Commentaria in Leviticum
Chapter 5
In this chapter and the beginning of the next, certain cases concerning the sins of others are specified, lest anyone think that only his own are to be expiated by sacrifice. Benedictus in his Bible holds that in this chapter the expiation of sin committed from passion is treated; in the preceding chapter, of sin from ignorance; and in the following, namely chapter 6, of sin committed with certain knowledge. But the words of Scripture, verses 3, 4, 15, 17, 18, are against this, from which it is plain that in this chapter is treated also the expiation of sin committed through forgetfulness, error and ignorance.
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. 2. Or a soul that 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: 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. 4. The soul that sweareth, and uttereth with his lips that he would do either evil or good, and bindeth the same with an oath and word, and having forgotten it, afterwards understandeth his offence, 5. Let him do penance for his sin, 6. And offer of the flocks an ewe lamb, or a she-goat: and the priest shall pray for him and for his sin: 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: 8. And he shall give them to the priest, who shall offer the first for sin, wringing the head of it to the pinions, so that it stick to the neck, and not be wholly broken off. 9. And he shall sprinkle the side of the altar with its blood: and whatsoever remaineth he shall make to drop at the bottom thereof, because it is for sin. 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. 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 fine flour: he shall not put oil upon it, nor put any frankincense thereon, because it is for sin. 12. And he shall deliver it to the priest, who shall take a handful thereof, and burn it upon the altar for a memorial of him that offered, 13. Praying for him, and making atonement: but the remnant he shall have for a gift. 14. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 15. If a soul, by mistake, shall transgress the ceremonies in those things which are sanctified to the Lord, and shall sin, he shall offer for his offence a ram without blemish out of the flocks, which may be bought for two sicles, according to the weight of the sanctuary: 16. And he shall make good the damage 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. 17. If a soul 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, 18. He shall offer of the flock 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, 19. Because by mistake he offended against the Lord.
Verse 1. If any one sin.—The cases and laws of this chapter and the following seem to pertain to all, even pontiffs; for here there is no distinction of persons, as was made in chapter 4. And he hear the voice of one swearing.—Some manuscript Bibles read “of one adjuring”; nay Radulphus adduces and expounds both readings, namely “of one stealing” and “of one adjuring.” Vilalpando also on chapter 16 of Ezechiel: “of one swearing,” he says, that is, of the judge administering an oath to the questioner, as the Chaldee, Vatablus and others render it, adjured by a judge to speak truly what he saw, or knows of a matter in controversy in judgment: if he does not declare it, but covers it up or denies it, and says he knows nothing of it, this man shall bear his iniquity.
Second, “of one swearing” may be taken simply and properly. For the Hebrew is alah, that is, of an oath, especially an execratory one, as if to say: If any hear the voice of one swearing, that is, confirming something by an oath, as promising some thing, or entering into some contract, or asserting and establishing something by oath (for the Hebrews confirmed their contracts and promises by oath), and be summoned as witness of this matter in judgment, to say what he saw or knew of the matter: if, legally required to testify to the truth, he does not declare it, this man shall bear his iniquity. So St. Augustine, Question 1, Procopius, Hesychius, Origen, Radulphus and Abulensis. Some Rabbis expound otherwise, as though Scripture here spoke of him who hears someone forswearing, execrating, cursing and abusing the name of God, and does not inform the magistrate, that he may be punished: for he becomes guilty, and for this his silence, as for a crime, must offer the oblation here prescribed.
Note here the blindness and perversity of the Jews, who make no conscience of oath and perjury unless they swear with the hand laid upon the book of the law; but if they swear by another rite, they will boldly swear falsely. Wherefore magistrates act imprudently, to the great injury of Christians, who admit Jews in forensic matters to an oath against Christians. Which perfidy when the Nurembergers and other Republics once understood, they admitted Jews to no oath unless they swore with the hand laid on the book of the law of their Synagogue. Add that on the day of expiation they are absolved by their Rabbis from all vows and oaths, if they have made any maliciously. Lastly, the Jew thinks it lawful to do harm to a Christian man by whatever means he can. Hence one of their great Rabbis writes: “The best among the Gentiles is worthy to have his head crushed like a serpent’s.”
He shall bear his iniquity.—Iniquity is put here by metonymy for the punishment of iniquity, as if to say: Such a one shall be punished by God, even if the crime lie hid for ever from men; such a one shall bear the punishment of his iniquity, which, however, he can remove by penance and by the sacrifice prescribed in verse 6. For that sanction which is had in verse 6 is to be referred to all the preceding cases: for by this sacrifice satisfaction was made to God; but if the neighbour had been injured, all the damage nevertheless had to be made good.
Verse 2. A soul that toucheth any unclean thing, etc., or any other creeping thing (for all creeping things by the law, Leviticus 11:42, were unclean), and forgetteth his uncleanness (and consequently has neglected to remove it by the sacrifice appointed by the law), is guilty.—In Hebrew, he is unclean or polluted, namely because he touched an unclean thing, and therefore is guilty, because he acted against the law, Leviticus 11:43, which forbids touching the unclean.
And hath offended—because he has not expiated this uncleanness by the sacrifice, or lustration, prescribed by the law. So Abulensis.
Theodotion and Aquila render: the soul that has defiled itself with an impure word, that is, an impure or unclean thing, is guilty. For “word” is often taken for “thing” by metonymy.
Tropologically Procopius: He who follows any other discourse than God’s (for this alone is pure, the rest are impure) is guilty and hath offended.