It is a trespass offering: he hath certainly trespassed against the LORD.

LEVITICUS 5:19KJV
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Leviticus 5:19 (KJV)

What does Leviticus 5:19 mean?

Leviticus 5:19 states that when someone has broken one of God’s commands unintentionally, they must bring a “trespass offering” because they have truly sinned against the LORD. This verse emphasizes that even unintentional wrongdoing requires making things right before God.

In this verse, God is speaking to Moses, giving instructions for the Israelites about what to do if someone commits a sin without realizing it. The “trespass offering” is a specific sacrifice meant to address these unintentional offenses. The verse highlights the seriousness of all sin, intentional or not, and the need for a concrete response to restore the relationship with God.

The Hebrew behind Leviticus 5:19

  • “Offering” (אָשָׁם, ’asham): This word refers to a guilt or trespass offering, a specific type of sacrifice for certain sins, especially those involving unintentional wrongdoing or harm to others. It signals that the offense has legal and relational consequences.
  • “Certainly” and “trespassed” (חָטָא, chata’): Both words come from the same Hebrew root, which means to miss the mark or to sin. The doubling in the Hebrew phrase stresses that the person has truly and definitely sinned, even if it was not on purpose.
  • “LORD” (יְהוָה, YHWH): This is the personal name of God, reminding the reader that the offense is not just against another person, but directly against God Himself.

Why Leviticus 5:19 matters

  • Leviticus 5:19 clarifies that ignorance or accident does not remove responsibility; even unintentional sins must be acknowledged and addressed.
  • The verse shows that God provides a way for people to deal with guilt and restore their standing, rather than leaving them in uncertainty or fear.
  • This instruction fits into a larger section about sacrifices, helping the reader see how ancient Israel’s worship was meant to cover all aspects of life, including mistakes and oversights.

Where else these words appear

“certainly” Hebrew H816 · used in 32 verses

  • Leviticus 4:13 And if the whole congregation of Israel sin through ignorance, and the thing be hid from the eyes of the assembly, and they have done somewhat against any of the commandments of the LORD concerning things which should not be done, and are guilty;
  • Numbers 5:7 Then they shall confess their sin which they have done: and he shall recompense his trespass with the principal thereof, and add unto it the fifth part thereof, and give it unto him against whom he hath trespassed.
  • Ezekiel 6:6 In all your dwellingplaces the cities shall be laid waste, and the high places shall be desolate; that your altars may be laid waste and made desolate, and your idols may be broken and cease, and your images may be cut down, and your works may be abolished.

“offering” Hebrew H817 · used in 41 verses

  • Genesis 26:10 And Abimelech said, What is this thou hast done unto us? one of the people might lightly have lien with thy wife, and thou shouldest have brought guiltiness upon us.
  • Leviticus 14:12 And the priest shall take one he lamb, and offer him for a trespass offering, and the log of oil, and wave them for a wave offering before the LORD:
  • Numbers 18:9 This shall be thine of the most holy things, reserved from the fire: every oblation of theirs, every meat offering of theirs, and every sin offering of theirs, and every trespass offering of theirs, which they shall render unto me, shall be most holy for thee and for thy sons.