Leviticus 5:14

Study note

Setting — Yahweh addresses Moses immediately after the priest’s portion of a grain offering is assigned (Leviticus 5:13). This divine speech opens the section detailing the guilt offering for unintentional misuse of sacred items (Leviticus 5:15).

The words — The verse begins with וַיְדַבֵּר (va/y.da.Ber), meaning "and he spoke," followed by יְהוָה (Yah.weh) for Yahweh and מֹשֶׁה (mo.Sheh) for Moses. The phrase לֵ/אמֹר (le./Mor) literally translates to "to saying," serving as the narrative hinge that introduces the commanded speech.

The thread — This verse marks the transition within Leviticus 5 from atonement procedures for general unintentional sins to the specific regulations for violating holy things. The same narrative structure repeats throughout the book to introduce distinct legal categories, such as the guilt offering rules in Leviticus 5:15.

Why it lands — The text requires the reader to treat the following ritual instructions as direct divine command rather than human tradition. It demands precise attention to the procedural details that follow, since the authority of the law rests entirely on the speaker’s identity.

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.