“ ‘But if he can’t afford two turtledoves or two young pigeons, then he shall bring as his offering for that in which he has sinned, one tenth of an ephah of fine flour for a sin offering. He shall put no oil on it, and he shall not put any frankincense on it, for it is a sin offering. He shall bring it to the priest, and the priest shall take his handful of it as the memorial portion, and burn it on the altar, on the offerings of Yahweh made by fire. It is a sin offering. The priest shall make atonement for him concerning his sin that he has sinned in any of these things, and he will be forgiven; and the rest shall be the priest’s, as the meal offering.’ ”
Parallel Translations
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“ ‘But if he can’t afford two turtledoves or two young pigeons, then he shall bring as his offering for that in which he has sinned, one tenth of an ephah of fine flour for a sin offering. He shall put no oil on it, and he shall not put any frankincense on it, for it is a sin offering.
He shall bring it to the priest, and the priest shall take his handful of it as the memorial portion, and burn it on the altar, on the offerings of Yahweh made by fire. It is a sin offering.
The priest shall make atonement for him concerning his sin that he has sinned in any of these things, and he will be forgiven; and the rest shall be the priest’s, as the meal offering.’ ”
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But if he be not able to bring two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, then he that sinned shall bring for his offering the tenth part of an ephah of fine flour for a sin offering; he shall put no oil upon it, neither shall he put any frankincense thereon: for it is a sin offering.
Then shall he bring it to the priest, and the priest shall take his handful of it, even a memorial thereof, and burn it on the altar, according to the offerings made by fire unto the LORD: it is a sin offering.
And the priest shall make an atonement for him as touching his sin that he hath sinned in one of these, and it shall be forgiven him: and the remnant shall be the priest’s, as a meat offering.
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But if his means suffice not for two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, then he shall bring his offering for that wherein he hath sinned, the tenth part of an ephah of fine flour for a sin-offering; he shall put no oil upon it, neither shall he put any frankincense thereon; for it is a sin-offering.
And he shall bring it to the priest, and the priest shall take his handful of it as the memorial-part thereof, and make it smoke on the altar, upon the offerings of the LORD made by fire; it is a sin-offering.
And the priest shall make atonement for him as touching his sin that he hath sinned in any of these things, and he shall be forgiven; and the remnant shall be the priest's, as the meal-offering.
Examined in Scripture Analysis
Commandments (3)
The laws of the Torah, each cited and shown as a primary source.
Cross-references (39)
- Numbers 5:15 (v11) then the man shall bring his wife to the priest, and shall bring her offering for her: one tenth of an ephah of barley meal. He shall pour…
- Leviticus 2:3 (v13) That which is left of the meal offering shall be Aaron’s and his sons’. It is a most holy part of the offerings of Yahweh made by fire.
- Leviticus 2:9 (v12) The priest shall take from the meal offering its memorial, and shall burn it on the altar, an offering made by fire, of a pleasant aroma to…
- Leviticus 4:35 (v12) He shall remove all its fat, like the fat of the lamb is removed from the sacrifice of peace offerings. The priest shall burn them on the…
- Leviticus 2:1-2 (v11) “ ‘When anyone offers an offering of a meal offering to Yahweh, his offering shall be of fine flour. He shall pour oil on it, and put…
Show all 38 cross-references
- Leviticus 2:2 (v12) He shall bring it to Aaron’s sons, the priests. He shall take his handful of its fine flour, and of its oil, with all its frankincense, and…
- Leviticus 4:26 (v13) All its fat he shall burn on the altar, like the fat of the sacrifice of peace offerings; and the priest shall make atonement for him…
- Leviticus 5:6 (vv11, 13) and he shall bring his trespass offering to Yahweh for his sin which he has sinned: a female from the flock, a lamb or a goat, for a sin…
- Exodus 16:18 (v11) When they measured it with an omer, he who gathered much had nothing over, and he who gathered little had no lack. They each gathered…
- Exodus 16:36 (v11) Now an omer is one tenth of an ephah.
- Leviticus 1:9 (v12) but he shall wash its innards and its legs with water. The priest shall burn all of it on the altar, for a burnt offering, an offering made…
- Leviticus 1:13 (v12) but the innards and the legs he shall wash with water. The priest shall offer the whole, and burn it on the altar. It is a burnt offering,…
- Leviticus 1:17 (v12) He shall tear it by its wings, but shall not divide it apart. The priest shall burn it on the altar, on the wood that is on the fire. It is…
- Leviticus 2:4-5 (v11) “ ‘When you offer an offering of a meal offering baked in the oven, it shall be unleavened cakes of fine flour mixed with oil, or…
- Leviticus 2:10 (v13) That which is left of the meal offering shall be Aaron’s and his sons’. It is a most holy part of the offerings of Yahweh made by fire.
- Leviticus 2:15-16 (v11) You shall put oil on it and lay frankincense on it. It is a meal offering. The priest shall burn as its memorial part of its crushed grain…
- Leviticus 2:16 (v12) The priest shall burn as its memorial part of its crushed grain and part of its oil, along with all its frankincense. It is an offering…
- Leviticus 3:4 (v12) and the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them, which is by the loins, and the cover on the liver, with the kidneys, he shall take away.
