Numbers 15:35

KJV

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.

KJV (with Strong's)

And the LORD {H3068} said {H559} unto Moses {H4872}, The man {H376} shall be surely {H4191} put to death {H4191}: all the congregation {H5712} shall stone {H7275} him with stones {H68} without {H2351} the camp {H4264}.

Complete Jewish Bible

Then ADONAI said to Moshe, "This man must be put to death; the entire community is to stone him to death outside the camp."

Berean Standard Bible

And the LORD said to Moses, “The man must surely be put to death. The whole congregation is to stone him outside the camp.”

American Standard Version

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

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Numbers 15:35 records the Lord's unequivocal divine decree for the capital punishment of a man found deliberately violating the Sabbath. This direct command, delivered to Moses, mandated that the entire Israelite congregation participate in stoning the offender outside the camp, thereby underscoring the profound sanctity of the Sabbath, the extreme gravity of intentional disobedience, and the community's corporate responsibility in maintaining the holiness and purity of the covenant people.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** This verse provides the divine verdict for the incident described immediately prior in [Numbers 15:32-34](/numbers/15-32-34 "Numbers 15:32-34 - The Sabbath Breaker Incident"). A man was discovered gathering wood on the Sabbath, an act that, while seemingly mundane to modern sensibilities, constituted a direct and presumptuous violation of the fourth commandment. The Israelites, lacking a specific legal precedent for this particular offense, brought the man before Moses, Aaron, and the entire congregation, indicating their awareness of the act's seriousness and their need for divine guidance in judgment. This incident is strategically placed within [Numbers 15](/numbers/15 "Numbers 15 - Laws and Offerings"), a chapter that primarily details various laws concerning offerings, unintentional sins, and the importance of tassels as reminders of God's commandments. The stark contrast between the provisions for unintentional sin (e.g., [Numbers 15:22-29](/numbers/15-22-29 "Numbers 15:22-29 - Laws for Unintentional Sin")) and the severe penalty for this deliberate transgression highlights the critical distinction between ignorance or inadvertence and defiant rebellion against God's revealed will.
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** The events of [Numbers 15](/numbers/15 "Numbers 15 - Laws and Offerings") unfold during Israel's wilderness wanderings, a foundational period for the establishment of their national identity and legal system under God's direct governance. The Sabbath was not merely a day of rest but a foundational sign of the covenant between Yahweh and Israel, signifying His creation work and their unique, sanctified relationship with Him, as seen in [Exodus 31:13-17](/exodus/31-13-17 "Exodus 31:13-17 - The Sabbath as a Sign of the Covenant"). Its violation was therefore an affront to God's authority and a rejection of the covenant itself, akin to high treason. Stoning was a common form of capital punishment in ancient Israel for offenses considered to be direct sins against God or severe violations of communal purity, such as blasphemy ([Leviticus 24:16](/leviticus/24-16 "Leviticus 24:16 - Blasphemy and Stoning")) or idolatry ([Deuteronomy 17:5](/deuteronomy/17-5 "Deuteronomy 17:5 - Idolatry and Stoning")). The instruction to execute the offender "without the camp" was culturally significant, symbolizing the removal of defilement and sin from the holy community, which was consecrated by God's presence at its center.
* **Key Themes:** [Numbers 15:35](/numbers/15-35 "Numbers 15:35 - The Sabbath Breaker's Punishment") powerfully reinforces several overarching themes within the Pentateuch. Firstly, the **Sanctity of the Sabbath** is paramount; its violation, especially a deliberate one, was not a minor infraction but a direct challenge to God's holiness and His covenant with Israel. Secondly, the passage underscores **Divine Justice and Authority**; the Lord Himself issues the death decree, demonstrating His absolute sovereignty over His laws and the severe consequences for defiant disobedience. This was not a human judgment but a direct divine pronouncement, emphasizing the gravity of sin against a holy God. Thirdly, the command for "all the congregation" to participate emphasizes **Communal Responsibility** in upholding God's laws and purging evil from their midst, serving as a deterrent for others and reinforcing communal purity, as seen in [Deuteronomy 13:11](/deuteronomy/13-11 "Deuteronomy 13:11 - Deterrence for Evil"). Finally, the act of execution "without the camp" highlights the theme of **Exclusion and Purification**, signifying the removal of sin and defilement to maintain the ritual purity and spiritual integrity of the holy community where God's presence resided ([Leviticus 16:27](/leviticus/16-27 "Leviticus 16:27 - Sin Offering Outside the Camp")).

