Numbers 15:3
in Numbers 15and you present an offering made by fire to the LORD from the herd or flock to produce a pleasing aroma to the LORD—either a burnt offering or a sacrifice, for a special vow or freewill offering or appointed feast—
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
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;
KJV
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:
⋯
This verse in Numbers 15
Commentary
8 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
Then the LORD said to Moses
on Numbers 15:1-5
The sentence at Kadesh has just fallen, and the next words are After you enter the land. The law ties a grain offering and a drink offering to every burnt offering, vow and freewill offering, where Exodus 29:40 had fixed them for the daily lamb alone. Clarke reads the set as written for settled fields and vineyards, since flour, oil and wine come from farmed ground.
This site's exposition
for a special vow or freewill offering or appointed feast
The list covers offerings a worshipper brought by his own choice or at a set feast. John Gill reads the two kinds named as the burnt offering and the peace offering, and the rules that follow cover both. Every one now comes with bread and wine.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
Concerning dough for heave-offerings, ver. 17-21. Sacrifices for sins of ignorance, ver. 22-29. Concerning presumptuous sinners, ver. 30,
quarantine:anchor (2026-07-29) — cites-ver-22/30-anchored-1-16
And will make an offering by fire unto the Lord, a burnt offering,....
And it was fit that God should keep a good house, that his table should be furnished with bread as well as flesh, and that his cup should run over. In my Father's house there is bread enough. Now the intent of this law is to direct what proportion the meat-offering and drink-offering should bear to several sacrifices to which they were annexed.
If it was a ram, the meat-offering was doubled, two tenth-deals of flour, about five quarts, and a third part of a hin of oil (which was to them as butter is to us) mingled with it; and the same quantity of wine for a drink-offering,
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
make an offering by fire unto the Lord, a burnt offering--It is evident that a peace offering is referred to because this term is frequently used in such a sense (Ex 18:12;
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase+unbalanced-parens
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
And will make an offering - For the different kinds of offerings, sacrifices, etc., see Lev 1:2, Lev 1:7.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
After He had assured the children [of those who had left Egypt] that they would come into the Land, 176 Above,:31. He completed [telling] them the laws of the offerings, and that they should bring the drink-offerings when they enter the Land.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 5 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
21 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַעֲשִׂיתֶ֨ם | vaasitem | and you will make | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| אִשֶּׁ֤ה | ʾisheh | a fire offering | H801 → | 65 times |
| לַֽיהוָה֙ | layahweh | to Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| עֹלָ֣ה | ʾolah | a burnt offering | H5930 → | 287 times |
| אוֹ־ | ʾov- | or | H176 → | 321 times |
| זֶ֔בַח | zevach | a sacrifice | H2077 → | 162 times |
| לְפַלֵּא־ | lefale'- | to fulfill | H6381 → | 71 times |
| נֶ֙דֶר֙ | neder | a vow | H5088 → | 60 times |
| א֣וֹ | ʾo | or | H176 → | 321 times |
| בִנְדָבָ֔ה | vindavah | <in> a freewill offering | H5071 → | |
| א֖וֹ | ʾo | or | H176 → | 321 times |
| בְּמֹעֲדֵיכֶ֑ם | bemoadeikhem | at appointed feasts your | H4150 → | 223 times |
| לַעֲשׂ֞וֹת | laasot | to make | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| רֵ֤יחַ | reiach | an odor of | H7381 → | 58 times |
| נִיחֹ֙חַ֙ | nichoach | soothing | H5207 → | 43 times |
| לַֽיהוָ֔ה | layahweh | to Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| מִן־ | min- | from | H4480 → | 1188 times |
| הַבָּקָ֖ר | habakar | the herd | H1241 → | 183 times |
| א֥וֹ | ʾo | or | H176 → | 321 times |
| מִן־ | min- | from | H4480 → | 1188 times |
| הַצֹּֽאן׃ | hatzon | the flock | H6629 → | 274 times |
וַעֲשִׂיתֶ֨םand you will make
vaasitemH6213 →2628 times
אִשֶּׁ֤הa fire offering
ʾishehH801 →65 times
לַֽיהוָה֙to Yahweh
layahwehH3068 →6520 times
עֹלָ֣הa burnt offering
ʾolahH5930 →287 times
אוֹ־or
ʾov-H176 →321 times
זֶ֔בַחa sacrifice
zevachH2077 →162 times
לְפַלֵּא־to fulfill
lefale'-H6381 →71 times
נֶ֙דֶר֙a vow
nederH5088 →60 times
א֣וֹor
ʾoH176 →321 times
בִנְדָבָ֔ה<in> a freewill offering
vindavahH5071 →
א֖וֹor
ʾoH176 →321 times
בְּמֹעֲדֵיכֶ֑םat appointed feasts your
bemoadeikhemH4150 →223 times
לַעֲשׂ֞וֹתto make
laasotH6213 →2628 times
רֵ֤יחַan odor of
reiachH7381 →58 times
נִיחֹ֙חַ֙soothing
nichoachH5207 →43 times
לַֽיהוָ֔הto Yahweh
layahwehH3068 →6520 times
מִן־from
min-H4480 →1188 times
הַבָּקָ֖רthe herd
habakarH1241 →183 times
א֥וֹor
ʾoH176 →321 times
מִן־from
min-H4480 →1188 times
הַצֹּֽאן׃the flock
hatzonH6629 →274 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
Genesis 8:21When the LORD smelled the pleasing aroma, He said in His heart, “Never again will I curse the ground because of man, even though every inclination of his heart is evil from his youth.…
it leads to
- Ephesians 5:2
and walk in love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant sacrificial offering to God.
Reached by 3 separate paths from here.
- 2 Corinthians 2:15
For we are to God the sweet aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.
- Genesis 6:5
Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great upon the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was altogether evil all the time.
- Jeremiah 17:9
The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?
- Isaiah 54:9–10
“For to Me this is like the days of Noah, when I swore that the waters of Noah would never again cover the earth. So I have sworn that I will not be angry…
- Ephesians 5:2
Through
Philippians 4:18I have all I need and more, now that I have received your gifts from Epaphroditus. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God.
it leads to
- Hebrews 13:16
And do not neglect to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.
- Philippians 4:12
I know how to live humbly, and I know how to abound. I am accustomed to any and every situation—to being filled and being hungry, to having plenty and having need.
- 2 Corinthians 9:12
For this ministry of service is not only supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanksgiving to God.
- Hebrews 13:16
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Numbers
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.