Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Leviticus 5:6
And he shall bring his trespass offering unto the LORD for his sin which he hath sinned, a female from the flock, a lamb or a kid of the goats, for a sin offering; and the priest shall make an atonement for him concerning his sin.
6. his guilt offering ] The Heb. word ’shm, guilt, here and in Lev 5:7 is also translated guilt ( trespass A.V.) offering in Lev 5:15-16 ; Lev 5:18, Lev 6:6 (for the attitude of the Heb. mind which led to this ambiguity in the sense of ’shm see Kennett, etc. Conceptions of Righteousness and Sin, p. 8). But the offering here brought is described as a Sin-Offering, and the two birds of Lev 5:7 are intended the one for a Sin-Offering, and the other for a Burnt-Offering. Moreover the substitute for the offering of Lev 5:7-10 ( Lev 5:11-13) is twice called a Sin-Offering. In the regulations for the Sin-Offering (Lev 4:13; Lev 4:22; Lev 4:27, Lev 5:2-4) the bringer of a Sin-Offering is described as guilty ( ’shm), and from 2Ki 12:16 (‘money for the guilt offerings,’ A.V. ‘trespass money,’ Heb. kseph’shm) it appears that Guilt-Offerings were sometimes brought in money. It seems that in these verses the Sin-Offering is regarded as a fine due from one who is guilty, and the clause might be translated ‘and he shall bring as his guilt-fine unto the Lord,’ and similarly in Lev 5:7. From the LXX. rendering in Lev 5:7 it is possible, but by no means certain, that they read ‘he shall bring his Sin-Offering for that wherein he hath sinned.’ If this reading be adopted, the unusual meaning of’ shm will be confined to Lev 5:6.
for his sin which he hath sinned ] more literally, as his penalty which he has incurred by sin.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Quest. How comes confession and a sacrifice to be necessary for him that touched an unclean thing, when such persons were cleansed with simple washing, as appears from Le 11; Num 19?
Answ. This place speaks of him that being so unclean did come into the tabernacle, as may be gathered by comparing this place with Num 19:13, which if any man did, knowing himself to be unclean, which was the case there, he was to be cut off for it; and if he did it ignorantly, which is the case here, Lev 4:2, he was upon discovery of it to offer this sacrifice. Interpreters dispute much what the difference is between sins and trespasses, and between sin-offerings and trespass-offerings. Some make the one for omissions, the other for commissions; the one for greater, the other for lesser sins; the one for known sins, the other for sins of ignorance; in all which there seems to be more curiosity than solidity. Either they seem to be the same, as may be gathered from Lev 4:6, where those two words, asham and theta, which they so carefully and critically distinguish, are both used concerning the trespass-offerings, and from Lev 4:9; or the difference may be this, that sin-offerings were more indefinite or general, being for any particular sin, and trespass-offerings more restrained and particular, for such sins as were more scandalous and injurious, either to God by blasphemy, as Lev 4:1, or to his sanctuary, by approaching to it in ones uncleanness, Lev 4:2,3, as hath been now said; or to ones neighbour, by swearing to do to them either the good which we afterwards cannot or do not, or the evil which we should not; or to the priests and holy things of God, Lev 4:15.
A female; because those sins were less than others, as being committed ignorantly or unwittingly, and therefore God would accept a meaner sacrifice for them.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
6-14. he shall bring his trespassoffering unto the Lord for his sins which he hath sinnedAtrespass offering differed from a sin offering in the followingrespects: that it was appointed for persons who had either done evilunwittingly, or were in doubt as to their own criminality; or feltthemselves in such a special situation as required sacrifices of thatkind [BROWN]. The trespassoffering appointed in such cases was a female lamb or kid; if unableto make such an offering, he might bring a pair of turtledoves or twoyoung pigeonsthe one to be offered for a sin offering, the otherfor a burnt offering; or if even that was beyond his ability,the law would be satisfied with the tenth part of an ephah of fineflour without oil or frankincense.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And he shall bring his trespass offering unto the Lord, for the sin which he hath sinned,…. To make atonement for it; this was typical of the sacrifice of Christ, whose soul was made an offering for sin, , “Asham” a trespass offering, Isa 53:10 where the same word is used as here:
a female from the flock, a lamb, or kid of the goats, for a sin offering; it is generally thought there was a difference between a trespass offering and a sin offering; but it is not easy to say wherein the difference lies; and what has been observed by learned men is not very satisfactory: and certain it is, that the same offering is here called both a trespass offering and a sin offering; and such as were men of substance, and capable of it, were to bring a female lamb or kid; it being for sins of ignorance, a sacrifice of a less value was admitted; yet it must be a lamb, typical of Christ the Lamb of God; and atonement cannot be made, even for sins of ignorance, but by the blood and sacrifice of Christ:
and the priest shall make an atonement for him concerning his sin; that is, by offering his sacrifice for him, which was a type of the atonement made by the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without spot and blemish.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
