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‘Also, if one person sins unintentionally, then he shall offer a one-year-old female goat as a sin offering.
Numbers 15:27 · New American Standard Bible
Parallel translations
  • WEB “‘If one person sins unwittingly, then he shall offer a female goat a year old for a sin offering.
  • KJV And if any soul sin through ignorance, then he shall bring a she goat of the first year for a sin offering.
  • BSB Also, if one person sins unintentionally, he is to present a year-old female goat as a sin offering.
  • ESV “If one person sins unintentionally, he shall offer a female goat a year old for a sin offering.
  • NKJV ‘And if a person sins unintentionally, then he shall bring a female goat in its first year as a sin offering.
  • NLT “If one individual commits an unintentional sin, the guilty person must bring a one-year-old female goat for a sin offering.

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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

An individual who sinned unintentionally was to bring a year-old female goat as a sin offering. Personal sin, even unintended, required atonement.

Overview

Moving from corporate to individual sin, God provides a means of atonement scaled to the single worshiper. The requirement of a sacrifice for even accidental sin underscores the seriousness of any offense against a holy God. The need for blood to cover sin points to the once-for-all offering of Christ (Hebrews 9:22, 28).

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 4

  • Lev 4:27–28“‘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;
  • Acts 3:17“Now, brothers, I know that you did this in ignorance, as did also your rulers.
  • Acts 17:30The times of ignorance therefore God overlooked. But now he commands that all people everywhere should repent,
  • 1 Tim 1:13although I was before a blasphemer, a persecutor, and insolent. However, I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (2)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Numbers videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Numbers 15:27YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on NumbersMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    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 15:27 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.