Leviticus 5:4 Or if someone swears thoughtlessly with his lips to do anything good or evil--in whatever matter a man may rashly pronounce an oath--even if he is unaware of it, when he realizes it, he is guilty in the matter.

◄ Leviticus 5:4 ►

New International Version
or if anyone thoughtlessly takes an oath to do anything, whether good or evil (in any matter one might carelessly swear about) even though they are unaware of it, but then they learn of it and realize their guilt—

New Living Translation
“Or suppose you make a foolish vow of any kind, whether its purpose is for good or for bad. When you realize its foolishness, you must admit your guilt.

English Standard Version
or if anyone utters with his lips a rash oath to do evil or to do good, any sort of rash oath that people swear, and it is hidden from him, when he comes to know it, and he realizes his guilt in any of these;

Berean Standard Bible
Or if someone swears thoughtlessly with his lips to do anything good or evil—in whatever matter a man may rashly pronounce an oath—even if he is unaware of it, when he realizes it, he is guilty in the matter.

King James Bible
Or if a soul swear, pronouncing with his lips to do evil, or to do good, whatsoever it be that a man shall pronounce with an oath, and it be hid from him; when he knoweth of it, then he shall be guilty in one of these.

New King James Version
‘Or if a person swears, speaking thoughtlessly with his lips to do evil or to do good, whatever it is that a man may pronounce by an oath, and he is unaware of it—when he realizes it, then he shall be guilty in any of these matters.

New American Standard Bible
Or if a person swears thoughtlessly with his lips to do evil or to do good, in whatever matter people speak thoughtlessly with an oath, and it is hidden from him, and then he comes to know it, he will be guilty of one of these things.

NASB 1995
Or if a person swears thoughtlessly with his lips to do evil or to do good, in whatever matter a man may speak thoughtlessly with an oath, and it is hidden from him, and then he comes to know it, he will be guilty in one of these.

NASB 1977
‘Or if a person swears thoughtlessly with his lips to do evil or to do good, in whatever matter a man may speak thoughtlessly with an oath, and it is hidden from him, and then he comes to know it, he will be guilty in one of these.

Legacy Standard Bible
Or if a person swears thoughtlessly with his lips to do evil or to do good, in whatever matter a man may speak thoughtlessly with a sworn oath, and it is hidden from him, and then he comes to know it, he will be guilty in one of these.

Amplified Bible
Or if anyone swears [an oath] thoughtlessly or impulsively aloud that he will do either evil or good, in whatever manner a person may speak thoughtlessly or impulsively with an oath, but he is unaware of it, when he recognizes it, he will be guilty in one of these.

Christian Standard Bible
Or if someone swears rashly to do what is good or evil—concerning anything a person may speak rashly in an oath—without being aware of it, but later recognizes it, he incurs guilt in such an instance.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Or if someone swears rashly to do what is good or evil—concerning anything a person may speak rashly in an oath—without being aware of it, but later recognizes it, he incurs guilt in such an instance.

American Standard Version
Or if any one swear rashly with his lips to do evil, or to do good, whatsoever it be that a man shall utter rashly with an oath, and it be hid from him; when he knoweth of it, then he shall be guilty in one of these things.

Contemporary English Version
You are guilty the moment you realize that you have made a hasty promise to do something good or bad.

English Revised Version
or if any one swear rashly with his lips to do evil, or to do good, whatsoever it be that a man shall utter rashly with an oath, and it be hid from him; when he knoweth of it, then he shall be guilty in one of these things:

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"If you hastily take a vow about what you will or will not do (as some people do) and then ignore it (although you know what you said), you will be guilty.

Good News Translation
If you make a careless vow, no matter what it is about, you are guilty as soon as you realize what you have done.

International Standard Version
When a person has sworn inadvertently by what he has said, whether for evil or good, whatever it was that the person spoke, when he comes to understand what he said, he will incur guilt by one of these things.

Majority Standard Bible
Or if someone swears thoughtlessly with his lips to do anything good or evil—in whatever matter a man may rashly pronounce an oath—even if he is unaware of it, when he realizes it, he is guilty in the matter.

