18 Speak H1696 unto the children H1121 of Israel, H3478 and say H559 unto them, When ye come H935 into the land H776 whither I bring H935 you,
Speak H1696 unto the children H1121 of Israel, H3478 and say H559 unto them, When ye be come H935 into the land H776 of your habitations, H4186 which I give H5414 unto you,
And it shall be, when thou art come in H935 unto the land H776 which the LORD H3068 thy God H430 giveth H5414 thee for an inheritance, H5159 and possessest H3423 it, and dwellest H3427 therein; That thou shalt take H3947 of the first H7225 of all the fruit H6529 of the earth, H127 which thou shalt bring H935 of thy land H776 that the LORD H3068 thy God H430 giveth H5414 thee, and shalt put H7760 it in a basket, H2935 and shalt go H1980 unto the place H4725 which the LORD H3068 thy God H430 shall choose H977 to place H7931 his name H8034 there. And thou shalt go H935 unto the priest H3548 that shall be in those days, H3117 and say H559 unto him, I profess H5046 this day H3117 unto the LORD H3068 thy God, H430 that I am come H935 unto the country H776 which the LORD H3068 sware H7650 unto our fathers H1 for to give H5414 us. And the priest H3548 shall take H3947 the basket H2935 out of thine hand, H3027 and set it down H3240 before H6440 the altar H4196 of the LORD H3068 thy God. H430 And thou shalt speak H6030 and say H559 before H6440 the LORD H3068 thy God, H430 A Syrian H761 ready to perish H6 was my father, H1 and he went down H3381 into Egypt, H4714 and sojourned H1481 there with H4962 a few, H4592 and became there a nation, H1471 great, H1419 mighty, H6099 and populous: H7227 And the Egyptians H4713 evil entreated H7489 us, and afflicted H6031 us, and laid H5414 upon us hard H7186 bondage: H5656 And when we cried H6817 unto the LORD H3068 God H430 of our fathers, H1 the LORD H3068 heard H8085 our voice, H6963 and looked H7200 on our affliction, H6040 and our labour, H5999 and our oppression: H3906 And the LORD H3068 brought us forth H3318 out of Egypt H4714 with a mighty H2389 hand, H3027 and with an outstretched H5186 arm, H2220 and with great H1419 terribleness, H4172 and with signs, H226 and with wonders: H4159 And he hath brought H935 us into this place, H4725 and hath given H5414 us this land, H776 even a land H776 that floweth H2100 with milk H2461 and honey. H1706 And now, behold, I have brought H935 the firstfruits H6529 H7225 of the land, H127 which thou, O LORD, H3068 hast given H5414 me. And thou shalt set H3240 it before H6440 the LORD H3068 thy God, H430 and worship H7812 before H6440 the LORD H3068 thy God: H430 And thou shalt rejoice H8055 in every good H2896 thing which the LORD H3068 thy God H430 hath given H5414 unto thee, and unto thine house, H1004 thou, and the Levite, H3881 and the stranger H1616 that is among H7130 you. When thou hast made an end H3615 of tithing H6237 all the tithes H4643 of thine increase H8393 the third H7992 year, H8141 which is the year H8141 of tithing, H4643 and hast given H5414 it unto the Levite, H3881 the stranger, H1616 the fatherless, H3490 and the widow, H490 that they may eat H398 within thy gates, H8179 and be filled; H7646 Then thou shalt say H559 before H6440 the LORD H3068 thy God, H430 I have brought away H1197 the hallowed things H6944 out of mine house, H1004 and also have given H5414 them unto the Levite, H3881 and unto the stranger, H1616 to the fatherless, H3490 and to the widow, H490 according to all thy commandments H4687 which thou hast commanded H6680 me: I have not transgressed H5674 thy commandments, H4687 neither have I forgotten H7911 them: I have not eaten H398 thereof in my mourning, H205 neither have I taken away H1197 ought thereof for any unclean H2931 use, nor given H5414 ought thereof for the dead: H4191 but I have hearkened H8085 to the voice H6963 of the LORD H3068 my God, H430 and have done H6213 according to all that thou hast commanded H6680 me. Look down H8259 from thy holy H6944 habitation, H4583 from heaven, H8064 and bless H1288 thy people H5971 Israel, H3478 and the land H127 which thou hast given H5414 us, as thou swarest H7650 unto our fathers, H1 a land H776 that floweth H2100 with milk H2461 and honey. H1706
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Numbers 15
Commentary on Numbers 15 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 15
Nu 15:1-41. The Law of Sundry Offerings.
1, 2. The Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel—Some infer from Nu 15:23 that the date of this communication must be fixed towards the close of the wanderings in the wilderness; and, also, that all the sacrifices prescribed in the law were to be offered only after the settlement in Canaan.
