1[1] Jehová habló a Moisés y le dijo: 2"Habla a los hijos de Israel y diles: Cuando hayáis entrado en la tierra que yo os daré por habitación, 3y presentéis ofrenda que se quema a Jehová, holocausto o sacrificio de vacas o de ovejas, como voto especial o como ofrenda voluntaria, o para ofrecer en vuestras fiestas solemnes olor grato a Jehová, 4entonces, el que presente su ofrenda a Jehová traerá como ofrenda la décima parte de un efa de flor de harina, amasada con la cuarta parte de un hin de aceite. 5De vino para la libación ofrecerás por cada cordero la cuarta parte de un hin, además del holocausto o del sacrificio. 6Por cada carnero presentarás una ofrenda de dos décimas de flor de harina, amasada con la tercera parte de un hin de aceite; 7y de vino para la libación presentarás la tercera parte de un hin, como ofrenda de olor grato a Jehová. 8Cuando ofrezcas un novillo como holocausto o sacrificio, como voto especial o de paz a Jehová, 9ofrecerás con el novillo una ofrenda de tres décimas de flor de harina, amasada con la mitad de un hin de aceite; 10y de vino para la libación presentarás la mitad de un hin, como ofrenda quemada de olor grato a Jehová. 11Así se hará con cada buey o carnero o cordero de las ovejas o cabrito. 12Sea cual sea el número de animales, así haréis con cada uno de ellos. 13Todo natural hará estas cosas así, para presentar una ofrenda quemada de olor grato a Jehová. 14"Si un extranjero que habita con vosotros, o cualquiera que viva entre vosotros, quiere presentar una ofrenda de olor grato a Jehová, lo hará tal como vosotros lo hacéis, por vuestras generaciones. 15Un mismo estatuto tendréis en la congregación para vosotros y para el extranjero que con vosotros vive. Será estatuto perpetuo por vuestras generaciones; igual que vosotros, así será el extranjero delante de Jehová. 16Una misma ley y un mismo decreto tendréis, vosotros y el extranjero que con vosotros vive".[2] 17Habló Jehová a Moisés y le dijo: 18"Habla a los hijos de Israel y diles: Cuando hayáis entrado en la tierra a la cual yo os llevo, 19cuando comencéis a comer del pan de la tierra, presentaréis una ofrenda a Jehová. 20De lo primero que amaséis, presentaréis una torta como ofrenda; como la ofrenda de la era, así la ofreceréis. 21De las primicias de vuestra masa daréis a Jehová una ofrenda por vuestras generaciones. 22"Cuando involuntariamente dejéis de cumplir cualquiera de estos mandamientos que Jehová ha comunicado a Moisés, 23cualquiera de las cosas que Jehová os ha mandado por medio de Moisés, desde el día que Jehová lo mandó en adelante, por generaciones, 24si el pecado involuntario fue cometido ignorándolo la congregación, toda la congregación ofrecerá un novillo como holocausto de olor grato a Jehová, con su ofrenda y su libación conforme a la ley, y un macho cabrío como expiación. 25Luego el sacerdote hará expiación por toda la congregación de los hijos de Israel, y les será perdonado, porque se trata de un error involuntario. Ellos presentarán sus ofrendas, ofrenda que se quema a Jehová, y sus expiaciones delante de Jehová, por esos errores. 26Y será perdonado a toda la congregación de los hijos de Israel, y al extranjero que vive entre ellos, por cuanto es una falta involuntaria de todo el pueblo. 27"Si una persona peca involuntariamente, ofrecerá una cabra de un año para expiación. 28El sacerdote hará expiación por la persona que haya pecado involuntariamente delante de Jehová, la reconciliará, y le será perdonado. 29Una misma ley tendréis para el que peque involuntariamente, ya se trate de uno de los hijos de Israel o del extranjero que viva entre ellos.[3] 30"Pero la persona que haga algo con soberbia,[4] sea el natural o el extranjero, ultraja a Jehová; esa persona será eliminada de en medio de su pueblo.[5] 31Por cuanto tuvo en poco la palabra de Jehová y menospreció su mandamiento, esa persona será eliminada por completo y su pecado caerá sobre ella". 32Cuando los hijos de Israel estaban en el desierto, hallaron a un hombre que recogía leña en sábado. 33Los que lo hallaron recogiendo leña lo llevaron ante Moisés, Aarón y toda la congregación. 34Lo pusieron en la cárcel, porque no estaba determinado qué se le había de hacer. 35Entonces Jehová dijo a Moisés: "Irremisiblemente ese hombre debe morir: apedréelo toda la congregación fuera del campamento". 36La congregación lo sacó fuera del campamento, y lo apedrearon hasta que murió, como Jehová había mandado a Moisés. 37Jehová habló a Moisés y le dijo: 38"Habla a los hijos de Israel y diles que se hagan unos flecos en los bordes de sus vestidos,[6] por sus generaciones; y pongan en cada fleco de los bordes un cordón de azul. 39Llevaréis esos flecos para que cuando lo veáis os acordéis de todos los mandamientos de Jehová. Así los pondréis por obra y no seguiréis los apetitos de vuestro corazón y de vuestros ojos, que han hecho que os prostituyáis. 40Así os acordaréis y cumpliréis todos mis mandamientos, para que seáis santos ante vuestro Dios. 41Yo soy Jehová, vuestro Dios, que os saqué de la tierra de Egipto para ser vuestro Dios. Yo, Jehová, vuestro Dios".
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 THE LAW OF SUNDRY OFFERINGS. (Num. 15:1-41)
The Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel--Some infer from
Num 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 (
Exod 18:12;
Lev 17:5).
4 tenth deal--that is, an omer, the tenth part of an ephah (
Exod 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 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 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 (
Ezek 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
Lev 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 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 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 (
Exod 14:8;
Lev 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 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 (
Exod 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 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" (
Matt 23:5;
Luke 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.