Leviticus 5 · Verse 1

Leviticus 5:1

And if a soul sin, and hear the voice of swearing, and is a witness, whether he hath seen or known of it; if he do not utter it, then he shall bear his iniquity.
Leviticus 5:1, King James Version

Leviticus 5:1 in other translations

BSB“If someone sins by failing to testify when he hears a public charge about something he has witnessed, whether he has seen it or learned of it, he shall bear the iniquity.
WEB“‘If anyone sins, in that he hears a public adjuration to testify, he being a witness, whether he has seen or known, if he doesn’t report it, then he shall bear his iniquity.
ASVAnd if any one sin, in that he heareth the voice of adjuration, he being a witness, whether he hath seen or known, if he do not utter it, then he shall bear his iniquity.
YLT‘And when a person doth sin, and hath heard the voice of an oath, and he is witness, or hath seen, or hath known--if he declare not, then he hath borne his iniquity:
DARBYAnd if any one sin, and hear the voice of adjuration, and he is a witness whether he hath seen or known it, if he do not give information, then he shall bear his iniquity.
BBEAnd if anyone does wrong by saying nothing when he is put under oath as a witness of something he has seen or had knowledge of, then he will be responsible:
WebsterAnd if a soul shall sin, and hear the voice of swearing, and be a witness, whether he hath seen or known of it; if he doth not utter it, then he shall bear his iniquity.

What does Leviticus 5:1 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

Le 5:1. Trespass Offerings for Concealing Knowledge.

1. if a soul ... hear the voice of swearing--or, according to some, "the words of adjuration." A proclamation was issued calling any one who could give information, to come before the court and bear testimony to the guilt of a criminal; and the manner in which witnesses were interrogated in the Jewish courts of justice was not by swearing them directly, but adjuring them by reading the words of an oath: "the voice of swearing." The offense, then, for the expiation of which this law provides, was that of a person who neglected or avoided the opportunity of lodging the information which it was in his power to communicate. Le 5:2, 3. Touching Any Thing Unclean.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Introduction

Concerning witnesses who, being adjured, refuse to tell the truth, Lev 5:1. Of those who contract defilement by touching unclean things or persons, Lev 5:2, Lev 5:3. Of those who bind themselves by vows or oaths, and do not fulfill them, Lev 5:4, Lev 5:5. The trespass-offering prescribed in such cases, a lamb or a kid, Lev 5:6; a turtle-dove or two young pigeons, Lev 5:7-10; or an ephah of fine flour with oil and frankincense, Lev 5:11-13. Other laws relative to trespasses, through ignorance in holy things, Lev 5:14-16. Of trespasses in things unknown, Lev 5:17-19. Verse 1 If a soul sin - It is generally supposed that the case referred to here is that of a person who, being demanded by the civil magistrate to answer upon oath, refuses to tell what he knows concerning the subject; such a one shall bear his iniquity - shall be considered as guilty in the sight of God, of the transgression which he has endeavored to conceal, and must expect to be punished by him for hiding the iniquity to which he was privy, or suppressing the truth which, being discovered, would have led to the exculpation of the innocent, and the punishment of the guilty.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Leviticus 5:1-13
The offences here noticed are, 1. A man's concealing the truth, when he was sworn as a witness to speak the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. If, in such a case, for fear of offending one that has been his friend, or may be his enemy, a man refuses to give evidence, or gives it but in part, he shall bear his iniquity. And that is a heavy burden, which, if some course be not taken to get it removed, will sink a man to hell. Let all that are called at any time to be witnesses, think of this law, and be free and open in their evidence, and take heed of prevaricating. An oath of the Lord is a sacred thing, not to be trifled with. 2. A man's touching any thing that was ceremonially unclean. Though his touching the unclean thing only made him ceremonially defiled, yet neglecting to wash himself according to the law, was either carelessness or contempt, and contracted moral guilt. As soon as God, by his Spirit, convinces our consciences of any sin or duty, we must follow the conviction, as not ashamed to own our former mistake. 3. Rash swearing, that a man will do or not do such a thing. As if the performance of his oath afterward prove unlawful, or what cannot be done. Wisdom and watchfulness beforehand would prevent these difficulties. In these cases the offender must confess his sin, and bring his offering; but the offering was not accepted, unless accompanied with confession and humble prayer for pardon. The confession must be particular; that he hath sinned in that thing. Deceit lies in generals; many will own they have sinned, for that all must own; but their sins in any one particular they are unwilling to allow. The way to be assured of pardon, and armed against sin for the future, is to confess the exact truth. If any were very poor, they might bring some flour, and that should be accepted. Thus the expense of the sin-offering was brought lower than any other, to teach that no man's poverty shall ever bar the way of his pardon. If the sinner brought two doves, one was to be offered for a sin-offering, and the other for a burnt-offering. We must first see that our peace be made with God, and then we may expect that our services for his glory will be accepted by him. To show the loathsomeness of sin, the flour, when offered, must not be made grateful to the taste by oil, or to the smell by frankincense. God, by these sacrifices, spoke comfort to those who had offended, that they might not despair, nor pine away in their sins. Likewise caution not to offend any more, remembering how expensive and troublesome it was to make atonement.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Leviticus 5:1 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וְנֶ֣פֶשׁve.Ne.feshand anyoneH5315
כִּֽי\־ki-ifH3588
תֶחֱטָ֗אte.che.Ta'it will sinH2398
וְשָֽׁמְעָה֙ve.sha.me.'Ahand it will hearH8085
ק֣וֹלKol[the] sound ofH6963
אָלָ֔ה'a.Lahan oathH423
וְה֣וּאve.Hu'and heH1931
עֵ֔ד'Ed[was] a witnessH5707
א֥וֹ'oorH176
רָאָ֖הra.'Ahhe sawH7200
א֣וֹ'oorH176
יָדָ֑עya.Da'he knewH3045
אִם\־'im-ifH518
ל֥וֹאLo'notH3808
יַגִּ֖ידya.Gidhe will tellH5046
וְנָשָׂ֥אve.na.Sa'and he will bearH5375
עֲוֹנֽוֹ\׃a.vo.Noiniquity hisH5771

