1 The law of the meat offering, and the drink offering
14 The stranger is under the same law
17 The law of the first of the dough for an heave offering
22 The sacrifice for sins of ignorance
30 The punishment of presumption
32 He that violated the sabbath is stoned
37 The law of fringes

It is very probable, that the transactions recorded in this and the four following chapters took place during the time the Israelites abode in Kadesh. De 1:46

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,

Nu 15:18 Le 14:34 23:10 25:2 De 7:1,2 12:1,9

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 savor unto the LORD, of the herd or of the flock:

will make Ex 29:18,25,41 Le 1:2,3,9,13,17 10:13

a burnt Le 1:1

a sacrifice Le 7:16 22:18-23 De 12:11

performing. Heb. separating Le 27:2

or in a free-will Le 22:21,23 De 12:6,17 16:10

in your Nu 28:16-19,27 29:1,2,8,13 Le 23:8,12,36 De 16:1-17

a sweet Ge 8:21 Ex 29:18 Mt 3:17 Eph 5:2 Php 4:18

the herd. Under the term bakar, are comprehended the ox, heifer, etc; and under tzon are included sheep and goats. The animals enjoined in the Levitical law are the very same which commanded Abraham to offer. Hence it is evident, that God delivered to the patriarchs an epitome of that law which was afterwards given in detail to Moses, the essence of which consisted in its sacrifices; and these sacrifices were of clean animals, the most perfect, useful, and healthy of all that are brought under the immediate government of man. Gross feeding and ferocious animals were all excluded, as well as all birds of prey.

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.

a meat Ex 29:40 Le 2:1 6:14 7:9,10 23:13 Isa 66:20 Mal 1:11 Ro 15:16 Heb 13:16

the fourth Nu 28:5 Ex 29:40 Le 2:15 14:10 23:13 Jud 9:9 Eze 46:14

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.

Nu 28:7,14 Jud 9:13 Ps 116:13 So 1:4 Zec 9:17 Mt 26:28,29 Php 2:17 2Ti 4:6

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.

Nu 15:4 28:12-14

7 And for a drink offering thou shalt offer the third part of an hin of wine, for a sweet savor 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:

peace Le 3:1 7:11-18

9 Then shall he bring with a bullock a meat offering of three tenth deals of flour mingled with half an hin of oil.

with a Nu 28:12,14

a meat Nu 29:6 Le 6:14 7:37 14:10 1Ch 21:23 Ne 10:33 Eze 42:13 46:5,7,11,15 Joe 1:9 2:14

10 And thou shalt bring for a drink offering half an hin of wine, for an offering made by fire, of a sweet savor unto the LORD.

Nu 15:5 6:15

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

Nu 15:28

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 savor 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 savor unto the LORD; as ye do, so he shall 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.

one Nu 15:29 9:14 Ex 12:49 Le 24:22 Ga 3:28 Eph 2:11-22 Col 3:11

an ordinance Nu 10:8 18:8 Ex 12:14,24,43 1Sa 30:25

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 you,

Nu 15:2 De 26:1

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.

The oblation before prescribed seems to have been a general acknowledgment from the people at large; but this was an oblation from every one that reaped a harvest; who was required, previously to tasting it himself, to offer a portion of dough as a heave-offering to the Lord. This is supposed to have been given to the priests in their several cities, and not carried to the tabernacle. Jos 5:11,12

20 Ye shall offer up a cake of the first of your dough for an heave offering: as ye do the heave offering of the threshingfloor, so shall ye heave it.

a cake Nu 18:12 Ex 23:19 De 26:2-10 Ne 10:37 Pr 3:9,10 Eze 44:30 Mt 6:33 Ro 11:16 1Co 15:20 Jas 1:18 Re 14:4

the heave-offering Le 2:14 23:20,16,17

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

Nu 18:26 Ex 29:28

22 And if ye have erred, and not observed all these commandments, which the LORD hath spoken unto Moses,

This law concerning sins of ignorance, being entirely diverse from one before considered, occasions considerable difficulty. Some explain that law as relating to sins of commission, this to sins of omission; others explain the one of inadvertent violations of the moral law, and the other of the transgressions of the ceremonial law; and some think that related to the whole nation, this to anyone tribe; or that to the bulk of the nation, this to the rulers and elders. The Jews say, that the former law referred to such national transgressions through heedlessness, as consisted with the maintenance of the prescribed worship in the main; but that this especially respected the case of the nation, when through inattention, and the example and authority of wicked rulers, they had turned aside and committed idolatry, or conducted their worship directly contrary to law; yet through a culpable ignorance, and not in presumption. This was evidently the case under several of their kings; and the explanation seems well grounded. Le 4:2,13,14,22,27 5:13,15-17 Ps 19:12 Lu 12:48

