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 the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

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

And will make an offering by fire unto the LORD, a burnt offering, or a sacrifice in performing a vow, or in a freewill offering, or in your solemn feasts, to make a sweet savour unto the LORD, of the herd, or of the flock:

Then shall he that offereth his offering unto the LORD bring a meat offering of a tenth deal of flour mingled with the fourth part of an hin of oil.

And the fourth part of an hin of wine for a drink offering shalt thou prepare with the burnt offering or sacrifice, for one lamb.

Or for a ram, thou shalt prepare for a meat offering two tenth deals of flour mingled with the third part of an hin of oil.

And for a drink offering thou shalt offer the third part of an hin of wine, for a sweet savour unto the LORD.

And when thou preparest a bullock for a burnt offering, or for a sacrifice in performing a vow, or peace offerings unto the LORD:

Then shall he bring with a bullock a meat offering of three tenth deals of flour mingled with half an hin of oil.

And thou shalt bring for a drink offering half an hin of wine, for an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD.

Thus shall it be done for one bullock, or for one ram, or for a lamb, or a kid.

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

All that are born of the country shall do these things after this manner, in offering an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD.

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

One ordinance shall be both for you of the congregation, and also for the stranger that sojourneth with you, an ordinance for ever in your generations: as ye are, so shall the stranger be before the LORD.

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

Offering the Firstfruits of Dough

And the LORD 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 an heave offering unto the LORD.

Ye shall offer up a cake of the first of your dough for an heave offering: as ye do the heave offering of the threshingfloor, so shall ye heave it.

Of the first of your dough ye shall give unto the LORD an heave offering in your generations.

Atonement for Unintentional Sins

¶ And if ye have erred, and not observed all these commandments, which the LORD hath spoken unto Moses,

Even all that the LORD hath commanded you by the hand of Moses, from the day that the LORD commanded Moses, and henceforward among your generations;

Then it shall be, if ought be committed by ignorance without the knowledge of the congregation, that all the congregation shall offer one young bullock for a burnt offering, for a sweet savour unto the LORD, with his meat offering, and his drink offering, according to the manner, and one kid of the goats for a sin offering.

And the priest shall make an atonement for all the congregation of the children of Israel, and it shall be forgiven them; for it is ignorance: and they shall bring their offering, a sacrifice made by fire unto the LORD, and their sin offering before the LORD, for their ignorance:

And it shall be forgiven all the congregation of the children of Israel, and the stranger that sojourneth among them; seeing all the people were in ignorance.

And if any soul sin through ignorance, then he shall bring a she goat of the first year for a sin offering.

And the priest shall make an atonement for the soul that sinneth ignorantly, when he sinneth by ignorance before the LORD, to make an atonement for him; and it shall be forgiven him.

Ye shall have one law for him that sinneth through ignorance, both for him that is born among the children of Israel, and for the stranger that sojourneth among them.

The Penalty for Presumptuous Sin

¶ But the soul that doeth ought presumptuously, whether he be born in the land, or a stranger, the same reproacheth the LORD; and that soul shall be cut off from among his people.

Because he hath despised the word of the LORD, 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 that gathered 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 was not declared what should be done to him.

And the LORD said unto Moses, The man shall be surely 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 with stones, and he died; as the LORD commanded Moses.

The Command to Wear Tassels (Tzitzit)

¶ And the LORD 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 the borders a ribband of blue:

And it shall be unto you for a fringe, that ye may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of the LORD, and do them; and that ye seek not after your own heart and your own eyes, after which ye use to go a whoring:

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

I am the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the LORD 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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