“If anyone commits a trespass, and sins unwittingly regarding Yahweh’s holy things, then he shall bring his trespass offering to Yahweh: a ram without defect from the flock, according to your estimation in silver by shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, for a trespass offering. He shall make restitution for that which he has done wrong regarding the holy thing, and shall add a fifth part to it, and give it to the priest; and the priest shall make atonement for him with the ram of the trespass offering, and he will be forgiven.
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Leviticus 5:15-16 sits inside this longer paragraph.
Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, “If anyone commits a trespass, and sins unwittingly regarding Yahweh’s holy things, then he shall bring his trespass offering to Yahweh: a ram without defect from the flock, according to your estimation in silver by shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, for a trespass offering. He shall make restitution for that which he has done wrong regarding the holy thing, and shall add a fifth part to it, and give it to the priest; and the priest shall make atonement for him with the ram of the trespass offering, and he will be forgiven.
Parallel Translations
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“If anyone commits a trespass, and sins unwittingly regarding Yahweh’s holy things, then he shall bring his trespass offering to Yahweh: a ram without defect from the flock, according to your estimation in silver by shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, for a trespass offering.
He shall make restitution for that which he has done wrong regarding the holy thing, and shall add a fifth part to it, and give it to the priest; and the priest shall make atonement for him with the ram of the trespass offering, and he will be forgiven.
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If a soul commit a trespass, and sin through ignorance, in the holy things of the LORD; then he shall bring for his trespass unto the LORD a ram without blemish out of the flocks, with thy estimation by shekels of silver, after the shekel of the sanctuary, for a trespass offering:
And he shall make amends for the harm that he hath done in the holy thing, and shall add the fifth part thereto, and give it unto the priest: and the priest shall make an atonement for him with the ram of the trespass offering, and it shall be forgiven him.
Show all 3 translations
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If any one commit a trespass, and sin through error, in the holy things of the LORD, then he shall bring his forfeit unto the LORD, a ram without blemish out of the flock, according to thy valuation in silver by shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, for a guilt-offering.
And he shall make restitution for that which he hath done amiss in the holy thing, and shall add the fifth part thereto, and give it unto the priest; and the priest shall make atonement for him with the ram of the guilt-offering, and he shall be forgiven.
Examined in Scripture Analysis
Contradictions (1)
Questions where the Bible appears to say two different things, with the passages on each side set together.
Commandments (1)
The laws of the Torah, each cited and shown as a primary source.
Cross-references (41)
- Exodus 30:13 (v15) They shall give this, everyone who passes over to those who are counted, half a shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary (the shekel…
- Leviticus 22:14 (v16) “ ‘If a man eats something holy unwittingly, then he shall add the fifth part of its value to it, and shall give the holy thing to the…
- Numbers 5:7 (v16) then he shall confess his sin which he has done; and he shall make restitution for his guilt in full, add to it the fifth part of it, and…
- Leviticus 4:2 (v15) “Speak to the children of Israel, saying, ‘If anyone sins unintentionally, in any of the things which Yahweh has commanded not to be done,…
- Leviticus 5:10 (v16) He shall offer the second for a burnt offering, according to the ordinance; and the priest shall make atonement for him concerning his sin…
Show all 41 cross-references
- Leviticus 6:4-5 (v16) then it shall be, if he has sinned, and is guilty, he shall restore that which he took by robbery, or the thing which he has gotten by…
- Leviticus 6:6 (v15) He shall bring his trespass offering to Yahweh: a ram without defect from the flock, according to your estimation, for a trespass offering,…
- Leviticus 7:1 (v15) “ ‘This is the law of the trespass offering: It is most holy.
- Leviticus 7:6 (v15) Every male among the priests may eat of it. It shall be eaten in a holy place. It is most holy.
- Leviticus 27:13 (v16) But if he will indeed redeem it, then he shall add the fifth part of it to its valuation.
