^5:17“If a person sins and violates any of the Lord’s commandments which must not be violated⁵² (although he did not know it at the time,⁵³ but later realizes he is guilty), then he will bear his punishment for iniquity⁵⁴^5:18and must bring a flawless ram from the flock, convertible into silver shekels,⁵⁵ for a guilt offering to the priest. So the priest will make atonement⁵⁶ on his behalf for his error which he committed⁵⁷ (although he himself had not known it) and he will be forgiven.⁵⁸^5:19It is a guilt offering; he was surely guilty before the Lord.”

Trespass by Deception and False Oath

^{6:1 (5:20)}¹ Then the Lord spoke to Moses:²^6:2“When a person sins and commits a trespass³ against the Lord by deceiving his fellow citizen⁴ in regard to something held in trust, or a pledge, or something stolen, or by extorting something from his fellow citizen,⁵^6:3or has found something lost and denies it and swears falsely⁶ concerning any one of the things that someone might do to sin⁷—^6:4when it happens that he sins and he is found guilty,⁸ then he must return whatever he had stolen, or whatever he had extorted, or the thing that he had held in trust,⁹ or the lost thing that he had found, ^6:5or anything about which he swears falsely.¹⁰ He must restore it in full¹¹ and add one fifth to it; he must give it to its owner when he is found guilty.¹²^6:6Then he must bring his guilt offering to the Lord, a flawless ram from the flock, convertible into silver shekels,¹³ for a guilt offering to the priest. ^6:7So the priest will make atonement¹⁴ on his behalf before the Lord and he will be forgiven¹⁵ for whatever he has done to become guilty.”¹⁶

Sacrificial Instructions for the Priests: The Burnt Offering

^{6:8 (6:1)}¹⁷ Then the Lord spoke to Moses:¹⁸^6:9“Command Aaron and his sons, ‘This is the law of the burnt offering. The burnt offering is to remain on the hearth¹⁹ on the altar all night until morning, and the fire of the altar must be kept burning on it.²⁰^6:10Then the priest must put on his linen robe and must put linen leggings²¹ over his bare flesh, and he must take up the fatty ashes of the burnt offering that the fire consumed on the altar,²² and he must place them²³ beside the altar. ^6:11Then he must take off his clothes and put on other clothes, and he must bring the fatty ashes outside the camp to a ceremonially²⁴ clean place, ^6:12but the fire which is on the altar must be kept burning on it.²⁵ It must not be extinguished. So the priest must kindle wood on it morning by morning, and he must arrange the burnt offering on it and offer the fat of the peace offering up in smoke on it. ^6:13A continual fire must be kept burning on the altar. It must not be extinguished.

The Grain Offering of the Common Person

^6:14“ ‘This is the law of the grain offering. The sons of Aaron are to present it²⁶ before the Lord in front of the altar,

