Numbers 15:18-28

18 the following regulations for the people of Israel to observe in the land that he was going to give them.

19 When any food produced there is eaten, some of it is to be set aside as a special contribution to the Lord.

20 When you bake bread, the first loaf of the first bread made from the new grain is to be presented as a special contribution to the Lord. This is to be presented in the same way as the special contribution you make from the grain you thresh.

21 For all time to come, this special gift is to be given to the Lord from the bread you bake.

22 But suppose someone unintentionally fails to keep some of these regulations which the Lord has given Moses.

23 And suppose that in the future the community fails to do everything that the Lord commanded through Moses.

24 If the mistake was made because of the ignorance of the community, they are to offer a bull as a burnt offering, an odor that pleases the Lord, with the proper grain offering and wine offering. In addition, they are to offer a male goat as a sin offering.

25 The priest shall perform the ritual of purification for the community, and they will be forgiven, because the mistake was unintentional and they brought their sin offering as a food offering to the Lord.

26 The whole community of Israel and the foreigners living among them will be forgiven, because everyone was involved in the mistake.

27 If any of you sin unintentionally, you are to offer a one-year-old female goat as a sin offering. ¹

28 At the altar the priest shall perform the ritual of purification to purify you from your sin, and you will be forgiven.

Numbers 15:18-28 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

• 1. 15.27, 28Leviticus 4.27-31.