Numbers 15:17-27

17 And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying,

18 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye come into the land whither I bring you,

19 then it shall be, when ye eat of the bread of the land, that ye shall offer a heave-offering to Jehovah;

20 the first of your dough shall ye offer, a cake, for a heave-offering; as the heave-offering of the threshing-floor, so shall ye offer this.

21 Of the first of your dough ye shall give to Jehovah a heave-offering throughout your generations.

22 And if ye sin inadvertently, and do not all these commandments, which Jehovah hath spoken unto Moses,

23 all that Jehovah hath commanded you through Moses, from the day that Jehovah gave commandment, and henceforward throughout your generations;

24 then it shall be, if ought be committed by inadvertence [hid] from the eyes of the assembly, that the whole assembly shall offer one young bullock for a burnt-offering, for a sweet odour to Jehovah, and its oblation and its drink-offering according to the ordinance, and one buck of the goats for a sin-offering.

25 And the priest shall make atonement for the whole assembly of the children of Israel, and it shall be forgiven them; for it was a sin of inadvertence, and they have brought before Jehovah their offering, as an offering by fire to Jehovah, and their sin-offering for their [sin of] inadvertence;

26 and it shall be forgiven the whole assembly of the children of Israel, and the stranger that sojourneth among them; for with all the people there was [a sin of] inadvertence.

27 And if one soul sin through inadvertence, then he shall present a yearling she-goat for a sin-offering.

Numbers 15:17-27 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]. Lit. 'heave:' see Lev. 8.27; 22.15.
• [b]. Same as Ezek. 44.30 and 'coarse meal,' Neh. 10.37.