Leviticus 5–6 continues the LORD’s instructions concerning sacrifice, but places special emphasis upon personal guilt, confession, restitution, forgiveness, and the careful administration of the offerings by the priests. These chapters show that sin was not treated casually under the law. Wrongdoing against God and wrongdoing against one’s neighbor both required an obedient response.

The text also makes a striking point concerning sins committed unknowingly: a person could be guilty even before he became aware of what he had done. Once the matter became known, God required confession and the prescribed offering.

These sacrifices belonged to Israel under the Mosaic law. The New Testament explains that the animal sacrifices could not themselves permanently take away sin but anticipated the sufficient sacrifice of Jesus Christ (Hebrews 10:1–14).

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Chapter Summaries

Leviticus 5 — Guilt, Confession, and the Trespass Offering

Leviticus 5 begins by identifying several situations in which an Israelite could become guilty before God.

1. Failure to testify — 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.”

A person who possessed relevant knowledge and failed to disclose it when properly called upon could be guilty.

The verse establishes that sin can involve failure to do what is required, not merely committing an outwardly forbidden act.

This principle is consistent with James 4:17:

“Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.”

2. Ceremonial uncleanness — Leviticus 5:2–3

A person could become unclean through contact with an unclean animal or through contact with human uncleanness.

The text repeatedly says that the person might initially be unaware of the uncleanness:

“if it be hidden from him”

When he afterward knew of it, the KJV says:

“he shall be guilty.”

These verses concern the ceremonial regulations God gave Israel. Scripture does not say that merely touching an animal was inherently morally wicked. Rather, under the Mosaic law, God had declared particular conditions ceremonially unclean and required Israel to obey His commands concerning them.

3. Rash or careless oaths — Leviticus 5:4

The text next addresses someone who:

“swear, pronouncing with his lips to do evil, or to do good”

and afterward realizes what he has done.

This warns against careless use of one’s words and especially careless commitments made before God.

Scripture later gives a similar warning:

“Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.”
— Ecclesiastes 5:5

4. Confession of the specific offense — Leviticus 5:5

A particularly important statement follows:

“And it shall be, when he shall be guilty in one of these things, that he shall confess that he hath sinned in that thing.”

Confession was not presented merely as a vague admission that everyone is imperfect. The offender was to acknowledge:

“that he hath sinned in that thing.”

There is a practical spiritual principle here: genuine confession deals honestly with the particular sin rather than hiding it behind generalities.

5. The required sacrifice — Leviticus 5:6

The guilty person was to bring:

“a female from the flock, a lamb or a kid of the goats”

and the priest would:

“make an atonement for him concerning his sin.”

The KJV uses the expression “trespass offering” in verse 6 while also identifying the animal as being brought “for a sin offering.”

We should retain the wording and distinctions given by Scripture rather than force later terminology onto the passage.

6. Provision for those unable to afford a lamb — Leviticus 5:7–10

God made provision for the poor:

“And if he be not able to bring a lamb, then he shall bring for his trespass… two turtledoves, or two young pigeons.”

One bird was offered for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering.

The person’s financial ability affected what he could bring, but it did not eliminate his need to deal with his sin according to God’s command.

7. Provision for the very poor — Leviticus 5:11–13

If the worshiper could not afford even two birds, he could bring:

“the tenth part of an ephah of fine flour for a sin offering.”

He was specifically forbidden to put oil or frankincense upon it:

“for it is a sin offering.”

The priest burned a memorial portion upon the altar, and:

“the priest shall make an atonement for him… and it shall be forgiven him.”

God therefore provided an offering even for a person of extremely limited means.

It would go beyond the text to say that wealth had no significance whatsoever in Israel’s sacrificial system, since different offerings were explicitly permitted according to ability. What the passage clearly establishes is that poverty did not exclude a guilty Israelite from the provision God had commanded for dealing with his sin.

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8. Trespass concerning “the holy things of the LORD” — Leviticus 5:14–16

The LORD then addressed another category:

“If a soul commit a trespass, and sin through ignorance, in the holy things of the LORD”

The offender was required to bring a ram without blemish.

