אֹ֣ו כִ֤י יִגַּע֙ בְּטֻמְאַ֣ת אָדָ֔ם לְכֹל֙ טֻמְאָתֹ֔ו אֲשֶׁ֥ר יִטְמָ֖א בָּ֑הּ וְנֶעְלַ֣ם מִמֶּ֔נּוּ וְה֥וּא יָדַ֖ע וְאָשֵֽׁם׃
Contextual Introduction
Leviticus 5:3 appears in a section addressing unintentional sins and their required expiations. This verse considers a scenario in which someone becomes ritually impure through contact with human defilement, remains unaware of it initially, but later comes to know and is considered guilty. The grammar is structured to build conditional progression, with key temporal and causal relationships between physical contact, knowledge, and culpability.
Grammatical Focus: Disjunctive אוֹ-Clause, Sequential Verbs, and Legal Causality
1. אֹ֣ו כִ֤י יִגַּע֙ בְּטֻמְאַ֣ת אָדָ֔ם – Disjunctive Scenario with Imperfect Verb
– אֹ֣ו (“or”) introduces an alternative condition within the legal case framework.
– כִ֤י (“if”) begins the conditional clause.
– יִגַּע֙ is Qal imperfect 3ms from נָגַע (“to touch”), expressing hypothetical contact.
– בְּטֻמְאַ֣ת אָדָ֔ם (“with human uncleanness”) specifies defilement due to bodily impurity (cf. Lev 15).
2. לְכֹל֙ טֻמְאָתֹ֔ו אֲשֶׁ֥ר יִטְמָ֖א בָּ֑הּ – Construct Expansion with Relative Clause
– לְכֹל֙ טֻמְאָתֹ֔ו (“any of his uncleanness”) elaborates the defilement being touched.
– אֲשֶׁ֥ר יִטְמָ֖א בָּ֑הּ (“which he becomes unclean by”) is a relative clause with יִטְמָ֖א (Qal imperfect 3ms from טָמֵא).
This clause refines the type of impurity in question and links contact to ritual status.
3. וְנֶעְלַ֣ם מִמֶּ֔נּוּ – Passive Perfect Indicating Unawareness
– וְנֶעְלַ֣ם is Niphal perfect 3ms from עָלַם (“to be hidden”), meaning “and it was hidden from him.”
– מִמֶּ֔נּוּ (“from him”) makes it clear that the individual was initially unaware of the contact.
4. וְה֥וּא יָדַ֖ע וְאָשֵֽׁם – Sequential Realization and Guilt Declaration
– וְה֥וּא יָדַ֖ע (“and he knew”) – Qal perfect 3ms from יָדַע, marking the turning point: awareness dawns.
– וְאָשֵֽׁם (“and he is guilty”) – Qal perfect 3ms from אָשַׁם (“to be guilty”), concluding the legal judgment.
These final verbs shift the scenario from ignorance to awareness and legal accountability.
Theological and Literary Implications
The structure of this verse shows that sin in the Torah is not only about intention but also about relationship with divine holiness. The sequence—contact, concealment, discovery, guilt—forms a narrative of spiritual responsibility. Ignorance may delay guilt, but it does not nullify it; once awareness arises, so does obligation.
Thematically, this connects to the concept of *tum’ah* (impurity) being contagious and subtle—requiring vigilance and reverence. Grammatically, the movement from hiddenness to knowledge to guilt marks a sacred threshold: once knowledge is attained, repentance or sacrifice becomes necessary.
Versions and Comparative Observations
The Septuagint: *ἢ ἂν ἅψηται ἀκαθαρσίας ἀνθρώπου ἀπὸ πάσης ἀκαθαρσίας αὐτοῦ, ἣν ἐὰν ἅψηται ἀκαθαρθήσεται καὶ λανθάνῃ ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ, καὶ γνῷ ὕστερον, καὶ ἔνοχός ἐστιν* – following the same sequence of contact, concealment, recognition, guilt.
The Vulgate: *anima si tetigerit inmunditiam hominis iuxta omnem sordem eius quo pollui solet et oblita cognoverit postea reum facietur* – emphasizing the personal realization and guilt.
Later halakhic tradition builds on these passages to develop categories of *shogeg* (unintentional sin) and the need for atonement even when unintentional contact with impurity occurs.
When Hidden Things Bring Guilt: Syntax of Ritual Conscience
Leviticus 5:3 is a microcosm of biblical ritual ethics. The conditional structure, passive concealment, and perfect verbs of realization and guilt create a theological progression: sin touches even when unnoticed, but knowledge brings responsibility. Here, grammar teaches sensitivity—what is hidden now may still bind the soul later, and syntax marks the moment when conscience is awakened.
