Numbers 15:1-31

Various Sacrifices and Offerings

1 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
2 "Speak to the {Israelites} and say to them, 'When you come into the land of your dwellings that I [am about] to give to you,
3 you will make an offering by fire for Yahweh from the cattle or from the flock, a burnt offering or a sacrifice to fulfill a vow, or as a freewill offering or at your feasts, to make a fragrance of appeasement for Yahweh.
4 And the one who presents an offering for Yahweh, he will present a grain offering [of] finely milled flour; a tenth will be mixed with a fourth of the liquid measure [of] oil;
5 and you will add a fourth of wine for the libation upon the burnt offering, or to the sacrifice for each ram-lamb.
6 Or for the ram you will make a grain offering [of] two-tenths of finely milled flour mixed into a third of a liquid measure of oil.
7 You will present a third of the liquid measure of wine for the libation, a fragrance of appeasement for Yahweh.
8 When you prepare {a bull} as a burnt offering or a sacrifice to fulfill a vow or [a] fellowship offering for Yahweh,
9 you will present with {the bull} a grain offering of three-tenths [of] finely milled flour mixed with half a liquid measure of oil,
10 and you will present half a liquid measure of wine as a libation, as an offering made by fire, a fragrance of appeasement for Yahweh.
11 " 'This is how it should be done for each bull, or for the each ram, or for the small four-footed mammal, or ram-lambs, or goats.
12 According to the number that you prepare, so should you do to each according to their number.
13 Every native must do these [things] to present an offering made by fire, a fragrance of appeasement for Yahweh.
14 If an alien dwells among you, or whoever [is] in your midst throughout your generations, and prepares an offering made by fire, a fragrance of appeasement for Yahweh, he should do as you do.
15 [For] the assembly, there will be one decree for you and for the alien who dwells [among you]; [it is] an eternal decree for [all] your generations. {You as well as the alien} will be {before Yahweh}.
16 There will be one law and one stipulation for you and for the alien dwelling among you.'"
17 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
18 "Speak to the {Israelites} and say to them, 'When you come into the land to which I [am about] to bring you,
19 whenever you eat from the food of the land, you will lift up a contribution to Yahweh.
20 You must lift up a contribution of the first [batch] of your ring-shaped dough bread; you must lift it up as a contribution of the threshing floor.
21 You will give to Yahweh a contribution from the first of your dough throughout your generations.
22 " 'But if you go astray and you do not follow all these commandments that Yahweh commanded to Moses,
23 all that Yahweh commanded you by the hand of Moses from the day that Yahweh commanded and beyond, throughout your generations,
24 and if it was done unintentionally {without the knowledge} of the community, then the entire community must prepare one {young bull} as a burnt offering, as a fragrance of appeasement for Yahweh, and its grain offering and its libation, according to the stipulation, and one male goat as a sin offering.
25 The priest will make atonement for all of the community of the {Israelites}, and {they will be forgiven} because it [was] unintentional; they will bring their offering, an offering made by fire for Yahweh, their sin offering {before Yahweh} for their unintentional sin.
26 All of the community of the {Israelites} will be forgiven, as well as the alien that dwells in their midst, because the whole community [was involved] in the unintentional wrong.
27 " 'If one person sins unintentionally, that person will present a female goat {in its first year} as a sin offering.
28 And the priest will make atonement for the person who {sinned unintentionally} {before Yahweh}, to make atonement for him, and he will be forgiven.
29 [For] the native among the {Israelites} and the alien that dwells in their midst, there will be one law for anyone who commits an unintentional wrong.
30 But the one {who acts presumptuously} from among the native or alien blasphemes against Yahweh, and that person must be cut off from the midst of the people.
31 Because he despised the word of Yahweh and broke his command, that person will be surely cut off and bear the guilt.'"

Numbers 15:1-31 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.

Footnotes 23

  • [a]. Literally "sons/children of Israel"
  • [b]. Hebrew "his offering"
  • [c]. Literally "a son of cattle"
  • [d]. Literally "the son of the cattle"
  • [e]. Hebrew "for your generations"
  • [f]. Literally "like you like the alien"
  • [g]. Literally "in the presence of Yahweh"
  • [h]. Literally "sons/children of Israel"
  • [i]. Hebrew "for your generations"
  • [j]. Or "do"
  • [k]. Or "through Moses"
  • [l]. Hebrew "for your generations"
  • [m]. Literally "from the eyes"
  • [n]. Literally "a bull a son of cattle"
  • [o]. Literally "sons/children of Israel"
  • [p]. Literally "it will be forgiven to them"
  • [q]. Literally "in the presence of Yahweh"
  • [r]. Literally "sons/children of Israel"
  • [s]. Literally "a daughter of a year"
  • [t]. Literally "sinned unintentionally when sinning an unintentional wrong"
  • [u]. Literally "in the presence of Yahweh"
  • [v]. Literally "sons/children of Israel"
  • [w]. Literally "who acts with a high hand"
Scripture quotations marked (LEB) are from the Lexham English Bible. Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software.