08-31-2020, 08:01 PM
Yes, אָשָׁם certainly means "a guilt offering." I take נַפְשוֹ (feminine singular) as the subject of the verb תָּשִׂים.
If his soul will make a guilt offering...
It is common in the book of Leviticus to use the word "soul" as reference to a person who sins and needs to offer a sacrifice.
For example, Leviticus 2 begins with the word וְנֶ֗פֶשׁ כִּֽי־תַקְרִ֞יב קָרְבַּ֤ן מִנְחָה֙ לַֽיהוָ֔ה "and if a soul should offer an grain offering to the Lord..." It doesn't mean a disembodied soul, it means a "person." Similarly, Leviticus 4 opens with the idea that נֶ֗פֶשׁ כִּֽי־תֶחֱטָ֤א בִשְׁגָגָה֙ מִכֹּל֙ מִצְוֺ֣ת יְהוָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֖ר לֹ֣א תֵֽעָשֶׂ֑ינָה "a soul that sins unintentionally from all the commandments of the Lord that must not be done..." Again, the soul doesn't sin - the person does. Ezekiel repeats this idea with his "the soul that sins will die," meaning the person himself.
Thus, by "if his soul will make," it means the person himself: "if he himself will make a guilt offering."
The KJV famously translated the verb as second-person, "if you (who?!?) will make his soul an offering for sin." That's not what it means.
If his soul will make a guilt offering...
It is common in the book of Leviticus to use the word "soul" as reference to a person who sins and needs to offer a sacrifice.
For example, Leviticus 2 begins with the word וְנֶ֗פֶשׁ כִּֽי־תַקְרִ֞יב קָרְבַּ֤ן מִנְחָה֙ לַֽיהוָ֔ה "and if a soul should offer an grain offering to the Lord..." It doesn't mean a disembodied soul, it means a "person." Similarly, Leviticus 4 opens with the idea that נֶ֗פֶשׁ כִּֽי־תֶחֱטָ֤א בִשְׁגָגָה֙ מִכֹּל֙ מִצְוֺ֣ת יְהוָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֖ר לֹ֣א תֵֽעָשֶׂ֑ינָה "a soul that sins unintentionally from all the commandments of the Lord that must not be done..." Again, the soul doesn't sin - the person does. Ezekiel repeats this idea with his "the soul that sins will die," meaning the person himself.
Thus, by "if his soul will make," it means the person himself: "if he himself will make a guilt offering."
The KJV famously translated the verb as second-person, "if you (who?!?) will make his soul an offering for sin." That's not what it means.