Numbers 15

AND the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land of your habitations, which I give (i. e.) Will certainly give you, notwithstanding this great provocation and my unchangeable commination. And for their better assurance hereof he repeats and amplifies the laws of sacrifices, whereby thorough Christ he was or would be reconciled to them and theirs upon their repentance. unto you,

And will make an offering by fire unto the LORD, a burnt-offering, or a sacrifice (i. e.) A peace-offering, as appears 1. because that word put by it self is oft so taken, as Exod. 18. 12. Levit. 17. 5, 8. and 23. 37. Deut. 12. 2.... 2. because the offerings for sins and trespasses had no meat-offerings and drink-offerings attending upon them, excepting only the case of the Lepers cleansing, Levit. 14. 10. 3. because this is explained by and called peace-offerings, ver. 8. 4. from the words here following, because peace-offerings were commonly offered either in performance of a vow, or freely, or by Gods command in their solemn feasts, all which are here expressed. in performing a vow, or in a free-will-offering, or in your solemn feasts, to make a sweet savour unto the LORD, of the herd or of the flock:

Then shall he that offereth his offering unto the LORD, bring a meat-offering of a tenth-deal Or, tenth part, to wit, of an Ephah, i. e. an Omer, Exod 16. 36. of flour, mingled with the fourth part of an hin of oil Wherein it seems to differ from such meat-offerings as were solitary, and not accessories to other sacrifices..

And the fourth part of an hin of wine for a drink-offering shalt thou prepare, with the burntoffering, or sacrifice, for one lamb.

Or for a ram, thou shalt prepare for a meatoffering two tenth-deals Because this belonged to a better sacrifice than the former; and therefore in the next sacrifice of a bullock, there are three tenth deals. So the accessory sacrifice grows proportionably with the principal. of flour mingled with the third part of an hin of oyl.

And for a drink-offering, thou shalt offer the third part of an hin of wine, for a sweet savour unto the LORD.

And when thou preparest a bullock for a burnt-offering, or for a sacrifice in performing a vow, or peace-offerings (i. e.) Or any other peace-offerings, to wit, such as were offered either freely or by command, which may be called peace-offerings or thank-offerings, by way of eminency, because such are offered purely by way of gratitude to God, and with single respect to his command and honour, whereas the peace-offerings made in performance of a vow were made and offered by way of contract and with design of getting some advantage by them. unto the LORD:

Then shall he bring with a bullock a meatoffering of three tenth deals of flour, mingled with half an hin of oyl.

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.

Thus shall it be done for one bullock, or for one ram, or for a lamb, or a kid.

According to the number that ye shall prepare, so shall ye do to every one according to their number (i. e.) As many cattel as ye sacrifice, so many meat and drink-offerings ye shall offer.

All that are born of the countrey shall do these things after this manner, in offering an offering made by fire of a sweet savour unto the LORD.

And if a stranger To wit, Proselyte: for such offerings were not accepted from others. 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, so he shall do.

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 (i. e.) As to the worship of God: his sacrifices shall be offered in the same manner and accepted by God upon the same terms, as yours: which was a presage of the future calling of the Gentiles. And this is added by way of caution and distinction, to show that strangers were not upon this pretence to partake of their civil priviledges.

One law, and one manner shall be for you, and for the stranger that sojourneth with you.

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye come unto the land whither I bring you,

Then it shall be, that when ye eat (i. e.) When ye are about to eat it: for before they did eat it, they were to offer this offering to God. of the bread (i. e.) The bread-corn, as that word is used, Iob 28. 5. Psal. 104. 14. Isa. 28. 28. of the land, ye shall offer up an heaveoffering unto the LORD (i. e.) To the Priest of the Lord, as appears from Ezek. 44. 30..

Ye shall offer up a cake of the first of your dough for an heave-offering as ye do the heaveoffering of the threshing floor (i. e.) Of the corn in the threshing-floor, as Deut. 16. 13. when you have gathered in your corn., so shall ye heave it (i. e.) You shall offer this in the same proportion, to the same persons, i. e. the Priests, and with the same rites..

Of the first of your dough ye shall give unto the LORD an heave-offering in your generations.

And if ye have erred, and not observed all these commandments To wit, those now spoken of, those which concern the outward worship and service of God, or the rites or ceremonies belonging to it. And herein principally this law may seem to differ from that Lev. 4. 13. which speaks of some positive miscarriage or doing that which ought not to have been done about the holy things of God, whereas this speaks only of an omission of something which ought to have been done about holy ceremonies. But besides this, that law Levit. 4. 13. concerns the whole congregation of Israel as it is there expressed, but this concerns only the congregation, or a congregation, as it is here expressed ver. 24. i. e. any particular congregation of Israelites, whether of a whole tribe meeting together by their representatives, or a lesser congregation, such as there were to be many in Canaan, and the words rendred, all the congregation, may be, and are by some here, rendred, every congregation. And by virtue of this law, as some suppose, the Israelites newly after their return from the captivity offered 12 bullocks, one for each tribe, Ezra 8. 35. which the LORD has spoken unto Moses;

Even all that the LORD has commanded you by the hand of Moses, from the day that the LORD commanded Moses, and henceforward among your generations:

Then it shall be, if ought be committed by ignorance, without the knowledge of the congregation, that all the congregation shall offer one young bullock for a burnt-offering In Lev. 4. the bullock is for a sin-offering, here it is for a burnt-offering, either because they are different laws, as has been said; or, because here is added a new penalty, to breed the greater caution and diligence in the Israelites, who had given many instances, and now a fresh and eminent instance, of their heedlesness in observing the commands of God: and so, besides that bullock for a sin-offering, which he leaves to be gathered out of Levit. 4. 14. he now requires another 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.

