Numbers 15:31-41

31 for he despised the word of the Lord, and made void his commandment; therefore he shall be done away (and so he shall be cut off/and so he shall be put to death), and shall bear his own wickedness.
32 Soothly it was done, when the sons of Israel were in wilderness, and they had found a man gathering wood in the sabbath day, (And it was done, when the Israelites were still in the wilderness, and they found a man gathering wood on the sabbath day,)
33 they brought him to Moses, and to Aaron, and to all the multitude;
34 the which closed, or put, him into prison, and they knew not what they should do to him. (and they enclosed him in prison, and they did not know what they should do with him.)
35 And the Lord said to Moses, This man die by death; all the company oppress him with stones without the tents. (And the Lord said to Moses, This man must be put to death; take him away from the tents, and have all the people kill him with stones.)
36 And when they had led him withoutforth, they killed him with stones, and (so) he was dead, as the Lord commanded (to Moses).
37 Also the Lord said to Moses,
38 Speak thou to the sons of Israel, and thou shalt say to them, that they make to them hems by (the) four corners of their mantles, and fasten they in them laces of jacinth; (Speak thou to the Israelites, and thou shalt say to them, beginning now, and forevermore, they shall put tassels on the four corners of their mantles, and fasten a blue ribbon to the tassels;)
39 and when they see those, have they mind of all the commandments of the Lord, lest they follow their [own] thoughts and their eyes, doing fornication by diverse things. (and when they see those things, they shall remember all the Lord's commands, lest they follow their own thoughts, and their own eyes, and do idolatry with diverse things;)
40 but more be they mindful of the behests of the Lord, and do they those, and be they holy to their God. (yea, let them remember the Lord's commands, and do they them, and be they holy, yea, consecrated to their God.)
41 I am your Lord God, which led you out of the land of Egypt, that I should be your God. (I am the Lord your God, who led you out of the land of Egypt, so that I could be your God.)

Numbers 15:31-41 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.

Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.