Números 15

VBL · Chapter 15/36

1Entonces el Señor le dijo a Moisés:

2“Dile a los israelitas, ‘Estas son la instrucciones sobre lo que deben hacer una vez que lleguen al país que les doy para vivir:

3Cuando traiga una ofrenda al Señor de tu ganado o rebaño (ya sea un holocausto, un sacrificio para cumplir una promesa que hiciste, o una ofrenda de libre albedrío o de fiesta) que sea aceptable para el Señor,

4entonces también presentarás una ofrenda de grano de una décima parte de un efa de la mejor harina mezclada con un cuarto de hin de aceite de oliva.

5Añade un cuarto de hin de vino como ofrenda de bebida al holocausto o al sacrificio de un cordero.

6“Cuando se trate de un carnero, presenta una ofrenda de grano de dos décimas de efa de la mejor harina mezclada con un tercio de hin de aceite de oliva,

7junto con un tercio de hin de vino como ofrenda de bebida, todo ello para ser aceptable al Señor.

8“Cuando traigas un novillo como holocausto o sacrificio para cumplir una promesa que hiciste o como ofrenda de paz al Señor,

9también llevarás con el novillo una ofrenda de grano de tres décimas de efa de la mejor harina mezclada con medio hin de aceite de oliva.

10Añade medio hin de vino como ofrenda de bebida. Todo esto es una ofrenda para ser aceptable al Señor.

11“Esto debe hacerse por cada toro, carnero, cordero o cabra que se traiga como ofrenda.

12Esto es lo que tienes que hacer para cada uno, sin importar cuántos sean.

13Todo israelita debe seguir estas instrucciones cuando presente una ofrenda que sea aceptable para el Señor.

14Esto también se aplica a todas las generaciones futuras que si un extranjero que vive entre ustedes o cualquier otra persona entre ustedes desea presentar una ofrenda aceptable para el Señor: deben hacer exactamente lo que ustedes hacen.

15Toda la congregación debe tener las mismas reglas para ustedes y para el extranjero que vive entre ustedes. Esta es una ley permanente para todas las generaciones futuras. Tú y el extranjero deben ser tratados de la misma manera ante la ley.

16Las mismas reglas y normas se aplican a ustedes y al extranjero que vive entre ustedes’”.

17El Señor le dijo a Moisés:

18“Diles a los israelitas: ‘Cuando lleguen al país al que yo los llevo

19y comán de los alimentos que allí se producen, darán parte de ellos como ofrenda al Señor.

20Darán como ofrenda una parte de la harina que usen para hacer los panes, y la presentarás como una ofrenda de la era.

21Para todas las generaciones futuras, darás al Señor una ofrenda de la primera de tus harinas.

22“Ahora bien, si pecan colectivamente sin querer y no siguen todas estas instrucciones que el Señor ha dado a Moisés,

23todo lo que el Señor les ha ordenado hacer a través de Moisés desde el momento en que el Señor les dio y para todas las generaciones futuras,

24y si se hizo sin querer y sin que todos lo supieran, entonces toda la congregación debe presentar un novillo como holocausto para ser aceptado por el Señor, junto con su ofrenda de grano y su libación presentada según las reglas, así como un macho cabrío como ofrenda por el pecado.

25De esta manera el sacerdote debe hacer que toda la congregación de Israel esté bien con el Señor para que puedan ser perdonados, porque el pecado fue involuntario y han presentado al Señor un holocausto y una ofrenda por el pecado, ofrecida ante el Señor por su pecado involuntario.

26Entonces toda la congregación de Israel y los extranjeros que viven entre ellos serán perdonados, porque el pueblo pecó sin intención.

27“En el caso de un individuo que peca sin intención, deben presentar una cabra hembra de un año como ofrenda por el pecado.

28El sacerdote hará que la persona que pecó sin querer esté en su derecho ante el Señor. Una vez que hayan sido expiados, serán perdonados.

29Aplicarás la misma ley para el que peca por error a un israelita o a un extranjero que viva entre ustedes.

30“Pero la persona que peca a manera de desafío, ya sea un israelita o un extranjero, está blasfemando al Señor. Serán expulsados de su pueblo.

