Numbers 15:1-31

Numbers 15:1-31

[1] And the LORD  spake  unto Moses,  saying,  [2] Speak  unto the children  of Israel,  and say  unto them, When ye be come  into the land  of your habitations,  which I give  unto you, [3] And will make  an offering by fire  unto the LORD,  a burnt offering,  or a sacrifice  in performing  a vow,  or in a freewill offering,  or in your solemn feasts,  to make  a sweet  savour  unto the LORD,  of the herd,  or of the flock:  [4] Then shall he that offereth  his offering  unto the LORD  bring  a meat offering  of a tenth deal  of flour  mingled  with the fourth  part of an hin  of oil.  [5] And the fourth  part of an hin  of wine  for a drink offering  shalt thou prepare  with the burnt offering  or sacrifice,  for one  lamb.  [6] Or for a ram,  thou shalt prepare  for a meat offering  two  tenth deals  of flour  mingled  with the third  part of an hin  of oil.  [7] And for a drink offering  thou shalt offer  the third  part of an hin  of wine,  for a sweet  savour  unto the LORD.  [8] And when thou preparest  a bullock  for a burnt offering,  or for a sacrifice  in performing  a vow,  or peace offerings  unto the LORD:  [9] Then shall he bring  with a bullock  a meat offering  of three  tenth deals  of flour  mingled  with half  an hin  of oil.  [10] And thou shalt bring  for a drink offering  half  an hin  of wine,  for an offering made by fire,  of a sweet  savour  unto the LORD.  [11] Thus shall it be done  for one  bullock,  or for one  ram,  or for a lamb,  or a kid.  [12] According to the number  that ye shall prepare,  so  shall ye do  to every one  according to their number.  [13] All that are born of the country  shall do  these things after this manner, in offering  an offering made by fire,  of a sweet  savour  unto the LORD.  [14] And if a stranger  sojourn  with you, or whosoever be among  you in your generations,  and will offer  an offering made by fire,  of a sweet  savour  unto the LORD;  as ye do,  [15] One  ordinance  shall be both for you of the congregation,  and also for the stranger  that sojourneth  with you, an ordinance  for ever  in your generations:  as ye are, so shall the stranger  be before  the LORD.  [16] One  law  and one  manner  shall be for you, and for the stranger  that sojourneth  with you. [17] And the LORD  spake  unto Moses,  saying,  [18] Speak  unto the children  of Israel,  and say  unto them, When ye come  into the land  whither I bring  [19] Then it shall be, that, when ye eat  of the bread  of the land,  ye shall offer up  an heave offering  unto the LORD.  [20] Ye shall offer up  a cake  of the first  of your dough  for an heave offering:  of the threshingfloor,  so shall ye heave  [21] Of the first  of your dough  ye shall give  unto the LORD  an heave offering  in your generations.  [22] And if ye have erred,  and not observed  all these commandments,  which the LORD  hath spoken  unto Moses,  [23] Even all that the LORD  hath commanded  you by the hand  of Moses,  from the day  that the LORD  commanded  Moses, and henceforward  among your generations;  [24] Then it shall be, if ought be committed  by ignorance  without the knowledge  of the congregation,  shall offer  one  young  bullock  for a burnt offering,  for a sweet  savour  unto the LORD,  with his meat offering,  and his drink offering,  according to the manner,  and one  kid  of the goats  for a sin offering.  [25] And the priest  shall make an atonement  for all the congregation  of the children  of Israel,  and it shall be forgiven  them; for it is ignorance:  and they shall bring  their offering,  a sacrifice made by fire  unto the LORD,  and their sin offering  before  the LORD,  for their ignorance:  [26] And it shall be forgiven  all the congregation  of the children  of Israel,  and the stranger  that sojourneth  among  them; seeing all the people  were in ignorance.  [27] And if any  soul  sin  through ignorance,  then he shall bring  a she goat  of the first  year  for a sin offering.  [28] And the priest  shall make an atonement  for the soul  that sinneth ignorantly,  when he sinneth  by ignorance  before  the LORD,  to make an atonement  for him; and it shall be forgiven  him. [29] Ye shall have one  law  for him that sinneth  through ignorance,  both for him that is born  among the children  of Israel,  and for the stranger  that sojourneth  among  them. [30] But the soul  that doeth  whether he be born in the land,  or a stranger,  the same reproacheth  the LORD;  and that soul  shall be cut off  from among  his people.  [31] Because he hath despised  the word  of the LORD,  and hath broken  his commandment,  that soul  shall utterly  his iniquity  shall be upon him.

What does Numbers 15:1-31 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

"Chapter15 is another collection of texts designed to prepare the people for their life in the land. Hence this chapter is one of promise. Though a great deal has happened, and the results are overwhelming for the adult population involved; nonetheless there is a sense in which we may say that nothing has happened. God has pardoned his people ( Numbers 14:20), the second generation will enter the land ( Numbers 14:31), and preparations still need to be made for that period after the Conquest and the achieving of "normalcy" in Canaan.
"It seems that the connecting thought between chapters14,15 is the phrase in Numbers 15:2 : "when you enter the land of your dwelling places that I am giving to you" (pers[1] tr[2]). This ties to Numbers 14:31 : "I will bring them in to enjoy the land you have rejected."" [3]
"Lest there be the mistaken notion that the laws of Sinai, including the laws of offerings, had been abrogated or replaced, the Lord explicitly cited some of them again ..." [4]
The Lord supplemented and completed the laws of sacrifice He had given formerly. These laws relate to life in the land ( Numbers 15:1-2).
There are really seven laws in this pericope ( Numbers 15:3-31). The first three are closely related, and we will consider them as one law. We can also combine the fifth and sixth laws and regard them as one, which I will refer to as the third.