But sacrifice alone was not all that God required. The person must also:

“make amends for the harm that he hath done in the holy thing”

and:

“shall add the fifth part thereto.”

Thus the offender restored what was owed and added another twenty percent.

This establishes an important biblical principle: where sin has produced measurable loss, acknowledgment of the sin does not necessarily eliminate the obligation to make the wrong right.

9. Guilt without prior knowledge — Leviticus 5:17–19

One of the clearest statements in the chapter appears in verse 17:

“though he wist it not, yet is he guilty, and shall bear his iniquity.”

The KJV explicitly teaches that ignorance did not automatically remove guilt under these commandments.

Once the matter was dealt with according to God’s command, the priest made atonement for the offender:

“and it shall be forgiven him.”

This passage strongly emphasizes that God’s standard determines guilt, not merely man’s awareness of having violated that standard.

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Leviticus 6 — Restitution and the Laws Governing the Offerings

The opening verses of Leviticus 6 continue the subject of trespass but now deal especially with wrongdoing against another person.

1. Sin against one’s neighbor is also a trespass against the LORD — Leviticus 6:1–3

The LORD described several forms of dishonest conduct:

• Lying concerning something entrusted to one’s keeping
• Dishonesty regarding a transaction or association
• Taking something by violence
• Deceiving a neighbor
• Finding lost property and lying about it
• Swearing falsely

Yet the LORD introduces these offenses by saying:

“If a soul sin, and commit a trespass against the LORD”

The wrongdoing directly affected a neighbor, but God described the offender as committing a trespass against the LORD.

This establishes that morality toward other people cannot be separated from responsibility toward God.

2. Restitution was required — Leviticus 6:4–5

The guilty individual had to restore what had been wrongly obtained:

“he shall restore that which he took violently away”

or what had been fraudulently obtained, entrusted to him, or found.

The offender was then commanded:

“He shall even restore it in the principal, and shall add the fifth part more thereto.”

The original property was therefore restored, with an additional fifth.

Biblical repentance in this circumstance involved more than verbal regret. God explicitly commanded restitution.

3. The trespass offering followed — Leviticus 6:6–7

The offender was also required to bring:

“a ram without blemish out of the flock”

for a trespass offering.

Then:

“the priest shall make an atonement for him before the LORD: and it shall be forgiven him.”

Restitution did not replace the sacrifice, and the sacrifice did not cancel restitution. God required both where this particular offense had caused material loss.

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4. The law of the burnt offering — Leviticus 6:8–13

The chapter now turns from instructions primarily concerning the worshiper to instructions concerning the priests.

The burnt offering remained upon the altar through the night:

“and the fire of the altar shall be burning in it.”

The priest was to put on his linen garment and linen breeches, remove the ashes, and place them beside the altar.

He then changed garments before carrying the ashes:

“without the camp unto a clean place.”

The LORD repeatedly commanded that the altar fire remain burning:

“The fire shall ever be burning upon the altar; it shall never go out.”

The explicit point is the continuous maintenance of the altar fire according to God’s command. Any additional symbolic significance should not be presented as though Leviticus 6 itself explicitly states it.

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5. The law of the meat offering — Leviticus 6:14–18

Here “meat offering” is the KJV terminology. The offering itself consisted of grain or flour rather than animal flesh.

Aaron’s sons were to present the offering before the LORD.

A portion was burned upon the altar:

“for a sweet savour, even the memorial of it, unto the LORD.”

The remainder belonged to Aaron and his sons and had to be eaten:

“without leaven”

and:

“in the holy place.”

The LORD described it as:

“most holy, as is the sin offering, and as the trespass offering.”

The priests were therefore required to handle God’s offerings according to precise commands concerning place, preparation, and use.

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6. The offering of Aaron and his sons — Leviticus 6:19–23

On the occasion described as:

“the day when he is anointed”

Aaron and his sons were to present:

“the tenth part of an ephah of fine flour for a meat offering perpetual”

Half was offered in the morning and half at night.

Unlike the portion of ordinary meat offerings that could be eaten by the priests:

“For every meat offering for the priest shall be wholly burnt: it shall not be eaten.”

