Leviticus 6 7

Leviticus 6:7 kjv

And the priest shall make an atonement for him before the LORD: and it shall be forgiven him for any thing of all that he hath done in trespassing therein.

Leviticus 6:7 nkjv

So the priest shall make atonement for him before the LORD, and he shall be forgiven for any one of these things that he may have done in which he trespasses."

Leviticus 6:7 niv

In this way the priest will make atonement for them before the LORD, and they will be forgiven for any of the things they did that made them guilty."

Leviticus 6:7 esv

And the priest shall make atonement for him before the LORD, and he shall be forgiven for any of the things that one may do and thereby become guilty."

Leviticus 6:7 nlt

Through this process, the priest will purify you before the LORD, making you right with him, and you will be forgiven for any of these sins you have committed."

Leviticus 6 verses

Leviticus 6 7 Meaning

Leviticus 6:7 outlines the climactic moment in the ritual of the guilt (or trespass) offering (ʿasham). It declares that following the prescribed actions of restitution and sacrifice, the priest performs an act of atonement before the Lord on behalf of the individual. This priestly mediation results in divine forgiveness for all the specific wrongdoings for which the offering was made. The verse emphasizes that forgiveness is ultimately God's act, facilitated by the established cultic system and the role of the priest.

Leviticus 6 7 Context

Leviticus 6:7 concludes the instructions concerning the guilt offering (Hebrew: ʾasham), initiated in Leviticus 5:14. This specific offering was required for trespasses or sins that involved defrauding a neighbor or misusing something holy to the Lord. Unlike the sin offering (Hebrew: chatta't) which primarily dealt with unintentional sins affecting one's standing before God, the ʾasham addressed situations where damage or loss occurred, often financial, requiring not just divine atonement but also restitution to the wronged party, plus an additional twenty percent. The surrounding verses (Lev 6:1-5) detail scenarios such as theft, lying about a deposit, finding lost property and denying it, or committing fraud—all offenses that defile both God's law and harm a fellow human. Leviticus 6:7, therefore, comes after the requirements for confession, making full restitution (plus 20%), and bringing the specified ram (or its monetary equivalent). It assures that upon fulfilling these precise conditions, God grants full forgiveness, mediated by the priest's atoning action at the altar.

Leviticus 6 7 Word analysis

• And the priest (v'hakkohen - וְהַכֹּהֵן):
  • "And": Connects this final step to the previous actions and conditions required for the guilt offering. It signifies completion or culmination.
  • "the priest" (hakkohen): Refers to Aaron or one of his sons who served as an authorized mediator in the Tabernacle. This highlights the indispensable role of the divinely appointed priesthood in Israel's worship and access to God. They were conduits through whom the ritual cleansing and forgiveness were performed, demonstrating that man cannot simply approach a holy God directly for forgiveness without a designated intercessor.
• shall make atonement (kipper - כִּפֵּר):
  • "make atonement": The verb kipper literally means to "cover," "purify," or "propitiate." It is not primarily about removing sin but rather about covering it over, thereby turning away God's wrath and making reconciliation possible. In this cultic context, it signifies the ritual process by which the penalty for sin is defrayed, the breach between God and the offerer is mended, and the way for forgiveness is opened. It's a divinely appointed mechanism.
• for him (baʿado - בַּעֲדוֹ):
  • "for him": Refers to the specific individual who brought the guilt offering. This emphasizes the personal nature of the atonement and forgiveness, even within a communal system. The offering directly benefits the one who trespassed.
• before the LORD (lifnei Yahweh - לִפְנֵי יְהוָה):
  • "before the LORD": Denotes God's immediate presence and sovereign authority. The entire ritual, including the priest's actions, is carried out under divine oversight and approval. This highlights that ultimate forgiveness flows from God, and the human actions are merely instruments within His ordained system. It also signifies the sacred space where such an intimate interaction between human sin and divine grace could occur.
• and it shall be forgiven him (venislaḥ lo - וְנִסְלַח לוֹ):
  • "and it shall be forgiven": salach (סָלַח), "to pardon" or "to forgive." This is in the Niphal stem (passive voice), meaning "it shall be pardoned." This grammatical construction powerfully indicates that forgiveness is God's direct act. The priest performs the ritual of atonement, but God grants the forgiveness. This clarifies the ultimate source of grace. It means that God does not hold the trespass against the person.
  • "him": Again, specifying the individual for whom the atonement was made.
• for anything of all that he has done in doing it (meʾaḥat mikol asher yaʿaseh leʾashma - מֵאַחַת מִכֹּל אֲשֶׁר יַעֲשֶׂה לְאַשְׁמָה):
  • "for anything of all that he has done": This phrase refers specifically to the type of sins requiring a guilt offering as defined in the preceding verses (Lev 6:1-5, and 5:14-19). It doesn't imply blanket forgiveness for all sins but for the specific trespass confessed, made restitution for, and brought an offering for.
  • "in doing it" / "for guilt": The Hebrew leʾashma (לְאַשְׁמָה) means "as guilt" or "concerning the trespass/guilt." This reconfirms the specific scope of the forgiveness being offered: it addresses the guilt related to the actions that necessitated the ʾasham offering. The forgiveness directly correlates with the specific act of unfaithfulness or dishonesty that violated both human and divine law.

Leviticus 6 7 Bonus section

• Distinctiveness of the Guilt Offering (ʾAsham): The ʾasham offering, which Lev 6:7 concludes, is unique among Israel's sacrifices because it always required a prior act of restitution. It was not enough to merely confess and offer a sacrifice; any quantifiable harm done to another person or to God's holy things (which had an assigned monetary value) had to be paid back, plus a punitive penalty of an additional twenty percent. This emphasized God's concern for both spiritual reconciliation and social justice, integrating ethical action with ritual purification.
• Atonement vs. Forgiveness: While related, "atonement" (kipper) refers to the cultic, ritualistic act of reconciliation or covering performed by the priest to restore relationship, typically involving blood. "Forgiveness" (salach) is God's sovereign act of pardoning and releasing the penalty for sin. The atonement in Leviticus sets the stage, or is the means, for God to grant forgiveness.
• Conditional Forgiveness: The forgiveness mentioned in this verse is not automatic but conditional upon strict adherence to the law of the guilt offering: confession, full restitution (plus one-fifth), and the presentation of the specific offering by the priest. This highlights that grace in the Old Testament system was deeply intertwined with obedience to God's commandments.

Leviticus 6 7 Commentary

Leviticus 6:7 serves as the assurance and climax of the guilt offering. It distinctly outlines the theological principle that divine forgiveness is the ultimate outcome of a prescribed process of confession, restitution, and sacrificial atonement. The priest's role, through the ritual act of kipper (covering/propitiation), bridges the gap between the sinning individual and a holy God. However, the use of the passive voice for "forgiven" underscores that it is God Himself who pardons; the priest is merely the appointed facilitator. The precise wording limits this forgiveness to "anything of all that he has done in doing it," indicating it covers the specific financial or sacred trust violations detailed in the context of the ʾasham offering. This verse powerfully demonstrates God's desire to restore those who genuinely repent and take steps to repair harm. It prefigures the work of Christ, who as our High Priest, offered Himself as the perfect and final "guilt offering" (Isa 53:10) and propitiation (Rom 3:25), through whose one-time sacrifice we receive complete and eternal forgiveness for all our sins, transcending the temporary and limited nature of the Old Covenant rituals.