Numbers 15

The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

“Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them, ‘When you have come into the land of your habitations, which I give to you,

and will make an offering by fire to the LORD—a burnt offering, or a sacrifice, to accomplish a vow, or as a free will offering, or in your set feasts, to make a pleasant aroma to the LORD, of the herd, or of the flock—

then he who offers his offering shall offer to the LORD a meal offering of one tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with one fourth of a hin of oil.

You shall prepare wine for the drink offering, one fourth of a hin, with the burnt offering or for the sacrifice, for each lamb.

“‘For a ram, you shall prepare for a meal offering two tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with the third part of a hin of oil;

and for the drink offering you shall offer the third part of a hin of wine, of a pleasant aroma to the LORD.

When you prepare a bull for a burnt offering or for a sacrifice, to accomplish a vow, or for peace offerings to the LORD,

then he shall offer with the bull a meal offering of three tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with half a hin of oil;

and you shall offer for the drink offering half a hin of wine, for an offering made by fire, of a pleasant aroma to the LORD.

Thus it shall be done for each bull, for each ram, for each of the male lambs, or of the young goats.

According to the number that you shall prepare, so you shall do to everyone according to their number.

“‘All who are native-born shall do these things in this way, in offering an offering made by fire, of a pleasant aroma to the LORD.

If a stranger lives as a foreigner with you, or whoever may be among you throughout your generations, and will offer an offering made by fire, of a pleasant aroma to the LORD, as you do, so he shall do.

For the assembly, there shall be one statute for you and for the stranger who lives as a foreigner, a statute forever throughout your generations. As you are, so the foreigner shall be before the LORD.

One law and one ordinance shall be for you and for the stranger who lives as a foreigner with you.’”

The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

“Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them, ‘When you come into the land where I bring you,

then it shall be that when you eat of the bread of the land, you shall offer up a wave offering to the LORD.

Of the first of your dough you shall offer up a cake for a wave offering. As the wave offering of the threshing floor, so you shall heave it.

Of the first of your dough, you shall give to the LORD a wave offering throughout your generations.

“‘When you err, and don’t observe all these commandments which the LORD has spoken to Moses—

even all that the LORD has commanded you by Moses, from the day that the LORD gave commandment and onward throughout your generations—

then it shall be, if it was done unwittingly, without the knowledge of the congregation, that all the congregation shall offer one young bull for a burnt offering, for a pleasant aroma to the LORD, with its meal offering and its drink offering, according to the ordinance, and one male goat for a sin offering.

The priest shall make atonement for all the congregation of the children of Israel, and they shall be forgiven; for it was an error, and they have brought their offering, an offering made by fire to the LORD, and their sin offering before the LORD, for their error.

All the congregation of the children of Israel shall be forgiven, as well as the stranger who lives as a foreigner among them; for with regard to all the people, it was done unwittingly.

“‘If a person sins unwittingly, then he shall offer a female goat a year old for a sin offering.

The priest shall make atonement for the soul who errs when he sins unwittingly before the LORD. He shall make atonement for him; and he shall be forgiven.

You shall have one law for him who does anything unwittingly, for him who is native-born among the children of Israel, and for the stranger who lives as a foreigner among them.

“‘But the soul who does anything with a high hand, whether he is native-born or a foreigner, blasphemes the LORD. That soul shall be cut off from among his people.

Because he has despised the LORD’s word, and has broken his commandment, that soul shall be utterly cut off. His iniquity shall be on him.’”

While the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering sticks on the Sabbath day.

Those who found him gathering sticks brought him to Moses and Aaron, and to all the congregation.

They put him in custody, because it had not been declared what should be done to him.

The LORD said to Moses, “The man shall surely be put to death. All the congregation shall stone him with stones outside of the camp.”

All the congregation brought him outside of the camp, and stoned him to death with stones, as the LORD commanded Moses.

The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

“Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them that they should make themselves fringes on the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put on the fringe of each border a cord of blue.

It shall be to you for a fringe, that you may see it, and remember all the LORD’s commandments, and do them; and that you don’t follow your own heart and your own eyes, after which you used to play the prostitute;

so that you may remember and do all my commandments, and be holy to your God.

I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the LORD your God.”

Chapter overviewAI-generated

Overview.
This chapter sets forth regulations for offerings, atonement for unintentional sins, and the solemn treatment of defiant sin, while concluding with the command to wear tassels as a visual reminder of covenant obedience. It occupies a pivotal place in Numbers by reinforcing the holiness required of God’s people as they prepare to enter the land, balancing grace in provision for error with severity toward rebellion.

Flow.

Begins with precise directions for grain and drink offerings accompanying sacrificial animals, standardizing worship for both native Israelites and resident foreigners.
Shifts to corporate and individual unintentional sins, prescribing appropriate sin offerings and emphasizing universal access to atonement through the priest’s mediation.
Introduces a sharp contrast with willful, defiant sin—described as sinning “with a high hand”—which incurs excommunication and illustrates the seriousness of covenant rejection.
Concludes with the command to wear tassels, particularly with a blue cord, as a perpetual visual aid to remember and obey all of God’s commandments.

Connections.
Following chapter 14, which records the people’s rebellion and God’s judgment preventing that generation from entering the land, chapter 15 reasserts hope through provision for forgiveness and renewed covenant relationship. It restores the framework of worship and holiness necessary for life in the land, which chapter 16 will test through the rebellion of Korah. The tassels in verse 38 serve as both a guard against the kind of defiance soon to come and a reminder of the identity and mission of God’s set-apart people.

What it teaches.
The chapter underscores the consistency and inclusivity of God’s worship system (WCF 19.4), showing that both Israelite and foreigner are under one statute when approaching the Lord (Num. 15:15; cf. WCF 7.6). It distinguishes between sins of ignorance—covered by sacrifice and priestly intercession (Lev. 4; HC LD 23, Q&A 60)—and high-handed rebellion, which severs one from the covenant community as a rejection of divine authority (WCF 7.3). The tassels serve as an outward sign pointing to inward obedience, reflecting the covenantal call to holiness (Lev. 19:2; HC LD 32, Q&A 86), grounded in God’s redemptive act of bringing them out of Egypt (Num. 15:41; cf. HC LD 1, Q&A 1).

Apply.
The tassels on the garments call for continual reliance on God’s commands as a guard against the drift of heart and eyes.

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