Leviticus 22:14

If anyone eats a sacred offering in error, he must add a fifth to its value and give the sacred offering to the priest.

Berean Standard Bible

Study note

Setting — Moses addresses the Aaronic priesthood and the Israelite community regarding the handling of consecrated portions. The directive follows regulations for a priest’s widowed or divorced daughter returning to her father’s household.

The words — The text hinges on בִּשְׁגָגָה (bi-shga-gah), meaning inadvertence or error, and חֲמִשִׁית (cha-mi-shit), denoting a fifth portion. These terms establish that the violation was unintentional yet still requires financial restitution.

The thread — This restitution pattern appears when redeeming consecrated property in Leviticus 27:13 and Leviticus 27:15. A parallel concern for unintentional violations against holy things is noted in Leviticus 5:15.

Why it lands — The passage requires immediate financial compensation and the return of the sacred item to the priest when holy food is consumed by mistake. It establishes that unintentional transgressions against consecrated property still demand measurable restitution.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וְאִ֕ישׁve./'Ishand/ anyone כִּֽי־ki-if יֹאכַ֥לyo.Khalhe will eat קֹ֖דֶשׁKo.desha holy thing בִּשְׁגָגָ֑הbi/sh.ga.Gahby/ inadvertence וְיָסַ֤ףve./ya.Safand/ he will add חֲמִֽשִׁיתוֹ֙cha.mi.shi.T/ofifth/ its עָלָ֔יו'a.La/vto/ it וְנָתַ֥ןve./na.Tanand/ he will give לַכֹּהֵ֖ןla./ko.Hento the/ priest אֶת־'et-<obj.>הַקֹּֽדֶשׁ׃ha./Ko.deshthe/ holy thing

King James Version

And if a man eat of the holy thing unwittingly, then he shall put the fifth part thereof unto it, and shall give it unto the priest with the holy thing.

Cross-references

Leviticus 27:13 If, however, the owner decides to redeem the animal, he must add a fifth to its value.
Leviticus 27:15 But if he who consecrated his house redeems it, he must add a fifth to the assessed value, and it will belong to him.
Leviticus 5:15 “If someone acts unfaithfully and sins unintentionally against any of the LORD’s holy things, he must bring his guilt offering to the LORD: an unblemished ram from the flock, of proper value in silver shekels according to the sanctuary shekel; it is a guilt offering.