3. make an offering by fire unto the Lord, a burnt offering—It is evident that a peace offering is referred to because this term is frequently used in such a sense (Ex 18:12; Le 17:5).
4. tenth deal—that is, an omer, the tenth part of an ephah (Ex 16:36).
fourth part of an hin of oil—This element shows it to have been different from such meat offerings as were made by themselves, and not merely accompaniments of other sacrifices.
6-12. two tenth deals—The quantity of flour was increased because the sacrifice was of superior value to the former. The accessory sacrifices were always increased in proportion to the greater worth and magnitude of its principal.
13-16. a stranger—one who had become a proselyte. There were scarcely any of the national privileges of the Israelites, in which the Gentile stranger might not, on conforming to certain conditions, fully participate.
19. when ye eat of the bread of the land, ye shall offer up an heave offering—The offering prescribed was to precede the act of eating.
unto the Lord—that is, the priests of the Lord (Eze 44:30).
20. heave offering of the threshing-floor—meaning the corn on the threshing-floor; that is, after harvest.
so shall ye heave it—to the priests accompanying the ceremony with the same rites.
22. if ye have erred, and not observed all these commandments, &c.—respecting the performance of divine worship, and the rites and ceremonies that constitute the holy service. The law relates only to any omission and consequently is quite different from that laid down in Le 4:13, which implies a transgression or positive neglect of some observances required. This law relates to private parties or individual tribes; that to the whole congregation of Israel.
24-26. if aught be committed by ignorance—The Mosaic ritual was complicated, and the ceremonies to be gone through in the various instances of purification which are specified, would expose a worshipper, through ignorance, to the risk of omitting or neglecting some of them. This law includes the stranger in the number of those for whom the sacrifice was offered for the sin of general ignorance.
27-29. if any soul sin through ignorance—not only in common with the general body of the people, but his personal sins were to be expiated in the same manner.
30. the soul that doeth aught presumptuously—Hebrew, "with an high" or "uplifted hand"—that is, knowingly, wilfully, obstinately. In this sense the phraseology occurs (Ex 14:8; Le 26:21; Ps 19:13).
the same reproacheth the Lord—sets Him at open defiance and dishonors His majesty.
31. his iniquity shall be upon him—The punishment of his sins shall fall on himself individually; no guilt shall be incurred by the nation, unless there be a criminal carelessness in overlooking the offense.
32-34. a man that gathered sticks upon the sabbath day—This incident is evidently narrated as an instance of presumptuous sin. The mere gathering of sticks was not a sinful act and might be necessary for fuel to warm him or to make ready his food. But its being done on the Sabbath altered the entire character of the action. The law of the Sabbath being a plain and positive commandment, this transgression of it was a known and wilful sin, and it was marked by several aggravations. For the deed was done with unblushing boldness in broad daylight, in open defiance of the divine authority—in flagrant inconsistency with His religious connection with Israel, as the covenant-people of God; and it was an application to improper purposes of time, which God had consecrated to Himself and the solemn duties of religion. The offender was brought before the rulers, who, on hearing the painful report, were at a loss to determine what ought to be done. That they should have felt any embarrassment in such a case may seem surprising, in the face of the sabbath law (Ex 31:14). Their difficulty probably arose from this being the first public offense of the kind which had occurred; and the appeal might be made to remove all ground of complaint—to produce a more striking effect, so that the fate of this criminal might be a beacon to warn all Israelites in the future.
35, 36. The Lord said unto Moses, The man shall be surely put to death—The Lord was King, as well as God of Israel, and the offense being a violation of the law of the realm, the Sovereign Judge gave orders that this man should be put to death; and, moreover, He required the whole congregation unite in executing the fatal sentence.
38. bid them that they make them fringes in the borders of their garments—These were narrow strips, in a wing-like form, wrapped over the shoulders and on various parts of the attire. "Fringe," however, is the English rendering of two distinct Hebrew words—the one meaning a narrow lappet or edging, called the "hem" or "border" (Mt 23:5; Lu 8:44), which, in order to make it more attractive to the eye and consequently more serviceable to the purpose described, was covered with a riband of blue or rather purple color; the other term signifies strings with tassels at the end, fastened to the corners of the garment. Both of these are seen on the Egyptian and Assyrian frocks; and as the Jewish people were commanded by express and repeated ordinances to have them, the fashion was rendered subservient, in their case, to awaken high and religious associations—to keep them in habitual remembrance of the divine commandments.
41. I am the Lord your God—The import of this solemn conclusion is, that though He was displeased with them for their frequent rebellions, for which they would be doomed to forty years' wanderings, He would not abandon them but continue His divine protection and care of them till they were brought into the land of promise.