Leviticus 5:14-19

Leviticus 5:14 to Leviticus 6:7 . The Trespass or Guilt Offering.— This is of two kinds, though the principle of amendment is the same. The first kind is stated vaguely; committing a trespass (the word means acting unfaithfully or treacherously; it is coupled with sinning “ unwittingly” in Leviticus 5:15; Leviticus 5:17). The offence consists in treating what is Yahweh’ s as if it were not Yahweh’ s, i.e. in-correctness, really unintentional, connected with some offering. If not unintentional, the penalty is different ( Numbers 15:30). The offerer is not said to kill the guilt offering; though elsewhere, the offerer’ s act of killing is carefully mentioned, and it seems to be implied in Leviticus 7:2. The second case is intentional— trickery in a matter of deposit or pledge (RVm), or theft, or “ oppression,” or keeping another’ s property, or falsehood; all these are trespasses against Yahweh, and as such must be atoned for by a trespass or guilt offering. This offering consists in restitution and, in the first case, amends; the restitution is a ram; the amends is one fifth of the value of the ram. In the second case, the object held back is itself restored with an addition of one-fifth of its value; and a ram is offered to Yahweh as well. The “ amends” necessitates a valuation; this is to be made in “ sanctuary shekels” (see on Leviticus 27:16-Lamentations :). Leviticus 5:17-Psalms : seems to add nothing to the preceding; there is no mention of “ amends,” and “ guilt offering” is spoken of, with reference to the subjects of sin offering in Leviticus 4. Perhaps it is an older fragment; cf. Ezra 10:19, where for the sin of marrying foreign wives, a ram is offered by the people “ for their guilt.” In the case of trespass against one’ s neighbour, the procedure is parallel; in this case, the restitution is mentioned before the ram of the guilt offering. But the latter is as necessary as the former; all morality is the concern of Yahweh, and in every trespass He is injured. This is one of the few references to social morality in P. The earlier prophets refer to little else, and Ezekiel, in ch. 18, confines his catalogue to non-ritual offences, to be purged only by repentance.