6. And he shall bring his trespass-offering. He proceeds with what we have already been considering, as to the removal of guilt by sacrifice; but he begins to make a distinction between the poor and the rich, which distinction applies also to what has gone before; hence it appears that the order is not exactly observed by Moses, since the cases which he inserts seem to interrupt the thread of his discourse; yet the fact remains clear, that whosoever have fallen through error are unclean until they have offered an atonement. But what had been before omitted is here inserted, that the poor and needy are not to be pressed beyond the extent of their means; nay, the different grades of offering are appointed, so that he to whom it was not convenient to offer two turtle-doves, or pigeons, might be quit for a small measure of flour. Hence we infer that God’s only design was to shew the one true means of reconciliation to the people, that they might have recourse to the Mediator and His sacrifice; for the poor are here commanded to offer either two turtle-doves, or a small quantity of meal, which would propitiate God towards them, just as much as would the victim required of the rich. The citation, (268) however, which our interpreters make from the poet is a lame one; viz., “Whoever shall have brought integrity of mind into the temples, makes a sacrifice of corn;” since this blind man did not see what was the object of sacrifices, and thus despised all kinds of propitiations, as if purity and innocency alone recommended men to God. We must remember, then, that the victims of themselves were of no importance, and yet that the ancient people were exercised in these ceremonies, to teach them that God can only be appeased by the payment of a ransom.
(268) “ Un poete payen a dit, ‘que celuy qui offrira un grain d’encens, ou un espi de ble en integritd de coeur, appaisera Dieu autant que s’il tuoit une centaine de bestes.’ Or, Il n’a parle qu’a demi, et m’esbahi comment les Chrestiens osent alleguer ceste sentence comme vraye;” a heathen poet has said, that he who shall offer a grain of incense, or an ear of corn in integrity of heart, will appease God as much as if he had killed a hundred beasts. Now he only spoke by halves; and I am astonished how Christians dare to allege this sentence, as if it were true. — Fr.
The reference is probably to Persius, Sat 2, in finem —
” Composttum jus, fasque animi, sanctosque recessus Mentis, et incoctum generoso pectus honesto, Hoc cedo ut admoveam templis, etfarre litabo.”
Horace has nearly the same idea, Od. 3:23, 17-20 —
” Immunis aram si tetigit manus, Non sumptuosa blandior hostia Mollivit aversos Penates Farre pio, et saliente mica .”
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(6) And he shall bring his trespass offering . . . a lamb or a kid of the goats.Better, a sheep, or a shaggy she-goat (see Lev. 4:23; Lev. 4:32). The first thing to be noticed is that the sacrifice is here called (shm) trespass offering, which is the right rendering of the word, and is so translated in thirty-five out of the thirty-six passages in which it is used for a sacrifice. In the verse before us, and in the rest of this section, viz., Lev. 5:7-13, which treat of this sacrifice, no distinction is made between the ranks of the offenders. There is no special legislation for the high priest, the whole congregation, or the prince, as in the case with the (chtth) sin offering, which is described in the former chapter. The spiritual officer and temporal sovereign are here on a level with the ordinary layman. There is no scale in the sacrifices corresponding to the position of the sinner. They are all alike to bring the same victim, either sheep or she goat. Though nothing is here said about the sacrificial rites which were to be performed in connection with the victim, in this case it is implied that, apart from the minor deviations here specified, they were to be the same as those in connection with the sin offering. The rule which obtained during the second Temple, is as follows: the trespass offerings were killed, and their blood sprinkled, as is before described in Numbers 4; they were then flayed, the fat and the inwards taken out and salted, and strewed on the fire upon the altar. The residue of this flesh was eaten by the priests in the court, like the sin offerings.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
6. Trespass offering sin offering These are here apparently used as equivalent or convertible terms. This constitutes the difficulty of discriminating between them confessed by Gesenius. He has scriptural grounds for viewing them as essentially identical in Lev 7:7, where it is said “as is the sin offering so is the trespass offering, there is one law for them.” Keil endeavours to maintain a difference by denying that asham, trespass offering, or rather guilt or debt offering, in this verse and the following, “means either guilt offering or debitum, (Knobel,) but culpa, guilt, or delictum, offence. But this meaning would not make good sense if substituted for trespass offering in this verse. Keil reads the next verse thus: “he shall bring as his guilt, that is, for the expiation of his guilt.” This is approved by Fairbairn, who resolves this double star into two distinct orbs by assuming that the asham, as an offering, is not spoken of till Lev 5:14, and then is limited to offences admitting of some sort of an estimation and recompense, and quotes Num 5:5-8 in proof. This view is now generally concurred in, also, by Hengstenberg, Keil, Bahr, Kurtz, and others. Professor Murphy’s distinction is this, in brief: in propitiation are two distinct things expiation, the payment of the penalty, and satisfaction, the performance of the righteousness due to the law. The sin offering typifies chiefly the expiation, and the trespass offering the obedience or satisfaction. Every moral offence is both a sin and a trespass, hence both offerings may be made for the same act. But, if this theory be correct, both offerings ought to be made for every sin, in order to its perfect propitiation.