- Leviticus 27:15 (v16) If he who dedicates it will redeem his house, then he shall add the fifth part of the money of your valuation to it, and it shall be his.
- Leviticus 27:27 (v16) If it is an unclean animal, then he shall buy it back according to your valuation, and shall add to it the fifth part of it; or if it isn’t…
- Leviticus 27:31 (v16) If a man redeems anything of his tithe, he shall add a fifth part to it.
- Deuteronomy 15:19-20 (v15) You shall dedicate all the firstborn males that are born of your herd and of your flock to Yahweh your God. You shall do no work with the…
- Ezra 10:19 (v15) They gave their hand that they would put away their wives; and being guilty, they offered a ram of the flock for their guilt.
- Exodus 22:1 (v16) “If a man steals an ox or a sheep, and kills it or sells it, he shall pay five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep.
- Exodus 22:3-4 (v16) If the sun has risen on him, he is guilty of bloodshed. He shall make restitution. If he has nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft.…
- Leviticus 4:26 (v16) 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 5:1-2 (v15) “ ‘If anyone sins, in that he hears a public adjuration to testify, he being a witness, whether he has seen or known, if he doesn’t report…
- Leviticus 5:6 (v16) 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…
- Leviticus 5:13 (v16) 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…
- Leviticus 5:16 (v15) He shall make restitution for that which he has done wrong regarding the holy thing, and shall add a fifth part to it, and give it to the…
- Leviticus 5:18 (v15) He shall bring a ram without defect from of the flock, according to your estimation, for a trespass offering, to the priest; and the priest…
- Leviticus 10:17-18 (v15) “Why haven’t you eaten the sin offering in the place of the sanctuary, since it is most holy, and he has given it to you to bear the…
- Leviticus 22:1-16 (v15) Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, “Tell Aaron and his sons to separate themselves from the holy things of the children of Israel, which they…
- Leviticus 24:5-9 (v15) “You shall take fine flour, and bake twelve cakes of it: two tenths of an ephah shall be in one cake. You shall set them in two rows, six…
- Leviticus 26:2-8 (v15) “ ‘You shall keep my Sabbaths, and have reverence for my sanctuary. I am Yahweh. “ ‘If you walk in my statutes and keep my commandments,…
- Leviticus 26:12-13 (v15) I will walk among you, and will be your God, and you will be my people. I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt,…
- Leviticus 26:17-18 (v15) I will set my face against you, and you will be struck before your enemies. Those who hate you will rule over you; and you will flee when…
- Leviticus 26:23-27 (v15) “ ‘If by these things you won’t be turned back to me, but will walk contrary to me, then I will also walk contrary to you; and I will…
- Leviticus 27:9-33 (v15) “ ‘If it is an animal of which men offer an offering to Yahweh, all that any man gives of such to Yahweh becomes holy. He shall not alter…
- Numbers 5:8 (v15) But if the man has no kinsman to whom restitution may be made for the guilt, the restitution for guilt which is made to Yahweh shall be the…
- Numbers 18:9-32 (v15) This shall be yours of the most holy things from the fire: every offering of theirs, even every meal offering of theirs, and every sin…
- Deuteronomy 12:5-12 (v15) But to the place which Yahweh your God shall choose out of all your tribes, to put his name there, you shall seek his habitation, and you…
- Deuteronomy 12:26 (v15) Only your holy things which you have, and your vows, you shall take and go to the place which Yahweh shall choose.
- Deuteronomy 26:1-15 (v15) It shall be, when you have come in to the land which Yahweh your God gives you for an inheritance, possess it, and dwell in it, that you…
- Psalms 69:4 (v16) Those who hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of my head. Those who want to cut me off, being my enemies wrongfully, are…
- Luke 19:8 (v16) Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, half of my goods I give to the poor. If I have wrongfully exacted anything of anyone,…
- Acts 26:20 (v16) but declared first to them of Damascus, at Jerusalem, and throughout all the country of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should…
- Hebrews 9:13-14 (v16) For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled, sanctify to the cleanness of the…
- 1 John 2:1-2 (v16) My little children, I write these things to you so that you may not sin. If anyone sins, we have a Counselor with the Father, Jesus Christ,…
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this passage (13 sources)
Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.
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Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain On v15 By the estimation of the Priest, Lev. 27:12.
By the estimation of the Priest, Lev. 27:12.
As touching the firstfruits or tithes, due to the Priests and Levites.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain On vv15–16 Lev 5:15 If a soul commit a trespass, and…
Lev 5:15 If a soul commit a trespass, and sin through ignorance, in the holy things of the LORD; then he shall bring for his trespass unto the LORD a ram without blemish out of the flocks, with thy estimation by shekels of silver, after the shekel of the sanctuary, for a trespass offering:
Ver. 15. In the holy things of the Lord.] Things consecrate to him, by robbing and wronging of God and his priests; be it but through ignorance or error. For to do such a thing presumptuously was death, {Num 15:30} and by the laws of the twelve tables in Rome, such were to be punished as parricides. {a}
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{a} Sacrum qui clepserit, rapseritve, parricida esto.
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 vv15–16 If a soul commit a trespass against the Lord…
If a soul commit a trespass against the Lord and his priests.
And sin through ignorance; for if a man did it knowingly, he was to be cut off, Num 15:30.
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In the holy things of the Lord; in things consecrated to God, and to holy uses; of which see Lev 22:2; such as tithes and first-fruits, or any things due, or devoted, or offered to God, which possibly a man might either withhold, or employ to some common use. See Exo 34:26; Deu 12:17,18; 15:19; Jer 2:3.
A ram was a more chargeable sacrifice than the former, as the sin of sacrilege was greater. With thy estimation; as thou shalt esteem or rate it, thou, O priest, as appears from Lev 5:16,18; 6:6; 22:14; 27:2,3; and at present, thou, O Moses, Lev 27:3, for he as yet performed the priest’s part. And this either,
1. May be referred to the ram, which was to be of such a price and worth as the priest should appoint. Or rather,
2. Is an additional charge and punishment to him, which, besides the ram, he was to pay for the holy thing which he had withheld or abused, so many shekels of silver ms the priest should esteem proportionable to it; which was, as it were, another part or branch of his trespass-offering.
The shekel of the sanctuary; of which see Poole "Gen 23:15".
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 vv15–16 If a soul commit a trespass, and sin through…
If a soul commit a trespass, and sin through ignorance in the holy things of the Lord,.... In the payment of tithes, or offering first fruits as he ought, by withholding them, or any part of them, or through eating of sacred things he ought not:
then shall he bring for his trespass unto the Lord; for it being a trespass in holy things, it might be properly called a trespass to or against the Lord; unless this is rather to be understood of the offering brought to the Lord for his trespass as follows:
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a ram without blemish out of the flocks; out of the sheep and not the goats, as Ben Gersom observes; and this being for sacrifice, or for a trespass in holy things though ignorantly done, an offering of more value is required than for sins of ignorance in other cases, Lev 5:6 a type of Christ, who for his strength may be compared to a ram, and to one without blemish, for his purity and holiness, and to a choice one, selected out of the flock, for his being chosen out from among the people:
with thy estimation by shekels of silver, after the shekel of the sanctuary, for a trespass offering; that is, either an estimation was to be taken of the damage done in the holy things, an account of which was to be brought along with the ram, and the cost paid; or else the ram brought was to be of the value of, or worth shekels of silver; and the least of many being two, as Aben Ezra and Ben Gersom observe, the sense is, that the ram brought for the trespass offering should be at least worth two shekels of silver; so Jarchi and Ben Gersom.
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 v15 A trespass - Against the Lord and his priests.…
A trespass - Against the Lord and his priests. Through ignorance - For if a man did it knowingly, he was to be cut off, Num. xv, 30. In the holy things - In things consecrated to God, and to holy uses; such as tithes and first-fruits, or any things due, or devoted to God, which possibly a man might either with-hold, or employ to some common use. A ram - A more chargeable sacrifice than the former, as the sin of sacrilege was greater. With thy estimation - As thou shalt esteem or rate it, thou, O priest; and at present, thou, O Moses, for he as yet performed the priest's part. And this was an additional charge and punishment to him; besides the ram, he was to pay for the holy thing which he had with-held or abused, so many shekels of silver as the priest should esteem proportionable to it.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain On vv15–16 Verse 15. In the holy things of the Lord]…
Verse 15. In the holy things of the Lord] This law seems to relate particularly to sacrilege, and defrauds in spiritual matters; such as the neglect to consecrate or redeem the firstborn, the withholding of the first-fruits, tithes, and such like; and, according to the rabbins, making any secular gain of Divine things, keeping back any part of the price of things dedicated to God, or withholding what man had vowed to pay. See a long list of these things in Ainsworth.
With thy estimation] The wrong done or the defraud committed should be estimated at the number of shekels it was worth, or for which it would sell. These the defrauder was to pay down, to which he was to add a fifth part more, and bring a ram without blemish for a sin-offering besides. There is an obscurity in the text, but this seems to be its meaning.
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 v15 Lev 5:15. A trespass — Against the Lord and…
Lev 5:15. A trespass — Against the Lord and his priests. Through ignorance — For if a man did it knowingly, he was to be cut off, Num 15:30. In the holy things — In things consecrated to God, and to holy uses; these were many, and by various ways a man might be guilty, even unwittingly, with respect to them; such as tithes and first-fruits, or any thing due or devoted to God, which possibly a man might either withhold, or employ to some common use. A ram — A more chargeable sacrifice than the former, as the sin of sacrilege was greater. With thy estimation — As thou, O priest, shalt esteem or rate it; and at present, thou, O Moses, for he as yet performed the priest’s part. And this was an additional charge and punishment to him; besides the ram, he was to pay for the holy thing which he had withheld or abused, so many shekels of silver as the priests should esteem proportionable to it.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain On v15 Commit a trespass - Rather, here and in Lev…
Commit a trespass - Rather, here and in Lev 6:2, perpetrate a wrong. The word is different from that rendered trespass elsewhere in these chapters.
Through ignorance - Through inadvertence. See Lev 4:2 note.
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In the holy things of the Lord - The reference is to a failure in the payment of firstfruits, tithes or fees of any kind connected with the public service of religion by which the sanctuary suffered loss; compare Num 5:6-8.
Shekel of the sanctuary - See Exo 38:24 note.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain On v15 The ceremonies: omitted in Hebrew and Septuagint --- Sanctified…
The ceremonies: omitted in Hebrew and Septuagint --- Sanctified [Sacrificed?], neglecting to pay the first-fruits; or, by mistake, eating any of the victims reserved for God, or for the priests. --- Two sicles. St. Jerome seems to have read in the dual number, whereas the Hebrew pointed copies have sicles indefinitely; and the Rabbins understand two, when the word is plural and undetermined. Theodoret reads fifty, which some maintain is the ancient translation of the Septuagint, though it is not found in any of our copies. Hebrew may be rendered "a ram (or) according to thy estimation, sicles of silver." The particle or is sometimes understood. It is probable that when the fault was considerable, a ram was to be sacrificed, and restitution made of what was due with the fifth part besides; but if the fault was small, the priest determined how many sicles were to be presented for sacred purposes. --- Sanctuary. See Exodus xxx. 13.
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).
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain On v15 sin through ignorance, in the holy things of the…
sin through ignorance, in the holy things of the Lord, &c.--This is a case of sacrilege committed ignorantly, either in not paying the full due of tithes, first-fruits, and similar tribute in eating of meats, which belonged to the priests alone--or he was required, along with the restitution in money, the amount of which was to be determined by the priest, to offer a ram for a trespass offering, as soon as he came to the knowledge of his involuntary fraud.
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain On v15 Chs. Lev_5:14 to Lev_6:7. The Guilt-Offering
Chs. Lev_5:14 to Lev_6:7. The Guilt-Offering
Three cases where a Guilt-Offering should be brought are here specified:
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(a) 15, 16; if part of what is due to the Lord has been withheld.
15. commit a trespass] The Heb. word (mâ‘al) here and in Lev_6:2 is different from that which is rendered ‘be guilty,’ ‘bring guilt,’ and ‘guilt offering’ (trespass offering A.V.) in Lev_4:3 to Lev_5:7 (’âshâm). It means ‘to deal deceitfully.’
in the holy things of the Lord] i.e. by keeping back what is His due (e.g. tithes or firstfruits). The offender shall make restitution of what he has kept back unwittingly, adding a fifth part, and shall also bring as a Guilt-Offering a ram of sufficient value estimated after the shekel of the sanctuary. According to tradition this shekel was double the value of the ordinary shekel, but see A. R. S. Kennedy’s Art. Money, in HDB. iii. 422, or Lev. (Cent. Bible) p. 58, where he makes it to be ‘the so-called Phœnician silver shekel of 224 grains, and its value about 2 Samuel 9 d.’ It thus would weigh but little more than the Jewish shekels now extant.
according to thy estimation] also in Lev_5:18 and Lev_6:6.
in silver by shekels] i.e. the ram must be worth at the least two shekels. According to Tal. Bab. (Zebâḥîm 90 b) it must be two years old.
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 vv15–16 (15) If a soul commit a trespass.—The word used…
(15) If a soul commit a trespass.—The word used here for trespass is not the same which is so rendered in Lev_5:19, and from which the noun rendered in this very chapter by trespass offering (Lev_5:6-7; Lev_5:15-16; Lev_5:19), is derived. It literally denotes to cover, then to act covertly, to be faithless, especially in matters of a sacred covenant made either with God (Lev_26:40; Num_31:16; Deu_32:51, &c.), or between husband and wife (Num_5:12; Num_5:27).
And sin through ignorance.—If at the time of its committal he did not know that it was a transgression. (See Lev_4:2.)
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In the holy things of the Lord.—That is, inadvertently keeping back the things which belong to the sanctuary, and to the service of the Lord, as, for instance, the tithes, the firstfruits, or not consecrating or redeeming his firstborn (Exo_28:38; Num_5:6-8).
A ram without blemish.—For committing any of these transgressions presumptuously, the transgressor incurred the punishment of excision (Num_15:30; Heb_10:28); but when they were done unawares, he was to bring a ram as a sacrifice. According to the rules which obtained during the second Temple, it must be over thirty-one days in the second year of its age. It was of greater value than the female sheep. The sacrifice for a trespass in holy things, though ignorantly committed, was therefore more costly than for the sin of ignorance mentioned in Lev_5:6.
With thy estimation by shekels of silver.—That is, according to the valuation of Moses, to whom this was primarily addressed, the ram is to be so grown up as to be worth several, or at least two shekels. The act of valuing was transferred by Moses to the officiating priests. (See Lev_27:8; Lev_27:12; Num_18:16.) For the shekels of the sanctuary see Exo_30:13.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv15–16 5:15 unintentionally defiling: Damage to sacred property was distinguished…
5:15 unintentionally defiling: Damage to sacred property was distinguished from damage to secular property. The sacrifice was effective only if the damage to sacred property had been committed accidentally. Deliberate damage, such as vandalism, to something sacred was blasphemous. As with other deliberate sins (Num 15:30-31), no means was specified for its atonement. No devout believer would defiantly continue in sin (see 1 Jn 3:9). • The sanctuary shekel was not a coin but a standardized unit for measuring weight. It was used to evaluate the ram being offered. Some scholars suggest that this text permits the substitution of the appropriate amount of silver for the ram.
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.