New King James Version
Leviticus 5:17
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 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 Living Translation (NLT)“Suppose you sin by violating one of the Lord’s commands. Even if you are unaware of what you have done, you are guilty and will be punished for your sin.
Context of Leviticus 5:17
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. 16And he shall make restitution for the harm that he has done in regard to the holy thing, and shall add one-fifth to it and give it to the priest. So the priest shall make atonement for him with the ram of the trespass offering, and it shall be forgiven him. “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. 18And he shall bring to the priest a ram without blemish from the flock, with your valuation, as a trespass offering. So the priest shall make atonement for him regarding his ignorance in which he erred and did not know it, and it shall be forgiven him. 19It is a trespass offering; he has certainly trespassed against the Lord.”
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‘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.
- 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,
- 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.
- Psalms 19:12Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from secret faults.
- Luke 12:48But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.
- Romans 14:23But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from 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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries