translation_id: net-engnet

book_id: LEV

label: NET translator note

text: Heb “And a person when he sins.” Most English versions translate this as the protasis of a conditional clause: “if a person sins” (NASB, NIV). sn The same expression occurs in Lev 4:2 where it introduces sins done “by straying unintentionally from any of the commandments of the Lord which must not be done” (see the notes there). Lev 5:1-13 is an additional section of sin offering regulations directed at violations other than those referred to by this expression in Lev 4:2 (see esp. 5:1-6 ), and expanding on the offering regulations for the common person in Lev 4:27-35 with concessions to the poor common person ( 5:7-13 ).


text: The words “against one who fails to testify” are not in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied to make sense of the remark about the “curse” (“imprecation” or “oath”; cf. ASV “adjuration”; NIV “public charge”) for the modern reader. For the interpretation of this verse reflected in the present translation see J. Milgrom, Leviticus (AB), 1:292-97.


text: The words “what had happened” are not in the Hebrew text, but are implied.


text: Heb “and hears a voice of curse, and he is a witness or he saw or he knew, if he does not declare.”


text: Heb “and he shall bear his iniquity.” The rendering “bear the punishment (for the iniquity)” reflects the use of the word “iniquity” to refer to the punishment for iniquity (cf. NRSV, NLT “subject to punishment”). It is sometimes referred to as the consequential use of the term (cf. Lev 5:17; 7:18; 10:17 ; etc.).


label: NET textual note

text: The insertion of the words “when there is” is a reflection of the few Hebrew mss , Smr, and LXX that have כִּי ( ki , “when, if”; cf. vv. 3 and esp. 4) rather than the MT’s אֲשֶׁר (’ asher , “who”). Many English versions render this as a conditional clause (“if”).


text: The word “ceremonially” has been supplied in the translation to clarify that the uncleanness involved is ritual or ceremonial in nature.


text: Heb “and it is hidden from him,” meaning that the person who contracted the ceremonial uncleanness was not aware at the time what had happened, but later found out that he had become ceremonially unclean. This same phrase occurs again in both vv. 3 and 4 .


text: Heb “or if he touches uncleanness of mankind to any of his uncleanness which he becomes unclean in it.”


text: Heb “to speak thoughtlessly”; cf. NAB “rashly utters an oath.”


text: Heb “and is guilty to one from these,” probably referring here to any of “these” things about which one might swear a thoughtless oath (J. E. Hartley, Leviticus [WBC], 45), with the word “oath” supplied in the translation for clarity. Another possibility is that “to one from these” is a dittography from v. 5 (cf. the note on v. 5 a), and that v. 4 ends with “and is guilty” like vv. 2 and 3 (J. Milgrom, Leviticus [AB], 1:300).


text: Heb “and it shall happen when he becomes guilty to one from these,” referring to any of “these” possible transgressions in Lev 5:1-4 . Tg. Onq. , the original Greek translation, and the Latin Vulgate omit this clause, possibly due to homoioteleuton because of the repetition of “to one from these” from the end of v. 4 in v. 5 a (cf. the note on v. 4 b). sn What all the transgressions in Lev 5:1-4 have in common is that the time is past for handling the original situation properly (i.e., testifying in court, following purity regulations, or fulfilling an oath), so now the person has become guilty and needs to follow corrective sacrificial procedures.


text: Heb “which he sinned on it”; cf. ASV “confess that wherein he hath sinned”; NCV “must tell how he sinned.”


text: In this context the word for “guilt” ( אָשָׁם , ’ asham ) refers to the “penalty” for incurring guilt, the so-called consequential אָשָׁם (J. Milgrom, Leviticus [AB], 1:303; cf. the note on Lev 5:1 ).


text: See the note on 4:26 regarding the use of מִן ( min ).


text: Heb “and if his hand does not reach enough of a flock animal” (see the note on v. 11 below). The term translated “animal from the flock” ( שֶׂה , seh ) is often translated “lamb” (e.g., KJV, NASB, NIV, NCV) or “sheep” (e.g., NRSV, TEV, NLT), but it clearly includes either a sheep or a goat here (cf. v. 6 ), referring to the smaller pasture animals as opposed to the larger ones (i.e., cattle; cf. 4:3 ). Some English versions use the more generic “animal” (e.g., NAB, CEV).


text: Heb “and he shall bring his guilt which he sinned,” which is an abbreviated form of Lev 5:6 , “and he shall bring his [penalty for] guilt to the Lord for his sin which he committed.” The words “for his sin” have been left out in v. 7 , and “to the Lord ” has been moved so that it follows the mention of the birds.


text: See the note on Lev 1:14 above.


text: Heb “he.” The subject (“he”) refers to the priest here, not the offerer who presented the birds to the priest (cf. v. 8 a).


