One Law, and a Cord of Blue
1 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them, ‘When you have come into the land of your habitations, which I give to you, 3 and will make an offering by fire to Yahweh—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 Yahweh, of the herd, or of the flock— 4 then he who offers his offering shall offer to Yahweh a meal offering of one tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with one fourth of a hin of oil. 5 You shall prepare wine for the drink offering, one fourth of a hin, with the burnt offering or for the sacrifice, for each lamb. 6 “‘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; 7 and for the drink offering you shall offer the third part of a hin of wine, of a pleasant aroma to Yahweh. 8 When you prepare a bull for a burnt offering or for a sacrifice, to accomplish a vow, or for peace offerings to Yahweh, 9 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; 10 and you shall offer for the drink offering half a hin of wine, for an offering made by fire, of a pleasant aroma to Yahweh. 11 Thus it shall be done for each bull, for each ram, for each of the male lambs, or of the young goats. 12 According to the number that you shall prepare, so you shall do to everyone according to their number. 13 “‘All who are native-born shall do these things in this way, in offering an offering made by fire, of a pleasant aroma to Yahweh. 14 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 Yahweh, as you do, so he shall do. 15 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 Yahweh. 16 One law and one ordinance shall be for you and for the stranger who lives as a foreigner with you.’” 17 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 18 “Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them, ‘When you come into the land where I bring you, 19 then it shall be that when you eat of the bread of the land, you shall offer up a wave offering to Yahweh. 20 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. 21 Of the first of your dough, you shall give to Yahweh a wave offering throughout your generations. 22 “‘When you err, and don’t observe all these commandments which Yahweh has spoken to Moses— 23 even all that Yahweh has commanded you by Moses, from the day that Yahweh gave commandment and onward throughout your generations— 24 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 Yahweh, with its meal offering and its drink offering, according to the ordinance, and one male goat for a sin offering. 25 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 Yahweh, and their sin offering before Yahweh, for their error. 26 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. 27 “‘If a person sins unwittingly, then he shall offer a female goat a year old for a sin offering. 28 The priest shall make atonement for the soul who errs when he sins unwittingly before Yahweh. He shall make atonement for him; and he shall be forgiven. 29 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. 30 “‘But the soul who does anything with a high hand, whether he is native-born or a foreigner, blasphemes Yahweh. That soul shall be cut off from among his people. 31 Because he has despised Yahweh’s word, and has broken his commandment, that soul shall be utterly cut off. His iniquity shall be on him.’” 32 While the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering sticks on the Sabbath day. 33 Those who found him gathering sticks brought him to Moses and Aaron, and to all the congregation. 34 They put him in custody, because it had not been declared what should be done to him. 35 Yahweh said to Moses, “The man shall surely be put to death. All the congregation shall stone him with stones outside of the camp.” 36 All the congregation brought him outside of the camp, and stoned him to death with stones, as Yahweh commanded Moses. 37 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 38 “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. 39 It shall be to you for a fringe, that you may see it, and remember all Yahweh’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; 40 so that you may remember and do all my commandments, and be holy to your God. 41 I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am Yahweh your God.”
Immediately after the sentence, laws are given for life in the land, and the foreigner is placed on exactly the same footing as the native.
The placement of this chapter is the first thing about it. A generation has just been told it will die in the desert, and the next words are: when you have come into the land of your habitations, which I give to you Numbers 15:2.
The legislation assumes the arrival. Offerings, drink offerings, the first of the dough — all of it for a country the audience will never see. God goes on giving instructions for a future the people in front of him have forfeited, which is the book's way of saying the sentence fell on a generation and not on the promise.
The most striking provision concerns the resident foreigner, and it is stated three times in three verses.
As you do, so he shall do. There shall be one statute for you and for the stranger... As you are, so the foreigner shall be before Yahweh. One law and one ordinance shall be for you and for the stranger Numbers 15:14–16.
The repetition is emphasis. A foreigner who wants to bring an offering brings it on identical terms, and the phrase before Yahweh settles the ground of it: whatever difference exists socially, there is none at the altar.
The chapter then distinguishes two kinds of wrong. Sin committed unwittingly has an offering and forgiveness Numbers 15:27–28. Sin done with a high hand does not Numbers 15:30 — a raised fist, defiance rather than failure, and the reason given is that such a person has despised Yahweh's word.
The case that follows is the only recorded application of it: a man found gathering sticks on the Sabbath Numbers 15:32.
Again the community does not act on its own. They put him in custody, because it had not been declared what should be done to him Numbers 15:34. The sentence is severe, and what the narrative records is people refusing to improvise a penalty.
Then the chapter closes with something small and domestic. Fringes on the corners of every garment, each with a cord of blue Numbers 15:38.
The purpose is stated: that you may see it, and remember all Yahweh's commandments, and do them; and that you don't follow your own heart and your own eyes Numbers 15:39.
The eyes are the problem and the eyes are the remedy. Something is attached to the clothing so that a man glancing down is reminded, and the phrase your own heart and your own eyes is an accurate description of what the ten spies did with the same organs.
settled What this mark means