4:13 “‘If the whole congregation of Israel strays unintentionally 4 and the matter is not noticed by 5 the assembly, and they violate one of the Lord’s commandments, which must not be violated, 6 so they become guilty, 4:14 the assembly must present a young bull for a sin offering when the sin they have committed 7 becomes known. They must bring it before the Meeting Tent,
4:22 “‘Whenever 8 a leader, by straying unintentionally, 9 sins and violates one of the commandments of the Lord his God which must not be violated, 10 and he pleads guilty,
4:27 “‘If an ordinary individual 11 sins by straying unintentionally 12 when he violates one of the Lord’s commandments which must not be violated, 13 and he pleads guilty
5:17 “If a person sins and violates any of the Lord’s commandments which must not be violated 28 (although he did not know it at the time, 29 but later realizes he is guilty), then he will bear his punishment for iniquity 30
19:12 Who can know all his errors? 31
Please do not punish me for sins I am unaware of. 32
1 tn Heb “And a person, when he sins in straying.” The English translation of “by straying” (בִּשְׁגָגָה [bishgagah] literally, “in going astray; in making an error”) varies greatly, but almost all suggest that this term refers to sins that were committed by mistake or done not knowing that the particular act was sinful (J. Milgrom, Leviticus [AB], 1:228-29). See, e.g., LXX “involuntarily”; Tg. Onq. “by neglect”; KJV “through ignorance”; ASV, RSV, NJPS “unwittingly”; NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT “unintentionally”; NAB, NEB “inadvertently”; NCV “by accident.” However, we know from Num 15:27-31 that committing a sin “by straying” is the opposite of committing a sin “defiantly” (i.e., בְּיַד רָמָה [bÿyad ramah] “with a raised hand,” v. 30). In the latter case the person, as it were, raises his fist in presumptuous defiance against the
2 tn This is an emphatic use of the preposition מִן (min; see R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 56-57, §325).
3 tn The “when” clause (כִּי, ki) breaks off here before its resolution, thus creating an open-ended introduction to the following subsections, which are introduced by “if” (אִם [’im] vv. 3, 13, 27, 32). Also, the last part of the verse reads literally, “which must not be done and does from one from them.”
4 tn Heb “strays”; KJV “sin through ignorance.” The verb “strays” here is the verbal form of the noun in the expression “by straying” (see the note on Lev 4:2 above).
5 tn Heb “is concealed from the eyes of”; NASB, NRSV, NLT “escapes the notice of.”
6 tn Heb “and they do one from all the commandments of the
7 tn Heb “and the sin which they committed on it becomes known”; KJV “which they have sinned against it.” The Hebrew עָלֶיהָ (’aleha, “on it”) probably refers back to “one of the commandments” in v. 13 (J. Milgrom, Leviticus [AB], 1:243).
8 tn This section begins with the relative pronoun אֲשֶׁר (’asher) which usually means “who” or “which,” but here means “whenever.”
9 tn See the Lev 4:2 note on “straying.”
10 tn Heb “and does one from all the commandments of the
11 tn Heb “an individual from the people of the land”; cf. NASB “anyone of the common people” (KJV, ASV both similar); NAB “a private person.”
12 tn Heb “If one person sins by straying, from the people of the land.” See Lev 4:2 for a note on “straying.”
13 tn Heb “by doing it, one from the commandments of the
14 sn The focus of sin offering “atonement” was purging impurities from the tabernacle (see the note on Lev 1:4).
15 tn Heb “from one from these,” referring to the four kinds of violations of the law delineated in Lev 5:1-4 (see the note on Lev 5:5 above and cf. Lev 4:27).
16 tn Heb “there shall be forgiveness to him” or “it shall be forgiven to him” (KJV similar).
17 tn Heb “and it”; the referent (the remaining portion of the offering) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
18 tn Heb “and it shall be to the priest like the grain offering,” referring to the rest of the grain that was not offered on the altar (cf. the regulations in Lev 2:3, 10).
19 tn Heb “trespasses a trespass” (verb and direct object from the same Hebrew root, מַעַל, ma’al); cf. NIV “commits a violation.” The word refers to some kind of overstepping of the boundary between that which is common (i.e., available for common use by common people) and that which is holy (i.e., to be used only for holy purposes because it has been consecrated to the
20 tn See Lev 4:2 above for a note on “straying.”
21 sn Heb “from the holy things of the
22 tn Here the word for “guilt” (אָשָׁם, ’asham) refers to the “penalty” for incurring guilt, the so-called consequential use of אָשָׁם (’asham; see J. Milgrom, Leviticus [AB], 1:303).
23 tn Heb “in your valuation, silver of shekels, in the shekel of the sanctuary.” The translation offered here suggests that, instead of a ram, the guilt offering could be presented in the form of money (see, e.g., NRSV; J. Milgrom, Leviticus [AB], 1:326-27). Others still maintain the view that it refers to the value of the ram that was offered (see, e.g., NIV “of the proper value in silver, according to the sanctuary shekel”; also NAB, NLT; J. E. Hartley, Leviticus [WBC], 72-73, 81).
24 tn The word for “guilt offering” (sometimes translated “reparation offering”) is the same as “guilt” earlier in the verse (rendered there “[penalty for] guilt”). One can tell which is intended only by the context.
25 tn Heb “and which he sinned from the holy thing.”
26 sn Regarding “make atonement” see the note on Lev 1:4.
27 tn Heb “there shall be forgiveness to him” or “it shall be forgiven to him” (KJV similar).
28 tn Heb “and does one from all of the commandments of the
29 tn The words “at the time” are not in the Hebrew text, but are implied.
30 tn Heb “and he did not know, and he shall be guilty and he shall bear his iniquity” (for the rendering “bear his punishment [for iniquity]”) see the note on Lev 5:1.) This portion of v. 17 is especially difficult. The translation offered here suggests (as in many other English versions) that the offender did not originally know that he had violated the
31 tn Heb “Errors who can discern?” This rhetorical question makes the point that perfect moral discernment is impossible to achieve. Consequently it is inevitable that even those with good intentions will sin on occasion.
32 tn Heb “declare me innocent from hidden [things],” i.e., sins. In this context (see the preceding line) “hidden” sins are not sins committed in secret, but sins which are not recognized as such by the psalmist.
33 tn Grk “did not know”; the phrase “his master’s will” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the contemporary English reader.
34 tn Grk “blows.”
35 tn Grk “will receive few (blows).”
36 tn Grk “required from him”; but the words “from him” are redundant in English and have not been translated.
37 sn Entrusted with much. To be gifted with precious responsibility is something that requires faithfulness.
38 tn Grk “they will ask even more.”