Leviticus 5 is a chapter about sin that people often overlook: the hidden sins, the careless words, the things done without knowing. It explains what a person should do when they realize they have failed, including the sacrifices God provided for each situation. These questions are written for a small group, a Sunday class, or personal study, and they move from what the text says to what it means and finally to how to live it.
Leviticus 5 at a Glance
The chapter opens with three kinds of sin that can be easy to miss: failing to speak up as a witness, touching something unclean without noticing, and speaking an oath rashly. In each case the guilt is real even when the person did not realize what was happening. The chapter then lays out a graduated system of guilt offerings, from a female lamb or goat, to two birds for those who cannot afford an animal, to a small measure of flour for the poorest. The final section addresses sins against the holy things of the LORD, requiring restitution plus a fifth part, and ends with a reminder that unknowing sin still brings guilt.
Observation Questions
Use these questions at the start of the session to make sure everyone has read the text closely before anyone offers an interpretation. Let people answer from the page, and gently correct any detail that goes beyond what the verses say.
Leviticus 5:5-6
5 It shall be, when he is guilty of one of these, he shall confess that in which he has sinned: 6 and he shall bring his trespass offering to the LORD for his sin which he has sinned, a female from the flock, a lamb or a goat, for a sin offering; and the priest shall make atonement for him concerning his sin.
(WEB)
Read these verses to introduce the central movement of the chapter, from naming the sin to bringing the offering. Pause after verse 5 and ask the group what it means to confess specifically rather than vaguely. This reading sets up the discussion of repentance for the whole session.
Leviticus 5:10
He shall offer the second for a burnt offering, according to the ordinance; and the priest shall make atonement for him concerning his sin which he has sinned, and he shall be forgiven.
(WEB)
This verse ends the provision for the bird offering with the promise that the person “shall be forgiven.” Reading it aloud gives the group a clear statement of the chapter’s hope before you move to the poorest offering. It works well as a reminder that the purpose of every offering is atonement.
Leviticus 5:13
The priest shall make atonement for him concerning his sin that he has sinned in any of these things, and he will be forgiven; and the rest shall be the priest’s, as the meal offering.’”
(WEB)
Reading this verse slowly reinforces that the same atonement is available for the flour offering as for the animal. It shows the group that God’s forgiveness does not depend on the size of the gift. Use it to close the discussion of economic need.
Leviticus 5:16
He shall make restitution for that which he has done wrong in the holy thing, and shall add a fifth part to it, and give it to the priest; and the priest shall make atonement for him with the ram of the trespass offering, and he will be forgiven.
(WEB)
This verse captures the principle of restitution plus a fifth part, which is easy to skip but important for the chapter’s teaching on repair. Reading it aloud helps the group see that forgiveness and responsibility belong together. It is a good verse to discuss in relation to practical reconciliation.
Leviticus 5:17-18
17 “If anyone sins, and does any of the things which the LORD has commanded not to be done; though he didn’t know it, yet he is guilty, and shall bear his iniquity. 18 He shall bring a ram without defect from of the flock, according to your estimation, for a trespass offering, to the priest; and the priest shall make atonement for him concerning the thing in which he sinned and didn’t know it, and he will be forgiven.
(WEB)
These verses address sin committed without knowledge and still count as guilt. Reading them aloud invites honest reflection on how the group views their unintentional failures. They prepare the discussion of how God’s holiness and mercy both appear in the same passage.
Memory Verse for Leviticus 5
Leviticus 5:5
It shall be, when he is guilty of one of these, he shall confess that in which he has sinned…
(WEB)
This verse is short enough to memorize and captures the chapter’s core call to honest confession. Encourage the group to say it together and consider how naming a specific sin differs from a general apology. Keep it as a reminder that forgiveness begins with truthfulness before God.
A Closing Prayer for the Group
Father, we come before you aware that we have sinned in ways we see and in ways we have not seen. Thank you that you do not turn away people who bring their guilt to you, whether they have much to give or very little. Help us to speak up when we know the truth, to confess honestly, and to make right what we have wronged. Teach us to trust your mercy, which reaches the rich and the poor alike, and let our time together draw us closer to you. Amen.
