Numbers 15:1-21

Supplementary Offerings

1 The LORD said to Moses,
2 “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘After you enter the land I am giving you as a home
3 and you present to the LORD food offerings from the herd or the flock, as an aroma pleasing to the LORD—whether burnt offerings or sacrifices, for special vows or freewill offerings or festival offerings—
4 then the person who brings an offering shall present to the LORD a grain offering of a tenth of an ephah[a] of the finest flour mixed with a quarter of a hin[b] of olive oil.
5 With each lamb for the burnt offering or the sacrifice, prepare a quarter of a hin of wine as a drink offering.
6 “ ‘With a ram prepare a grain offering of two-tenths of an ephah[c] of the finest flour mixed with a third of a hin[d] of olive oil,
7 and a third of a hin of wine as a drink offering. Offer it as an aroma pleasing to the LORD.
8 “ ‘When you prepare a young bull as a burnt offering or sacrifice, for a special vow or a fellowship offering to the LORD,
9 bring with the bull a grain offering of three-tenths of an ephah[e] of the finest flour mixed with half a hin[f] of olive oil,
10 and also bring half a hin of wine as a drink offering. This will be a food offering, an aroma pleasing to the LORD.
11 Each bull or ram, each lamb or young goat, is to be prepared in this manner.
12 Do this for each one, for as many as you prepare.
13 “ ‘Everyone who is native-born must do these things in this way when they present a food offering as an aroma pleasing to the LORD.
14 For the generations to come, whenever a foreigner or anyone else living among you presents a food offering as an aroma pleasing to the LORD, they must do exactly as you do.
15 The community is to have the same rules for you and for the foreigner residing among you; this is a lasting ordinance for the generations to come. You and the foreigner shall be the same before the LORD:
16 The same laws and regulations will apply both to you and to the foreigner residing among you.’ ”
17 The LORD said to Moses,
18 “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you enter the land to which I am taking you
19 and you eat the food of the land, present a portion as an offering to the LORD.
20 Present a loaf from the first of your ground meal and present it as an offering from the threshing floor.
21 Throughout the generations to come you are to give this offering to the LORD from the first of your ground meal.

Numbers 15:1-21 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.

Cross References 43

  • 1. S Leviticus 23:10
  • 2. S Leviticus 1:2
  • 3. ver 24; S Leviticus 1:9; Genesis 8:21; Exodus 29:18
  • 4. Leviticus 1:3; Numbers 28:13; Numbers 28:19,27
  • 5. S Leviticus 7:16; Leviticus 22:18,21; S Ezra 1:4
  • 6. Leviticus 23:1-44
  • 7. S Leviticus 2:1; Leviticus 6:14
  • 8. S Exodus 16:36
  • 9. S Leviticus 3:7
  • 10. S Leviticus 10:9; Numbers 28:7,14
  • 11. S Genesis 35:14
  • 12. S Leviticus 5:15
  • 13. Numbers 28:12; Numbers 29:14
  • 14. S Leviticus 23:13
  • 15. Ezekiel 46:14
  • 16. ver 5
  • 17. Leviticus 23:13; Numbers 28:14; Numbers 29:18
  • 18. S Leviticus 1:9
  • 19. S Exodus 12:5; S Leviticus 1:5
  • 20. S Leviticus 22:18
  • 21. S Leviticus 3:6; Leviticus 1:3; Leviticus 3:1
  • 22. Leviticus 2:1
  • 23. S Leviticus 14:10
  • 24. Numbers 28:14
  • 25. Leviticus 23:13
  • 26. Leviticus 1:9
  • 27. Ezra 7:17
  • 28. S Leviticus 16:29
  • 29. Leviticus 1:9
  • 30. Leviticus 3:17; Numbers 10:8
  • 31. S Exodus 12:19,43; S Exodus 22:21
  • 32. S Leviticus 22:18
  • 33. ver 25
  • 34. ver 14,21; ver 29; Numbers 9:14
  • 35. Exodus 12:49; S Leviticus 22:18; Numbers 9:14
  • 36. S Leviticus 23:10
  • 37. Joshua 5:11,12
  • 38. Numbers 18:8
  • 39. Exodus 34:26; S Leviticus 23:14; Deuteronomy 26:2,10
  • 40. S Leviticus 2:14; S Numbers 18:27
  • 41. S Genesis 50:10
  • 42. S Leviticus 23:14
  • 43. Ezekiel 44:30; Romans 11:16

Footnotes 6

  • [a]. That is, probably about 3 1/2 pounds or about 1.6 kilograms
  • [b]. That is, about 1 quart or about 1 liter; also in verse 5
  • [c]. That is, probably about 7 pounds or about 3.2 kilograms
  • [d]. That is, about 1 1/3 quarts or about 1.3 liters; also in verse 7
  • [e]. That is, probably about 11 pounds or about 5 kilograms
  • [f]. That is, about 2 quarts or about 1.9 liters; also in verse 10
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