This illustrates an important principle found repeatedly in Leviticus: God Himself determined how each offering was to be presented and handled.

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7. The law of the sin offering — Leviticus 6:24–30

The sin offering was to be killed:

“in the place where the burnt offering is killed before the LORD.”

The LORD declares:

“it is most holy.”

The priest who offered it was to eat it in:

“the court of the tabernacle of the congregation.”

The chapter then gives exact regulations concerning anything touched by its flesh, garments upon which its blood was sprinkled, and vessels used in preparing it.

An important exception appears in verse 30:

“And no sin offering, whereof any of the blood is brought into the tabernacle of the congregation to reconcile withal in the holy place, shall be eaten: it shall be burnt in the fire.”

The priesthood therefore did not have liberty to alter God’s prescribed manner of worship. The offerings were holy because God had designated them and had specified how they were to be handled.

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Key People and Places

The LORD

The LORD is the One giving these commandments. Leviticus repeatedly begins sections with:

“And the LORD spake unto Moses”

The sacrificial system was therefore not devised by Moses, Aaron, or Israel.

Moses

Moses receives the commandments from the LORD and communicates them to Israel and to Aaron and his sons.

Aaron

Aaron was Israel’s high priest. Portions of chapter 6 specifically regulate offerings connected with Aaron and the priesthood.

Aaron’s sons / the priests

The priests slaughtered or handled particular offerings, sprinkled or applied blood as commanded, maintained the altar fire, removed ashes, ate permitted portions of certain offerings, and made atonement as prescribed by God.

The guilty Israelite

No particular individual is named. The commands concern any person in Israel who became guilty under the circumstances described.

The neighbor

Leviticus 6 deals specifically with offenses committed against another person through deception, falsehood, wrongful possession, violence, or dishonest treatment of lost property.

The Tabernacle of the Congregation

The priestly portions of the offerings were handled within the sacred area associated with the tabernacle.

The Altar

The altar was the place upon which the burnt offering and designated portions of other sacrifices were consumed.

The LORD commanded:

“The fire shall ever be burning upon the altar; it shall never go out.”

The Court of the Tabernacle

Certain priestly portions were to be eaten:

“in the court of the tabernacle of the congregation.”

Without the Camp

The ashes from the altar were carried:

“without the camp unto a clean place.”

No named city is mentioned in Leviticus 5–6. The immediate setting is Israel’s tabernacle worship and camp life under the law given through Moses.

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Main Doctrinal or Spiritual Themes

1. God’s Standard Determines What Is Sin

Leviticus 5:17 states:

“though he wist it not, yet is he guilty.”

A man’s lack of awareness did not redefine God’s command.

This remains an important biblical truth: man’s conscience is not the final measure of righteousness. God’s Word is.

“For by the law is the knowledge of sin.”
— Romans 3:20

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2. Sin Should Be Confessed Specifically

Leviticus 5:5 says:

“he shall confess that he hath sinned in that thing.”

God requires honesty about sin.

For believers today:

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins…”
— 1 John 1:9

First John concerns the believer’s fellowship with God; it should not be confused with earning eternal salvation through repeated confession.

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3. Sin Against Man Is Also an Offense Against God

A striking statement introduces the fraud and dishonesty of Leviticus 6:

“commit a trespass against the LORD”

The sins subsequently listed were committed against a neighbor.

God therefore treats dishonesty toward other people as disobedience to Himself.

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4. Restitution Matters

Leviticus 5:16 and 6:5 require repayment plus:

“the fifth part”

When wrongdoing caused an identifiable material loss, God did not permit the offender merely to acknowledge the wrong while retaining its benefit.

The exact twenty-percent requirement belonged to the Mosaic legislation described here. Christians should therefore not turn that percentage into a universal church-age legal requirement.

The enduring moral principle, however, is supported elsewhere in Scripture: when possible, genuine repentance should seek to correct wrongs that have been done.

Zacchaeus’ response in Luke 19:8 provides a New Testament example of voluntary restitution following repentance.

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5. Atonement Required a God-Appointed Sacrifice

Repeatedly the text says:

“the priest shall make an atonement for him”

and:

“it shall be forgiven him.”

