The Meaning of Leviticus 5:2 Explained

Leviticus 5:2

KJV: Or if a soul touch any unclean thing, whether it be a carcase of an unclean beast, or a carcase of unclean cattle, or the carcase of unclean creeping things, and if it be hidden from him; he also shall be unclean, and guilty.

YLT: 'Or when a person cometh against any thing unclean, or against a carcase of an unclean beast, or against a carcase of unclean cattle, or against a carcase of an unclean teeming creature, and it hath been hidden from him, and he unclean, and guilty;

Darby: Or if any one touch any unclean thing, whether it be the carcase of an unclean beast, or the carcase of unclean cattle, or the carcase of an unclean crawling thing, and it be hid from him, he also is unclean and guilty;

ASV: Or if any one touch any unclean thing, whether it be the carcass of an unclean beast, or the carcass of unclean cattle, or the carcass of unclean creeping things, and it be hidden from him, and he be unclean, then he shall be guilty.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Or if a soul  touch  any unclean  thing,  whether [it be] a carcase  of an unclean  beast,  or a carcase  of unclean  cattle,  or the carcase  of unclean  creeping things,  and [if] it be hidden  from him; he also shall be unclean,  and guilty. 

What does Leviticus 5:2 Mean?

Context Summary

Leviticus 5:1-13 - Trespass-Offerings For Various Sins
The sin-offering was closely resembled by the trespass-offering; but they differed in this: that the former was meant to fix the thought of the sinner rather on the evil of his character, and that there was within him a root of bitterness and a poisonous fountain. But the latter deals with the acts of transgression to which this evil character gives rise, and more especially with the harm which it inflicts on others. We need to confess our trespasses as often as we eat our daily bread; and it is very reassuring that, through the blood of Jesus, God forgives all our trespasses. See Colossians 2:13.
It is very touching to notice the provision made for the very poor. Mary, the mother of our Lord, had to content herself with the two pigeons or turtle doves of Leviticus 5:11. But none of us are exempted. We cannot come to the close of any day without kneeling to confess our sins and asking that we may be sprinkled from an evil conscience. [source]

Chapter Summary: 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

What do the individual words in Leviticus 5:2 mean?

Or a person if touches any thing unclean whether [it is] the carcass of an beast unclean the carcass of livestock the carcass of creeping things unclean and he is unaware of it and he [shall be] unclean and guilty
א֣וֹ נֶ֗פֶשׁ אֲשֶׁ֣ר תִּגַּע֮ בְּכָל־ דָּבָ֣ר טָמֵא֒ אוֹ֩ בְנִבְלַ֨ת חַיָּ֜ה טְמֵאָ֗ה בְּנִבְלַת֙ בְּהֵמָ֣ה בְּנִבְלַ֖ת שֶׁ֣רֶץ טָמֵ֑א וְנֶעְלַ֣ם מִמֶּ֔נּוּ וְה֥וּא טָמֵ֖א וְאָשֵֽׁם

נֶ֗פֶשׁ  a  person 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: נֶפֶשׁ  
Sense: soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion.
תִּגַּע֮  touches 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: נָגַע  
Sense: to touch, reach, strike.
בְּכָל־  any 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
דָּבָ֣ר  thing 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
טָמֵא֒  unclean 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: טָמֵא  
Sense: unclean, impure.
אוֹ֩  whether 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: אֹו 
Sense: or, rather.
בְנִבְלַ֨ת  [it  is]  the  carcass 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: נְבֵלָה  
Sense: carcass, corpse.
חַיָּ֜ה  of  an  beast 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: חַי 
Sense: living, alive.
טְמֵאָ֗ה  unclean 
Parse: Adjective, feminine singular
Root: טָמֵא  
Sense: unclean, impure.
בְּנִבְלַת֙  the  carcass 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: נְבֵלָה  
Sense: carcass, corpse.
בְּהֵמָ֣ה  of  livestock 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: בְּהֵמָה  
Sense: beast, cattle, animal.
בְּנִבְלַ֖ת  the  carcass 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: נְבֵלָה  
Sense: carcass, corpse.
שֶׁ֣רֶץ  of  creeping  things 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: שֶׁרֶץ  
Sense: teeming or swarming things, creepers, swarmers.
טָמֵ֑א  unclean 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: טָמֵא  
Sense: unclean, impure.
וְנֶעְלַ֣ם  and  he  is  unaware 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Nifal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָלַם  
Sense: to conceal, hide, be hidden, be concealed, be secret.
מִמֶּ֔נּוּ  of  it 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: מִן 
Sense: from, out of, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not, more than.
וְה֥וּא  and  he  [shall  be] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, third person masculine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.
טָמֵ֖א  unclean 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: טָמֵא  
Sense: unclean, impure.
וְאָשֵֽׁם  and  guilty 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָשַׁם  
Sense: to offend, be guilty, trespass.