Leviticus 5:10 (KJV)

What does Leviticus 5:10 mean?

Leviticus 5:10 describes how an Israelite who could not afford a sheep or goat could bring two birds after committing a sin named in the passage. The priest offers the second bird by burning it, and the verse says the person is forgiven.

After the first bird is offered for sin in verse 9, the second is handled “according to the manner,” meaning the prescribed way of making a burnt offering. God gives these instructions to Moses for the Israelites.

The Hebrew behind Leviticus 5:10

• “offering” — עֹלָה (ʿolah): This word refers to a burnt offering. It comes from a word meaning “go up,” an image often associated with the offering’s smoke rising from the altar.
• “manner” — מִשְׁפָּט (mishpat): This word can refer to an established rule or procedure. Here it points to a prescribed way of presenting the bird, rather than leaving the priest to choose how to offer it.
• “atonement” — כָּפַר (kaphar): This word often carries the sense of making things right after wrongdoing. In this verse, the priest performs the required offering on the person’s behalf, and forgiveness follows.

Why Leviticus 5:10 matters

• The passage makes provision for people with limited means. Leviticus 5:7 permits two birds when a person cannot afford a sheep or goat.
• The two birds have distinct roles. The first is offered for sin, while verse 10 assigns the second to the burnt offering.
• The verse connects forgiveness to the person’s particular wrongdoing. The priest acts “for his sin which he hath sinned,” rather than for an unnamed fault.