And if ye have erred, and not observed all these commandments, which the LORD hath spoken unto Moses,
Parallel translations
- WEB “‘When you err, and don’t observe all these commandments, which Yahweh has spoken to Moses,
- BSB Now if you stray unintentionally and do not obey all these commandments that the LORD has spoken to Moses—
- NKJV ‘If you sin unintentionally, and do not observe all these commandments which the Lord has spoken to Moses—
- NASB ‘But when you unintentionally do wrong and fail to comply with all these commandments which the Lord has spoken to Moses,
- NLT “But suppose you unintentionally fail to carry out all these commands that the Lord has given you through Moses.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
God addresses sins committed in error, when the people fail to keep his commandments unintentionally. Even unintended disobedience matters to a holy God.
Overview
This opens the law concerning unwitting corporate sin, distinct from defiant rebellion. It shows God's seriousness about all violations of his word while providing mercy for those done in ignorance. The provision of atonement here points toward Christ, whose sacrifice covers even the sins we do not fully recognize (Hebrews 9:7, 1 John 1:7).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- Lev 4:2Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a soul shall sin through ignorance against any of the commandments of the LORD concerning things which ought not to be done, and shall do against any of them:
- Luke 12:48But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.
- Lev 4:22When a ruler hath sinned, and done somewhat through ignorance against any of the commandments of the LORD his God concerning things which should not be done, and is guilty;
- Lev 4:27And if any one of the common people sin through ignorance, while he doeth somewhat against any of the commandments of the LORD concerning things which ought not to be done, and be guilty;
- Lev 5:15–17If a soul commit a trespass, and sin through ignorance, in the holy things of the LORD; then he shall bring for his trespass unto the LORD a ram without blemish out of the flocks, with thy estimation by shekels of silver, after the shekel of the sanctuary, for a trespass offering:
- Lev 4:13–14And if the whole congregation of Israel sin through ignorance, and the thing be hid from the eyes of the assembly, and they have done somewhat against any of the commandments of the LORD concerning things which should not be done, and are guilty;
- Lev 5:13And the priest shall make an atonement for him as touching his sin that he hath sinned in one of these, and it shall be forgiven him: and the remnant shall be the priest’s, as a meat offering.
- Ps 19:12Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
In the wilderness Christ is the water from the rock, the bronze serpent lifted up that the dying might look and live (John 3:14), and the star and scepter that Balaam saw rising out of Jacob.
How Numbers 15:22 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.