‘If you sin unintentionally, and do not observe all these commandments which the Lord has spoken to Moses—
Parallel translations
- WEB “‘When you err, and don’t observe all these commandments, which Yahweh has spoken to Moses,
- KJV And if ye have erred, and not observed all these commandments, which the LORD hath spoken unto Moses,
- BSB Now if you stray unintentionally and do not obey all these commandments that 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 4:2“Speak to the children of Israel, saying, ‘If anyone sins unintentionally, in any of the things which Yahweh has commanded not to be done, and does any one of them:
- Luke 12:48but he who didn’t know, and did things worthy of stripes, will be beaten with few stripes. To whomever much is given, of him will much be required; and to whom much was entrusted, of him more will be asked.
- Lev 4:22“‘When a ruler sins, and unwittingly does any one of all the things which Yahweh his God has commanded not to be done, and is guilty;
- Lev 4:27“‘If anyone of the common people sins unwittingly, in doing any of the things which Yahweh has commanded not to be done, and is guilty;
- Lev 5:15–17“If anyone commits a trespass, and sins unwittingly, in the holy things of Yahweh; then he shall bring his trespass offering to Yahweh, a ram without defect from the flock, according to your estimation in silver by shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, for a trespass offering.
- Lev 4:13–14“‘If the whole congregation of Israel sins, and the thing is hidden from the eyes of the assembly, and they have done any of the things which Yahweh has commanded not to be done, and are guilty;
- Lev 5:13The priest shall make atonement for him concerning his sin that he has sinned in any of these things, and he will be forgiven; and the rest shall be the priest’s, as the meal offering.’”
- Ps 19:12Who can discern his errors? Forgive me from hidden errors.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
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.