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.

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.

And if any soul sin through ignorance, then he shall bring a she-goat of the first year for a sin-offering.

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.

Ye shall have one law for him that sinneth through ignorance, both for him that is born amongst the children of Israel, and for the stranger that sojourneth among them.

But the soul that does ought Understand such things as ought not to be done, and things relating to the worship of God. presumptuously Heb. with an high or lifted up hand, i. e. knowingly, wilfully, boldly, resolvedly, deliberately, designedly. So this phrase is elsewhere used. See Exod. 14. 8. Lev. 26. 21. Numb. 33. 3. Iob 15. 26. Psal. 19. 13., (whether he be born in the land, or a stranger) the same reproacheth the LORD (i. e.) He sets God at defiance, and exposeth him to contempt, as if he were unworthy of any regard, and unable to punish transgressors.; and that soul shall be cut off from among his people.

Because he has despised the word of the LORD, and has broken his commandment, that soul shall utterly be cut off: his iniquity shall be upon him (i. e.) The punishment shall be confined to himself, and not fall upon the congregation, as it will do, if they neglect to cut him off.

And while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man that gathered sticks on the sabbath day This seems to be added as an example of a presumptuous sin: for as the law of the sabbath was plain and positive, so this transgression of it must needs be a known and wilful sin..

And they that found him gathering sticks, brought him unto Moses and Aaron, and unto all the congregation (i. e.) To the Rulers of the congregation, who as they represented and governed the congregation are called by the name of the congregation..

And they (i. e.) Moses and Aaron, and the 70 Rulers last mentioned. put him in ward, because it was not declared what should be done unto him (i. e.) In what manner he was to be cut off, or by what kind of death he was to die, which therefore God here particularly determines: otherwise it was known in general that sabbathbreakers were to be put to death from Exod. 31. 14. and 35. 2..

And the LORD said unto Moses, The man shall be surely put to death: all the congregation shall stone him with stones without the camp.

And all the congregation brought him without the camp, and stoned him with stones, as the LORD commanded Moses.

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them fringes These were certain threds or ends of their garments, standing out a little further than the rest of their garments, left there for this use. in the borders (i. e.) in the four borders or quarters, as it is Deut. 22. 12. Heb. wings, which is oft used for borders or ends, as Ruth 3. 9. 1 Sam. 15. 27. and 24. 5, &c. of their garments (i. e.) Of their upper garment, or that wherewith they covered themselves, as is expressed Deut. 22. 12. This was practised by the Pharisees in Christs time, who are noted for making their borders larger than ordinary, Mat. 23. 5. and by Christ himself, as may be gathered from Luk. 8. 44., throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe of the borders a ribband To make it more obvious to the sight and consequently more serviceable to the use here mentioned. Or, of a purple colour, as the Iewish writers agree, whose opinion is the more considerable, because it was matter of constant practise among them. of blue f.

And it shall be unto you for a fringe It (i. e.) the ribband, shall be unto you, i. e. shall serve you for the fringe, to wit, to render it more visible and notorious by its certain and remarkable and distinct colour, whereas the fringe without this was of the same piece and colour with the garment and therefore less observable. Or, it, (i. e.) the ribband, shall be in your fringes, or, put to your fringes, fastened to them., that ye may look upon it, and remember That by looking upon it you may remember, that your eye may affect your mind and heart. all the commandments of the LORD, and do them: and that ye seek not Or, inquire not for other rules or ways of serving me than I have prescribed you. after your own heart, and your own eyes (i. e.) Neither after the devices and inventions of your own minds or hearts, as Nadab and Abihu did when they offered strange fire, and as you now did when you pretended to serve and please me by going up the hill and towards Canaan without and against my command; nor after the examples or inventions of others which your eyes see, as you did when you were set upon worshipping a calf after the manner of Egypt., after which ye use to go a whoring (i. e.) To depart from me, and to prefer your o... n fancies before my commands, and to live only by present sight or sense, and not at all by faith in my promises.:

That ye may remember, and do all my commandments, and be holy unto your God.

I am the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the LORD your God Though I am justly displeased with you for your frequent and horrid rebellions, for which also I will keep you 40 years in the wilderness, yet I will not utterly cast you off, but will continue to be your God, to preserve and provide for you there, and after that time to bring you into Canaan..