text: Heb “he shall not divide [it]” (see J. Milgrom, Leviticus [AB], 1:305).


text: The Hebrew verb וְהִזָּה ( vÿhizzah , Hiphil of נָזָה , nazah ) does indeed mean “sprinkle” or “splatter” (cf. Lev 4:6, 17 ). Contrast “splash” in Lev 1:5 , etc. ( זָרָק , zaraq ).


text: Heb “the remainder in the blood.” The Heb. preposition “in” ( בְּ , bÿ ) is used here to mean “some among” a whole collection of something.


text: The word “bird” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.


text: See the note on 4:26 with regard to מִן , min .


text: Heb “there shall be forgiveness to him” or “it shall be forgiven to him” (KJV similar).


text: Heb “and if his hand does not reach [or is not sufficient] to”; cf. NASB “if his means are insufficient for.” The expression is the same as that in Lev 5:7 above except for the verb: נָשַׂג ( nasag , “to collect, to reach, to be sufficient”) is used here, but נָגַע ( nagah , “to touch, to reach”) is used in v. 7 . Smr has the former in both v. 7 and 11 .


text: See the note on Lev 1:14 above (cf. also 5:7 ).


text: Heb “and he shall bring his offering which he sinned.” Like the similar expression in v. 7 above (see the note there), this is an abbreviated form of Lev 5:6 , “and he shall bring his [penalty for] guilt to the Lord for his sin which he committed.” Here the words “to the Lord for his sin” have been left out, and “his [penalty for] guilt” has been changed to “his offering.”


text: See the note on Lev 2:1 above.


text: Heb “from one from these,” referring to the four kinds of violations of the law delineated in Lev 5:1-4 (see the note on Lev 5:5 above and cf. Lev 4:27 ).


text: Heb “and it”; the referent (the remaining portion of the offering) has been specified in the translation for clarity.


text: Heb “and it shall be to the priest like the grain offering,” referring to the rest of the grain that was not offered on the altar (cf. the regulations in Lev 2:3, 10 ).


text: Heb “trespasses a trespass” (verb and direct object from the same Hebrew root, מַעַל , ma ’ al ); cf. NIV “commits a violation.” The word refers to some kind of overstepping of the boundary between that which is common (i.e., available for common use by common people) and that which is holy (i.e., to be used only for holy purposes because it has been consecrated to the Lord , see further below). See the note on Lev 10:10 .


text: See Lev 4:2 above for a note on “straying.”


text: Here the word for “guilt” ( אָשָׁם , ’ asham ) refers to the “penalty” for incurring guilt, the so-called consequential use of אָשָׁם (’ asham ; see J. Milgrom, Leviticus [AB], 1:303).


text: Heb “in your valuation, silver of shekels, in the shekel of the sanctuary.” The translation offered here suggests that, instead of a ram, the guilt offering could be presented in the form of money (see, e.g., NRSV; J. Milgrom, Leviticus [AB], 1:326-27). Others still maintain the view that it refers to the value of the ram that was offered (see, e.g., NIV “of the proper value in silver, according to the sanctuary shekel”; also NAB, NLT; J. E. Hartley, Leviticus [WBC], 72-73, 81). sn The sanctuary shekel was about 10 grams (= ca. two fifths of an ounce; J. E. Shepherd, NIDOTTE 4:237-38).


text: The word for “guilt offering” (sometimes translated “reparation offering”) is the same as “guilt” earlier in the verse (rendered there “[penalty for] guilt”). One can tell which is intended only by the context. sn The primary purpose of the guilt offering was to “atone” (see the note on Lev 1:4 above) for “trespassing” on the Lord ’s “holy things” (see later in this verse) or the property of others in the community ( Lev 6:1-7 [5:20-26 HT]; 19:20-22 ; Num 5:5-10 ). It was closely associated with reconsecration of the Lord ’s sacred things or his sacred people (see, e.g., Lev 14:12-18 ; Num 6:11 b-12). Moreover, there was usually an associated reparation made for the trespass, including restitution of that which was violated plus one fifth of its value as a fine ( Lev 5:16; 6:5 [5:24 HT]). See R. E. Averbeck, NIDOTTE 1:557-66.


text: Heb “and which he sinned from the holy thing.”


text: Heb “and does one from all of the commandments of the Lord which must not be done.”


text: The words “at the time” are not in the Hebrew text, but are implied.


text: 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 Lev 5:1 .) 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 [AB], 1:331-34, 361-63). See also R. E. Averbeck, NIDOTTE 1:561-62.


text: The statement here is condensed. See the full expression in 5:15 and the note there.


text: Heb “on his straying which he strayed.” See the note on Lev 4:2 .


text: Heb “there shall be forgiveness to him” or “it shall be forgiven to him” (KJV and NASB both similar).