Leviticus 5 Summary

Leviticus 5 identifies four specific situations that make a person guilty before God: failing to testify as a witness, touching ceremonially unclean things, touching human uncleanness, or swearing a rash oath. Upon recognizing such guilt, the offender is required to confess the sin and bring a trespass offering — a female lamb or goat as the standard, but two turtledoves or two young pigeons for those who cannot afford a lamb, and one-tenth of an ephah of fine flour (without oil or frankincense) for those unable to afford birds. The chapter then introduces a separate category of trespass: sinning in ignorance against the holy things of the LORD, which requires a ram without blemish valued in sanctuary shekels, plus restitution of the harm done with an added fifth part. Finally, the chapter addresses violation of any divine commandment through unwitting ignorance, which likewise demands a ram as a trespass offering, with the priest making atonement and the offender receiving forgiveness.