What changes when a person cannot bring the usual sin offering, and when must damage also be repaid?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

A person unable to offer a beast brings two birds; one unable to bring the birds brings a tenth of an ephi of flour without oil or frankincense. For a mistake in things sacrificed to the Lord, a ram is required along with repayment of the damage and an added fifth.

Chapter breakdown

A person who hears someone swearing and is a witness because he has seen the matter or knows of it bears his iniquity if he does not disclose it. A person who touches an unclean thing—something killed by a beast, something that died of itself, or another creeping thing—and forgets the uncleanness is guilty and has offended. Someone who touches any human uncleanness by which a person is usually defiled, forgets it and later comes to know it is guilty of an offense. The chapter also addresses a person who swears with his lips to do evil or good, binds the words with an oath, forgets it and later understands the offense.

The person is to do penance for the sin and offer an ewe lamb or a she-goat from the flock. The priest prays for the person and the sin.

If the person cannot offer a beast, two turtledoves, called “turtles” in this translation, or two young pigeons are brought to the Lord: one for sin and the other for a holocaust, or burnt offering. They are given to the priest, who offers the first for sin. He twists its head back to the little pinions so that it stays attached to the neck and is not completely broken off. He sprinkles some blood on the side of the altar and lets the rest drop at its bottom, because the offering is for sin. He burns the other bird as a burnt offering in the usual way. The priest prays for the person and the sin, and it will be forgiven.

If the person cannot offer the two turtledoves or two young pigeons, the sin offering is a tenth of an ephi of flour. No oil or frankincense is added, because it is for sin. The person gives it to the priest, who takes a handful and burns it on the altar as a memorial of the offerer, praying and making atonement for the person. The remaining part is kept as a gift; the wording is “he himself shall have for a gift.”

The Lord speaks to Moses about someone who sins through mistake by breaking the ceremonial rules in things sacrificed to the Lord. For the offense the person offers a ram from the flock without blemish, which may be bought for two sicles according to the sanctuary’s weight. The person must make good the damage and add a fifth part, delivering it to the priest. The priest prays for the person and offers the ram, and the offense will be forgiven.

A person who sins through ignorance by doing something the Lord’s law forbids, is guilty and comes to understand the iniquity must bring a ram from the flock without blemish to the priest, according to the measure and estimation of the sin. The priest prays for the person because the act was done ignorantly, and it will be forgiven, because the person trespassed against the Lord by mistake.

The story inside

The chapter first names several offenses, including failure to disclose witnessed information, forgotten uncleanness and forgotten sworn words. It directs penance and a flock offering, then gives two alternatives according to what the person can bring. The two birds have different purposes and procedures; the flour alternative has its own measure and excludes oil and frankincense because it is for sin. The chapter next addresses a mistake in things sacrificed to the Lord. That case requires both a ram and repayment of damage with an added fifth. The closing case requires an estimated ram for an offense committed in ignorance. These are conditional instructions and promises, not an account of one person receiving forgiveness. The animal-uncleanness verse already calls the person guilty while describing forgetfulness; the chapter does not make all guilt begin only at later recognition.

Lessons worth keeping

1
Ability changes the offering. When a beast cannot be brought, the chapter requires two birds, one for sin and one for a burnt offering. When even those cannot be brought, it requires a measured flour offering. Each alternative has its own instructions.
2
The flour offering has a stated reason for its restrictions. Oil and frankincense are excluded because it is for sin. A handful is burned as a memorial, and the priest prays and makes atonement; no additional explanation about festive ingredients is needed.
3
The sacred-things case includes repayment. Making good the damage and adding a fifth accompany the ram that may be bought for two sanctuary sicles. The closing ignorance case instead describes the ram according to the measure and estimation of the sin.

Test your recall

Why does inability to bring a beast change the offering procedure?

Show answer

Explain the bird and flour alternatives, and distinguish the damage-repayment case.

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 10993–11012
Leviticus Chapter 5 Of other sacrifices for sins. 5:1. If any one sin, and hear the voice of one swearing, and is a witness either because he himself hath seen, or is privy to it: if he do not utter it, he shall bear his iniquity. 5:2. Whosoever toucheth any unclean thing, either that which hath been killed by a beast, or died of itself, or any other creeping thing: and forgetteth his uncleanness, he is guilty, and hath offended. 5:3. And if he touch any thing of the uncleanness of man, according to any uncleanness wherewith he is wont to be defiled: and having forgotten it, come afterwards to know it, he shall be guilty of an offence. 5:4. The person that sweareth, and uttereth with his lips, that he would do either evil or good, and bindeth the same with an oath, and his word: and having forgotten it afterwards understandeth his offence,
Lines 11014–11017
5:5. Let him do penance for his sin: 5:6. And offer of the flocks an ewe lamb, or a she goat, and the priest shall pray for him and for his sin.
Lines 11019–11033
5:7. But if he be not able to offer a beast, let him offer two turtles, or two young pigeons to the Lord, one for sin, and the other for a holocaust, 5:8. And he shall give them to the priest: who shall offer the first for sin, and twist back the head of it to the little pinions, so that it stick to the neck, and be not altogether broken off. 5:9. And of its blood he shall sprinkle the side of the altar: and whatever is left, he shall let it drop at the bottom thereof, because it is for sin. 5:10. And the other he shall burn for a holocaust, as is wont to be done. And the priest shall pray for him, and for his sin, and it shall be forgiven him.
Lines 11035–11045
5:11. And if his hand be not able to offer two turtles, or two young pigeons, he shall offer for his sin the tenth part of an ephi of flour. He shall not put oil upon it, nor put any frankincense thereon, because it is for sin. 5:12. And he shall deliver it to the priest, who shall take a handful thereof, and shall burn it upon the altar for a memorial of him that offered it: 5:13. Praying for him and making atonement. But the part that is left, he himself shall have for a gift.
Lines 11047–11056
5:14. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 5:15. If any one shall sin through mistake, transgressing the ceremonies in those things that are sacrificed to the Lord, he shall offer for his offence a ram without blemish out of the flocks, that may be bought for two sicles, according to the weight of the sanctuary. 5:16. And he shall make good the damage itself which he hath done, and shall add the fifth part besides, delivering it to the priest, who shall pray for him, offering the ram: and it shall be forgiven him.
Lines 11058–11067
5:17. If any one sin through ignorance, and do one of those things which by the law of the Lord are forbidden, and being guilty of sin, understand his iniquity: 5:18. He shall offer of the flocks a ram without blemish to the priest, according to the measure and estimation of the sin. And the priest shall pray for him, because he did it ignorantly: And it shall be forgiven him, 5:19. Because by mistake he trespassed against the Lord.