Numbers 15:32-36

A Man Breaks the Sabbath Day

32 The people of Israel were in the desert. One Sabbath day, people saw a man gathering wood.

33 They brought him to Moses and Aaron and the whole community.

34 They kept him under guard. It wasn't clear what should be done to him.

35 Then the LORD said to Moses, "The man must die. The whole community must kill him by throwing stones at him. They must do it outside the camp."

36 So the people took the man outside the camp. There they killed him by throwing stones at him. They did just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

Numbers 15:32-36 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO NUMBERS 15

In this chapter the children of Israel are instructed about the meat offerings and drink offerings, and the quantities of them, which were always to go along with their burnt offerings and peace offerings they should offer when they came into the land of Canaan, Nu 15:1-12; and they are told that the same laws and ordinances would be binding equally on them that were of the country, and on the strangers in it, Nu 15:13-16; and an order is given them to offer a cake of the first dough for an heave offering, Nu 15:17-21; and they are directed what sacrifices to offer for sins of ignorance, both of the congregation and particular persons, Nu 14:22-29; but as for presumptuous sinners, they were to be cut off, Nu 14:30,31; and an instance is recorded of stoning a sabbath breaker, Nu 14:32-36; and the chapter is concluded with a law for wearing fringes on the borders of their garments, the use of which is expressed, Nu 14:35-41.