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 Living Translation (NLT)“If you are called to testify about something you have seen or that you know about, it is sinful to refuse to testify, and you will be punished for your sin.

Context of Leviticus 5:1

‘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. 2‘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. 3Or if he touches human uncleanness—whatever uncleanness with which a man may be defiled, and he is unaware of it—when he realizes it, then he shall 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

Words taken from the KJV.

• And if a soulנֶ֫פֶשׁnephesh · soul: personH5315
• sinחָטָאchâţâ' · to sinH2398
• and hearשָׁמַעshâma‛ · to hear: hearH8085
• the voiceקוֹלqôl qôl · voice: [sound of]H6963
• of swearingאָלָה'âlâh · oathH423
• a witnessעֵד‛êd · witnessH5707
• whetherאוֹ'ô 'av · orH176
• he hath seenרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
• or knownיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
• if he do not utterנָגַדnâgad · to tellH5046
• then he shall bearנָשָׂאnâώâ' nâsâh · to lift: guiltH5375
• his iniquityעָוֺן‛âvôn ‛âvôn · iniquity: crimeH5771

Cross-references for Leviticus 5:1

• Leviticus 5:15“If a person commits a trespass, and sins unintentionally in regard to the holy things of the Lord, then he shall bring to the Lord as his trespass offering a ram without blemish from the flocks, with your valuation in shekels of silver according to the shekel of the sanctuary, as a trespass offering.
• Leviticus 4:2“Speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘If a person sins unintentionally against any of the commandments of the Lord in anything which ought not to be done, and does any of them,
• Ezekiel 18:4“Behold, all souls are Mine; The soul of the father As well as the soul of the son is Mine; The soul who sins shall die.
• Exodus 22:11then an oath of the Lord shall be between them both, that he has not put his hand into his neighbor’s goods; and the owner of it shall accept that, and he shall not make it good.
• Judges 17:2And he said to his mother, “The eleven hundred shekels of silver that were taken from you, and on which you put a curse, even saying it in my ears—here is the silver with me; I took it.” And his mother said, “May you be blessed by the Lord, my son!”
• 1 Kings 8:31“When anyone sins against his neighbor, and is forced to take an oath, and comes and takes an oath before Your altar in this temple,
• 1 Kings 22:16So the king said to him, “How many times shall I make you swear that you tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord?”
• 2 Chronicles 18:15So the king said to him, “How many times shall I make you swear that you tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord?”
• Proverbs 29:24Whoever is a partner with a thief hates his own life; He swears to tell the truth, but reveals nothing.
• Proverbs 30:9Lest I be full and deny You, And say, “Who is the Lord?” Or lest I be poor and steal, And profane the name of my God.
• Matthew 26:63But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest answered and said to Him, “I put You under oath by the living God: Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God!”
• Leviticus 5:17“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.
• Leviticus 7:18And if any of the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offering is eaten at all on the third day, it shall not be accepted, nor shall it be imputed to him; it shall be an abomination to him who offers it, and the person who eats of it shall bear guilt.
• Leviticus 17:16But if he does not wash them or bathe his body, then he shall bear his guilt.”
• Leviticus 19:8Therefore everyone who eats it shall bear his iniquity, because he has profaned the hallowed offering of the Lord; and that person shall be cut off from his people.
• Leviticus 20:17‘If a man takes his sister, his father’s daughter or his mother’s daughter, and sees her nakedness and she sees his nakedness, it is a wicked thing. And they shall be cut off in the sight of their people. He has uncovered his sister’s nakedness. He shall bear 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