Leviticus 5:12 kjv
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.
Leviticus 5:12 nkjv
Then he shall bring it to the priest, and the priest shall take his handful of it as a memorial portion, and burn it on the altar according to the offerings made by fire to the LORD. It is a sin offering.
Leviticus 5:12 niv
They are to bring it to the priest, who shall take a handful of it as a memorial portion and burn it on the altar on top of the food offerings presented to the LORD. It is a sin offering.
Leviticus 5:12 esv
And he shall bring it to the priest, and the priest shall take a handful of it as its memorial portion and burn this on the altar, on the LORD's food offerings; it is a sin offering.
Leviticus 5:12 nlt
Take the flour to the priest, who will scoop out a handful as a representative portion. He will burn it on the altar on top of the special gifts presented to the LORD. It is an offering for sin.
Leviticus 5 12 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Lev 5:1-6 | If anyone sins… or touches any unclean thing… or utters a rash oath… he shall bring his guilt offering… | Initial conditions for the need of a sin offering for unintentional sins. |
| Lev 5:7 | And if he cannot afford a lamb, then he shall bring as his guilt offering... two turtledoves or two pigeons... | Provision for a lesser offering (birds) for the poor. |
| Lev 5:11 | But if he cannot afford two turtledoves or two pigeons, then he shall bring as his offering... a tenth of an ephah of fine flour for a sin offering. He shall put no oil on it and put no frankincense on it, for it is a sin offering. | Direct antecedent specifying the nature and requirements (no oil/frankincense) of this flour sin offering. |
| Lev 4:1-35 | Speak to the people of Israel, If anyone sins unintentionally... for a sin offering. | Detailed instructions for the chattath (sin offering) in general, establishing its purpose. |
| Num 15:27-29 | If one person sins unintentionally, he shall offer a female goat a year old for a sin offering… it shall be forgiven him. | Confirms the principle of sin offerings for unintentional sins and forgiveness. |
| Lev 2:2, 9, 16 | And he shall bring it to Aaron's sons the priests... the priest shall burn on the altar its memorial portion... as a pleasing aroma. | Usage of "memorial portion" (azkarah) and "offerings made by fire" (ishsheh) for grain offerings. |
| Lev 14:21-32 | But if he is poor... then he shall take one male lamb for a guilt offering... and two turtledoves or two pigeons... a tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering... | Similar provisions for the poor for other cleansing rituals (leprosy), demonstrating God's grace. |
| 2 Cor 8:12 | For if the readiness is there, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have. | Paul's teaching on generous giving reflecting the principle of acceptance based on one's capacity. |
| Luke 21:1-4 | And he saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins… truly, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. | Jesus commends the value of offerings given from poverty, reflecting divine consideration of capacity. |
| Heb 10:1-4 | For since the law has but a shadow... it can never, by the same sacrifices... make perfect those who draw near. | Highlights the limitations of the Old Covenant sacrifices as preparatory for the ultimate sacrifice. |
| Heb 9:22 | Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins. | Crucial principle of blood atonement, contextualizing the unique nature of this bloodless sin offering for the poor. |
| Rom 3:23-26 | For all have sinned... but are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood... | Christ as the ultimate sacrifice (propitiation), fulfilling the need that Old Testament sin offerings pointed to. |
| 2 Cor 5:21 | For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. | Christ vicariously became the "sin offering" for believers. |
| Isa 1:11-17 | What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices?... cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice... | Emphasizes God's preference for true repentance and righteousness over mere ritualistic obedience. |
| Ps 51:17 | The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. | Underscores that God values a repentant attitude above material offerings. |
| Hos 6:6 | For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings. | Prophetic declaration repeated by Jesus (Matt 9:13), showing God's emphasis on inner disposition and mercy. |
| Lev 6:24-30 | Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, This is the law of the sin offering... the most holy place where atonement is made. | Further details on the handling of the sin offering, particularly priestly eating/burning rules. |
| Num 5:15-26 | The priest shall bring her near... and the priest shall take a handful... of the memorial portion of it... | Example of another bloodless offering (for jealousy) that includes an azkarah portion and no oil or frankincense. |
| Phil 4:18 | I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God. | New Testament application of "pleasing aroma" concept to believers' sacrificial service. |
| Eph 5:2 | And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. | Christ's sacrifice depicted as a "fragrant offering," drawing from the imagery of ishsheh from the Law. |
| Heb 4:14-16 | Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God... | Points to Christ as the superior High Priest, the one who fully accomplished what the Levitical priests prefigured. |
| 1 John 1:9 | If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. | New Covenant understanding of receiving forgiveness for sin, now through confession and Christ's work. |
| Lev 1:9, 13, 17 | ...then the priest shall burn all of it on the altar as a burnt offering, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the Lord. | Reinforces the term ishsheh ("food offering" or "offering made by fire") across various offerings. |
| Num 18:8-19 | All the sacred contributions... from the people of Israel I have given to you... a statute forever. | Priestly portions and their right to specific offerings, including parts not burned. |
| 1 Sam 2:17 | Thus the sin of the young men was very great in the sight of the Lord, for the men despised the Lord's offering. | Highlights the seriousness of disrespecting the offerings, particularly the "offerings made by fire to the Lord." |
Leviticus 5 verses
Leviticus 5 12 Meaning
Leviticus 5:12 describes the procedure for offering a specific kind of sin offering, explicitly provided for individuals too poor to offer an animal or birds. In such cases, fine flour serves as the offering. The verse states that the priest is to take a specific portion of this flour, designated as a "memorial portion," and burn it on the altar. This act fulfills the requirement of an offering made by fire to the Lord, and despite being flour, it is clearly designated as a "sin offering" for atonement.
