“And he shall make amends for the harm that he hath done in the holy thing, and shall add the fifth part thereto, and give it unto the priest: and the priest shall make an atonement for him with the ram of the trespass offering, and it shall be forgiven him.”
They must make restitution for what they have failed to do in regard to the holy things, pay an additional penalty of a fifth of its value and give it all to the priest. The priest will make atonement for them with the ram as a guilt offering, and they will be forgiven. The restitution requirement for the guilt offering distinguishes it from the sin offering: the offerer must pay back what was misappropriated plus a twenty percent penalty. The restitution is paid to the priest as the representative of the sacred system that was violated. The combination of the ram offering and the financial restitution communicates the dual nature of the guilt offering's atonement: the relationship with God is restored through the blood, and the material damage is addressed through the restitution.
COMMUNITY REFLECTIONS
Publish a note on this verse
0/2000
No notes on this verse yet. Be the first to write one!