Numbers 15:30-41

30 ¹But the person who does anything with a high hand, whether he is native or a sojourner, reviles the LORD, and that person shall be cut off from among his people.

31 Because he has ²despised the word of the LORD and has broken his commandment, that person shall be utterly cut off; his iniquity shall be on him."

A Sabbathbreaker Executed

32 While the people of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man ³gathering sticks on the Sabbath day.

33 And those who found him gathering sticks brought him to Moses and Aaron and to all the congregation.

34 ⁴They put him in custody, because it had not been made clear what should be done to him.

35 And the LORD said to Moses, ⁵"The man shall be put to death; all the congregation shall ⁶stone him with stones outside the camp."

36 And all the congregation brought him outside the camp and stoned him to death with stones, as the LORD commanded Moses.

Tassels on Garments

37 The LORD said to Moses,

38 "Speak to the people of Israel, and tell them to ⁷make tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and to put a cord of blue on the tassel of each corner.

39 And it shall be a tassel for you to look at and remember all the commandments of the LORD, to do them, ⁸not to follow^[a] after your own heart and your own eyes, which you are inclined ⁹to whore after.

40 So you shall remember and do all my commandments, and be ¹⁰holy to your God.

41 ¹¹I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God: I am the LORD your God."

Numbers 15:30-41 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.

Cross References

• 1. [Deuteronomy 17:12; Psalms 19:13; Hebrews 10:26]
• 2. 2 Samuel 12:9; 2 Chronicles 36:16; Proverbs 13:13
• 3. Exodus 35:3; See Exodus 20:8, 9
• 4. Leviticus 24:12
• 5. Exodus 31:14, 15
• 6. Leviticus 24:14-16; Joshua 7:25; 1 Kings 21:13; Acts 7:58
• 7. Deuteronomy 22:12; [Matthew 23:5]
• 8. [Job 31:7; Ecclesiastes 11:9; Ezekiel 6:9]
• 9. Psalms 73:27; Psalms 106:39; [Ezekiel 6:9]
• 10. See Leviticus 11:44
• 11. Leviticus 22:33; See Leviticus 20:8

Footnotes

• [a] Hebrew to spy out