Numbers 5:8

But if the man has no relative to whom restitution can be made for the wrong, the restitution belongs to the LORD and must be given to the priest along with the ram of atonement, by which the atonement is made for him.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — God delivers this instruction through Moses to the Israelite assembly during the Sinai period, immediately following the directive that a wrongdoer must confess and repay the injured party.

The words — The text hinges on גֹּאֵל (go'el), meaning a kinsman-redeemer, and הָ/אָשָׁם (ha'asham), translated here as the compensation owed for the offense.

The thread — This compensation procedure connects to Leviticus 6:6 and Leviticus 7:7, which establish that guilt offerings include an unblemished ram and that the offering belongs to the priest who makes atonement, while Leviticus 25:25 introduces the principle of the nearest kin acting as a redeemer.

Why it lands — The passage requires that when no eligible relative exists to receive repayment, the owed compensation transfers to the LORD and is delivered to the priest alongside the prescribed ram to secure atonement.

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

וְאִם־ve./'im-and/ if אֵ֨ין'einnot לָאִ֜ישׁla./'Ish[belongs] to the/ person גֹּאֵ֗לgo.'Ela kinsman-redeemer לְהָשִׁ֤יבle./ha.Shivto/ repay הָאָשָׁם֙ha./'a.Shamthe/ compensation אֵלָ֔יו'e.La/vto/ him הָאָשָׁ֛םha./'a.Shamthe/ compensation הַמּוּשָׁ֥בha./mu.Shavwhich/ is repaid לַיהוָ֖הla./Yah.weh[belongs] to/ Yahweh לַכֹּהֵ֑ןla./ko.Henfor the/ priest מִלְּבַ֗דmi./le./Vad<from>/ <to>/ besides אֵ֚יל'eil[the] ram of הַכִּפֻּרִ֔יםha./ki.pu.Rim<the>/ atonement<s>אֲשֶׁ֥ר'a.Sherwhich יְכַפֶּר־ye.kha.per-he will make atonementבּ֖וֹb/oby <the>/ itעָלָֽיו׃'a.La/von/ him

King James Version

But if the man have no kinsman to recompense the trespass unto, let the trespass be recompensed unto the Lord, even to the priest; beside the ram of the atonement, whereby an atonement shall be made for him.

Cross-references

Leviticus 6:6 Then he must bring to the priest his guilt offering to the LORD: an unblemished ram of proper value from the flock.
Leviticus 7:7 The guilt offering is like the sin offering; the same law applies to both. It belongs to the priest who makes atonement with it.
Leviticus 25:25 If your brother becomes impoverished and sells some of his property, his nearest of kin may come and redeem what his brother has sold.