Numbers 15:26-36

26 The whole community of Israel and the foreigners living among them will be forgiven, because everyone was involved in the mistake.

27 If any of you sin unintentionally, you are to offer a one-year-old female goat as a sin offering. ¹

28 At the altar the priest shall perform the ritual of purification to purify you from your sin, and you will be forgiven.

29 The same regulation applies to all who unintentionally commit a sin, whether they are native Israelites or resident foreigners.

30 But any who sin deliberately, whether they are natives or foreigners, are guilty of treating the Lord with contempt, and they shall be put to death,

31 because they have rejected what the Lord said and have deliberately broken one of his commands. They are responsible for their own death.

32 Once, while the Israelites were still in the wilderness, a man was found gathering firewood on the Sabbath.

33 He was taken to Moses, Aaron, and the whole community,

34 and was put under guard, because it was not clear what should be done with him.

35 Then the Lord said to Moses, "The man must be put to death; the whole community is to stone him to death outside the camp."

36 So the whole community took him outside the camp and stoned him to death, as the Lord had commanded.

Numbers 15:26-36 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. 15.27, 28Leviticus 4.27-31.