NET Bible
or when a person swears an oath, speaking thoughtlessly with his lips, whether to do evil or to do good, with regard to anything which the individual might speak thoughtlessly in an oath, even if he did not realize it, but he himself has later come to know it and is guilty with regard to one of these oaths--

New Heart English Bible
"'Or if anyone swears rashly with his lips to do evil, or to do good, whatever it is that a man might utter rashly with an oath, and it is hidden from him; when he knows of it, then he shall be guilty of one of these.

Webster's Bible Translation
Or if a soul shall swear, pronouncing with his lips to do evil, or to do good, whatever it may be, that a man shall pronounce with an oath, and it be hid from him; when he knoweth of it, then he shall be guilty in one of these.

World English Bible
“‘Or if anyone swears rashly with his lips to do evil or to do good—whatever it is that a man might utter rashly with an oath, and it is hidden from him—when he knows of it, then he will be guilty of one of these.

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
Or when a person swears, speaking wrongfully with the lips to do evil, or to do good, even anything which man speaks wrongfully with an oath, and it has been hid from him—when he has known then he has been guilty of one of these;

Young's Literal Translation
'Or when a person sweareth, speaking wrongfully with the lips to do evil, or to do good, even anything which man speaketh wrongfully with an oath, and it hath been hid from him; -- when he hath known then he hath been guilty of one of these;

Smith's Literal Translation
Or when a soul shall swear to talk idly with his lips for evil, or for good, for all which the man shall talk idly with an oath, and it was hid from him; and he shall know, and be guilty for one from these.

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
The person that sweareth, and uttereth with his lips, that he would do either evil or good, and bindeth the same with an oath, and his word, and having forgotten it afterwards understandeth his offence,

Catholic Public Domain Version
The soul who swears and offers from his own lips that he would do either evil or good, and who will have bound the same with an oath and with his own words, and, having forgotten it, afterwards understands his transgression,

New American Bible
or if someone, without being aware of it, rashly utters an oath with bad or good intent, whatever kind of oath this may be, and then subsequently becomes aware of guilt in regard to any of these matters—

New Revised Standard Version
Or when any of you utter aloud a rash oath for a bad or a good purpose, whatever people utter in an oath, and are unaware of it, when you come to know it, you shall in any of these be guilty.

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
Or if any person swears with his lips to do evil or to do good, in whatever decision a man has sworn by an oath, and he disregards it, and yet he knows that he has sinned in one of these things,

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Or the soul, when he will swear in an offering of the lips to do evil or to do good in anything that the man has designated in an oath, and he will neglect it, and he knows that he has sinned in one of these things.

OT Translations

JPS Tanakh 1917
or if any one swear clearly with his lips to do evil, or to do good, whatsoever it be that a man shall utter clearly with an oath, and it be hid from him; and, when he knoweth of it, be guilty in one of these things;

Brenton Septuagint Translation
That unrighteous soul, which determines with his lips to do evil or to do good according to whatsoever a man may determine with an oath, and it shall have escaped his notice, and he shall afterwards know it, and so he should sin in some one of these things:

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

Sins Requiring a Sin Offering
…3Or if he touches human uncleanness—anything by which one becomes unclean—even if he is unaware of it, when he realizes it, he is guilty. 4Or if someone swears thoughtlessly with his lips to do anything good or evil— in whatever matter a man may rashly pronounce an oath— even if he is unaware of it, when he realizes it, he is guilty in the matter. 5If someone incurs guilt in one of these ways, he must confess the sin he has committed,…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

Numbers 30:2
If a man makes a vow to the LORD or swears an oath to obligate himself by a pledge, he must not break his word; he must do everything he has promised.

Deuteronomy 23:21-23
If you make a vow to the LORD your God, do not be slow to keep it, because He will surely require it of you, and you will be guilty of sin. / But if you refrain from making a vow, you will not be guilty of sin. / Be careful to follow through on what comes from your lips, because you have freely vowed to the LORD your God with your own mouth.

Ecclesiastes 5:4-5
When you make a vow to God, do not delay in fulfilling it, because He takes no pleasure in fools. Fulfill your vow. / It is better not to vow than to make a vow and not fulfill it.

Matthew 5:33-37
Again, you have heard that it was said to the ancients, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill your vows to the Lord.’ / But I tell you not to swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; / or by the earth, for it is His footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. ...

