Numbers 15:17-27

17 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

18 Speak to the Israelites and say to them: After you come into the land to which I am bringing you,

19 whenever you eat of the bread of the land, you shall present a donation to the Lord.

20 From your first batch of dough you shall present a loaf as a donation; you shall present it just as you present a donation from the threshing floor.

21 Throughout your generations you shall give to the Lord a donation from the first of your batch of dough.

22 But if you unintentionally fail to observe all these commandments that the Lord has spoken to Moses—

23 everything that the Lord has commanded you by Moses, from the day the Lord gave commandment and thereafter, throughout your generations—

24 then if it was done unintentionally without the knowledge of the congregation, the whole congregation shall offer one young bull for a burnt offering, a pleasing odor to the Lord, together with its grain offering and its drink offering, according to the ordinance, and one male goat for a sin offering.

25 The priest shall make atonement for all the congregation of the Israelites, and they shall be forgiven; it was unintentional, and they have brought their offering, an offering by fire to the Lord, and their sin offering before the Lord, for their error.

26 All the congregation of the Israelites shall be forgiven, as well as the aliens residing among them, because the whole people was involved in the error.

27 An individual who sins unintentionally shall present a female goat a year old for a sin offering.

Numbers 15:17-27 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.