Bible Strands
Leviticus 5:11
But if he cannot afford two turtledoves or two young pigeons, he may bring a tenth of an ephah of fine flour as a sin offering. He must not put olive oil or frankincense on it, because it is a sin offering.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — God addresses Moses and the Israelites while regulating the sin offering, providing a financial accommodation for those who cannot afford birds. The instruction immediately follows the procedure for preparing two turtledoves or pigeons for atonement.
The words — The phrase לֹא תַשִּׂיג יָדוֹ (lo taśîg yāḏô) literally means "his hand will not reach," denoting financial inability. The text specifies bringing a tenth of an ephah of fine flour as the alternative sin offering.
The thread — This tenth-of-an-ephah flour measure appears in Numbers 5:15 for a suspected unfaithfulness case and Numbers 15:4 for a standard grain offering. The prohibition against adding olive oil or frankincense directly contrasts with the standard grain offering regulations in Leviticus 2:1.
Why it lands — The text requires a sinner to present a prescribed offering regardless of economic status, while explicitly forbidding ritual enhancements on this specific sin offering. A reader must recognize that atonement depends on obedience to the given means, not personal wealth or added ritual elements.
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
King James Version
But if he be not able to bring two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, then he that sinned shall bring for his offering the tenth part of an ephah of fine flour for a sin offering; he shall put no oil upon it, neither shall he put any frankincense thereon: for it is a sin offering.
Cross-references
- Numbers 5:15 then he is to bring his wife to the priest. He must also bring for her an offering of a tenth of an ephah of barley flour. He is not to pour oil over it or put frankincense on it, because it is a grain offering for jealousy, an offering of memorial as a reminder of iniquity.
- Leviticus 2:1 “When anyone brings a grain offering to the LORD, his offering must consist of fine flour. He is to pour olive oil on it, put frankincense on it,
- Numbers 15:4 then the one presenting his offering to the LORD shall also present a grain offering of a tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with a quarter hin of olive oil.
- Exodus 16:18 When they measured it by the omer, he who gathered much had no excess, and he who gathered little had no shortfall. Each one gathered as much as he needed to eat.
- Exodus 16:36 (Now an omer is a tenth of an ephah.)
- Leviticus 2:4 Now if you bring an offering of grain baked in an oven, it must consist of fine flour, either unleavened cakes mixed with oil or unleavened wafers coated with oil.
- Leviticus 2:15 And you are to put oil and frankincense on it; it is a grain offering.
- Leviticus 5:6 and he must bring his guilt offering to the LORD for the sin he has committed: a female lamb or goat from the flock as a sin offering. And the priest will make atonement for him concerning his sin.
- Leviticus 5:9 then he is to sprinkle some of the blood of the sin offering on the side of the altar, while the rest of the blood is drained out at the base of the altar. It is a sin offering.
- Leviticus 5:12 He is to bring it to the priest, who shall take a handful from it as a memorial portion and burn it on the altar atop the food offerings to the LORD; it is a sin offering.