that knew not i.e. that knew not fully (Jonah 4:11; 1 Timothy 1:13), for there is no such thing as absolute moral ignorance (Romans 1:20; Romans 2:14-15)

shall be beaten with few stripes A most important passage as alone clearly stating that punishment shall be only proportional to sin, and that there shall be a righteous relation between the amount of the two.

They who knew not will not of course be punished for any involuntary ignorance, but only for actual misdoing.

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