Keraia
Leviticus 5

Leviticus 5:2

Sins Requiring a Sin Offering · Leviticus 5:1–13
Read Leviticus 5

Translations

Modern
Or if a person touches anything unclean—whether the carcass of any unclean wild animal or livestock or crawling creature—even if he is unaware of it, he is unclean and guilty.
Traditional
Or if a soul touch any unclean thing, whether it be a carcase of an unclean beast, or a carcase of unclean cattle, or the carcase of unclean creeping things, and if it be hidden from him; he also shall be unclean, and guilty.
Literal
Or if a soul touches any unclean thing, whether the carcass of an unclean beast or the carcass of unclean livestock or the carcass of an unclean swarming thing, and it is hidden from him, then he is unclean and guilty.
Latin
Anima quæ tetigerit aliquid immundum, sive quod occisum a bestia est, aut per se mortuum, aut quodlibet aliud reptile: et oblita fuerit immunditiæ suæ, rea est, et deliquit:

Original

Hebrew
English
Or if a person touches anything unclean—whether the carcass of any unclean wild animal or livestock or crawling creature—even if he is unaware of it, he is unclean and guilty.

Notes

Leviticus 5:2

unclean: "Clean" and "unclean" did not relate to hygiene (see Leviticus 11:1–15:33). They referred to whether someone could participate in worship. For animals, it meant if they were suitable for sacrifice or eating. There is a list of ceremonially clean and unclean animals in 11:1–47.

To become ceremonially clean after touching an unclean animal, a person had to wash their clothes. They also had to stay away from the community until evening (11:25). This sin offering probably shows that the person did not follow the rules for cleansing (11:27–28).

Leviticus 5:1–6

These verses give examples of sins that required a sin offering (Leviticus 4:2). When a person became aware of committing a wrong, the next step to make it right was to admit the guilt and bring a sin offering.

Leviticus 4:1–5:13

The sin offering is called khatta’t in Hebrew, from the root khata’. It means "to lack, fall short, miss, fail." The people made this offering when they unintentionally violated specific commands of God (see also Numbers 15:22–29). The purpose of this offering was to repair a loss or fix a failure (for example, Leviticus 5:1–4).

Although all Christians sin, God will forgive us if we confess them (Galatians 6:1; 1 John 1:8–9). Yet, the Scripture warns against sinning "defiantly" or "deliberately" (Numbers 15:30–31; Hebrews 10:26–29; 6:4–6).

Theme notes and profiles

Ancient Law Codes Atonement Pure Worship

Parallels

Leviticus 4:1–35 Leviticus 6:24–30

Glossary

Biblical Concept of Law Deuteronomy, Book of History of Israel Law of Moses Leviticus, Book of Moses Offerings and Sacrifices Worship

Topics

Beasts: Unclean: Caused Uncleanness when Dead Creeping Things: Unclean Defilement: Caused by Touching Carcass of an Unclean Thing Defilement: Ceremonial Caused by Touching a Dead Beast Sanitation: Carcasses Sanitation: Contagion Trespass offering: To be offered for Involuntarily Touching Unclean Things Uncleanness: (Ceremonially Speaking) Under the Law Atonement: Offered For: Persons Unclean