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Lev 5:6. His trespass-offering The original word asham, trespass, extends further than cheit, sin, even to sins against knowledge: but the precise difference between them it is not easy to settle: we refer to Outram de Sacrificiis, as before. Dr. Beaumont observes, that “these trespass-offerings were for sins of less importance, as omission of some duties, and not observing the legal washings and purifications, &c. whereas the sin-offerings in ch. 4 were for greater offences, in doing of things forbidden of God: and, therefore, these oblations for trespasses of this kind were made less, if the sinner were poor, (see Lev 5:11.) which, in the former, were never lessened; see ch. 4″
REFLECTIONS.Three instances of trespass are mentioned; 1. Concealing the truth, when adjured by the judges. In all cases of an oath, we must speak the whole truth, as well as nothing but the truth: to hide it, is as criminal as to add to it. 2. Contracting ceremonial uncleanness, and not washing according to law before they came to the tabernacle. When it came to their knowledge, they were to confess their sin, and bring their offering. Note; When God’s spirit awakens the conscience, we begin to see ourselves guilty, where we never suspected harm. 3. Rashly swearing, either to do what is unlawful or impracticable. Though a rash vow may be better broken than kept, yet, like a two-edged sword, it cuts both ways. No member needs stricter government than the tongue.
An offering in these cases must be brought, accompanied with humble and particular confession of the sin. True penitents never deal in merely general acknowledgments, but in a distinct and particular enumeration of their sins. Then the priest made the atonement, and the sin was pardoned. Though our repentance be not the cause of our acceptance, but Christ’s blood alone, yet they are inseparable: true faith ever produces true penitence.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Observe, the atonement is made by the priest; that is, as typical of CHRIST. Isa 53:10 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Lev 5:6 And he shall bring his trespass offering unto the LORD for his sin which he hath sinned, a female from the flock, a lamb or a kid of the goats, for a sin offering; and the priest shall make an atonement for him concerning his sin.
Ver. 6. For his sin which he hath sinned. ] Bending his thoughts upon that particular sin. It is charged upon Israel, that they “remembered not that they lay in their blood.” Eze 16:22
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
his trespass offering = as his trespass offering. Hebrew. ‘asham.
the LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah. App-4.
sin. Hebrew. chata. App-44.
make an atonement. See note on Exo 26:33.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
trespass offering
The trespass-offerings have in view rather the injury which sin does than its guilt– which is the sin-offering aspect. What is due to God’s rights in every human being is here meant. Psa 51:4, is a perfect expression of this.
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes
trespass offering: It is remarkable, that in this and the following verse, the sacrifice offered is indifferently called asham, a trespass offering, and chattath, a sin offering; yet the Marginal References show that these differ in several respects. Sin offerings were sometimes offered for the whole congregation; trespass offerings never, but only for particular persons. Bullocks were sometimes used for sin offerings, never for trespass offerings. The blood of the sin offerings was put on the horns of the altar, that of the trespass offerings was only sprinkled round the bottom of the altar. The sin offering seems to have been for the expiation of offences committed in matters of religion, from a mistake or inadvertency respecting the law; but the trespass offering was required for the casual deviations from the ritual law, when well known, or for crimes against moral precepts, implying injustice to man. Lev 4:28, Lev 4:32, Lev 6:6, Lev 7:1-7, Lev 14:12, Lev 14:13, Lev 19:21, Lev 19:22, Num 6:12, Eze 40:39, Eze 42:13
a female: Lev 4:28, Lev 4:32
the priest: Lev 4:20
Reciprocal: Exo 12:3 – lamb Exo 29:14 – it is a Lev 1:4 – atonement Lev 4:19 – General Lev 4:35 – and the priest shall make Lev 5:10 – make Lev 5:11 – for it is Lev 5:13 – the priest Lev 5:16 – and the priest Lev 12:6 – a lamb Lev 14:19 – General Num 18:9 – every trespass Num 19:13 – purifieth 1Sa 6:3 – a trespass
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Lev 5:6. His trespass-offering But how come confession and sacrifice to be necessary for him that touched an unclean thing, when such persons were cleansed with simple washing, as appears from Leviticus 11., and Numbers 19.? This place speaks of him that being so unclean did come into the tabernacle, as may be gathered by comparing this place with Num 19:13; which if any man did, knowing himself to be unclean, which was the case there, he was to be cut off for it; and if he did it ignorantly, which was the case here, he was, upon discovery of it, to offer this sacrifice.