Leviticus 5 12 Context
Leviticus chapter 5 specifically details a set of offerings, primarily the chatta'th (sin offering) and 'asham (guilt/trespass offering), for unintentional sins that result in guilt. These sins include failing to testify, touching unclean things (a dead body, unclean animal, human uncleanness), and making a rash oath. While animal sacrifices (a female lamb or goat) are prescribed for these transgressions (Lev 5:6), the Law, demonstrating divine mercy, provides alternative provisions for those who are poor. First, two turtledoves or pigeons are permitted (Lev 5:7). Then, for those unable to afford even the birds, as addressed in Lev 5:11 and consequently 5:12, a fine flour offering is acceptable. The cultural context emphasizes a covenant relationship with a holy God, requiring meticulous adherence to ritual purity and sacrificial atonement to maintain fellowship within the community and with God, who dwelled among His people in the tabernacle. The allowance of flour for the poorest underscores God's compassion and desire for all to find reconciliation and not be excluded due to their economic status, reinforcing the principle that sincerity and obedience, within one's means, are paramount.
Leviticus 5 12 Word analysis
- And he shall bring it: Refers to the offerer, the person who has committed the unintentional sin requiring atonement. This highlights the individual's responsibility to address their guilt and initiate the purification process by physically presenting the offering.
- to the priest: Emphasizes the crucial mediatorial role of the Levitical priesthood in the covenant system. The priest acted as the designated representative before God, facilitating atonement and ritual purity. This action underlines that forgiveness and reconciliation within the old covenant framework required divine appointment and prescribed rites.
- and the priest shall take his handful of it: The Hebrew word for "handful" is qometz (קומץ). This refers to the specific action of the priest scooping up a portion of the flour with three fingers of his hand, indicating a precise and regulated portion. This specific priestly gesture, rather than the entire offering being burned, denotes a dedicated, consecrated part given wholly to the Lord. For most flour offerings, the remainder (after the qometz was burnt) was eaten by the priests as their portion, though the rule varies slightly for certain sin offerings of meal.
- a memorial portion thereof: The Hebrew term is azkarah (אזכרה), derived from the root zakhar, meaning "to remember." In a liturgical context, azkarah implies causing something to be remembered before God. It's not that God forgets, but rather the offering serves as a spiritual remembrance before Him, an act that invokes His favorable attention, acceptance, and covenant faithfulness concerning the sin being atoned for. It brings the offerer's plea and the act of penitence to divine attention.
- and burn it on the altar: The act of "burning" (קטר - qatar) refers to turning the offering into smoke as a "pleasing aroma" to God, symbolizing His acceptance. The "altar" (mizbeach - מזבח), specifically the bronze altar of burnt offering, was the sacred locus of atonement, where offerings were consumed by fire. This signified that the offering was irrevocably given to God and became a conduit for reconciliation.
- according to the offerings made by fire to the Lord: The phrase "offerings made by fire" is from the Hebrew ishsheh (אִשֶּׁה), often translated as "food offering" or "fire offering." This is a generic term for offerings consumed by fire on the altar. While not God's literal food, it signifies that these offerings were His designated portion, pleasing to Him, and satisfying His requirements for covenant relationship. It emphasizes that this bloodless offering, though unique, still participates in the general category of sacrifices acceptable to God via the altar's fire.
- it is a sin offering: The Hebrew term is chattath (חטאת). This is a definitive statement about the nature and purpose of this particular offering. Despite its humble nature (flour instead of blood), it functions to achieve atonement for unintentional sin. This emphasizes God's grace and flexibility in accommodating the poor within the rigorous sacrificial system, ensuring that socioeconomic status did not hinder access to divine forgiveness and ritual cleansing.
Leviticus 5 12 Bonus section
- The concept of "sufficiency by grace" demonstrated here, where an offering accepted by God is based on an individual's financial capacity rather than a fixed standard for all, resonates with principles found in the New Testament concerning Christian giving and the sufficiency of Christ's one-time sacrifice (2 Cor 8:12; Heb 7:27).
- The absence of oil and frankincense on this flour offering for sin (Lev 5:11) is significant. Oil typically symbolized joy and anointing, and frankincense was a fragrant spice often associated with praise or a pleasant aroma to God. Their omission in this sin offering for the poor highlights that this was not a celebratory or prosperous offering, but a stark, humble acknowledgment of sin and guilt, devoid of ornamentation, underscoring the solemnity of the occasion and the plight of the offerer.
- While a bloodless sin offering, it existed within a system steeped in blood atonement. The overarching principle and the daily blood sacrifices on the altar might be seen as contextually validating such exceptions. It suggests that while blood was the primary means of expiation, God's mercy could extend to other forms when genuine repentance and specific circumstances dictated, ensuring all could maintain covenant relationship.
Leviticus 5 12 Commentary
Leviticus 5:12, as part of the broader instructions for the chattath (sin offering), reveals profound truths about God's character and the nature of atonement in the Old Covenant. It showcases divine compassion and accessibility, providing a specific pathway for the poorest in Israel to find reconciliation when unintentional sins cause defilement. The omission of oil and frankincense on this particular flour offering, stated in Lev 5:11, marks it as uniquely austere and emphasizes the seriousness of sin rather than celebration, unlike other grain offerings. Despite its humble substance and the absence of blood (a key principle for forgiveness, as highlighted in Heb 9:22), it is explicitly designated as a "sin offering" through the priest's act and burning the azkarah portion on the altar. This underscores that atonement was available not just for those who could afford substantial offerings, but for all, according to their means, thereby highlighting that God's justice is always tempered by mercy. Ultimately, this provision foreshadows the perfect and complete sacrifice of Christ, who, though possessing all glory, humbled Himself even to death (Phil 2:8) to become the ultimate and comprehensive Sin Offering for all who believe, without regard for earthly wealth or status.