The Fourth Book of Moses, called Numbers
Numbers 15
Chapter XV · Vol. I, pp. 438–441
The law of the meat-offering and the drink-offering. 14, 29 The stranger is under the same law. 17 The law of the first of the dough for an heave-offering. 22 The sacrifice for sins of ignorance. 30 The punishment of presumption. 32 He that violated the sabbath is stoned. 37 The law of fringes.
1 AND the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,1
1 The date and place of the divine communications contained in this chapter are not mentioned. It would seem from ver. 22, 23 that it must have been a considerable time after the giving of the law on Sinai, and consequently it could not have been during the first sojourn of the people at Kadesh. The regular diary breaks off at the close of chap. xiv., and is not again resumed till chap. xx. It is probable, but still not entirely certain, that the revelations made and the incidents recorded in ch. xv.-xix. took place during the thirty-eight years' wandering, though neither time nor place is indicated.—P.
2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, a When ye be come into the land of your habitations, which I give unto you,
3 And will make an b offering by fire unto the LORD, a burnt-offering, or a sacrifice in performing2 a vow, or in a free-will-offering, or in your solemn feasts, to make a c sweet savour unto the LORD, of the herd, or of the flock;
4 Then shall he that offereth his offering unto the LORD bring a d meat-offering of e a tenth-deal[≈ 2.2 litres · 3.9 pints] of flour, mingled with the fourth part of an hin[≈ 930 ml · 1.6 pints] of oil.
5 And the fourth part of an hin[≈ 930 ml · 1.6 pints] of wine for a f drink-offering shalt thou prepare with the burnt-offering or sacrifice, for one lamb.
f Mat. 26.28. Jn. 6.55. Phi. 2.17. 2 Ti. 4.6.
6 Or for a ram, thou shalt prepare for a meat-offering two tenth-deals[≈ 4.4 litres · 7.7 pints] of flour, mingled with the third part of an hin[≈ 1.2 litres · 2.2 pints] of oil.
7 And for a drink-offering thou shalt offer the third part of an hin[≈ 1.2 litres · 2.2 pints] of wine, for a sweet savour unto the LORD.
8 And when thou preparest a bullock3 for a burnt-offering, or for a sacrifice in performing a vow or peace-offerings unto the LORD;
3 Here is stated the quantity of those meat-offerings and drink-offerings which necessarily attended other offerings; but not the quantity of such as were offered by themselves, Le. i.-vi. ch. xxviii. xxix.
9 Then shall he bring with a bullock a meat-offering of three tenth-deals[≈ 6.6 litres · 1.5 gallons] of flour, mingled with half an hin[≈ 1.9 litres · 3.3 pints] of oil.
10 And thou shalt bring for a drink-offering half an hin[≈ 1.9 litres · 3.3 pints] of wine, for an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD.
11 Thus shall it be done for one bullock, or for one ram, or for a lamb, or a kid.
12 According to the number that ye shall prepare, so shall ye do to every one, according to their number.
13 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.
14 And if a stranger4 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.
4 There were two sorts of strangers among the Israelites: some that entirely embraced and professed the Jewish religion, into which they were admitted by circumcision, &c.; others that lived among them by permission, having renounced all idolatry, but who had not yet submitted to the Jewish faith. The former sort are understood here.—Patrick.
15 Oneg ordinance5 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.
A.M. 2514. B.C. 1490.
g Ex. 12.40. Le. 19.34. ch. 9.14; ver. 29. Ga. 3.28. Col. 3.11. Ep. 2.11-22.
5 From the Jewish people being surrounded by idolatrous nations, it was necessary to have but one form of worship; and as that only which was prescribed by the Almighty was genuine, no other could be tolerated. It might also signify that in due time the Gentiles would be fully admitted into the church.—I.
16 One law, and one manner, shall be for you, and for the stranger that sojourneth with you.
17 And the LORD 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,6
6 There is something in the wording of this command which would seem to indicate that the people were approaching Canaan, and consequently that the command was given towards or at the close of the thirty-eight years' wandering.—P.
19 Then it shall be, that when ye eat of h the bread of the land, ye shall offer up an heave-offering unto the LORD.
20 Ye shall offer up a cake of the i first of your dough for an heave-offering: as ye do k the heave-offering of the thrashing-floor, so shall ye heave it.
i A twenty-fourth part of it, Pr. 3.9, 10. Eze. 44.30. Ne. 10.37. ch. 18.12, 26. Ex. 23.19. Le. 23.22. 1 Co. 15.20, 23. Re. 14.4. Ro. 11.16.
21 Of the first of your dough ye shall give unto the LORD an heave-offering in your generations.
22 And if ye have l erred, and not observed all these commandments, which the LORD hath spoken unto Moses,
l Le. 4.2, 3, 13, 14; 5.3-10; 16.15. Ezr. 8.35. ver. 8-10; ch. 28.15, 22, 30; 29.4, 11, 16, 19, 22, 25, 28, &c.; ver. 24.
23 Even m 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;
24 Then it shall be, if ought be committed by ignorance,7 without the knowledge of the congregation,8 that all the congregation shall offern 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,9 and one kid of the goats for a sin-offering.
