King James Version

What Does Leviticus 5:13 Mean?

“And the priest shall make an atonement for him as touching his sin that he hath sinned in one of these, and it shall be forgiven him: and the remnant shall be the priest's, as a meat offering.”

Context

But if he be not able to bring two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, then he that sinned shall bring for his offering the tenth part of an ephah of fine flour for a sin offering; he shall put no oil upon it, neither shall he put any frankincense thereon: for it is a sin offering.

Then shall he bring it to the priest, and the priest shall take his handful of it, even a memorial thereof, and burn it on the altar, according to the offerings made by fire unto the LORD: it is a sin offering.

And the priest shall make an atonement for him as touching his sin that he hath sinned in one of these, and it shall be forgiven him: and the remnant shall be the priest's, as a meat offering.

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

If a soul commit a trespass, and sin through ignorance, in the holy things of the LORD; then he shall bring for his trespass unto the LORD a ram without blemish out of the flocks, with thy estimation by shekels of silver, after the shekel of the sanctuary, for a trespass offering:

Read full chapter →

Topics in This Verse

Forgiveness

Commentary

Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(13) **As touching his sin that he had sinned in one of these.**—That is, in one of the three sins specified in Leviticus 5:1-4 of this chapter. (See Leviticus 5:5.) **And the remnant shall be the priest’s.**—Better, *and it shall belong to the priest. *The word *remnant *is not in the original, and is better left out, since with the exception of the handful which he took out to burn upon the altar, the whole tenth part of the ephah of fine flour belonged to the priest. At the time of Christ, this only took place when the offerer was a layman. But when a priest committed the offence and brought the offering in question, the whole tenth part of the ephah of flour was burnt on the altar, as was done in the case of the meat offering.

Charles John Ellicott (1819–1905). Public Domain.

Historical Context

This verse is found in the book of Leviticus. Understanding the historical and cultural background helps illuminate its meaning for the original audience and for us today.

Theological Significance

Leviticus 5:13 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.