31Deben ser expulsados, porque han tratado la palabra del Señor con desprecio y han quebrantado su mandamiento. Son responsables de las consecuencias de su propia culpa’”.

32Durante el tiempo en que los israelitas vagaban por el desierto, un hombre fue sorprendido recogiendo leña en el día Sábado.

33Las personas que lo encontraron recogiendo leña lo llevaron ante Moisés, Aarón y el resto de los israelitas.

34Lo pusieron bajo vigilancia porque no estaba claro qué le iba a pasar.

35El Señor le dijo a Moisés: “Este hombre tiene que ser ejecutado. Todos los israelitas deben apedrearlo fuera del campamento”.

36Así que todos tomaron al hombre fuera del campamento y lo apedrearon hasta la muerte como el Señor había ordenado a Moisés.

37Poco después el Señor le dijo a Moisés:

38“Diles a los israelitas que para todas las generaciones futuras deben hacerse borlas para los dobladillos de tu ropa y deben atarlas con un cordón azul.

39Cuando mirar estas borlas recordarás que deben guardar todos los mandamientos del Señor y que no sean infieles, siguiendo sus propios pensamientos y deseos.

40De esta manera se recordarás que deben guardas todos mis mandamientos y serán santos para Dios. Yo soy el Señor su Dios que los sacó de Egipto para ser su Dios.

41¡Yo soy el Señor su Dios!”

📖 Chapter study

Summary

Despite the announced judgment, God gives detailed instructions about offerings for when the people finally enter the land, distinguishes sins of error from deliberate sins, recounts the case of a man stoned for working on the Sabbath, and institutes the wearing of tassels on garments as a reminder of the commandments.

Explanation

It is remarkable that, right after announcing 40 years of discipline, God continues giving instructions about life in the promised land — a clear sign that the discipline did not cancel the promise itself, only postponed its fulfillment to the next generation. The distinction between sin committed in error (which had a sacrifice of forgiveness) and sin done 'with a high hand' (deliberate and defiant, with no sacrifice available) shows that the attitude of the heart mattered as much as the act itself. The case of the man executed for gathering wood on the Sabbath concretely illustrates the seriousness with which the intentional, public violation of a clear commandment was treated. The tassels on the garments ('tzitzit', still worn by observant Jews today) served as constant visual reminders of God's commandments in daily life.

Fun facts

  • The tassels with a 'blue cord' (tekhelet) mentioned here are the origin of the Jewish prayer shawl (tallit) still used today, and the hem of Jesus' garment touched by the woman with the issue of blood (Matthew 9:20) was likely one of these same ritual tassels.
  • The case of the Sabbath violator is one of the few examples in the Bible where the penalty for a specific crime had not been previously defined and had to be revealed directly by God through Moses, showing how the law was also developed through concrete cases, not only abstract principles.