7 Heb. from the eyes. This law is different from that in Le. iv.
8 There are two laws for sins of ignorance, Le. iv. Nu. xv. The first for the wilderness, the second for Canaan. But why are there two laws for the same case? They are not for the same case. The law in Le. 4.2 is enacted for cases where the congregation, priest, or ruler, or people, have 'erred,' and 'not observed' all the commandments, that is, for any mere neglect arising from ignorance. The law in Nu. 15.22 is enacted for cases where the sin of ignorance is 'against any of the commandments of the Lord;' not a mere neglect, but a direct infraction. The distinction is well expressed in these words:—'We have left undone the things which we ought to have done; and we have done those things which we ought not to have done.'—C.
n ver. 22.
9 Or, ordinance.
25 And the o 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:
o Le. 4.20, 26, 31, 35. Mat. 3.17. Ep. 1.6, 7. 1 Ti. 1.13. Ro. 3.25. Ac. 13.39. Lu. 23.34. 1 Jn. 2.2. ver. 27, 28.
26 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.
27 And p if any soul sin through ignorance, then he shall bring a she-goat of the first year for a sin-offering.
28 And the q 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.
29 Ye r 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.
30 But the soul that doeth ought s presumptuously,1 (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:
s De. 17.12. Ps. 19.13; 51.16. Eze. 20.27. Ge. 17.14. Le. 20.3, 6, 10. Mat. 12.32. He. 10.29.
1 The words translated 'presumptuously' literally mean 'with a high hand;' which phrase, by consulting De. 32.27, we find to signify the pride of human power, madly aiming or blindly believing itself to be independent of God.—C.
31 Because he hath t despised the word of the LORD, and hath broken his commandment, that soul shall utterly be cut off;2 his iniquity shall be upon him.
t Pr. 13.13. Ezr. 9.14. Ps. 119.126. He. 10.28, 29, 38. Mat. 12.31, 32. Job 9.4; 40.2.
2 To be 'cut off,' or 'utterly cut off,' signifies to be put to death without reprieve or pardon. See also Ex. 31.14.—C.
32 And, while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man that gathered sticks upon the u sabbath-day.3
33 And they that found him gathering sticks brought him unto Moses and Aaron, and unto all the congregation.
35 And the LORD said unto Moses, The man shall be y surely 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 z stoned him with stones, and he died;5 as the LORD commanded Moses.
z Le. 24.14, 16, 23. Ex. 19.13. De. 13.10; 17.5; 21.25; 22.21, 24. Jos. 7.25. 1 Ki. 21.12. Ac. 7.58.
5 This is the only example in Scripture of a capital punishment for breach of the Sabbath, although the complaints against the guilt are frequent in Nehemiah, Ezra, Ezekiel, &c. It was as a sin of presumption that this Sabbath-breaking was punished; God had declared, Ex. 31.13, 17, that the Sabbath was 'a sign' between him and the Israelites for ever. This violation must have been found, upon investigation, to have been intended to express open contempt for God and his covenant.—C.
37 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
38 Speak unto the children of Israel, and a bid them that they make them fringes6 in the borders of their garments, throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe of the borders a ribband of blue.
39 And it shall be unto you for a fringe, that ye may look upon it, and b remember all the commandments of the LORD, and do them; and that ye seek not c after your own heart, and your own eyes; after which ye use to go a whoring:
40 That ye may remember and do all my commandments, and be holy unto your God.
Notes
[Ver. 38. Fringes, called in the New Testament the 'hem or border of the garment,' Mat. 9. 20; 23. 5. Being many, in separate detail, yet united in one garment: the fringes were the emblems or memorials of many commandments united in one law. The ribband, lace, or rather thread of blue, surrounding or pervading the whole, represented the one principle of the law—the unchanging love of God. And being the chief-priestly colour—for the robe of the ephod was all of blue, Ex. 28. 31—it reminded every believer that he was a priest of God, and bound to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ, 1 Pe. 2. 5. C.]
Reflections.—Behold the propriety of a just proportion in our religious services, and the care of God to have his ministers decently provided for! But chiefly behold the agreeable nourishment and heart-cheering consolations of the Holy Ghost, which attend the offering of our Redeemer once for all! Behold the kindness of God in inviting the Gentiles to his church, and presaging their entrance into it in due time in such a multitude of laws, favourable to strangers! Behold how the Lord must be honoured with the first-fruits of all our substance! But especially behold the indispensable necessity of Christ, as our propitiation for sin, however inadvertently it be committed; and the infinite danger of wilful and presumptuous sinning exemplified in this violation of the Sabbath! Is it not shameful that we should need memorials of obedience to the laws of God, so great and gracious—nay, God, even our own God! Enter then, my soul, into the spirit of these things. While I live on Jesus' flesh and blood, and rely on his atonement alone, let me cheerfully give myself, and all that I have, to the Lord. Never dare to sin against light and love; to violate the Sabbath of the Lord my God, by thinking my own thoughts, speaking my own words, doing my own ways, or finding my own pleasures. But let his law be written on my heart; and every providence, every enjoyment, be improved by me as an excitement to holy obedience!
Measures in square brackets are modern equivalents added for this edition. They are not in the King James text or in Brown’s notes. They use common scholarly estimates: a cubit is about 45.7 cm (18 in), a shekel about 11.4 g (0.4 oz), an ephah about 22 litres. Money values give the worth of the silver or gold at spot prices on 28 October 2026, not what the sum would buy in the ancient world.