Imamat 5:8

5:8 He must bring them to the priest and present first the one that is for a sin offering. The priest ¹  must pinch ²  its head at the nape of its neck, but must not sever the head from the body. ³ 

Imamat 5:17

Unknown trespass

5:17 “If a person sins and violates any of the Lord’s commandments which must not be violated ⁴  (although he did not know it at the time, ⁵  but later realizes he is guilty), then he will bear his punishment for iniquity ⁶ 

[5:8]  ¹ tn Heb “he.” The subject (“he”) refers to the priest here, not the offerer who presented the birds to the priest (cf. v. 8a).

[5:8]  ² sn The action seems to involve both a twisting action, breaking the neck of the bird and severing its vertebrae, as well as pinching or nipping the skin, but in this case not severing the head from the main body (note the rest of this verse).

[5:8]  ³ tn Heb “he shall not divide [it]” (see J. Milgrom, Leviticus [AB], 1:305).

[5:17]  ⁴ tn Heb “and does one from all of the commandments of the Lord which must not be done.”

[5:17]  ⁵ tn The words “at the time” are not in the Hebrew text, but are implied.

[5:17]  ⁶ tn Heb “and he did not know, and he shall be guilty and he shall bear his iniquity” (for the rendering “bear his punishment [for iniquity]”) see the note on Lev 5:1.) This portion of v. 17 is especially difficult. The translation offered here suggests (as in many other English versions) that the offender did not originally know that he had violated the Lord’s commandments, but then came to know it and dealt with it accordingly (cf. the corresponding sin offering section in Lev 5:1-4). Another possibility is that it refers to a situation where a person suspects that he violated something although he does not recollect it. Thus, he brings a guilt offering for his suspected violation (J. Milgrom, Leviticus [AB], 1:331-34, 361-63). See also R. E. Averbeck, NIDOTTE 1:561-62.