Numbers 15:37-41

Garment Fringes

37 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

38 "Speak to the {Israelites}, and tell them to make for themselves tassels on the hems of their garments throughout their generations and to put a blue cord on the tassel of the hem.

39 You will have a tassel {for you to look at} and remember all the commands of Yahweh and do them, and not follow {after the unfaithfulness of your own heart and eyes},

40 so that you will remember and do all my commandments, and you will be holy for your God.

41 I [am] Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God; I [am] Yahweh your God."

Numbers 15:37-41 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.

Footnotes

• [a]. Literally "sons/children of Israel"
• [b]. Hebrew "tassel"
• [c]. Hebrew "for their generations"
• [d]. Literally "and you will look at it"
• [e]. Literally "after your heart and after your eyes, which you [are] unfaithful after them"