← All Chapters The Book of Leviticus · Chapter 5

Leviticus 5: Guilt and Restitution

From silence in court to broken vows and trespass against holy things, God provides offerings and even restitution for the guilty.

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Leviticus 5 (WEB)

1 “‘If anyone sins, in that he hears the voice of adjuration, he being a witness, whether he has seen or known, if he doesn’t report it, then he shall bear his iniquity.

2 “‘Or if anyone touches any unclean thing, whether it is the carcass of an unclean animal, or the carcass of unclean livestock, or the carcass of unclean creeping things, and it is hidden from him, and he is unclean, then he shall be guilty.

3 “‘Or if he touches the uncleanness of man, whatever his uncleanness is with which he is unclean, and it is hidden from him; when he knows of it, then he shall be guilty.

4 “‘Or if anyone swears rashly with his lips to do evil, or to do good, whatever it is that a man might utter rashly with an oath, and it is hidden from him; when he knows of it, then he shall be guilty of one of these.

5 It shall be, when he is guilty of one of these, he shall confess that in which he has sinned:

6 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 offering; and the priest shall make atonement for him concerning his sin.

7 “‘If he can’t afford a lamb, then he shall bring his trespass offering for that in which he has sinned, two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, to Yahweh; one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering.

8 He shall bring them to the priest, who shall first offer the one which is for the sin offering, and wring off its head from its neck, but shall not sever it completely.

9 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 base of the altar. It is a sin offering.

10 He shall offer the second for a burnt offering, according to the ordinance; and the priest shall make atonement for him concerning his sin which he has sinned, and he shall be forgiven.

11 “‘But if he can’t afford two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, then he shall bring his offering for that in which he has sinned, the tenth part of an ephah of fine flour for a sin offering. He shall put no oil on it, neither shall he put any frankincense on it, for it is a sin offering.

12 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.

13 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.’”

14 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

15 “If anyone commits a trespass, and sins unwittingly, in the holy things of Yahweh; then he shall bring his trespass offering to Yahweh, a ram without defect from the flock, according to your estimation in silver by shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, for a trespass offering.

16 He shall make restitution for that which he has done wrong in 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.

17 “If anyone sins, and does any of the things which Yahweh has commanded not to be done; though he didn’t know it, yet he is guilty, and shall bear his iniquity.

18 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 shall make atonement for him concerning the thing in which he sinned and didn’t know it, and he will be forgiven.

19 It is a trespass offering. He is certainly guilty before Yahweh.”

Summary

Continuing the laws of atonement, this chapter names specific occasions of guilt: failing to testify when called as a witness, touching something unclean, or swearing a rash oath. When a person becomes aware of such guilt, he must confess it and bring an offering. Strikingly, God scales the offering to the worshiper's means: a lamb or goat if he can afford it, two birds if he is poorer, and even a small portion of fine flour if he is poorer still, so that no one is too poor to be forgiven. The chapter then turns to the trespass offering for sins against the holy things of Yahweh committed unwittingly; the offender brings a ram and makes restitution, adding a fifth, repairing what was wronged. Throughout, the message is that sin must be confessed and dealt with, never simply ignored, and that God provides a way for the guilty to be made right. Confession, atonement, and restitution belong together. The God who makes such gracious provision points us to Christ, in whom confession meets full and final forgiveness.

Key Figures

  • Yahweh (the LORD) — The God who calls his people to confess their guilt and graciously provides atonement scaled to the means of even the poorest worshiper.
  • The guilty person — The Israelite who, becoming aware of a sin, confesses it and brings the appointed offering for forgiveness.
  • The poor worshiper — The one who cannot afford a lamb and is permitted to bring two birds or even fine flour, so that none is shut out from atonement.
  • The priest — The mediator who offers the sacrifice and makes atonement so that the guilty one is forgiven.

Key Verse

Leviticus 5:5 (WEB)

It shall be, when he is guilty of one of these, he shall confess that in which he has sinned:

Lessons Learned

  • Guilt is to be confessed, not hidden; naming our sin is the path to forgiveness.
  • God scales the offering to a person's means so that no one is too poor to be forgiven.
  • Sin against God's holy things calls for both atonement and restitution.
  • Failing to act, like withholding testimony, can be as truly sinful as doing wrong.
  • Confession precedes cleansing. “He shall confess that in which he has sinned” (Leviticus 5:5, WEB). Atonement is joined to honest acknowledgment of guilt, not denial.
  • Grace reaches the poor. “If he can’t afford a lamb” he may bring two birds, or even fine flour (Leviticus 5:7, 11, WEB). God ensures that no one is excluded from forgiveness by poverty.
  • Wrongs against God call for restitution. “He shall make restitution… and shall add a fifth part to it” (Leviticus 5:16, WEB). True repentance seeks to repair what sin has broken.
  • Sins of omission are real sins. One incurs guilt who, being a witness, “doesn’t report it” (Leviticus 5:1, WEB). Failing to do right is itself a trespass before God.
  1. What kinds of guilt does this chapter address, and what do they have in common?
  2. Why does God allow offerings scaled to a person's means, down to fine flour?
  3. What is the significance of confession coming before the sacrifice?
  4. Why is restitution, with an added fifth, part of making things right after a trespass?
  5. Is there a sin you have been hiding rather than confessing, and what would it look like to bring it honestly to God?
  1. These include withholding testimony, contact with uncleanness, and rash oaths, often sins of omission or things done unaware. Together they show that guilt comes in many forms and must be dealt with once known.
  2. By providing for lamb, birds, or flour, God ensures that forgiveness is never priced beyond the poor. His grace is impartial, reaching every worshiper regardless of wealth, a beautiful foretaste of the gospel.
  3. Confession means owning the sin honestly rather than excusing it. The sacrifice is not a way to avoid responsibility but the God-given response to acknowledged guilt, joining honesty with grace.
  4. Restitution restores what was taken or damaged and the added fifth marks genuine repentance that goes beyond the minimum. Forgiveness from God does not cancel the call to repair harm done to others.
  5. This is a gentle personal-application question. Encourage members to bring hidden sin into the light of God's mercy, assuring them of forgiveness in Christ. Do not press anyone to disclose specifics to the group.

Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible (WEB), the King James Version (KJV), and the American Standard Version (ASV), all of which are in the public domain.