Challenging a Priestly Credit Theology: A New Translation of Niphal [inline-graphic 01]

This article argues for a new translation of the niphal of [inline-graphic 02] in the Priestly Narrative. This verb has typically been translated as "credited" and has been used as the foundation for arguing that the Priestly sacrificial system utilizes a divine ledger that tracks credits and debits of individual Israelites. I demonstrate that the concept of this kind of "credit theology" is foreign to the Priestly Narrative, and that the mistranslation of this verb has enabled a fundamental misunderstanding of the sacrificial system. Instead, I suggest that the use of this verb is limited to a very specific legal scenario related to the inappropriate possession of sacrificial material, is best understood in the context of property law, and should be translated as "to bail."