Leviticus 5:16

Regarding any holy thing he has harmed, he must make restitution by adding a fifth of its value to it and giving it to the priest, who will make atonement on his behalf with the ram as a guilt offering, and he will be forgiven.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — The text delivers a divine command through Moses to the Israelite assembly concerning ritual law. It addresses an individual who has unintentionally damaged consecrated property and specifies the required procedural response.

The words — The Hebrew חָטָא (cha.Ta') denotes the act of sinning or transgressing, while יְשַׁלֵּ֗ם (ye.sha.Lem) commands full repayment. These verbs anchor the passage’s demand for quantified restitution rather than abstract contrition.

The thread — This restitution pattern appears in Leviticus 22:14, Numbers 5:7, and Leviticus 6:4, where damaged sacred items or misappropriated goods require full return plus a fifth. The sequence consistently links material compensation to priestly atonement through a ram guilt offering.

Why it lands — The verse requires the offender to calculate the loss, add twenty percent to its value, and deliver both to the priest for ritual atonement. It mandates concrete accountability and structured reconciliation as the prerequisite for forgiveness.

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

וְאֵ֣תve./'Etand/ <obj.>אֲשֶׁר֩'a.Sher[that] which חָטָ֨אcha.Ta'he sinned מִן־min-from הַקֹּ֜דֶשׁha./Ko.deshthe/ holy thing יְשַׁלֵּ֗םye.sha.Lemhe will repay וְאֶת־ve./'Etand/ <obj.>חֲמִֽישִׁתוֹ֙cha.mi.shi.T/ofifth/ its יוֹסֵ֣ףyo.Seflet him add עָלָ֔יו'a.La/vto/ it וְנָתַ֥ןve./na.Tanand/ he will give אֹת֖וֹ'o.T/o<obj.>/ it לַכֹּהֵ֑ןla./ko.Hento the/ priest וְהַכֹּהֵ֗ןve./ha./ko.Henand/ the/ priest יְכַפֵּ֥רye.kha.Perhe will make atonement עָלָ֛יו'a.La/von/ him בְּאֵ֥ילbe./'Eilby/ [the] ram of הָאָשָׁ֖םha./'a.Shamthe/ guilt offering וְנִסְלַ֥חve./nis.Lachand/ it will be forgivenלֽוֹ׃ פl/oto <the>/ him

King James Version

And he shall make amends for the harm that he hath done in the holy thing, and shall add the fifth part thereto, and give it unto the priest: and the priest shall make an atonement for him with the ram of the trespass offering, and it shall be forgiven him.

Cross-references

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.
Numbers 5:7 and must confess the sin he has committed. He must make full restitution, add a fifth to its value, and give all this to the one he has wronged.
Leviticus 6:4 once he has sinned and becomes guilty, he must return what he has stolen or taken by extortion, or the deposit entrusted to him, or the lost property he found,
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 27:31 If a man wishes to redeem part of his tithe, he must add a fifth to its value.
Leviticus 4:26 He must burn all its fat on the altar, like the fat of the peace offerings; thus the priest will make atonement for that man’s sin, and he will be forgiven.
Leviticus 5:10 And the priest must prepare the second bird as a burnt offering according to the ordinance. In this way the priest will make atonement for him for the sin he has committed, and he will be forgiven.
Leviticus 27:27 But if it is among the unclean animals, then he may redeem it according to your valuation and add a fifth of its value. If it is not redeemed, then it shall be sold according to your valuation.
Exodus 22:1 “If a man steals an ox or a sheep and slaughters or sells it, he must repay five oxen for an ox and four sheep for a sheep.