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

2or if any one touch any unclean thing, whether it be the carcase of an unclean beast, or the carcase of unclean cattle, or the carcase of unclean creeping things, and it be hidden from him, and he be unclean, then he shall be guilty: 3or if he touch the uncleanness of man, whatsoever his uncleanness be wherewith he is unclean, and it be hid from him; when he knoweth of it, then he shall be guilty: or if any one swear rashly with his lips to do evil, or to do good, whatsoever it be that a man shall utter rashly with an oath, and it be hid from him; when he knoweth of it, then he shall be guilty in one of these things: 5and it shall be, when he shall be guilty in one of these things, that he shall confess that wherein he hath sinned: 6and he shall bring his guilt offering unto the LORD for his sin which he hath sinned, a female from the flock, a lamb or a goat, for a sin offering; and the priest shall make atonement for him as concerning his sin.

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

• ifכִּיkîy · forH3588
• anyכֹּלkôl kôl · allH3605
• swearשָׁבַעshâba‛ · to swearH7650
• rashlyבָּטָהbâţâ' bâţâh · to speak rashlyH981
• lipsשָׂפָהώâphâh ώepheth · lipsH8193
• doיָטַבyâţab · be goodH3190
• evilרָעַעrâ‛a‛ · be evilH7489
• manאָדָם'âdâm · manH120
• oathשְׁבוּעָהshebû‛âh · oathH7621
• guiltyאָשַׁם'âsham 'âshêm · be guiltyH816
• theseאֵ֫לֶּה'êlleh · theseH428

Cross-references for Leviticus 5:4

• Leviticus 27:2Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When a man shall accomplish a vow, the persons shall be for the LORD by thy estimation.
• Joshua 2:14And the men said unto her, Our life for yours, if ye utter not this our business; and it shall be, when the LORD giveth us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with thee.
• Joshua 9:15And Joshua made peace with them, and made a covenant with them, to let them live: and the princes of the congregation sware unto them.
• Judges 9:19if ye then have dealt truly and uprightly with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, then rejoice ye in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you:
• Judges 11:31then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, it shall be the LORD’S, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering.
• Judges 21:7How shall we do for wives for them that remain, seeing we have sworn by the LORD that we will not give them of our daughters to wives?
• 1 Samuel 1:11And she vowed a vow, and said, O LORD of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the LORD all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.
• 1 Samuel 14:24And the men of Israel were distressed that day: but Saul adjured the people, saying, Cursed be the man that eateth any food until it be evening, and I be avenged on mine enemies. So none of the people tasted food.
• 1 Samuel 24:21Swear now therefore unto me by the LORD, that thou wilt not cut off my seed after me, and that thou wilt not destroy my name out of my father’s house.
• 1 Samuel 25:22God do so unto the enemies of David, and more also, if I leave of all that pertain to him by the morning light so much as one man child.
• 2 Samuel 21:7But the king spared Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan the son of Saul, because of the LORD’S oath that was between them, between David and Jonathan the son of Saul.
• 2 Kings 6:31Then he said, God do so to me, and more also, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat shall stand on him this day.
• Psalms 132:2How he sware unto the LORD, and vowed unto the Mighty One of Jacob:
• Ecclesiastes 5:2Be not rash with thy month, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God; for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.
• Ezekiel 17:18For he hath despised the oath by breaking the covenant; and behold, he had given his hand, and yet hath done all these things; he shall not escape.
• Matthew 14:7Whereupon he promised with an oath to give her whatsoever she should ask.

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