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

#### Key Word Analysis
* **LORD (Hebrew, _Yᵉhôvâh'_):** This refers to the covenant name of God, Yahweh (H3068), emphasizing His self-existent, eternal nature and His unique relationship with Israel. The use of this specific name underscores that the command for capital punishment is not merely a legal statute but a direct, authoritative decree from the sovereign God who has entered into a covenant relationship with His people and is actively involved in their governance and purity.
* **man (Hebrew, _ʼîysh'_):** This term (H376) denotes an individual male person. Its use here highlights that the judgment is directed at a specific individual who, despite being part of the covenant community, chose to presumptuously violate a foundational commandment. It emphasizes personal accountability before God's law.
* **surely put to death (Hebrew, _mûwth'_):** This phrase employs a grammatical construction known as the infinitive absolute (מוֹת, _moth_) followed by a finite verb (יוּמָת, _yumath_). Both derive from the root _mûwth_ (H4191), meaning "to die" or "to kill." This construction serves to intensify the verb, emphasizing the absolute certainty, inevitability, and severity of the death sentence. It leaves no room for doubt, appeal, or leniency; the judgment is final and irrevocable, underscoring the gravity of the transgression in God's eyes.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"And the LORD said unto Moses":** This opening clause immediately establishes the divine origin and absolute authority of the command. It is not a human decision or an interpretation of existing law, but a direct, unambiguous revelation from God to His chosen mediator, Moses. This highlights the seriousness with which God views the transgression and His direct involvement in Israel's judicial processes, affirming His sovereignty over His covenant people.
* **"The man shall be surely put to death":** This is the core of the divine verdict, a definitive pronouncement of capital punishment. The intensified Hebrew phrase (_moth yumath_) underscores the absolute certainty and severity of the sentence, indicating that the man's deliberate act of Sabbath-breaking was considered a capital offense, a direct affront to God's holiness and covenant. This penalty reflects the principle that willful sin against God's direct command carried the ultimate consequence.
* **"all the congregation shall stone him with stones without the camp":** This clause details the method and location of execution, as well as the communal responsibility for carrying it out. Stoning was a public and communal act, ensuring that the entire community bore witness to and participated in the enforcement of God's law, thereby internalizing the gravity of the offense and serving as a deterrent. The phrase "without the camp" is highly significant, symbolizing the expulsion of defilement and sin from the holy community, which was consecrated by God's indwelling presence. It was an act of purification, removing the source of spiritual contagion from their midst to maintain the camp's ritual and spiritual purity.

#### Literary Devices
The passage employs several potent literary and theological devices. The intensified verbal construction moth yumath (surely put to death) serves as a powerful device of **Intensification**, leaving no ambiguity about the finality and severity of the divine judgment. This grammatical emphasis underscores the absolute nature of God's decree. The act of stoning itself, carried out by the **Congregation**, functions as a device of **Communal Enforcement** and **Deterrence**, ensuring that the entire community participates in upholding God's law and witnessing the consequences of its violation, thereby instilling fear and reverence for divine commands. Furthermore, the instruction to execute the offender **"without the camp"** is rich in **Symbolism**, representing the expulsion of sin and defilement from the holy community. This spatial separation signifies the necessity of maintaining the purity of God's consecrated people and the removal of anything that would jeopardize His presence among them. This act of purification underscores the absolute holiness of God and the necessity of separating anything that defiles from His consecrated people.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Numbers 15:35, while rooted in the Old Covenant's legal framework, profoundly illuminates God's unchanging character and the enduring principles of His kingdom. It reveals a God who is absolutely holy, just, and utterly serious about His commands, especially those that define His covenant relationship with His people. The severity of the punishment for a seemingly minor act emphasizes that deliberate sin, particularly against a foundational covenant sign like the Sabbath, is not merely a breaking of a rule but a defiant rejection of God's authority and a desecration of His holiness. This passage serves as a stark reminder that sin, in its essence, is a capital offense against a holy God, demanding a response that purges the defilement and upholds divine righteousness. It highlights the principle that God's justice requires a penalty for willful transgression, a truth that points forward to the ultimate solution found in Christ.