- Leviticus 3:11 (v12) The priest shall burn it on the altar: it is the food of the offering made by fire to Yahweh.
- Leviticus 4:20 (v13) Thus shall he do with the bull; as he did with the bull of the sin offering, so shall he do with this; and the priest shall make atonement…
- Leviticus 4:31 (v13) All its fat he shall take away, like the fat is taken away from the sacrifice of peace offerings; and the priest shall burn it on the altar…
- Leviticus 5:9 (v11) He shall sprinkle some of the blood of the sin offering on the side of the altar; and the rest of the blood shall be drained out at the…
- Leviticus 5:12 (v11) He shall bring it to the priest, and the priest shall take his handful of it as the memorial portion, and burn it on the altar, on the…
- Leviticus 6:15 (v12) He shall take from there his handful of the fine flour of the meal offering, and of its oil, and all the frankincense which is on the meal…
- Leviticus 7:6 (v13) Every male among the priests may eat of it. It shall be eaten in a holy place. It is most holy.
- Numbers 5:26 (v12) The priest shall take a handful of the meal offering, as its memorial portion, and burn it on the altar, and afterward shall make the woman…
- Numbers 7:13 (v11) and his offering was: one silver platter, the weight of which was one hundred thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according…
- Numbers 7:19-89 (v11) He offered for his offering: one silver platter, the weight of which was one hundred thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels,…
- Numbers 15:4-9 (v11) then he who offers his offering shall offer to Yahweh a meal offering of one tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with one fourth of a hin…
- 1 Samuel 2:28 (v13) Didn’t I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up to my altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me?…
- Psalms 22:1-21 (v11) My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me, and from the words of my groaning? My God, I cry in the…
- Psalms 69:1-21 (v11) Save me, God, for the waters have come up to my neck! I sink in deep mire, where there is no foothold. I have come into deep waters, where…
- Isaiah 53:2-10 (v11) For he grew up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of dry ground. He has no good looks or majesty. When we see him, there is no…
- Hosea 4:8 (v13) They feed on the sin of my people, and set their heart on their iniquity.
- Acts 10:4 (v12) He, fastening his eyes on him, and being frightened, said, “What is it, Lord?” He said to him, “Your prayers and your gifts to the needy…
- 1 Corinthians 9:13 (v13) Don’t you know that those who serve around sacred things eat from the things of the temple, and those who wait on the altar have their…
- Ephesians 5:2 (v12) Walk in love, even as Christ also loved us and gave himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling fragrance.
- 2 Corinthians 5:21 (v11) For him who knew no sin he made to be sin on our behalf; so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
38 distinct cross-references across this passage (39 total citations).
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this passage (13 sources)
Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.
Private notes
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Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain On v11 Which was about a pottle.
Which was about a pottle.
As in the meat offering, Lev. 2:1.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain On vv11–13 Lev 5:11 But if he be not able to…
Lev 5:11 But if he be not able to bring two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, then he that sinned shall bring for his offering the tenth part of an ephah of fine flour for a sin offering; he shall put no oil upon it, neither shall he put [any] frankincense thereon: for it [is] a sin offering.
Ver. 11. But if he be not able.] So low doth the Most High stoop to man’s meanness, that he will accept of a very small present from him that would bring a better, if it were in the power of his hand. Lycurgus enjoined his Lacedemonians to offer small sacrifices; for God, said he, respecteth more the internal devotion, than the external oblation.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain On vv11, 13 The tenth part of an ephah, about a pottle…
The tenth part of an ephah, about a pottle of our measure. See Exo 16:36.
