Lev 5:1-6 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Lev 5:1-6: 5:1-6 These verses list examples of sins covered by the sin offering (4:2 ). When a person realized he or she had committed an offense, the next step was to make it right by admitting guilt and bringing a sin offering. 5:1 The first infraction was the failure to testify when called as a witness before a court. Failure to testify was not a passive act because it actively aided the criminal. • you will be punished (literally you become guilty or you realize your guilt ): Anticipating God’s punishment for the sin, the guilty party offered the sacrifice to remove the guilt and escape the punishment.

Summary for Lev 5:1-6: 5:1-6 ^a These verses list examples of sins covered by the sin offering (4:2 ^b). When a person realized he or she had committed an offense, the next step was to make it right by admitting guilt and bringing a sin offering. 5:1 ^c The first infraction was the failure to testify when called as a witness before a court. Failure to testify was not a passive act because it actively aided the criminal.

• you will be punished (literally you become guilty or you realize your guilt): Anticipating God’s punishment for the sin, the guilty party offered the sacrifice to remove the guilt and escape the punishment.
5:2 ^d ceremonially unclean: “Clean” and “unclean” did not pertain to hygiene (see 11:1–15:33 ^e) but to suitability for participating in worship or, in the case of animals, suitability for sacrifice or human consumption. A list of clean and unclean animals is found in 11:1-47 ^f. The requirement for becoming clean after touching an unclean animal was merely to wash one’s clothes and remain apart from the community until evening (11:25 ^g). Most likely, therefore, the requirement of this sin offering indicates that the person had failed to follow the prescription for cleansing (11:27-28 ^h).
5:3 ⁱ Any bodily discharge, even blood, would render a person temporarily unclean (chs 11–15 ^j). The uncleanness itself was not sin, but it was a sin to neglect the uncleanness, allowing it to spread. Once people became aware of their unclean state, they were guilty if they neglected it.
5:4 ^k Oaths could be taken in the name of the Lord. However, a foolish vow, one thoughtlessly made, was a blasphemous misuse of the Lord’s name (Exod 20:7 ^l). Accordingly, vows must be fulfilled (see Num 30:2 ^m; Deut 23:21-23 ⁿ; Eccl 5:4-6 ^o).
5:5 ^p When you become aware of your guilt: All the situations that required a sin offering assumed guilt by accident or ignorance. As soon as a person became aware of having done something improper, he or she became guilty and was required to attend to it. Known sins were to be dealt with; it was a sin in itself to know what was right and not do it (see 5:17 ^q; Jas 4:17 ^r).

• confess: Sacrifice for sin without admission of guilt would be a meaningless ritual. When the sacrificial animal was presented to the priest, the worshiper likely told the priest why it was being offered.
5:6 ^s The penalty was apparently fulfilled by the required sacrifice (see study note on 4:1–5:13).

• The actions described in 5:1-5 ^t best fit those of a layperson, so a female offering was permitted, in keeping with the principle demonstrated in 4:28 ^u, 32 ^v.