The Meaning of Leviticus 5:18 Explained

Leviticus 5:18

KJV: And he shall bring a ram without blemish out of the flock, with thy estimation, for a trespass offering, unto the priest: and the priest shall make an atonement for him concerning his ignorance wherein he erred and wist it not, and it shall be forgiven him.

YLT: 'Then he hath brought in a ram, a perfect one, out of the flock, at thy valuation, for a guilt-offering, unto the priest; and the priest hath made atonement for him, for his ignorance in which he hath erred and he hath not known, and it hath been forgiven him;

Darby: And he shall bring a ram without blemish out of the small cattle, according to thy valuation, as trespass-offering, unto the priest; and the priest shall make atonement for him concerning his inadvertence wherein he sinned inadvertently, and knew it not, and it shall be forgiven him.

ASV: And he shall bring a ram without blemish out of the flock, according to thy estimation, for a trespass-offering, unto the priest; and the priest shall make atonement for him concerning the thing wherein he erred unwittingly and knew it not, and he shall be forgiven.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And he shall bring  a ram  without blemish  out of the flock,  with thy estimation,  for a trespass offering,  unto the priest:  and the priest  shall make an atonement  for him concerning his ignorance  wherein he erred  and wist  [it] not, and it shall be forgiven  him. 

What does Leviticus 5:18 Mean?

Context Summary

Leviticus 5:14-19 - Trespass-Offerings And Restitution
The root idea of the Hebrew word for trespass is "failure of duty through negligence." In addition to the sin itself, which is against God, as the august Custodian of the law and order of the universe, the injury, which such negligence inflicts upon one's neighbor, must be met by a compensation and fine. Any sum which another has lost through us should, of course, be repaid, and a fifth part added, if required. But probably, the main lesson of the trespass-offering is that we cannot injure any fellow-creature without offending against God. Our offence penetrates beyond the thin veil of humanity and the visible universe into the unseen Holy.
In dealing with all failures in regard to our fellows, there are three points, therefore, always to bear in mind: First, we must confess the sin to God; second, we must seek out our brother and confess to him, and ask his forgiveness, that we may win him, as our Lord said, Matthew 18:15; and, third, we must make restitution, with an addition. This was the teaching under the Law. Should it be less under the Gospel of love? [source]

Chapter Summary: Leviticus 5

1  He who sins in concealing his knowledge
2  in touching an unclean thing
4  or in making an oath
6  His trespass offering, of the flock
7  of fowls
11  or of flour
14  The trespass offering in sacrilege
17  and in sins of ignorance

What do the individual words in Leviticus 5:18 mean?

And he shall bring a ram without blemish from the flock with your valuation as a trespass offering to the priest so shall make atonement for him the priest regarding his ignorance in which he erred and he not did know [it] and it shall be forgiven him
וְ֠הֵבִיא אַ֣יִל תָּמִ֧ים מִן־ הַצֹּ֛אן בְּעֶרְכְּךָ֥ לְאָשָׁ֖ם אֶל־ הַכֹּהֵ֑ן וְכִפֶּר֩ עָלָ֨יו הַכֹּהֵ֜ן עַ֣ל שִׁגְגָת֧וֹ אֲשֶׁר־ שָׁגָ֛ג וְה֥וּא לֹֽא־ יָדַ֖ע וְנִסְלַ֥ח לֽוֹ

וְ֠הֵבִיא  And  he  shall  bring 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
אַ֣יִל  a  ram 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אַיִל 
Sense: ram.
תָּמִ֧ים  without  blemish 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: תָּמִים  
Sense: complete, whole, entire, sound.
הַצֹּ֛אן  the  flock 
Parse: Article, Noun, common singular
Root: צֹאן  
Sense: small cattle, sheep, sheep and goats, flock, flocks.
בְּעֶרְכְּךָ֥  with  your  valuation 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: עֵרֶךְ  
Sense: order, row, estimate, things that are set in order, layer, pile.
לְאָשָׁ֖ם  as  a  trespass  offering 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָשָׁם  
Sense: guilt, offense, guiltiness.
הַכֹּהֵ֑ן  the  priest 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֹּהֵן  
Sense: priest, principal officer or chief ruler.
וְכִפֶּר֩  so  shall  make  atonement 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: כָּפַר 
Sense: to cover, purge, make an atonement, make reconciliation, cover over with pitch.
עָלָ֨יו  for  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
הַכֹּהֵ֜ן  the  priest 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֹּהֵן  
Sense: priest, principal officer or chief ruler.
עַ֣ל  regarding 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
שִׁגְגָת֧וֹ  his  ignorance 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: שְׁגָגָה  
Sense: sin, sin of error or inadvertence, inadvertent sin.
אֲשֶׁר־  in  which 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
שָׁגָ֛ג  he  erred 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בְּשַׁגַּם 
Sense: to go astray, err, commit sin or error.
וְה֥וּא  and  he 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, third person masculine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.
יָדַ֖ע  did  know  [it] 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: דָּעָה 
Sense: to know.
וְנִסְלַ֥ח  and  it  shall  be  forgiven 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Nifal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: סָלַח  
Sense: to forgive, pardon.