Numbers 15:27
in Numbers 15Also, if one person sins unintentionally, he is to present a year-old female goat as a sin offering.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And if one person sin unwittingly, then he shall offer a she-goat a year old for a sin-offering.
KJV
And if any soul sin through ignorance, then he shall bring a she goat of the first year for a sin offering.
⋯
This verse in Numbers 15
Commentary
4 notes on this verseAnd if any soul sin through ignorance,.... Any private or particular person, by breaking any of the above commands, or any other, not rightly understanding them, or not adverting: to the circumstances required in the manner of performing them: then he shall bring a she goat of the first year for a sin offering; which differed in this from the sin offering of a congregation that sinned through ignorance; that was a kid of the goats, whether male or female, but this was to be a female goat and of a year old.
This site's exposition
And if any soul sin through ignorance
on Numbers 15:27-31
One man's error is met with a she goat of the first year, and verse 29 puts the stranger under the same one law that verse 16 gave for the offerings. Verse 30 names a second kind of act and appoints no offering for it anywhere. The word rendered presumptuously is the Hebrew for a high hand, the phrase used of Israel's own departure from Egypt at Numbers 33:3, so what is described is a raised arm rather than a stumble. Henry and Clarke both set Hebrews 10:26 beside it, where there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins for the man who sins wilfully.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
), neglecting any part of his duty, he must bring his offering, as was appointed, Lev. iv. Thus atonement shall be made for the soul that sins, when he sins through ignorance,
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
if any soul sin through ignorance--not only in common with the general body of the people, but his personal sins were to be expiated in the same manner.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
The words behind it
10 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְאִם־ | veim- | and if | H518 → | 1069 times |
| נֶ֥פֶשׁ | nefesh | a person | H5315 → | 754 times |
| אַחַ֖ת | ʾachat | one | H259 → | 971 times |
| תֶּחֱטָ֣א | techeta' | it will sin | H2398 → | 238 times |
| בִשְׁגָגָ֑ה | vishgagah | by inadvertence | H7684 → | 19 times |
| וְהִקְרִ֛יבָה | vehikrivah | and it will bring near | H7126 → | 280 times |
| עֵ֥ז | ʾez | a female goat | H5795 → | 74 times |
| בַּת־ | bat- | a daughter of | H1323 → | 588 times |
| שְׁנָתָ֖הּ | shenatah | year its | H8141 → | 877 times |
| לְחַטָּֽאת׃ | lechatat | to a sin offering | H2403 → | 295 times |
וְאִם־and if
veim-H518 →1069 times
נֶ֥פֶשׁa person
nefeshH5315 →754 times
אַחַ֖תone
ʾachatH259 →971 times
תֶּחֱטָ֣אit will sin
techeta'H2398 →238 times
בִשְׁגָגָ֑הby inadvertence
vishgagahH7684 →19 times
וְהִקְרִ֛יבָהand it will bring near
vehikrivahH7126 →280 times
עֵ֥זa female goat
ʾezH5795 →74 times
בַּת־a daughter of
bat-H1323 →588 times
שְׁנָתָ֖הּyear its
shenatahH8141 →877 times
לְחַטָּֽאת׃to a sin offering
lechatatH2403 →295 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Acts 17:30Although God overlooked the ignorance of earlier times, He now commands all people everywhere to repent.
it leads to
- Acts 14:16
In past generations, He let all nations go their own way.
- Titus 2:11–12
For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to everyone.
- Luke 24:47
and in His name repentance and forgiveness of sins will be proclaimed to all nations, beginning in Jerusalem.
- Romans 3:25
God presented Him as the atoning sacrifice through faith in His blood, in order to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance He had passed over the sins committed beforehand.
- Acts 26:17–20
I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them
- Acts 14:16
Through
1 Timothy 1:13I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a violent man; yet because I had acted in ignorance and unbelief, I was shown mercy.
it leads to
- Acts 8:3
But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison.
- 1 Peter 2:10
Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
- Hebrews 6:4–8
It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit,
- Acts 8:3
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Numbers
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.