Verse-by-verse explanation

  1. Números 15:1Right after the sentence of the forty years, the Lord speaks to Moses again — but now with laws about a future the current generation will not live to see: entering the promised land.
  2. Números 15:2The instruction already assumes the arrival in the land: “When ye be come into the land” is the phrase that opens these laws, a sign of hope right after the announcement of the punishment.
  3. Números 15:3The law deals with offerings made by fire to the Lord — burnt offerings or sacrifices, whether to fulfill a vow, as a freewill offering, or at a feast — made with sheep or oxen.
  4. Números 15:4Along with the animal, whoever made the offering also had to bring a grain offering: a tenth part of an ephah mixed with a quarter of a hin of oil.
  5. Números 15:5To complete the offering of a lamb, wine for a drink offering was also added, in the same measure of a quarter of a hin.
  6. Números 15:6If the animal was a ram, the amount of flour for the offering rose to two tenth parts, mixed with a third of a hin of oil.
  7. Números 15:7And the wine for the drink offering, in the case of the ram, also rose to a third of a hin.
  8. Números 15:8If the animal offered was a young bull, whether for a burnt offering, to fulfill a vow, or as a peace offering,
  9. Números 15:9The amount of flour rose even further: three tenth parts, mixed with half a hin of oil.
  10. Números 15:10And the wine for the drink offering, in that case, came to half a hin — the proportions grew along with the size of the animal.
  11. Números 15:11This same growing proportion applied to any ox, ram, lamb, or kid offered.
  12. Números 15:12If someone offered more than one animal, the same proportion of flour, oil, and wine had to be multiplied for each one.
  13. Números 15:13Every native-born Israelite had to follow exactly these proportions when making an offering by fire to the Lord.
  14. Números 15:14The same rule applied equally to the stranger living among the people who wanted to make a similar offering.
  15. Números 15:15There was no separate law for native and stranger: the same rule would apply forever, generation after generation, before the Lord.
  16. Números 15:16The text repeats this for emphasis: one single law and one single right applied both to the people of Israel and to those living among them.
  17. Números 15:17The Lord speaks once more to Moses, now to introduce a different law about dough.
  18. Números 15:18Again the law is tied to the arrival in the promised land: “when ye come into the land whither I bring you.”
  19. Números 15:19As soon as the people began eating bread made from that land’s produce, they were to set apart a portion as an offering to the Lord.
  20. Números 15:20From the first batches of dough prepared, a cake was to be set apart as an offering, the same way a portion of the harvest was set apart at the threshing floor.
  21. Números 15:21This offering of the first dough was to continue being made to the Lord throughout all the generations to come.
  22. Números 15:22The text shifts subject to deal with what to do when the people, without meaning to, failed to keep one of these commands.
  23. Números 15:23The rule applies to anything the Lord had commanded through Moses, from the beginning and for all future generations.
  24. Números 15:24If the mistake was made without the congregation noticing, the whole community was to offer a young bull as a burnt offering and a goat as a sin offering for the wrongdoing, in addition to the regular offerings.
  25. Números 15:25The priest would make atonement for the whole congregation, and the people would be forgiven, since the wrong had not been intentional.
  26. Números 15:26This collective forgiveness applied both to the Israelites and to the strangers living among them, since the mistake had affected everyone alike.
  27. Números 15:27But if it was only one person who made the mistake unintentionally, that person was to offer a one-year-old goat as a sin offering.
  28. Números 15:28The priest would make atonement for that person individually, and they would be forgiven.
  29. Números 15:29This same law, for unintentional wrongs, applied equally to the native-born Israelite and to the stranger.
  30. Números 15:30But whoever sinned defiantly, openly challenging the law, whether native or stranger, was insulting the Lord Himself and was to be cut off from among the people.
  31. Números 15:31The justification is clear: that person despised the word of God and knowingly broke His commandment, and so would bear that consequence alone.
  32. Números 15:32A man was caught gathering wood on the Sabbath, a day when any work was forbidden, and the case was brought to Moses because it was not yet clear what the punishment should be. The penalty God sets shows just how seriously keeping the Sabbath was taken at that particular moment, right after the great rebellion of the previous chapter.
  33. Números 15:33Those who found the man gathering wood on the Sabbath brought him to Moses, Aaron, and the whole congregation, not yet knowing what to do with him.
  34. Números 15:34He is kept in custody because the punishment for this particular case had not yet been defined.
  35. Números 15:35The Lord tells Moses that the man was to die, stoned by the whole congregation, outside the camp.
  36. Números 15:36The congregation carries out the sentence: they take the man outside the camp and stone him to death, exactly as the Lord had commanded.
  37. Números 15:37The Lord speaks once more to Moses, this time about a permanent sign to remind the people of the commandments.
  38. Números 15:38God commands the people to put fringes with a blue cord on the borders of their garments, to serve as a constant visual reminder of the commandments. It was a practical way to keep the law always in view, day to day, without needing a book nearby.
  39. Números 15:39The fringes were meant to work as a constant visual reminder, keeping the people from following their own desires and straying from God.
  40. Números 15:40The practical purpose was simple: to remember all the commandments and put them into practice, keeping the people set apart for God.
  41. Números 15:41The chapter closes with God presenting Himself once again as the One who brought the people out of Egypt precisely to be their God.

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