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

‘Now if a person sins after he hears a public adjuration to testify when he is a witness, whether he has seen or otherwise known, if he does not tell it, then he will bear his guilt. 2Or if a person touches any unclean thing, whether a carcass of an unclean beast or the carcass of unclean cattle or a carcass of unclean swarming things, though it is hidden from him and he is unclean, then he will be guilty. 3Or if he touches human uncleanness, of whatever sort his uncleanness may be with which he becomes unclean, and it is hidden from him, and then he comes to know it, he will be guilty.

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

• Now ifכִּיkîy · forH3588
• a personנֶ֫פֶשׁnephesh · soul: personH5315
• sinsחָטָאchâţâ' · to sinH2398
• after he hearsשָׁמַעshâma‛ · to hear: hearH8085
• publicקוֹלqôl qôl · voice: [sound of]H6963
• adjurationאָלָה'âlâh · oathH423
• when he is a witnessעֵד‛êd · witnessH5707
• whetherאוֹ'ô 'av · orH176
• he has seenרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
• knownיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
• ifאִם'im · ifH518
• he does not tellנָגַדnâgad · to tellH5046
• then he will bearנָשָׂאnâώâ' nâsâh · to lift: guiltH5375
• guiltעָוֺן‛âvôn ‛âvôn · iniquity: crimeH5771

Cross-references for Leviticus 5:1

• Leviticus 5:15“If a person acts unfaithfully and sins unintentionally against the Lord’s holy things, then he shall bring his guilt offering to the Lord: a ram without defect from the flock, according to your valuation in silver by shekels, in terms of the shekel of the sanctuary, for a guilt offering.
• Leviticus 4:2“Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘If a person sins unintentionally in any of the things which the Lord has commanded not to be done, and commits any of them,
• Ezekiel 18:4Behold, all souls are Mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is Mine. The soul who sins will die.
• Exodus 22:11an oath before the Lord shall be made by the two of them that he has not laid hands on his neighbor’s property; and its owner shall accept it, and he shall not make restitution.
• Judges 17:2He said to his mother, “The eleven hundred pieces of silver which were taken from you, about which you uttered a curse in my hearing, behold, the silver is with me; I took it.” And his mother said, “Blessed be my son by the Lord.”
• 1 Kings 8:31“If a man sins against his neighbor and is made to take an oath, and he comes and takes an oath before Your altar in this house,
• 1 Kings 22:16Then the king said to him, “How many times must I adjure you to speak to me nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord?”
• 2 Chronicles 18:15Then the king said to him, “How many times must I adjure you to speak to me nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord?”
• Proverbs 29:24He who is a partner with a thief hates his own life; He hears the oath but tells nothing.
• Proverbs 30:9That I not be full and deny You and say, “Who is the Lord?” Or that I not be in want and steal, And profane the name of my God.
• Matthew 26:63But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest said to Him, “I adjure You by the living God, that You tell us whether You are the Christ, the Son of God.”
• Leviticus 5:17“Now if a person sins and does any of the things which the Lord has commanded not to be done, though he was unaware, still he is guilty and shall bear his punishment.
• Leviticus 7:18So if any of the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offerings should ever be eaten on the third day, he who offers it will not be accepted, and it will not be reckoned to his benefit. It shall be an offensive thing, and the person who eats of it will bear his own iniquity.
• Leviticus 17:16But if he does not wash them or bathe his body, then he shall bear his guilt.”
• Leviticus 19:8Everyone who eats it will bear his iniquity, for he has profaned the holy thing of the Lord; and that person shall be cut off from his people.
• Leviticus 20:17‘If there is a man who takes his sister, his father’s daughter or his mother’s daughter, so that he sees her nakedness and she sees his nakedness, it is a disgrace; and they shall be cut off in the sight of the sons of their people. He has uncovered his sister’s nakedness; he bears his guilt.

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