Numbers 15:31

_BECAUSE HE HATH DESPISED THE WORD OF THE LORD, AND HATH BROKEN HIS COMMANDMENT, THAT SOUL SHALL UTTERLY BE CUT OFF; HIS INIQUITY SHALL BE UPON HIM._ His iniquity shall be upon him - i:e., the punishment of his sins shall fall on himself individually; no guilt shall be incurred by the nation, unless there is a criminal carelessness in overlooking the offence....

30-36 Those are to be reckoned presumptuous sinners, who sin designedly against God's will and glory. Sins thus committed are exceedingly sinful. He that thus breaks the commandment reproaches the Lord. He also despises the word of the Lord. Presumptuous sinners despise it, thinking themselves too great, too good, and too wise, to be ruled by it. A particular instance of presumption in the sin of sabbath-breaking is related. The offence was gathering sticks on the sabbath day, to make a fire, whereas the people were to bake and seethe what they had occasion for, the day before, Exodus 16:23. This was done as an affront both to the law and to the Lawgiver. God is jealous for the honour of his sabbaths, and will not hold him guiltless who profanes them, whatever men may do. God intended this punishment for a warning to all, to make conscience of keeping holy the sabbath. And we may be ass...

The heavy punishments which had already overtaken the people might naturally give rise to apprehensions for the future, especially in view of the fact that on the approaching entrance into Canaan the complete observance of the Law in all its details would become imperative on them. To meet such apprehensions a distinction is emphatically drawn between sins of ignorance (Leviticus 4:13 ff) and those of presumption Numbers 15:30. The passage deals separately with imperfections of obedience which would be regarded as attaching to the whole nation Numbers 15:22, and those of individuals Numbers 15:27....

EXPOSITION VARIOUS LAWS OF SACRIFICE (Numbers 15:1). NUMBERS 15:1 THE LORD SPAKE UNTO MOSES. IT must have been during the years of wandering, but within those limits it is impossible even to conjecture the probable date. There is no external evidence, and the internal evidence is wholly indecisive. Neither can it be reasonably maintained that these regulations were designed to revive the hope and sustain the faith of the rising generation. Incidentally they may have had some effect in that way, but it is evident that the primary object of their promulgation was simply to supply certain defects and omissions in the Levitical legislation. Why that legislation should have had the frag

BECAUSE HE HATH DESPISED THE WORD OF THE LORD, AND HATH BROKEN HIS COMMANDMENT,.... That is, has broken it through contempt of it, despising it as a command of God, paying no regard to it as a law of his; otherwise such who sin ignorantly break the commandment of God: THAT SOUL SHALL BE UTTERLY CUT OFF; or "in cutting off shall be cut off" u; most certainly cut off and entirely ruined and destroyed in this world and in that to come, as the Targum of Jonathan; and Maimonides w understands it of such a cutting off, that the soul itself perishes and is no more; but such annihilation the Scripture nowhere gives us any reason to believe: HIS INIQUITY [SHALL BE] UPON HIM; the punishment of it, no atonement being made for it by sacrifice; it shall be upon him and him only, or be "in him" x, not repented of and not forgiven. u הכרת תכרת "excidendo excidetur", Pagninus, Montanus, Drusius. w In...

5. VARIOUS LAWS, THE SABBATH-BREAKER, AND THE TASSELS ON THE GARMENTS CHAPTER 15 _ 1. Concerning offerings in the land (Numbers 15:1)_ 2. The second communication concerning offerings (Numbers 15:17) 3. The Sabbath-breaker (Numbers 15:32) 4. The tassels on the garments (Numbers 15:37) The historical account is here interrupted. What the critics have to say about this chapter speaking of it as an evidence of the patchwork of different persons, we care not to follow. Our space is too valuable for that. The chapter is beautifully in order at this point. God gave two communications to M

NUMBERS 15. A NUMBER OF DETACHED REGULATIONS (from P). NUMBERS 15:1. THE QUANTITIES OF FLOUR, OIL, AND WINE APPROPRIATE TO VARIOUS SACRIFICES. The practice of adding such accompaniments to flesh-offerings preserves the primitive idea that certain sacrifices were meals of which the deity partook (_cf._ Judges 9:13; 1 Samuel 1:24, Bel. 3- 6). The use of corn and wine in sacrifice could have come into vogue only after Israel had ceased to be a pastoral and had become an agricultural people. Wine probably replaced milk, which, though it does not occur among the offerings prescribed in the Jewish law, was offered by the Arabs, as also by the Carthaginians (a Phœ nician race). Milk formed the libation at the earl

INIQUITY. Hebrew. _'avah._ App-44. Put here by Figure of speech _Metonymy_ (of Cause), App-6, for the punishment produced by it....

_Propitiation for inadvertent transgressions_(_a_) Numbers 15:22 committed by the congregation as a whole; (_b_) Numbers 15:27 by individuals. To these is added the provision that deliberate transgressions cannot be atoned for (Numbers 15:30). Another set of laws relating to inadvertent transgressions, apparently dating from a different period, is found in Leviticus 4; Leviticus 5; it is more elaborate, dealing with _four_classes of persons the high priest, the congregation, a prince, and a private individual....

DISCOURSE: 159 THE DANGER OF PRESUMPTUOUS SIN Numbers 15:30. _The soul that doeth aught presumptuously (whether he be born in the land or a stranger), the same reproacheth the Lord; and that soul shall be cut off from among his people. Because he hath despised the word of the Lord, and hath broken his commandment, that soul shall utterly be cut off: his iniquity shall be upon him._ EVERY command of God is to be obeyed: and it is no excuse to say we were ignorant of the command. We know that there is a God to whom we are accountable: we know that he has given us a revelation of his will; and it is our duty to acquaint ourselves with all that he requires at our hands. Even in reference to human laws, it is no excuse to say that we were ignorant of them. We are supposed to be acquainted with them: and if we violate them in any respect, the penalty is from that moment inc