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, that all the congregation shall offer one young bullock for a burnt offering, for a sweet savor 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.

if ought Le 4:13

without. Heb. from the eyes. one young bullock Le 4:14-21

with his Nu 15:8-10

manner, or, ordinance. one kid Nu 28:15 Le 4:23 2Ch 29:21-24 Ezr 6:17 8:35

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:

the priest Le 4:20,26 Ro 3:25 1Jo 2:2

forgiven them Lu 23:34 Ac 13:39

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.

Le 4:27,28 Ac 3:17 17:30 1Ti 1:13

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.

Le 4:35

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.

one law Nu 15:15 9:14 Le 16:29 17:15 Ro 3:29,30

sinneth. Heb. doeth

30 But the soul that doeth ought presumptuously, 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.

doeth ought Nu 9:13 14:44 Ge 17:14 Ex 21:14 Le 20:3,6,10 De 1:43 17:12 29:19,20 Ps 19:13 Mt 12:32 Heb 10:26,29 2Pe 2:10

presumptuously. Heb. with an high hand. That is, bold, daring, deliberate acts of transgression against the fullest evidence, and in despite of the Divine authority. Such conduct 'reproacheth the Lord,' as if his commands were needless, unreasonable, and inimical to the happiness of man; his favour were not desirable, or his wrath not to be feared; in short, as if it were more advantageous to rebel against him than to serve him. Such acts admitted of no atonement; the person was condemned to bear his own iniquity, and to be cut off. reproacheth. Ps 69:9 74:18,22 79:12 89:51 Pr 14:31 Isa 37:23,24

31 Because he hath despised the word of the LORD, and hath broken his commandment, that soul shall utterly be cut off; his iniquity shall be upon him.

despised Le 26:15,43 2Sa 12:9 Ps 119:126 Pr 13:13 Isa 30:12 1Th 4:8 Heb 10:28,29

his iniquity Le 5:1 Ps 38:4 Isa 53:6 Eze 18:20 1Pe 2:24 2Pe 2:21

32 And while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man that gathered sticks upon the sabbath day.

they found a man. This example seems to have been evidently introduced to illustrate the foregoing law. The man despised the word of the Lord, presumptuously broke his commandment, and on this ground was punished with death. Ex 16:23,27,28 20:8-10 35:2,3

33 And they that found him gathering sticks brought him unto Moses and Aaron, and unto all the congregation.

Joh 8:3

34 And they put him in ward, because it was not declared what should be done to him.

Le 24:12

35 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.

the man Ex 31:14,15

stone him Le 24:14,23 1Ki 21:13 Ac 7:58 Heb 13:11,12

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

Jos 7:25

37 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

38 Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them fringes in the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe of the borders a ribband of blue:

fringes in the borders. The word tzitzith properly denotes an ornament resembling a flower. From ver. 39, we learn that these were emblematical of the commands of God. That there is any analogy between a fringe and a precept, it would be bold to assert; but when a thing is appointed to represent another, no matter how different, that first object becomes the legitimate representative or sign of the other. De 22:12 Mt 9:20 23:5 Lu 8:44

39 And it shall be unto you for a fringe, that ye may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of the LORD, and do them; and that ye seek not after your own heart and your own eyes, after which ye use to go a whoring:

remember Ex 13:9 De 6:6-9 11:18-21,28-32 Pr 3:1

ye seek not De 29:19 Job 31:7 Pr 28:26 Ec 11:9 Jer 9:14 Eze 6:9

go a whoring Ex 34:15,16 Ps 73:27 106:3 Ho 2:2 Jas 4:4

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

be holy Le 11:44,45 19:2 Ro 12:1 Eph 1:4 Col 1:2 1Th 4:7 1Pe 1:15,16

41 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.

Le 22:33 25:38 Ps 105:45 Jer 31:31-33 32:37-41 Eze 36:25-27 Heb 11:16 1Pe 2:9,10