Numbers15

Numbers 15 outlines various laws for Israel upon entering the Promised Land, including specific requirements for burnt, meat, and drink offerings, applicable to both native-born and strangers. It details provisions for unintentional sins by the congregation or individuals, contrasting them with the severe punishment for presumptuous sin, exemplified by a Sabbath-breaker's execution. The chapter concludes with the command to wear fringes on garments as a reminder to obey God's commandments and remain holy.

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Laws for Grain and Drink Offerings

And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying,

Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye are come into the land of your habitations, which I give unto you,

and will make an offering by fire unto Jehovah, a burnt-offering, or a sacrifice, to accomplish a vow, or as a freewill-offering, or in your set feasts, to make a sweet savor unto Jehovah, of the herd, or of the flock;

then shall he that offereth his oblation offer unto Jehovah a meal-offering of a tenth part of an ephah of fine flour mingled with the fourth part of a hin of oil:

and wine for the drink-offering, the fourth part of a hin, shalt thou prepare with the burnt-offering, or for the sacrifice, for each lamb.

Or for a ram, thou shalt prepare for a meal-offering two tenth parts of an ephah of fine flour mingled with the third part of a hin of oil:

and for the drink-offering thou shalt offer the third part of a hin of wine, of a sweet savor unto Jehovah.

And when thou preparest a bullock for a burnt-offering, or for a sacrifice, to accomplish a vow, or for peace-offerings unto Jehovah;

then shall he offer with the bullock a meal-offering of three tenth parts of an ephah of fine flour mingled with half a hin of oil:

and thou shalt offer for the drink-offering half a hin of wine, for an offering made by fire, of a sweet savor unto Jehovah.

Thus shall it be done for each bullock, or for each ram, or for each of the he-lambs, or of the kids.

According to the number that ye shall prepare, so shall ye do to every one according to their number.

All that are home-born shall do these things after this manner, in offering an offering made by fire, of a sweet savor unto Jehovah.

And if a stranger sojourn with you, or whosoever may be among you throughout your generations, and will offer an offering made by fire, of a sweet savor unto Jehovah; as ye do, so he shall do.

For the assembly, there shall be one statute for you, and for the stranger that sojourneth with you, a statute for ever throughout your generations: as ye are, so shall the sojourner be before Jehovah.

One law and one ordinance shall be for you, and for the stranger that sojourneth with you.

Offering the Firstfruits of Dough

And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying,

Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye come into the land whither I bring you,

then it shall be, that, when ye eat of the bread of the land, ye shall offer up a heave-offering unto Jehovah.

Of the first of your dough ye shall offer up a cake for a heave-offering: as the heave-offering of the threshing-floor, so shall ye heave it.

Of the first of your dough ye shall give unto Jehovah a heave-offering throughout your generations.

Atonement for Unintentional Sins

And when ye shall err, and not observe all these commandments, which Jehovah hath spoken unto Moses,

even all that Jehovah hath commanded you by Moses, from the day that Jehovah gave commandment, and onward throughout your generations;

then it shall be, if it be done unwittingly, without the knowledge of the congregation, that all the congregation shall offer one young bullock for a burnt-offering, for a sweet savor unto Jehovah, with the meal-offering thereof, and the drink-offering thereof, according to the ordinance, and one he-goat for a sin-offering.

And the priest shall make atonement for all the congregation of the children of Israel, and they shall be forgiven; for it was an error, and they have brought their oblation, an offering made by fire unto Jehovah, and their sin-offering before Jehovah, for their error:

and all the congregation of the children of Israel shall be forgiven, and the stranger that sojourneth among them; for in respect of all the people it was done unwittingly.

And if one person sin unwittingly, then he shall offer a she-goat a year old for a sin-offering.

And the priest shall make atonement for the soul that erreth, when he sinneth unwittingly, before Jehovah, to make atonement for him; and he shall be forgiven.

Ye shall have one law for him that doeth aught unwittingly, for him that is home-born among the children of Israel, and for the stranger that sojourneth among them.

The Penalty for Presumptuous Sin

But the soul that doeth aught with a high hand, whether he be home-born or a sojourner, the same blasphemeth Jehovah; and that soul shall be cut off from among his people.

Because he hath despised the word of Jehovah, and hath broken his commandment, that soul shall utterly be cut off; his iniquity shall be upon him.

The Sabbath Breaker Executed

And while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering sticks upon the sabbath day.

And they that found him gathering sticks brought him unto Moses and Aaron, and unto all the congregation.

And they put him in ward, because it had not been declared what should be done to him.

And Jehovah said unto Moses, The man shall surely be put to death: all the congregation shall stone him with stones without the camp.

And all the congregation brought him without the camp, and stoned him to death with stones; as Jehovah commanded Moses.

The Command to Wear Tassels (Tzitzit)

And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying,

Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them fringes in the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe of each border a cord of blue:

and it shall be unto you for a fringe, that ye may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of Jehovah, and do them; and that ye follow not after your own heart and your own eyes, after which ye use to play the harlot;

that ye may remember and do all my commandments, and be holy unto your God.

I am Jehovah your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am Jehovah your God.

Study Notes for Numbers 15

Verse 2

This chapter is crucial as it looks forward to settled life in Canaan (“the land of your habitations”), reinforcing that God still expects obedience despite the recent wilderness failures (Chs. 13-14).

Verse 4

The 'meat offering' (KJV) is better translated as 'grain offering' (Heb. *minchah*). It was a standard accompaniment to animal sacrifices, emphasizing that all life’s provisions (flour, oil, wine) belong to God.

Verse 15

This declaration of 'one ordinance' for both the native Israelite and the resident stranger (*ger*) is a key theological point, demonstrating God's consistent standard of justice and inclusion within the covenant community.

Verse 19

The heave offering (a portion lifted up) of the first batch of bread ensured that Israel acknowledged God as the source of their agricultural bounty before partaking of the harvest themselves.

Verse 22

The distinction between unintentional sin (ignorance, weakness) and high-handed sin (vv. 30–31) is fundamental to the sacrificial system. Sacrifices cover the former, but not the latter.

Verse 24

If the entire community sins unknowingly, a substantial offering (a bullock) is required to cleanse the nation, highlighting the gravity of corporate disobedience.

Verse 30

To 'doeth ought presumptuously' (Heb. *bĕyāḏ rāmâ*, 'with a high hand') refers to defiant, willful sin done in open contempt of God's authority. No sacrifice could atone for this; the penalty was immediate execution ('cut off').

Verse 31

Presumptuous sin is defined here as despising or treating lightly 'the word of the LORD,' equating willful transgression with rebellion against divine revelation itself.

Verse 32

This narrative functions as a concrete legal case illustrating the principle of presumptuous sin (vv. 30–31). Gathering wood was not strictly necessary and demonstrated a willful disregard for the Sabbath command.

Verse 35

The death penalty for Sabbath breaking was established in Exodus 31:14. This execution reaffirmed the seriousness of the covenant laws immediately following Israel's major failures at Kadesh-barnea.

Verse 38

The *tzitzit* (fringes/tassels), specifically with a blue cord (*tĕḵēleṯ*), served as a visible, physical reminder of God’s covenant requirements, worn on the outer garment.

Verse 39

The purpose of the tassels was to serve as a memory aid so the wearer would not follow the deceitful lusts of 'their own heart and your own eyes,' a common biblical metaphor for spiritual unfaithfulness.

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Numbers15

Laws for Grain and Drink Offerings

Offering the Firstfruits of Dough

Atonement for Unintentional Sins

The Penalty for Presumptuous Sin

The Sabbath Breaker Executed

The Command to Wear Tassels (Tzitzit)

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