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Footnotes

52 Heb “and does one from all of the commandments of the Lord which must not be done.”
53 The words “at the time” are not in the Hebrew text, but are implied.
54 Heb “and he did not know, and he shall be guilty and he shall bear his iniquity” (for the rendering “bear his punishment [for iniquity]”) see the note on .) This portion of v. 17 is especially difficult. The translation offered here suggests (as in many other English versions) that the offender did not originally know that he had violated the Lord’s commandments, but then came to know it and dealt with it accordingly (cf. the corresponding sin offering section in Lev 5:1–4). Another possibility is that it refers to a situation where a person suspects that he violated something although he does not recollect it. Thus, he brings a guilt offering for his suspected violation (J. Milgrom, Leviticus [], 1:, ). See also R. E. Averbeck, 1:.
55 The statement here is condensed. See the full expression in 5:15 and the there.
56 Regarding “make atonement” see the note on .
57 Heb “on his straying which he strayed.” See the note on .
58 Heb “there shall be forgiveness to him” or “it shall be forgiven to him” ( and both similar).
1 Beginning with 6:1, the verse numbers through 6:30 in the English Bible differ from the verse numbers in the Hebrew text (), with 6:1 = 5:20 , 6:2 = 5:21 , 6:8 = 6:1 , etc., through 6:30 = 6:23 . Beginning with 7:1 the verse numbers in the English text and Hebrew text are again the same.
2 This paragraph is Lev 6:1–7 in the English Bible but Lev 5:20–26 in the Hebrew text. The quotation introduced by v. 1 extends from Lev 6:2 (5:21 ) through 6:7 (5:26 ), encompassing the third main section of guilt offering regulations. Compare the notes on ; ; and above.
3 Heb “trespasses a trespass” (verb and direct object from the same Hebrew root מַעַל, ma’al). See the note on .
4 Or “neighbor” (, , , , ); “companion”; “a fellow-Israelite.”
5 Heb “has extorted his neighbor”; “oppressed”; “defrauded.”
6 Heb “and swears on falsehood”; cf. “deny something while under oath.”
7 Heb “on one from all which the man shall do to sin in them.”
8 Heb “and it shall happen, when he sins and becomes guilty,” which is both resumptive of the previous (vv. 2–3) and the conclusion to the protasis (cf. “then” introducing the next clause as the apodosis). In this case, “becomes guilty” (cf. , ) probably refers to his legal status as one who has been convicted of a crime in court; thus the translation “he is found guilty.” See R. E. Averbeck, 1:.
9 Heb “that had been held in trust with him.”
10 Heb “or from all which he swears on it to falsehood.”
11 Heb “in its head.” This refers “the full amount” in terms of the “principal,” the original item or amount obtained illegally (J. Milgrom, Leviticus [], 1:; J. E. Hartley, Leviticus [], ).
12 Heb “to whom it is to him he shall give it in the day of his being guilty.” The present translation is based on the view that he has been found guilty through the legal process (see the note on v. above; cf., e.g., and B. A. Levine, Leviticus [], ). Others translate the latter part as “in the day he offers his guilt [reparation] offering” (e.g., and J. E. Hartley, Leviticus [], , ), or “in the day he realizes his guilt” (e.g., and J. Milgrom, Leviticus [], 1:, ).
13 The words “into silver shekels” are supplied here. See the full expression in Lev 5:15, and compare 5:18. Cf. “or its equivalent”; “or the animal’s equivalent value in silver.”
14 Regarding “make atonement” see the note on .
15 Heb “there shall be forgiveness to him” or “it shall be forgiven to him” ( similar).
16 Heb “on one from all which he does to become guilty in it”; “whatever guilt he may have incurred.”
17 Lev 6:8 in the English Bible = 6:1 in the Hebrew text. See also the note on .
18 The following paragraphs are Lev 6:8–30 in the English Bible but 6:1–23 in the Hebrew text. This initial verse makes the special priestly regulations for the people’s burnt and grain offerings into a single unit (i.e., Lev 6:8–18 [6:1–11 ]; cf. Lev 1–2 above). Note also the separate introductions for various priestly regulations in Lev 6:19 [12 ], 24 [17 ], and for the common people in Lev 7:22, 28 below.
19 Heb “It is the burnt offering on the hearth.”
20 Heb “in it.” In this context “in it” apparently refers to the “hearth” which was on top of the altar.
21 The exact nature of this article of the priest’s clothing is difficult to determine. Cf. , “breeches”; “drawers”; , , , “undergarments”; “underclothes”; “underwear”; “shorts.”
22 Heb “he shall lift up the fatty ashes which the fire shall consume the burnt offering on the altar.”
23 Heb “it,” referring the “fatty ashes” as a single unit.
24 The word “ceremonially” has been supplied in the translation to clarify that the uncleanness of the place involved is ritual or ceremonial in nature.
25 Heb “in it,” apparently referring to the “hearth” which was on top of the altar (cf. the note on v. ).
26 Heb “offering it, the sons of Aaron.” The verb is a Hiphil infinitive absolute, which is used here in place of the finite verb as either a jussive ( §113.cc, “let the sons of Aaron offer”) or more likely an injunctive in light of the verbs that follow ( 2: §123.v, “the sons of Aaron shall/must offer”).