Leviticus 5 — Church Fathers

Exodus

Chapter 4

Chapter 6

Numbers

Chapter 5

1 If a soul sin, and hear the voice of one swearing, and be witness, because either he himself saw, or is privy to it: unless he utter it, he shall bear his iniquity.

2 The soul that toucheth any unclean thing, either that which was killed of a beast, or died of itself, or any other thing that creepeth: and forgeteth his uncleanness, is guilty, and hath offended:

3 and if he touch any thing of the uncleanness of man, according to any impurity wherewith he is wont to be polluted, & having forgotten, do know it afterward, he shall be guilty of an offence. 1 note

4 The soul that sweareth, and uttereth with his lips that he would do either ill or well, and bindeth the same with an oath, and his word, & having forgotten afterward understandeth his offence,

5 let him do penance for his sin, 1 note

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 our Lord, one for sin, and the other for an holocaust,

8 and he shall give them to the Priest: who offering the first for sin, shall writhe back the head thereof to the little pinions, so that it stick to the neck, and be not altogether broken off.

9 And of the blood thereof he shall sprinkle the wall of the altar, and whatsoever is left, he shall make it distill to the bottom thereof, because it is for sin.

10 And the other he shall burn for an 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 of flour the tenth part of an ephi. He shall not put oil upon it, nor cast any frankincense thereon, because it is for sin,

12 and he shall deliver it to the Priest: who taking thereof a full handful, shall burn it upon the altar for a monument of him that did offer it,

13 praying for him & making expiation: but the part that is left, himself shall have for a gift.

Leviticus 5:14-6:7

GUILT OFFERINGS

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14 And our Lord spake to Moyses, saying:

15 If a soul transgressing the ceremonies, by error shall sin in those things that are sanctified to our Lord, he shall offer for his offence a ram without spot out of the flocks, that may be bought for two sicles, according to the weight of the Sanctuary:

16 and the damage itself which he did, he shall restore, and the fifth part he shall add 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 by 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 a ram without spot of the flocks to the Priest, according to the measure and estimation of the sin: who shall pray for him, because he did it unwitting: and it shall be forgiven him,

19 because by error he offended against the Lord.

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Leviticus 5:14-6:7 2 entries

GUILT OFFERINGS

THE LAW TEACHES AND BINDS US.

St. Augustine of Hippo (354–430) verse 3

Shall we therefore say that when it is written that whoever finds another man’s property of any kind that has been lost, should return it to him who has lost it, doesn’t pertain to us? Do not many other like things pertain whereby people learn to live piously and uprightly? Isn’t especially the Decalogue itself, which is contained in those two tables of stone, apart from the carnal observance of the sabbath, which signifies spiritual sanctification and rest?

Against Two Letters of the Pelagians 3.10

THE NEW TESTAMENT MORE DEMANDING THAN THE OLD.

Pope St. Gregory I (c. 540–604) verse 5

Some people consider the commandments of the Old Testament stricter than those of the New, but they are deceived by such a shortsighted interpretation. In the former theft, not miserliness, is punished; wrongful taking of property is punished in the latter by fourfold restitution. In this place the rich man is not censured for having taken away someone else’s property but for not having sufficiently given away his own.^[1]

Homily 40