Leviticus 5:4

Jerome's Latin Vulgate

Anima, quæ juraverit, et protulerit labiis suis, ut vel male quid faceret, vel bene, et idipsum juramento et sermone firmaverit, oblitaque postea intellexerit delictum suum,

Parallel Translations

Clementine Latin Vulgate (1592)
Ait ad eos rex �gypti : Quare Moyses et Aaron sollicitatis populum ab operibus suis ? ite ad onera vestra.

Nova Vulgata (1979)
aut si anima temere iuraverit et protulerit labiis suis, ut vel male quid faceret vel bene iuxta omnia, quae homines temere iurant, absconditumque fuerit ab eo, sed ipse postea intellexerit, delicto subiacebit;

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

if a soul: This relates to rash oaths or vows, which a man was afterwards unable, or which it would have been sinful, to perform.

to do evil: Leviticus 27:2-34, Joshua 2:14, Joshua 9:15, Judges 9:19, Judges 11:31, Judges 21:7, Judges 21:18, 1 Samuel 1:11, 1 Samuel 14:24-28, 1 Samuel 24:21, 1 Samuel 24:22, 1 Samuel 25:22, 2 Samuel 21:7, 2 Kings 6:31, Psalms 132:2-5, Ecclesiastes 5:2-6, Ezekiel 17:18, Ezekiel 17:19, Matthew 14:7, Matthew 14:9, Mark 6:23, Acts 23:12

Reciprocal: Leviticus 4:23 - if his sin Leviticus 5:2 - hidden Leviticus 6:4 - because Numbers 30:2 - swear Ecclesiastes 5:6 - before

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Or if a soul swear,.... A rash or vain oath:

pronouncing with his lips; not in his heart, as Jarchi notes; not saying within himself that he would do this, or that, or the other thing, but expressing his oath plainly and distinctly, with an audible voice:

to do good, or to do evil; which was either impossible or unlawful for him to do; whether the good or evil he swears to do is to himself or to another; whether he swears to do good to himself, and evil to another, or, good to another, and evil to himself, see Psalms 15:4. The Targum of Jonathan paraphrases it,

"whatsoever a man expresses, whether of anything present or future;''

as if he swears he has done such and such a thing, whether good or evil; or that he will do it, be it what it will, and it is not in the power of his hands to do it, or, if he did it, it would be doing a wrong thing:

whatsoever [it be] that a man shall pronounce with an oath, and it be hid from him; he has forgot that he ever swore such an oath:

and when he knoweth [of it], then he shall be guilty in one of these; when he is told of it, and it is made clearly to appear to him, that he did at such a time, and in such a place, deliver out a rash oath concerning this, or the other thing, then he shall be chargeable with guilt in one of these; either in rashly swearing to do good when it was not in his power, or to do evil, which would have been unlawful. The Targum of Jonathan is,

"if he knows that he has falsified, and repents not, he is guilty.''

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Special occasions are mentioned on which sin-offerings are to be made with a particular confession of the offence for which atonement is sought Leviticus 5:5.

Leviticus 5:1

Swearing - Adjuration. The case appears to be that of one who has been put upon his oath as a witness by a magistrate, and fails to utter all he has seen and heard (compare the marginal references. and Proverbs 29:24; Numbers 5:21).

Leviticus 5:2-3

Hid from him - Either through forgetfulness or indifference, so that purification had been neglected. In such a case there had been a guilty negligence, and a sin-offering was required. On the essential connection between impurity and the sin-offering, see Leviticus 12:1.

Leviticus 5:4

Pronouncing - Idly speaking Psalms 106:33. The reference is to an oath to do something uttered in recklessness or passion and forgotten as soon as uttered.

Leviticus 5:6

His trespass offering - Rather, as his forfeit, that is, whatever is due for his offence. The term “trespass-offering” is out of place here, since it has become the current designation for a distinct kind of sin-offering mentioned in the next section (see Leviticus 5:14 note).

A lamb or a kid of the goats - A sheep Leviticus 4:32 or a shaggy she-goat Leviticus 4:23.

Leviticus 5:7-10

See Leviticus 1:14-16; Leviticus 12:8. In the larger offerings of the ox and the sheep, the fat which was burned upon the altar represented, like the burnt-offering, the dedication of the worshipper; in this case, the same meaning was conveyed by one of the birds being treated as a distinct burnt-offering.

Leviticus 5:7

A lamb - One of the flock, either a sheep or a goat.

For his trespass, which he hath committed - As his forfeit for the sin he hath committed.

Leviticus 5:11

tenth part of an ephah i. e. - “the tenth deal;” probably less than half a gallon. See Leviticus 19:36 note. This sin-offering of meal was distinguished from the ordinary מנחה mı̂nchāh Leviticus 2:1 by the absence of oil and frankincense.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Leviticus 5:4. To do evil, or to do good — It is very likely that rash promises are here intended; for if a man vow to do an act that is evil, though it would be criminal to keep such an oath or vow, yet he is guilty because he made it, and therefore must offer the trespass-offering. If he neglect to do the good he has vowed, he is guilty, and must in both cases confess his iniquity, and bring his trespass-offering.