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Leviticus 5:1

  • Leviticus 5:17

    And if a soul sin, and commit any of these things which are forbidden to be done by the commandments of the Lord; though he wist it not, yet is he guilty, and shall bear his iniquity.

  • Proverbs 29:24

    Whoso is partner with a thief hateth his own soul: he heareth cursing, and bewrayeth it not.

  • Leviticus 7:18

    And if any of the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offerings be eaten at all on the third day, it shall not be accepted, neither shall it be imputed unto him that offereth it: it shall be an abomination, and the soul that eateth of it shall bear his iniquity.

  • Leviticus 19:8

    Therefore every one that eateth it shall bear his iniquity, because he hath profaned the hallowed thing of the Lord: and that soul shall be cut off from among his people.

  • Matthew 26:63

    But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God.

  • Leviticus 20:17

    And if a man shall take his sister, his father’s daughter, or his mother’s daughter, and see her nakedness, and she see his nakedness; it is a wicked thing; and they shall be cut off in the sight of their people: he hath uncovered his sister’s nakedness; he shall bear his iniquity.

  • Leviticus 17:16

    But if he wash them not, nor bathe his flesh; then he shall bear his iniquity.

  • Numbers 9:13

    But the man that is clean, and is not in a journey, and forbeareth to keep the passover, even the same soul shall be cut off from among his people: because he brought not the offering of the Lord in his appointed season, that man shall bear his sin.

  • Ezekiel 18:4

    Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.

  • Isaiah 53:11

    He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.

  • 1 Kings 8:31

    If any man trespass against his neighbour, and an oath be laid upon him to cause him to swear, and the oath come before thine altar in this house:

  • Proverbs 30:9

    Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the Lord? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
1 He that sins in concealing his knowledge;
2 in touching an unclean thing;
4 or in making an oath.
6 His trespass offering, of the flock;
7 of fowls;
11 or of flour.
14 The trespass offering in sacrilege;
17 and in sins of ignorance.

a soul.
15,17; 4:2; Eze 18:4,20
hear.
Ex 22:11; Jud 17:2; 1Ki 8:31; 22:16; 2Ch 18:15; Pr 29:24; 30:9
Mt 26:63
the voice of swearing.{Kol alah,} rather, "the voice of adjuration," [phónén orkismou,] as the LXX. render; for this does not relate to the duty of informing against a common swearer, but to the case of a person who, being adjured by the civil magistrate to answer upon oath, refuses to declare what he knows upon the subject--such an one shall bear his iniquity--shall be considered as guilty in the sight of God of the transgression which he has endeavoured to conceal, and must expect to be punished for hiding the iniquity with which he was acquainted.
bear.
17; 7:18; 17:16; 19:8; 20:17; Nu 9:13; Ps 38:4; Isa 53:11; 1Pe 2:24

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Leviticus 5:1

    And if a soul sin, and hear the voice of swearing, and is a witness, whether he hath seen or known of it; if he do not utter it, then he shall bear his iniquity.

  • Leviticus 5:2

    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.

Read all of Leviticus 5

Leviticus 5:1 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y CUANDO alguna persona pecare, que hubiere oído la voz del que juró, y él fuere testigo que vió, ó supo, si no lo denunciare, él llevará su pecado.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		*Et si quelqu’un a péché en ce que, étant témoin et ayant entendu la voix d’adjuration, ayant vu ou su, il ne déclare pas la chose, alors il portera son iniquité;
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und wenn jemand sündigt, daß er die Stimme des Fluches hört, und er war Zeuge, sei es daß er es gesehen oder gewußt hat, -wenn er es nicht anzeigt, so soll er seine Ungerechtigkeit tragen;
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Si peccaverit anima, et audierit vocem jurantis, testisque fuerit quod aut ipse vidit, aut conscius est: nisi indicaverit, portabit iniquitatem suam.