Leviticus 5

Chap. VI. ver. 2. — trespass against the Lord.] False swearing, ver. 3, is a sin directly against God; and any wrong to our neighbour is an indirect offence against God, being a breach of His Commandments. Bp. Kidder. The trespasses specified in this verse are, “lying unto a neighbour in that which was delivered,” that is, denying a trust which had been committed to him by a neighbour, or “in fellowship,” (in Hebrew “putting of the hand;”) alluding either to a contract between two parties, or to partnership in trade—or “in a thing taken away by violence,” that is, by robbery or stealth, as the Hebrew word signifies—or “deceiving his neighbour,” where the Hebrew expression signifies calumny, false accusation, and extortion. Bp. Patrick.

Leviticus 5:2

2. — touch any unclean thing.] The Hebrew doctors explain this of those persons, who, having touched an unclean thing, come into the sanctuary or eat of holy things: otherwise, it was sufficient to wash themselves to get rid of the uncleanness, chap. xi. 25, 40; but still this may apply to those who neglected to wash themselves as prescribed. Bp. Patrick.

— guilty.] Having contracted a legal pollution. Bp. Kidder.

Leviticus 5:3

3. — uncleanness of man.] Which is described in chap. xii, xiii, xv.

Leviticus 5:4

4. Or if a soul swear, &c.] That is, if a person swear rashly and inconsiderately in the common affairs of life, that he will or will not do something, whether good or

evil, &c. and if “it be hid from him,” that is, if he have not rightly considered the thing before, whether it was in his power or not; whether it were lawful or not; or if through forgetfulness he omit to do what he might have done, when he knoweth it, “he shall be guilty, &c.” Bp. Patrick. From this and other passages it appears, that God knowing the frailty and corruption of our nature, whereby no man is able always to stand upright, but will sometimes fall into sin, and so be liable to death and misery, He Himself of His infinite mercy to His own people was pleased to provide a remedy for them, whereby they might be freed, in ordinary cases, from the guilt contracted. Bp. Beveridge.

Leviticus 5:7

7. — sin offering, — burnt offering.] He was first to make his peace with God by a sin offering; and then his burnt offering or gift would be accepted. Bp. Patrick.

Leviticus 5:11

11. — the tenth part of an ephah] It must have been a great satisfaction to the poor, to find that so small and easy an offering would as effectually make their peace with God, as if they had been in a condition to bring oblations of greater value. Besides, this plainly shewed them that the intrinsic value of the offering was nothing, and admonished them of the necessity of a sacrifice infinitely more efficacious. Biblioth. Bibl.

— no oil — neither shall he put any frankincense] The sin offering was to be offered without oil or frankincense, as an intimation that sin is most displeasing to God. Bp. Kidder. As oil and frankincense had delicacy in them, they were by no means suitable to that contri-

for sacrilege, and for sins of ignorance. Before CHRIST 1400. b Chap. 8. 2. c Chap. 4. 25.

priest, and the priest shall take his handful of it, $^(b)$ even a memorial thereof, and burn it on the altar, $^(c)$ according to the offerings made by fire unto the LORD: it is a sin offering.

Leviticus 5:13

13. And the priest shall make an atonement for him] Whoever among the Israelites, on account of any sin or uncleanness, was excluded from the worship of the tabernacle, could only recover the Divine favour through the intercession of the priest, who was said on these occasions to “make atonement;” which he ordinarily did, by appearing before God in the holy place, with the blood of the appointed victim. An offering of blood was not indeed so absolutely required, but that on particular occasions the law in this respect was relaxed: as in the case of extreme poverty, when the substitution of a less expensive offering was allowed. But on all occasions the ministry of the priest was so indispensably necessary, that without it no atonement could be made. See ver. 10, 11; chap. xiv. 20; xvi. 16, 33. Veysie.

Leviticus 5:15

15. If a soul—sin through ignorance.] If a person, through error, forgetfulness, or inadvertency, take or detain what is due to the sanctuary or the priests, the oblations or firstfruits, or the like. Biblioth. Bibl.

— with thy estimation by shekels] At least two shekels, as the Jewish doctors observe. Besides his sacrifice, he was to make satisfaction in money, according as the priest should estimate the damage. Bp. Patrick.

— shekel of the sanctuary.] See note on Exod. xxx. 13.

— for a trespass offering:] The difference between the sin offering and the trespass offering is not distinctly ascertained. The principal difference seems to have consisted in this: a sin offering was for a thing done

ignorantly against one of the negative precepts, and now known to be certainly done. The trespass offering, on the other hand, was for an act committed, when it was doubtful whether a precept was violated by the action: in this, the person, being uncertain whether he had trespassed or not, was to bring a trespass offering, to secure him against the penalty of “cutting off,” which he otherwise incurred: and, if once he came to know that he had offended against a commandment by the action, then he was to make atonement by a sin offering. Levis.

Perhaps the trespass offering was for sins of lesser importance, as the omission of some duties, and the neglect of observing the legal washings and purifications; whereas the sin offering was for greater offences, in the commission of things forbidden by God. Dr. Beaumont.

The trespass offering, though, in many things, like the sin offering, yet in other things differed from it. 1. A female was allowed in a sin offering, but a male was required in the trespass offering; compare chap. iv. 28, with chap. vi. 6. 2. The blood of the sin offering was to be put upon the horns of the altar, chap. iv. 34; that of the trespass offering to be sprinkled round about the altar, chap. vi. 2. 3. The sin offering was sometimes offered for the whole congregation, chap. iv. 13; the trespass offering was for a single person. Bp. Kidder.

Leviticus 5:16

16.— he shall make amends &c.] By this law those, who had taken or withheld by mistake any thing dedicated to God, were not only to offer a sacrifice, but also to make restitution, and even to add to it a fifth part. Whence we learn our indispensable obligation to restore whatever we are unlawfully possessed of: and since those, who had withheld any sacred thing ignorantly, were bound to make restitution, even above the value of it, the duty of restitution must be still more indispensable, when we have taken and withheld, knowingly and wilfully, what does not belong to us. Ostervald.

Divers offerings. Divers offerings. Before CHRIST 1490. dealing, putting of the hand. a Numb. 5. 6. b Chap. 5. 16. day of his being found guilty. day of his trespass. Chap. 5. 15.