Israel was not free to invent an alternate means of approaching God.

The New Testament reveals the ultimate fulfillment of the sacrificial pattern in Jesus Christ:

“But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God.”
— Hebrews 10:12

The Levitical sacrifices were repeatedly offered. Christ’s sacrifice was once for all.

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6. Animal Sacrifices Did Not Replace Faith in God

The New Testament explicitly says:

“For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.”
— Hebrews 10:4

Therefore, conservative interpretation should not teach that Israelites obtained eternal salvation merely by performing sacrifices.

The sacrifices were commanded by God under the Mosaic covenant, while Scripture consistently makes faith fundamental to justification:

“And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.”
— Genesis 15:6

Paul later cites Abraham as the biblical example of justification by faith in Romans 4.

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7. God Made Provision for the Poor

Leviticus 5 repeatedly says:

“if he be not able”

A person unable to bring a lamb could bring birds. One unable to bring birds could bring fine flour.

Economic poverty did not remove guilt, but neither did it prevent the poor Israelite from obeying the provision God had established.

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8. God’s Worship Was to Be Conducted God’s Way

Leviticus 6 gives exact directions concerning:

• The altar fire
• Priestly garments
• Removal of ashes
• The place where offerings were eaten
• What portions were burned
• Which offerings could be eaten
• Which offerings had to be entirely burned
• Treatment of vessels and garments

The plain lesson of the text is that God, rather than man, determined the manner in which Israel approached Him under the law.

That principle remains important even though Christians are not under the Levitical sacrificial system.

Jesus said:

“God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”
— John 4:24

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Practical Applications or Lessons

Take known sin seriously

Leviticus does not portray sin as a trivial mistake. When the offender became aware of his guilt, God required him to deal with it.

Believers should resist the tendency to excuse what Scripture condemns.

Confess what God identifies as sin

Leviticus 5:5 emphasizes confession of:

“that thing.”

Rather than merely saying, “I make mistakes,” believers should be willing to agree with God concerning specific sin.

Do not use ignorance as a measure of innocence

Leviticus 5:17 warns:

“though he wist it not, yet is he guilty.”

That should produce humility. We need God’s Word to expose wrong attitudes and actions that our own conscience may overlook.

“Search me, O God, and know my heart…”
— Psalm 139:23

Make wrongs right when possible

Where dishonesty or theft has caused measurable harm, Leviticus 6 teaches the seriousness of restitution.

A Christian should not knowingly retain the benefit of fraud or deception while claiming to have repented of it.

Be truthful

Leviticus 6 specifically condemns lying, deception, wrongful possession, and false swearing.

God’s people should be known for integrity.

“Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour…”
— Ephesians 4:25

Do not separate treatment of people from obedience to God

The person who defrauded his neighbor had:

“committed a trespass against the LORD.”

Our treatment of other people is part of our responsibility before God.

Approach God on His terms

Israel could not redesign the sacrifices according to personal preference.

Today salvation likewise comes according to God’s revealed way:

“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
— John 14:6

Appreciate the finality of Christ’s sacrifice

Leviticus describes offerings that had to be repeatedly brought and repeatedly administered.

Hebrews contrasts these repeated sacrifices with Christ:

“For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.”
— Hebrews 10:14

The believer does not need another sacrifice for sin. Christ’s sacrifice is sufficient.

Remember that God’s holiness reaches ordinary life

Leviticus 5–6 deals not only with activities at the altar but with:

• Speaking
• Promises
• Property
• Honesty
• Business dealings
• Lost possessions
• Treatment of neighbors
• Worship

Biblical holiness is therefore not confined to religious ceremonies. God is concerned with how His people conduct themselves in everyday matters.

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Central Truth of Leviticus 5–6

Sin produces real guilt before a holy God; guilt must be dealt with according to God’s revealed provision, wrongdoing against others must be corrected where God requires it, and forgiveness rests upon the atonement God provides rather than man’s own inventions.

For Israel under the law, God appointed the sacrificial system described here. In the fuller revelation of the New Testament, those repeated sacrifices give way to the finished sacrifice of Jesus Christ:

“So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many.”
— Hebrews 9:28