James 5:12
Above all, my brothers, do not swear, not by heaven or earth or by any other oath. Simply let your “Yes” be yes, and your “No,” no, so that you will not fall under judgment.

Proverbs 20:25
It is a trap for a man to dedicate something rashly, only later to reconsider his vows.

Psalm 15:4
who despises the vile but honors those who fear the LORD, who does not revise a costly oath,

Numbers 30:6-8
If a woman marries while under a vow or rash promise by which she has bound herself, / and her husband hears of it but says nothing to her on that day, then the vows or pledges by which she has bound herself shall stand. / But if her husband prohibits her when he hears of it, he nullifies the vow that binds her or the rash promise she has made, and the LORD will absolve her.

Judges 11:30-31
Jephthah made this vow to the LORD: “If indeed You will deliver the Ammonites into my hand, / then whatever comes out the door of my house to greet me on my triumphant return from the Ammonites will belong to the LORD, and I will offer it up as a burnt offering.”

1 Samuel 14:24-28
Now the men of Israel were in distress that day, for Saul had placed the troops under an oath, saying, “Cursed is the man who eats any food before evening, before I have taken vengeance on my enemies.” So none of the troops tasted any food. / Then all the troops entered the forest, and there was honey on the ground. / And when they entered the forest and saw the flowing honey, not one of them put his hand to his mouth, because they feared the oath. ...

Matthew 12:36-37
But I tell you that men will give an account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. / For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”

Acts 5:1-4
Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. / With his wife’s full knowledge, he kept back some of the proceeds for himself, but brought a portion and laid it at the apostles’ feet. / Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and withhold some of the proceeds from the land? ...

Romans 14:23
But the one who has doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and everything that is not from faith is sin.

1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

2 Corinthians 1:17-20
When I planned this, did I do it carelessly? Or do I make my plans by human standards, so as to say “Yes, yes” and also “No, no”? / But as surely as God is faithful, our message to you is not “Yes” and “No.” / For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was proclaimed among you by me and Silvanus and Timothy, was not “Yes” and “No,” but in Him it has always been “Yes.” ...

Treasury of Scripture

Or if a soul swear, pronouncing with his lips to do evil, or to do good, whatever it be that a man shall pronounce with an oath, and it be hid from him; when he knows of it, then he shall be guilty in one of these.

if a soul.

to do evil

Leviticus 27:2
Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When a man shall make a singular vow, the persons shall be for the LORD by thy estimation.

Joshua 2:14
And the men answered her, Our life for yours, if ye utter not this our business. And it shall be, when the LORD hath given us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with thee.

Joshua 9:15
And Joshua made peace with them, and made a league with them, to let them live: and the princes of the congregation sware unto them.

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Leviticus 5

1. He who sins in concealing his knowledge
2. in touching an unclean thing
4. or in making an oath
6. His trespass offering, of the flock
7. of fowls
11. or of flour
14. The trespass offering in sacrilege
17. and in sins of ignorance

Berean Study Bible

Or if someone swears rashly
The Hebrew word for "swears" is "שָׁבַע" (shava), which means to take an oath or make a solemn promise. The term "rashly" suggests a lack of careful consideration or impulsiveness. In the ancient Near Eastern context, oaths were serious commitments often invoking divine witness. This phrase highlights the importance of thoughtful deliberation before making promises, reflecting the biblical principle that words have power and should be used responsibly.

to do evil or to do good
This phrase encompasses the full spectrum of human intention and action. The Hebrew words for "evil" (רָע, ra) and "good" (טוֹב, tov) are often used in the Bible to denote moral and ethical dimensions. The inclusion of both suggests that any oath, regardless of its intent, carries weight and accountability. This reflects the biblical teaching that God is concerned with the heart's intentions and the integrity of one's word.

whatever it may be that a man shall pronounce with an oath
The phrase "whatever it may be" underscores the comprehensive nature of the law regarding oaths. The Hebrew root "נָדַר" (nadar) for "pronounce" implies a formal declaration or vow. This indicates that any spoken commitment, regardless of its content, is significant in the eyes of God. It emphasizes the biblical principle that truthfulness and faithfulness are essential virtues.

