"If someone sins by failing to testify when he hears a public charge about something he has witnessed, whether he has seen it or learned of it, he shall bear the iniquity. If someone sins by failing to testifyThis phrase addresses the responsibility of individuals to testify truthfully in legal matters. In ancient Israel, the legal system relied heavily on the testimony of witnesses. The failure to testify when one has relevant information is considered a sin, highlighting the importance of truth and justice in the community. This principle is echoed in Proverbs 19:5, which warns against false witnesses and underscores the moral obligation to uphold truth. when he hears a public charge about something he has witnessed
The context here involves a public charge, indicating a formal accusation or legal proceeding. Witnesses were crucial in establishing facts, as seen in Deuteronomy 19:15, which requires the testimony of two or three witnesses to establish a matter. The communal aspect of justice is emphasized, as the integrity of the legal process depends on the willingness of individuals to come forward with the truth. whether he has seen it or learned of it
This phrase expands the responsibility to testify beyond direct observation to include information learned indirectly. It underscores the comprehensive nature of the obligation to truth, as both firsthand and reliable secondhand knowledge are relevant. This reflects the broader biblical principle of accountability for one's knowledge and actions, as seen in James 4:17, which states that knowing the right thing to do and failing to do it is sin. he shall bear the iniquity
The consequence of failing to testify is bearing the iniquity, indicating personal responsibility for the sin. This reflects the biblical theme of individual accountability before God, as seen in Ezekiel 18:20, which states that the soul who sins shall die. The concept of bearing iniquity also points to the need for atonement, a central theme in Leviticus, ultimately fulfilled in the New Testament by Jesus Christ, who bore the sins of humanity (1 Peter 2:24). Persons / Places / Events 1. WitnessAn individual who has seen or learned of an event or fact and is called upon to testify. 2. Public AdjurationA formal and solemn command or request made publicly, often in a legal or religious context, requiring individuals to testify truthfully. 3. SinThe act of failing to testify when required, which is considered a transgression against God's law. 4. IniquityThe guilt or moral wrongdoing that one bears as a result of failing to fulfill the obligation to testify. 5. Israelite CommunityThe broader context in which these laws were given, emphasizing communal responsibility and justice. Teaching Points The Responsibility of WitnessesAs believers, we are called to uphold truth and justice. When we have knowledge of wrongdoing, it is our duty to testify and not remain silent. The Sin of OmissionFailing to act when we know the right thing to do is a sin. This principle applies not only to legal matters but also to everyday situations where truth and justice are at stake. Community AccountabilityThe law given to the Israelites underscores the importance of community in maintaining righteousness. We are accountable to one another and must support each other in living out God's commands. Moral CourageTestifying to the truth requires courage, especially when it may lead to personal discomfort or conflict. As Christians, we are called to be bold in our witness for the truth. Bearing IniquityThe consequence of failing to testify is bearing one's iniquity. This serves as a reminder of the seriousness of our responsibilities and the need for repentance when we fall short. Bible Study Questions 1. How does the concept of a "public adjuration" in Leviticus 5:1 relate to our modern understanding of legal and moral obligations? 2. In what ways can we apply the principle of being a truthful witness in our daily lives, both within and outside the church community? 3. How does the sin of omission, as described in Leviticus 5:1, challenge us to examine areas where we might be neglecting our responsibilities? 4. What are some practical steps we can take to cultivate moral courage and be willing to testify to the truth, even when it is difficult? 5. How do the teachings in Leviticus 5:1 connect with the New Testament emphasis on community and accountability among believers? Connections to Other Scriptures Deuteronomy 19:15-21This passage discusses the importance of witnesses in establishing truth and justice, reinforcing the communal responsibility to uphold righteousness. Proverbs 14:25Highlights the value of a truthful witness in delivering justice, contrasting with the deceit of a false witness. Matthew 18:16Jesus refers to the principle of having multiple witnesses to establish a matter, showing continuity with Old Testament law. James 4:17Emphasizes the sin of omission, which aligns with the failure to testify when one has knowledge of the truth. People Ephah, MosesPlaces TemanTopics Adjuration, Anyone, Bear, Borne, Charge, Declare, Doesn't, Guilt, Heareth, Hears, Held, Information, Iniquity, Learned, Matter, Nothing, Oath, Otherwise, Public, Regarding, Report, Responsible, Saying, Sin, Sins, Soul, Speak, Swearing, Testify, Though, Utter, Voice, Whether, Witness, Wrong, YetDictionary of Bible Themes Leviticus 5:1 5472 proof, evidence
5623 witnesses, legal
6750 sin-bearer Leviticus 5:1-13 7444 sin offering Library An Unalterable Law
EVERYWHERE under the old figurative dispensation, blood was sure to greet your eyes. It was the one most prominent thing under the Jewish economy, scarcely a ceremony was observed without it. You could not enter into any part of the tabernacle, but you saw traces of the blood-sprinkling. Sometimes there were bowls of blood cast at the foot of the altar. The place looked so like a shambles, that to visit it must have been far from attractive to the natural taste, and to delight in it, a man had need …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 60: 1914List of Abbreviations Used in Reference to Rabbinic Writings Quoted in this Work.
