The Meaning of Leviticus 5:4 Explained

Leviticus 5:4

KJV: Or if a soul swear, pronouncing with his lips to do evil, or to do good, whatsoever it be that a man shall pronounce with an oath, and it be hid from him; when he knoweth of it, then he shall be guilty in one of these.

YLT: Or when a person sweareth, speaking wrongfully with the lips to do evil, or to do good, even anything which man speaketh wrongfully with an oath, and it hath been hid from him; -- when he hath known then he hath been guilty of one of these;

Darby: Or if any one swear, talking rashly with the lips, to do evil or to do good, in everything that a man shall say rashly with an oath, and it be hid from him, when he knoweth it, then is he guilty in one of these.

ASV: Or if any one swear rashly with his lips to do evil, or to do good, whatsoever it be that a man shall utter rashly with an oath, and it be hid from him; when he knoweth of it, then he shall be guilty in one of these things .

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Or if a soul  swear,  pronouncing  with [his] lips  to do evil,  or to do good,  whatsoever [it be] that a man  shall pronounce  with an oath,  and it be hid  from him; when he knoweth  [of it], then he shall be guilty  in one  of these. 

What does Leviticus 5:4 Mean?

Context Summary

Leviticus 5:1-13 - Trespass-Offerings For Various Sins
The sin-offering was closely resembled by the trespass-offering; but they differed in this: that the former was meant to fix the thought of the sinner rather on the evil of his character, and that there was within him a root of bitterness and a poisonous fountain. But the latter deals with the acts of transgression to which this evil character gives rise, and more especially with the harm which it inflicts on others. We need to confess our trespasses as often as we eat our daily bread; and it is very reassuring that, through the blood of Jesus, God forgives all our trespasses. See Colossians 2:13.
It is very touching to notice the provision made for the very poor. Mary, the mother of our Lord, had to content herself with the two pigeons or turtle doves of Leviticus 5:11. But none of us are exempted. We cannot come to the close of any day without kneeling to confess our sins and asking that we may be sprinkled from an evil conscience. [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 5:4 mean?

Or a person if swears speaking thoughtlessly with [his] lips to do evil to do good in all whatever [it is] may pronounce that a man by an oath and he is unaware of it and when he realizes [it] then he shall be guilty in one of these [matters]
א֣וֹ נֶ֡פֶשׁ כִּ֣י תִשָּׁבַע֩ לְבַטֵּ֨א בִשְׂפָתַ֜יִם לְהָרַ֣ע ׀ לְהֵיטִ֗יב לְ֠כֹל אֲשֶׁ֨ר יְבַטֵּ֧א הָאָדָ֛ם בִּשְׁבֻעָ֖ה וְנֶעְלַ֣ם מִמֶּ֑נּוּ וְהוּא־ יָדַ֥ע וְאָשֵׁ֖ם לְאַחַ֥ת מֵאֵֽלֶּה

נֶ֡פֶשׁ  a  person 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: נֶפֶשׁ  
Sense: soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion.
תִשָּׁבַע֩  swears 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: שָׁבַע  
Sense: to swear, adjure.
לְבַטֵּ֨א  speaking  thoughtlessly 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Piel, Infinitive construct
Root: בָּטָא  
Sense: to speak rashly or angrily, speak thoughtlessly.
בִשְׂפָתַ֜יִם  with  [his]  lips 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, fd
Root: שָׂפָה  
Sense: lip, language, speech, shore, bank, brink, brim, side, edge, border, binding.
לְהָרַ֣ע ׀  to  do  evil 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Hifil, Infinitive construct
Root: מֵרֵעַ 
Sense: to be bad, be evil.
לְהֵיטִ֗יב  to  do  good 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Hifil, Infinitive construct
Root: יָטַב  
Sense: to be good, be pleasing, be well, be glad.
לְ֠כֹל  in  all 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
אֲשֶׁ֨ר  whatever  [it  is] 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
יְבַטֵּ֧א  may  pronounce 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בָּטָא  
Sense: to speak rashly or angrily, speak thoughtlessly.
הָאָדָ֛ם  that  a  man 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָדָם 
Sense: man, mankind.
בִּשְׁבֻעָ֖ה  by  an  oath 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular
Root: שָׁבַע  
Sense: oath, curse.
וְנֶעְלַ֣ם  and  he  is  unaware 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Nifal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָלַם  
Sense: to conceal, hide, be hidden, be concealed, be secret.
מִמֶּ֑נּוּ  of  it 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: מִן 
Sense: from, out of, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not, more than.
וְהוּא־  and  when  he 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, third person masculine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.
יָדַ֥ע  realizes  [it] 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: דָּעָה 
Sense: to know.
וְאָשֵׁ֖ם  then  he  shall  be  guilty 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָשַׁם  
Sense: to offend, be guilty, trespass.
לְאַחַ֥ת  in  one 
Parse: Preposition-l, Number, feminine singular
Root: אֶחָד  
Sense: one (number).
מֵאֵֽלֶּה  of  these  [matters] 
Parse: Preposition-m, Pronoun, common plural
Root: אֵהֶל 
Sense: these.