Numbers 15:31-41

31 Because he has had contempt for the word of ADONAI and has disobeyed his command, that person will be cut off completely; his offense will remain with him.'"

32 While the people of Isra'el were in the desert, they found a man gathering wood on Shabbat.

33 Those who found him gathering wood brought him to Moshe, Aharon and the whole congregation.

34 They kept him in custody, because it had not yet been decided what to do to him.

35 Then ADONAI said to Moshe, "This man must be put to death; the entire community is to stone him to death outside the camp."

36 So the whole community brought him outside the camp and threw stones at him until he died, as ADONAI had ordered Moshe.

37 ADONAI said to Moshe,

38 "Speak to the people of Isra'el, instructing them to make, through all their generations, tzitziyot on the corners of their garments, and to put with the tzitzit on each corner a blue thread.

39 It is to be a tzitzit for you to look at and thereby remember all of ADONAI's mitzvot and obey them, so that you won't go around wherever your own heart and eyes lead you to prostitute yourselves;

40 but it will help you remember and obey all my mitzvot and be holy for your God.

41 I am ADONAI your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt in order to be your God. I am ADONAI your God."

Numbers 15:31-41 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.