THE Mishnah is always quoted according to Tractate, Chapter (Pereq) and Paragraph (Mishnah), the Chapter being marked in Roman, the paragraph in ordinary Numerals. Thus Ber. ii. 4 means the Mishnic Tractate Berakhoth, second Chapter, fourth Paragraph. The Jerusalem Talmud is distinguished by the abbreviation Jer. before the name of the Tractate. Thus, Jer. Ber. is the Jer. Gemara, or Talmud, of the Tractate Berakhoth. The edition, from which quotations are made, is that commonly used, Krotoschin, …
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah Sanctification.
VI. Objections answered. I will consider those passages of scripture which are by some supposed to contradict the doctrine we have been considering. 1 Kings viii. 46: "If they sin against thee, (for there is no man that sinneth not,) and thou be angry with them, and deliver them to the enemy, so that they carry them away captives unto the land of the enemy, far or near," etc. On this passage, I remark:-- 1. That this sentiment in nearly the same language, is repeated in 2 Chron. vi. 26, and in Eccl. …
Charles Grandison Finney—Systematic Theology Entire Sanctification
By Dr. Adam Clarke The word "sanctify" has two meanings. 1. It signifies to consecrate, to separate from earth and common use, and to devote or dedicate to God and his service. 2. It signifies to make holy or pure. Many talk much, and indeed well, of what Christ has done for us: but how little is spoken of what he is to do in us! and yet all that he has done for us is in reference to what he is to do in us. He was incarnated, suffered, died, and rose again from the dead; ascended to heaven, and there …
Adam Clarke—Entire Sanctification Christ a Complete Saviour:
OR, THE INTERCESSION OF CHRIST, AND WHO ARE PRIVILEGED IN IT. BY JOHN BUNYAN Advertisement by the Editor. However strange it may appear, it is a solemn fact, that the heart of man, unless prepared by a sense of the exceeding sinfulness of sin, rejects Christ as a complete Saviour. The pride of human nature will not suffer it to fall, as helpless and utterly undone, into the arms of Divine mercy. Man prefers a partial Saviour; one who had done so much, that, with the sinner's aid, the work might be …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3 Second Stage of Jewish Trial. Jesus Condemned by Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin.
(Palace of Caiaphas. Friday.) ^A Matt. XXVI. 57, 59-68; ^B Mark XIV. 53, 55-65; ^C Luke XXII. 54, 63-65; ^D John XVIII. 24. ^d 24 Annas therefore sent him bound unto Caiaphas the high priest. [Foiled in his attempted examination of Jesus, Annas sends him to trial.] ^b and there come together with him all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes. ^a 57 And they that had taken Jesus led him away to the house of Caiaphas the high priest, ^c and brought him into the high priest's house. ^a where …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel The Earliest Christian Preaching
1. THUS far we have confined ourselves to the words of Jesus. The divine necessity of His death, indicated in the Old Testament and forming the basis of all His teaching regarding it, is the primary truth; the nature of that necessity begins to be revealed as the death is set in relation to the ransoming of many, and to the institution of a new covenant -- that is, a new religion, having as its fundamental blessing the forgiveness of sins. I do not think this view of our Lord's mind as to His own …
James Denney—The Death of Christ Leviticus
The emphasis which modern criticism has very properly laid on the prophetic books and the prophetic element generally in the Old Testament, has had the effect of somewhat diverting popular attention from the priestly contributions to the literature and religion of Israel. From this neglect Leviticus has suffered most. Yet for many reasons it is worthy of close attention; it is the deliberate expression of the priestly mind of Israel at its best, and it thus forms a welcome foil to the unattractive …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Leviticus 5:1 NIVLeviticus 5:1 NLTLeviticus 5:1 ESVLeviticus 5:1 NASBLeviticus 5:1 KJV
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