Numberschapter 15

41 verses · ASV

This chapter sends 233 cross-references outward and receives 209 — heaviest partner: Leviticus.

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Chapter summary

Offering laws, the Sabbath-breaker, and fringes. Meat and drink offerings in proportion to burnt and peace offerings — a lamb with three-tenths flour and one-third hin of wine; a ram with more; a bullock more still. The one law for native and stranger. Sin unwittingly committed by the congregation — a bullock; by an individual — a female kid. Sin with a high hand — that soul is cut off. A man found gathering sticks on the Sabbath is stoned by the congregation outside the camp. Then fringes with a blue ribband on the borders of every Israelite's garment, ‘that ye may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of the LORD’.

Drafted from Matthew Henry, Calvin, Gill, Clarke, JFB, and Barnes.

Context

Law · Moses — see the Numbers overview for the book's full setting.

1 And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying,

2 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,

3 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;

4 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:

5 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.

6 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:

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

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

9 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:

10 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.

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

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

13 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.

14 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.

15 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.

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

17 And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying,

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

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

20 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.

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

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

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

24 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.

25 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:

26 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.

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

28 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.

29 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.

30 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.

31 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.

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

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

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

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

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

37 And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying,

38 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:

39 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;

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

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

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