and it is hidden from him
The concept of something being "hidden" (נֶעְלַם, ne'lam) suggests a lack of awareness or forgetfulness. In the biblical context, this could refer to an unintentional oversight or ignorance. This phrase highlights God's understanding of human frailty and the provision for unintentional sins, reflecting His justice and mercy.

when he realizes it
The realization (יָדַע, yada) implies coming to an understanding or awareness. This moment of recognition is crucial in the process of repentance and atonement. It signifies the importance of self-awareness and the acknowledgment of one's actions in the journey of faith.

he will be guilty in any of these matters
The declaration of guilt (אָשֵׁם, asham) indicates accountability and the need for atonement. The phrase "in any of these matters" reinforces the comprehensive nature of the law and the seriousness with which God views oaths. This underscores the biblical teaching that all sin, intentional or unintentional, requires confession and reconciliation with God.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(4) Pronouncing with his lips.--Better, speaking heedlessly with his lips. That is, if he uttered an oath in thoughtlessness or in passion, without his heart realising it, that he will do this or that.

To do evil, or to do good.--That is, anything whatsoever which is comprehended under the name good and evil, as these two categories are idiomatically used to embrace all human action. (Comp. Genesis 24:50; Genesis 31:24; Numbers 24:13; Isaiah 51:23.)

Whatsoever it be that a man shall pronounce with an oath.--Better, that a man heedlessly utters with an oath. That is, anything that a man may rashly or thoughtlessly undertake to do, or to abstain from doing, with an oath.

And it be hid from him.--That is, if through this careless way in which it was done, he forgot all about it. (See Leviticus 5:2.) . . .

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 4. - The ease of a man who had neglected to fulfill a thoughtless oath. If he sware to do evil, or to do good, that is, to do anything whatever, good or bad (see Numbers 24:13), and failed to fulfill his oath from carelessness or negligence, he too must bring his offering, as above.

Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

Or
א֣וֹ (’ōw)
Conjunction
Strong's 176: Desire, if

if
כִּ֣י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

someone
נֶ֡פֶשׁ (ne·p̄eš)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 5315: A soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, passion, appetite, emotion

swears
תִשָּׁבַע֩ (ṯiš·šā·ḇa‘)
Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 7650: To seven oneself, swear

thoughtlessly
לְבַטֵּ֨א (lə·ḇaṭ·ṭê)
Preposition-l | Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct
Strong's 981: To babble, to vociferate angrily

with his lips
בִשְׂפָתַ֜יִם (ḇiś·p̄ā·ṯa·yim)
Preposition-b | Noun - fd
Strong's 8193: The lip, language, a margin

to do anything good
לְהֵיטִ֗יב (lə·hê·ṭîḇ)
Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct
Strong's 3190: To be good, well, glad, or pleasing

or
א֣וֹ (’ōw)
Conjunction
Strong's 176: Desire, if

evil—
לְהָרַ֣ע ׀ (lə·hā·ra‘)
Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct
Strong's 7489: To spoil, to make, good for, nothing, bad

in
לְ֠כֹל (lə·ḵōl)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

whatever matter
אֲשֶׁ֨ר (’ă·šer)
Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

a man
הָאָדָ֛ם (hā·’ā·ḏām)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 120: Ruddy, a human being

may rashly pronounce
יְבַטֵּ֧א (yə·ḇaṭ·ṭê)
Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 981: To babble, to vociferate angrily

an oath—
בִּשְׁבֻעָ֖ה (biš·ḇu·‘āh)
Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 7621: Something sworn, an oath

even if he is unaware
וְנֶעְלַ֣ם (wə·ne‘·lam)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5956: To veil from sight, conceal

of it,
מִמֶּ֑נּוּ (mim·men·nū)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's 4480: A part of, from, out of

when he
וְהוּא־ (wə·hū-)
Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1931: He, self, the same, this, that, as, are

later realizes it,
יָדַ֥ע (yā·ḏa‘)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3045: To know

he will be guilty.
וְאָשֵׁ֖ם (wə·’ā·šêm)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 816: To be guilty, to be punished, perish

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OT Law: Leviticus 5:4 Or if anyone swears rashly with his (Le Lv Lev.)