* [Leviticus 24:16](/leviticus/24-16 "Leviticus 24:16 - Blasphemy and Stoning")
* [Deuteronomy 17:12](/deuteronomy/17-12 "Deuteronomy 17:12 - Presumptuous Sin")
* [Hebrews 10:26-27](/hebrews/10-26-27 "Hebrews 10:26-27 - Warning Against Deliberate Sin")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
While the specific judicial penalties of the Old Covenant are not directly applied in the New Covenant era, Numbers 15:35 offers profound lessons for believers today. It calls us to a deep reverence for God's holiness and a serious consideration of His commands. We are reminded that God is not to be trifled with; deliberate disobedience, even in areas we might deem insignificant, is an affront to His character and authority. This passage challenges us to examine our own hearts for any areas of willful defiance or casual disregard for God's revealed will. It also underscores the importance of the community of faith in upholding righteous standards and, in a spiritual sense, "purging" sin from its midst through accountability, discipline, and restoration, always motivated by love and grace. The ultimate application is to cultivate a heart of sincere obedience, not out of fear of physical punishment, but out of profound love and gratitude for the God who has redeemed us and called us to holiness, recognizing that even minor acts of disobedience can stem from a heart of rebellion.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **How does the severity of the punishment for Sabbath-breaking in Numbers 15:35 inform your understanding of God's holiness and the seriousness of deliberate sin?**
* **In what ways might we, as New Covenant believers, be guilty of "presumptuous sin" or deliberate disregard for God's commands, even if the consequences are not physical stoning?**
* **What is the role of the Christian community in upholding God's standards and addressing sin among its members, recognizing the shift from Old Covenant law to New Covenant grace and the ultimate goal of restoration?**

### FAQ
**Why was the punishment for gathering sticks on the Sabbath so severe?**

Answer: The severity of the punishment for gathering sticks on the Sabbath, culminating in a death sentence by stoning, stemmed from the profound theological and covenantal significance of the Sabbath in ancient Israel. The Sabbath was not merely a day of rest but a foundational sign of the covenant between God and His people, symbolizing His creation work and their unique, sanctified relationship with Him, as articulated in [Exodus 31:13-17](/exodus/31-13-17 "Exodus 31:13-17 - The Sabbath as a Sign"). Therefore, a deliberate act of Sabbath-breaking, like gathering sticks, was not viewed as a minor infraction but as a direct and presumptuous act of rebellion against God's authority and a rejection of the covenant itself. It was a defiant act of contempt for God's holiness and His established order, akin to high treason against the divine King. The punishment was intended to uphold God's absolute sovereignty, maintain the purity of the holy community, and serve as a stark deterrent to others from similar acts of willful disobedience, demonstrating that God takes His covenant and His commands with utmost seriousness.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Numbers 15:35, with its stark decree of death for deliberate sin, powerfully anticipates the ultimate fulfillment found in Jesus Christ. The man's sin, a presumptuous violation of a foundational commandment, highlights humanity's inherent inability to perfectly keep God's holy law and the dire consequences of such failure. The wages of sin, whether intentional or unintentional, is death ([Romans 6:23](/romans/6-23 "Romans 6:23 - The Wages of Sin")). Yet, Christ, the perfect Lamb of God, entered into this broken reality. He came not to abolish the Law but to fulfill it ([Matthew 5:17](/matthew/5-17 "Matthew 5:17 - Jesus Fulfills the Law")), perfectly obeying every command and living a life of absolute righteousness. More profoundly, He bore the full penalty for humanity's presumptuous and unintentional sins alike, becoming a curse for us to redeem us from the curse of the Law ([Galatians 3:13](/galatians/3-13 "Galatians 3:13 - Christ Redeems from the Curse")). Just as the Sabbath-breaker was led "without the camp" to be stoned, signifying his expulsion from the holy community and the purging of defilement, so too was Jesus led "outside the city gate" to suffer and die, bearing our sin and shame, becoming the ultimate sacrifice that purifies us from all unrighteousness ([Hebrews 13:12](/hebrews/13-12 "Hebrews 13:12 - Jesus Suffered Outside the Gate")). Through His atoning death, the absolute justice of God, so vividly displayed in Numbers 15:35, is perfectly satisfied, allowing for grace and forgiveness for all who believe in Him, thereby bringing us into a new covenant relationship where His Spirit enables true obedience ([Jeremiah 31:33](/jeremiah/31-33 "Jeremiah 31:33 - The New Covenant")).

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Acts 7:58

And cast [him] out of the city, and stoned [him]: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul.

Exodus 31:14

Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it [is] holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth [any] work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people.

Exodus 31:15

Six days may work be done; but in the seventh [is] the sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD: whosoever doeth [any] work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death.

1 Kings 21:13

And there came in two men, children of Belial, and sat before him: and the men of Belial witnessed against him, [even] against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying, Naboth did blaspheme God and the king. Then they carried him forth out of the city, and stoned him with stones, that he died.

Deuteronomy 21:21

And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die: so shalt thou put evil away from among you; and all Israel shall hear, and fear.

Leviticus 24:23

And Moses spake to the children of Israel, that they should bring forth him that had cursed out of the camp, and stone him with stones. And the children of Israel did as the LORD commanded Moses.

Leviticus 24:14

Bring forth him that hath cursed without the camp; and let all that heard [him] lay their hands upon his head, and let all the congregation stone him.