaty that he pledged to keep. He did all these things, and he can’t go unpunished.
• Matthew 14:7he swore he would give her anything she wanted.

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