He shall put no oil upon it, neither shall he put any frankincense thereon; either to distinguish these from the meat-offerings, Lev 2:1; or as a fit expression of their true sorrow for their sins, in the sense whereof they were to abstain from things pleasant and delightful; see Num 5:15; or to signify that by his sins he deserved to be utterly deprived both of the oil of gladness, the gifts, graces, and comforts of the Holy Ghost, and of God’s gracious acceptance of his prayers and sacrifices, which is signified by incense, Psa 141:2; or to teach them how evil a thing sin was, how hateful to God, and how uncomfortable to themselves.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain On vv11–13 But if he be not able to bring two…
But if he be not able to bring two turtledoves, or two young pigeons,.... Which is supposing a man to be in the poorest circumstances he can well be; and such is the grace and goodness of God, that he has provided for the atonement and forgiveness of the poorest, as well as of the rich:
then he that hath sinned shall bring for his offering the tenth part of an ephah of fine flour for a sin offering; which is an omer, Exo 16:36 and is as much as a man can eat in one day, as Aben Ezra remarks:
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he shall put no oil upon it, neither shall he put any frankincense thereon; to distinguish it from the common meat offering, which had both, Lev 3:1 and to make it as easy, and as little chargeable to the poor as possible, both oil and frankincense being things of value; and some think that these were prohibited, to show that atonement and forgiveness, and even the salvation of men, are not owing to grace in them, comparable to oil, or to their prayers, signified by frankincense, and so to any or all of their duties, but to Christ alone, and his atoning sacrifice: or these were forbidden, because emblems of joy and gladness, and therefore not so proper at a confession of sin, and humiliation for it: or rather to show how disagreeable and offensive sin was to the Lord, being contrary to grace, of which oil was an emblem, and far from being acceptable to him, which frankincense might signify; and therefore being prohibited, might denote how unacceptable, yea nauseous, sin is to him; which agrees with the reason given:
for it is a sin offering, and therefore must not be honoured, as Jarchi, or must have everything removed from it that is beautiful and amiable, as Ben Gersom, such as oil and frankincense.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain On vv11, 13 The tenth part of an ephah - About six…
The tenth part of an ephah - About six pints. He shall put no oil, neither frankincense - Either to distinguish these from the meal-offerings, chap. ii, 1, or as a fit expression of their sorrow for their sins, in the sense whereof they were to abstain from things pleasant; or to signify that by his sins he deserved to be utterly deprived both of the oil of gladness, the gifts, graces and comforts of the Holy Ghost; and of God's gracious acceptance of his prayers and sacrifices, which is signified by incense, Psalm 1xli, 2.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain On v11 Verse 11. Tenth part of an ephah] About three…
Verse 11. Tenth part of an ephah] About three quarts. The ephah contained a little more than seven gallons and a half.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain On v11 Lev 5:11. The tenth part of an ephah —…
Lev 5:11. The tenth part of an ephah — About six pints. He shall put no oil, neither frankincense — Either as a fit expression of his sorrow for his sins, in the sense whereof, he was to abstain from things pleasant; or to signify, that by his sins he deserved to be utterly deprived both of the oil of gladness, the gifts, graces, and comforts of the Holy Ghost, and of God’s gracious acceptance of his prayers and sacrifices, which is signified by incense, Psa 141:2.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain On vv11–12 Ephi, or a gomor, which is the tenth part…
Ephi, or a gomor, which is the tenth part of three pecks and three pints, English. (Arbuthnot.) --- For sin, and therefore to shew how odious sin is to God, he will not allow any frankincense to be offered. (Menochius)
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain On v11 11. Turtledoves… pigeons — See chap. 1, notes, also…
11. Turtledoves… pigeons — See chap. 1, notes, also Introduction, (4)
The tenth… ephah… flour — The most impoverished person was supposed to be able to present three quarts of sifted wheat or barley flour for the disburdening of his conscience.
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No oil… neither… frankincense — The addition of these would make a mincha, or bread offering, Lev_2:2, a eucharistic sacrifice, which could be offered only by one in a state of acceptance with God. The sinner must secure pardon before he offers praise. Says Kurtz: “Oil and incense symbolized the Spirit of God and the prayers of the faithful; the meat offering, always good works; but these are then only good works and acceptable to God when they proceed from the soil of a heart truly sanctified. The sin offering, however, was pre-eminently the atonement offering; the idea of atonement came out so prominently that no room was left for others. The consecration of the person, and the presentation of his good works, to the Lord, had to be reserved for another stage in the sacrificial institute.” How strikingly this corroborates the Wesleyan doctrine of entire sanctification as a work distinct from justification. Jesus, the great Sin Offering, so fills the vision of the penitent sinner that there is no room for the consideration of his other office, by which he is made unto the believer “wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification.”
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain On vv11–13 11. he shall put no oil upon it] as…
11. he shall put no oil upon it] as in the jealousy offering (Num_5:15).
11–13. A further concession in the case of extreme poverty: 1/10th of an ephah of fine flour is allowed as a substitute for the animal sacrifice. This is treated as a Meal-Offering but described as a Sin-Offering (Lev_5:11-12). See Rob.-Sm. Rel. Sem.2 p. 242, note 3, with a reference by Frazer to an instance where an offering of rice is called ‘eating the soul of the rice,’ so that the rice is viewed as a living creature. For approximate amount of an ephah see on Lev_6:20.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain On vv11–13 (11) But if he be not able.—The benign consideration…
(11) But if he be not able.—The benign consideration for the poor, and the desire not to mulct them too heavily for their frailties, are here still more evinced in the statute before us. If anyone is so impoverished that the offering of two birds would press too heavily upon him, he might bring the tenth part of an ephah of fine flour, a little less than half a gallon.
For it is a sin offering.—That is, because it is a sin offering, and not a Minchah or meat offering (see Lev_2:1), therefore it shall have no oil or frankincense, otherwise its distinguishing features as such would be destroyed.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv11–12 a tenth of an ephah
a tenth of an ephah
An ephah is 22 liters. A tenth of an ephah is about two liters. (See: Biblical Volume)
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a tenth
This is one part out of ten equal parts. (See: Fractions)
translationWords
dove
sacrifice
sin
tenth
sin offering
oil
incense
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv11, 13 5:11 The sin offering was not to be adorned…
5:11 The sin offering was not to be adorned with olive oil or . . . frankincense. These were required for the grain offering, which was the individual’s gift to the Lord (see 2:1), given to express worship. The sin offering made atonement; its purpose was to obtain forgiveness, requiring that the offering be completely unadorned.
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.