Numbers 15:1-13

Laws about Offerings

1 Then the LORD said to Moses,

2 “Speak to the Israelites and tell them: After you enter the land that I am giving you as a home

3 and you present a food offering to the LORD from the herd or flock to produce a pleasing aroma to the LORD—either a burnt offering or a sacrifice, for a special vow or freewill offering or appointed feast—

4 then the one presenting his offering to the LORD shall also present a grain offering of a tenth of an ephah of fine flour ^[a] mixed with a quarter hin of olive oil. ^[b]

5 With the burnt offering or sacrifice of each lamb, you are to prepare a quarter hin of wine as a drink offering.

6 With a ram you are to prepare a grain offering of two-tenths of an ephah ^[c] of fine flour mixed with a third of a hin of olive oil, ^[d]

7 and a third of a hin of wine as a drink offering, a pleasing aroma to the LORD.

8 When you prepare a young bull as a burnt offering or sacrifice to fulfill a vow or as a peace offering to the LORD,

9 present with the bull a grain offering of three-tenths of an ephah of fine flour ^[e] mixed with half a hin of olive oil. ^[f]

10 Also present half a hin of wine as a drink offering. It is a food offering, a pleasing aroma to the LORD.

11 This is to be done for each bull, ram, lamb, or goat.

12 This is how you must prepare each one, no matter how many.

13 Everyone who is native-born shall prepare these things in this way when he presents a food offering as a pleasing aroma to the LORD.

Numbers 15:1-13 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] A tenth of an ephah is approximately 2 dry quarts or 2.2 liters (probably about 2.6 pounds or 1.2 kilograms of flour).
• [b] Or a quarter hin of oil; that is, approximately 0.97 quarts or 0.92 liters; similarly in verse 5
• [c] Two-tenths of an ephah is approximately 4 dry quarts or 4.4 liters (probably about 5.1 pounds or 2.3 kilograms of flour).
• [d] Or a third of a hin of oil; that is, approximately 1.3 quarts or 1.2 liters; similarly in verse 7
• [e] Three-tenths of an ephah is approximately 6 dry quarts or 6.6 liters (probably about 7.6 pounds or 3.5 kilograms of flour).
• [f] Or half a hin of oil; that is, approximately 1.9 quarts or 1.8 liters; similarly in verse 10