Leviticus 6:1-7
A Priest's Guilt Offering
1And the LORD said to Moses,
2“If someone sins and acts unfaithfully against the LORD by deceiving his neighbor in regard to a deposit or security entrusted to him or stolen, or if he extorts his neighbor
3or finds lost property and lies about it and swears falsely, or if he commits any such sin that a man might commit—
4once he has sinned and becomes guilty, he must return what he has stolen or taken by extortion, or the deposit entrusted to him, or the lost property he found,
5or anything else about which he has sworn falsely. He must make restitution in full, add a fifth of the value, and pay it to the owner on the day he acknowledges his guilt.
6Then he must bring to the priest his guilt offering to the LORD: an unblemished ram of proper value from the flock.
7In this way the priest will make atonement for him before the LORD, and he will be forgiven for anything he may have done to incur guilt.”
Berean Standard Bible
The LORD describes wrongs committed against another person: deception about a deposit, robbery, oppression, finding lost property and denying it, or swearing falsely about any of these matters. The list is concrete because dishonesty often hides inside ordinary transactions.
When the person sins and becomes guilty, the first response is to return what was taken or withheld. The original amount is restored, and a fifth is added. The person brings a guilt offering to the LORD.
The priest makes atonement, and the person is forgiven. The order matters in the life of the offender: acknowledge the wrong, return what belongs to another, come before God, and receive forgiveness.
The passage does not allow religious activity to cover exploitation. A sacrifice without restitution would leave the neighbor carrying the cost. Worship and justice meet when the guilty person is willing to give back what was taken.
Questions
1 What kinds of wrongs are listed?
AnswerThe list includes deception, robbery, oppression, keeping lost property, and false testimony about such matters.
2 What did the guilty person return?
AnswerThe person returned what was taken or withheld and added one-fifth of its value.
3 What else did the person bring?
AnswerThe person brought a ram without blemish as a guilt offering to the LORD.
4 What followed the priest's atonement?
AnswerAfter atonement was made, the person was forgiven.
What This Means for Us
The examples expose a common temptation: treating harm to a neighbor as a private spiritual issue. God receives repentance that includes the person who was wronged.
Review the ordinary places where trust is involved—money, promises, possessions, and work. If you have benefited from dishonesty, let forgiveness move you toward concrete repayment.
Prayer
Lord, make us trustworthy in ordinary dealings. Show us where we have benefited from another person's loss, and give us humility to return what is owed with more than a defensive apology. Amen.