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“Or suppose you unknowingly touch something that is ceremonially unclean, such as the carcass of an unclean animal. When you realize what you have done, you must admit your defilement and your guilt. This is true whether it is a wild animal, a domestic animal, or an animal that scurries along the ground. 3“Or suppose you unknowingly touch something that makes a person unclean. When you realize what you have done, you must admit your guilt. “Or suppose you make a foolish vow of any kind, whether its purpose is for good or for bad. When you realize its foolishness, you must admit your guilt. 5“When you become aware of your guilt in any of these ways, you must confess your sin. 6Then you must bring to the Lord as the penalty for your sin a female from the flock, either a sheep or a goat. This is a sin offering with which the priest will purify you from your sin, making you right with the Lord.

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“Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. If anyone makes a special vow to dedicate someone to the Lord by paying the value of that person,
• Joshua 2:14“We offer our own lives as a guarantee for your safety,” the men agreed. “If you don’t betray us, we will keep our promise and be kind to you when the Lord gives us the land.”
• Joshua 9:15Then Joshua made a peace treaty with them and guaranteed their safety, and the leaders of the community ratified their agreement with a binding oath.
• Judges 9:19“If you have acted honorably and in good faith toward Gideon and his descendants today, then may you find joy in Abimelech, and may he find joy in you.
• Judges 11:31I will give to the Lord whatever comes out of my house to meet me when I return in triumph. I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering.”
• Judges 21:7How can we find wives for the few who remain, since we have sworn by the Lord not to give them our daughters in marriage?”
• 1 Samuel 1:11And she made this vow: “O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, if you will look upon my sorrow and answer my prayer and give me a son, then I will give him back to you. He will be yours for his entire lifetime, and as a sign that he has been dedicated to the Lord, his hair will never be cut.”
• 1 Samuel 14:24Now the men of Israel were pressed to exhaustion that day, because Saul had placed them under an oath, saying, “Let a curse fall on anyone who eats before evening—before I have full revenge on my enemies.” So no one ate anything all day,
• 1 Samuel 24:21Now swear to me by the Lord that when that happens you will not kill my family and destroy my line of descendants!”
• 1 Samuel 25:22May God strike me and kill me if even one man of his household is still alive tomorrow morning!”
• 2 Samuel 21:7The king spared Jonathan’s son Mephibosheth, who was Saul’s grandson, because of the oath David and Jonathan had sworn before the Lord.
• 2 Kings 6:31“May God strike me and even kill me if I don’t separate Elisha’s head from his shoulders this very day,” the king vowed.
• Psalms 132:2He made a solemn promise to the Lord. He vowed to the Mighty One of Israel,
• Ecclesiastes 5:2Don’t make rash promises, and don’t be hasty in bringing matters before God. After all, God is in heaven, and you are here on earth. So let your words be few.
• Ezekiel 17:18For the king of Israel disregarded his treaty and broke it after swearing to obey; therefore, he will not escape.
• Matthew 14:7so he promised with a vow to 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