Skip to content
Scripture Mapping

Numbers 15

World English Bible

WEB

1Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 2“Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them, ‘When you have come into the land of your habitations, which I give to you, 3and will make an offering by fire to Yahweh—a burnt offering, or a sacrifice, to accomplish a vow, or as a free will offering, or in your set feasts, to make a pleasant aroma to Yahweh, of the herd, or of the flock— 4then he who offers his offering shall offer to Yahweh a meal offering of one tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with one fourth of a hin of oil. 5You shall prepare wine for the drink offering, one fourth of a hin, with the burnt offering or for the sacrifice, for each lamb. 6“‘For a ram, you shall prepare for a meal offering two tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with the third part of a hin of oil; 7and for the drink offering you shall offer the third part of a hin of wine, of a pleasant aroma to Yahweh. 8When you prepare a bull for a burnt offering or for a sacrifice, to accomplish a vow, or for peace offerings to Yahweh, 9then he shall offer with the bull a meal offering of three tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with half a hin of oil; 10and you shall offer for the drink offering half a hin of wine, for an offering made by fire, of a pleasant aroma to Yahweh. 11Thus it shall be done for each bull, for each ram, for each of the male lambs, or of the young goats. 12According to the number that you shall prepare, so you shall do to everyone according to their number. 13“‘All who are native-born shall do these things in this way, in offering an offering made by fire, of a pleasant aroma to Yahweh. 14If a stranger lives as a foreigner with you, or whoever may be among you throughout your generations, and will offer an offering made by fire, of a pleasant aroma to Yahweh, as you do, so he shall do. 15For the assembly, there shall be one statute for you and for the stranger who lives as a foreigner, a statute forever throughout your generations. As you are, so the foreigner shall be before Yahweh. 16One law and one ordinance shall be for you and for the stranger who lives as a foreigner with you.’” 17Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 18“Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them, ‘When you come into the land where I bring you, 19then it shall be that when you eat of the bread of the land, you shall offer up a wave offering to Yahweh. 20Of the first of your dough you shall offer up a cake for a wave offering. As the wave offering of the threshing floor, so you shall heave it. 21Of the first of your dough, you shall give to Yahweh a wave offering throughout your generations. 22“‘When you err, and don’t observe all these commandments which Yahweh has spoken to Moses— 23even all that Yahweh has commanded you by Moses, from the day that Yahweh gave commandment and onward throughout your generations— 24then it shall be, if it was done unwittingly, without the knowledge of the congregation, that all the congregation shall offer one young bull for a burnt offering, for a pleasant aroma to Yahweh, with its meal offering and its drink offering, according to the ordinance, and one male goat for a sin offering. 25The 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 offering, an offering made by fire to Yahweh, and their sin offering before Yahweh, for their error. 26All the congregation of the children of Israel shall be forgiven, as well as the stranger who lives as a foreigner among them; for with regard to all the people, it was done unwittingly. 27“‘If a person sins unwittingly, then he shall offer a female goat a year old for a sin offering. 28The priest shall make atonement for the soul who errs when he sins unwittingly before Yahweh. He shall make atonement for him; and he shall be forgiven. 29You shall have one law for him who does anything unwittingly, for him who is native-born among the children of Israel, and for the stranger who lives as a foreigner among them. 30“‘But the soul who does anything with a high hand, whether he is native-born or a foreigner, blasphemes Yahweh. That soul shall be cut off from among his people. 31Because he has despised Yahweh’s word, and has broken his commandment, that soul shall be utterly cut off. His iniquity shall be on him.’” 32While the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering sticks on the Sabbath day. 33Those who found him gathering sticks brought him to Moses and Aaron, and to all the congregation. 34They put him in custody, because it had not been declared what should be done to him. 35Yahweh said to Moses, “The man shall surely be put to death. All the congregation shall stone him with stones outside of the camp.” 36All the congregation brought him outside of the camp, and stoned him to death with stones, as Yahweh commanded Moses. 37Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 38“Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them that they should make themselves fringes on the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put on the fringe of each border a cord of blue. 39It shall be to you for a fringe, that you may see it, and remember all Yahweh’s commandments, and do them; and that you don’t follow your own heart and your own eyes, after which you used to play the prostitute; 40so that you may remember and do all my commandments, and be holy to your God. 41I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am Yahweh your God.”

World English Bible, 2020 stable text edition. Public domain; “World English Bible” is a trademark of eBible.org. eBible.org

Overview

Numbers Chapter 15 provides important instructions regarding offerings and the consequences of unintentional sins among the Israelites. The chapter begins with God commanding Moses to tell the people about the offerings they are to present when they enter the Promised Land. These offerings include burnt offerings, grain offerings, and drink offerings, which are to be made in accordance with the number of animals sacrificed. This emphasizes the significance of worship and the need for the Israelites to maintain a relationship with God through their offerings, reflecting their gratitude and devotion. The specific instructions highlight the importance of following God's commands in their worship practices, as seen in verses 1-12.

The chapter also addresses the issue of unintentional sins committed by individuals or the community. If someone sins unintentionally, they are to bring a goat as a sin offering, and the priest will make atonement for them (verses 22-29). This illustrates God's mercy and provision for forgiveness, showing that even unintentional transgressions can be addressed through repentance and sacrifice. Furthermore, the chapter concludes with a stern reminder about the seriousness of willful disobedience, as seen in the case of a man who gathered sticks on the Sabbath and was put to death (verses 32-36). This serves as a warning to the Israelites about the importance of observing God's commandments and the consequences of disregarding them. Overall, Numbers 15 emphasizes the themes of worship, atonement, and the seriousness of sin in the life of God's people.

In summary, this chapter reinforces the need for the Israelites to remain faithful to God's laws and to approach Him with sincere hearts, recognizing the gravity of their actions and the importance of maintaining a right relationship with Him.
#Numbers #Offerings #UnintentionalSins #Sabbath #Atonement

Study

14 dimensions

Referenced by

  1. Leviticus 2:1v4Leviticus 2:1 describes the grain offering, which is further elaborated in Numbers 15:4-9, detailing the accompanying drink offerings and oil.
  2. Leviticus 24:22v16Leviticus 24:22 states that there shall be one law for the native and the stranger, a principle reiterated in Numbers 15:16, underscoring the universality and fairness of God's law.
  3. Deuteronomy 22:12v38Deuteronomy 22:12 commands the Israelites to make tassels on the four corners of their garments, which is further explained in Numbers 15:38-39 as a reminder to follow God's commandments and to be holy.

Topics in this chapter

Your study

Take it with you

This chapter’s study as a Markdown file. The analysis was written for a notebook originally, so the hashtags arrive as hashtags and the passages as links.