Numbers 15:25-35

25 And the priest shall make atonement for all the congregation of the children of Israel, and shall be forgiven them, because it is involuntary; and they have brought their gift, a burnt-offering to the Lord for their trespass before the Lord, even for their involuntary sins.

26 And it shall be forgiven as respects all the congregation of the children of Israel, and the stranger that is abiding among you, because involuntary to all the people.

27 And if one soul sin unwillingly, he shall bring one she-goat of a year old for a sin-offering.

28 And the priest shall make atonement for the soul that committed the trespass unwillingly, and that sinned unwillingly before the Lord, to make atonement for him.

29 There shall be one law for the native among the children of Israel, and for the stranger that abides among them, whosoever shall commit a trespass unwillingly.

30 And whatever soul either of the natives or of the strangers shall do any thing with a presumptuous hand, he will provoke God; that soul shall be cut off from his people,

31 for he has set at nought the word of the Lord and broken his commands: that soul shall be utterly destroyed, his sin upon him.

32 And the children of Israel were in the wilderness, and they found a man gathering sticks on the sabbath-day.

33 And they who found him gathering sticks on the sabbath-day brought him to Moses and Aaron, and to all the congregation of the children of Israel.

34 And they placed him in custody, for they did not determine what they should do to him.

35 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Let the man be by all means put to death: all the congregation, stone him with stones.

Numbers 15:25-35 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.