Numbers 15:23 kjv
Even all that the LORD hath commanded you by the hand of Moses, from the day that the LORD commanded Moses, and henceforward among your generations;
Numbers 15:23 nkjv
all that the LORD has commanded you by the hand of Moses, from the day the LORD gave commandment and onward throughout your generations?
Numbers 15:23 niv
any of the LORD's commands to you through him, from the day the LORD gave them and continuing through the generations to come?
Numbers 15:23 esv
all that the LORD has commanded you by Moses, from the day that the LORD gave commandment, and onward throughout your generations,
Numbers 15:23 nlt
And suppose your descendants in the future fail to do everything the LORD has commanded through Moses.
Numbers 15 23 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Deut 4:1-2 | "You shall not add to the word that I command you...or take from it..." | Warnings against altering God's commands. |
| Deut 6:1-2 | "Now this is the commandment...that you may fear the Lord your God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments...that your days may be long." | God's commands for generational well-being. |
| Deut 29:29 | "The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever..." | Emphasizes revealed commands for generations. |
| Lev 4:2-35 | "If anyone sins unintentionally in any of the Lord's commandments..." | Directly relates to laws for unintentional sin. |
| Lev 5:17 | "If anyone sins, doing any of the things that by the Lord's commandments ought not to be done, though he did not know it, yet he is guilty..." | Guilt even for unintentional sin. |
| Num 15:22 | "But if you err and do not observe all these commandments..." | Preceding verse setting the context of unintentional sin. |
| Josh 1:7-8 | "Only be strong...to observe to do according to all the law which Moses my servant commanded you." | Command to obey all of Moses' law. |
| Ps 19:7-8 | "The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure..." | Describes the perfect and enduring nature of God's law. |
| Ps 119:1-176 | "Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord!" | Extensive psalm celebrating God's all-encompassing law. |
| Mal 4:4 | "Remember the law of Moses, my servant, which I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and rules." | Call to remember all Mosaic law for all Israel. |
| Mt 5:17-18 | "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them." | Jesus affirming the continuity of the Law. |
| Rom 2:12 | "For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law." | Judgement according to knowledge of the law. |
| Rom 10:4 | "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes." | Christ is the goal/fulfillment of the law. |
| Gal 3:10 | "For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, 'Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.'" | The demand for perfect obedience to all the law. |
| Jas 2:10 | "For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it." | Breaking one command means breaking the whole law. |
| Heb 1:1-2 | "Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son..." | God's progressive revelation and ultimate word. |
| Heb 9:22 | "Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins." | Principle of atonement through blood, foundational to Mosaic law. |
| 1 Jn 5:3 | "For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome." | Love for God expressed in keeping His commandments. |
| Eph 2:14-15 | "For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances..." | Christ ended the legal barrier between Jew and Gentile. |
| Col 2:13-14 | "...He made you alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands..." | Christ's forgiveness encompasses legal demands of the law. |
| 2 Tim 3:16 | "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness..." | Affirming divine inspiration and usefulness of all Scripture (including OT law). |
| Rev 22:18-19 | "If anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues...and if anyone takes away from the words...God will take away his share from the tree of life..." | Warnings against altering God's revealed word. |
Numbers 15 verses
Numbers 15 23 Meaning
Numbers 15:23 describes the comprehensive scope and perpetual validity of the commandments God issued through Moses to the Israelites. It emphasizes that all directives from the Lord, given from the very first day through His chosen mediator, were binding and remained in force for every subsequent generation, underscoring the enduring nature of the divine law for the covenant community.
Numbers 15 23 Context
Numbers chapter 15, positioned after Israel's faithless rebellion at Kadesh Barnea (Ch 13-14) which resulted in a 40-year wilderness judgment, marks a renewed emphasis on covenant fidelity and future life in the land. The chapter reestablishes regulations concerning worship and atonement, particularly focusing on communal and individual unintentional sins. Verse 23 falls within a broader section (verses 22-31) that details the procedure for atonement when the whole community or an individual sins unintentionally "in ignorance." This provision highlights God's grace within the covenant, allowing for purification even when commands are violated unwittingly, but strictly defining the scope of these commands and the perpetual requirement for adherence by all future generations. It underscores that all of God's revealed law given through Moses remains binding, even for unintentional errors, signifying its absolute authority and the holiness required by God.
Numbers 15 23 Word analysis
- all (כֹּל, kol): This Hebrew word signifies totality, comprehensiveness, and the absolute sum. In this context, it emphasizes that every single command given by God through Moses is equally binding; there are no omissions or room for selective obedience. It points to the unity and holistic nature of divine law, indicating that disregard for any part constitutes a violation of the whole.
- that the Lord (יְהוָה, YHWH): The use of the personal covenant name of God emphasizes the divine origin and authority of the commands. These are not human traditions or mere suggestions but are the direct, authoritative utterances of the sovereign God who established a covenant with Israel.
- has commanded (צִוָּה, tzivvah): This verb denotes a strong, authoritative directive, an imperative that carries the full weight of the speaker's authority and demands unquestioning obedience. It underscores that God's communication is not advisory but binding legislation for His people.
- you (אַתֶּם, attem): While "you" refers primarily to the generation Moses was addressing, the plural nature implies the entire community of Israel, reinforcing the collective responsibility to obey God's directives.
- through Moses (בְּיַד מֹשֶׁה, b'yad Moshe): Literally "by the hand of Moses," this phrase designates Moses as the singular, divinely appointed mediator and faithful deliverer of God's law. It establishes the authority and authenticity of the Mosaic law, serving as a direct counter-argument to any who might suggest that parts of the law were of human origin or had been incorrectly transmitted. This legitimizes the entire body of the Law.
- from the day (מִן-הַיּוֹם, min-hayom): This phrase points to the definite point in time when God began to issue these commands, primarily at Sinai. It grounds the law in a specific, historical event of divine revelation, underscoring its foundational nature for Israel.
- the Lord gave command (אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְהוָה, asher tzivvah YHWH): This reiterates God's active role in issuing the commands and reinforces the divine authority associated with the giving of the Law.
- and onward (וָהָלְאָה, vahal'ah): This signifies continuous applicability and perpetual duration. The commands are not temporary or time-bound; they are for the indefinite future.
- throughout your generations (לְדֹרֹתֵיכֶם, l'doroteichem): This phrase extends the binding nature of the commands across all future generations of Israel. It emphasizes the enduring covenant relationship and the trans-generational obligation to uphold God's statutes, ensuring that covenant faithfulness is passed down from one era to the next.
- "all that the Lord has commanded you through Moses": This phrase group is crucial. It asserts the complete canon and absolute authority of the Mosaic Law as originating directly from Yahweh and faithfully transmitted by Moses. This foundation is essential for Israel's identity, worship, and ethical conduct. It excludes any practices or traditions that deviate from this divine and comprehensive revelation.
- "from the day the Lord gave command and onward throughout your generations": This phrase group signifies the timeless and perpetual nature of God's covenant demands for Israel. It solidifies the idea that the Law's validity did not diminish with time or generations, highlighting God's unchanging nature and His enduring requirements for His people. This extends the responsibility to maintain covenant purity to all future Israelites.
Numbers 15 23 Bonus section
The careful wording in Numbers 15:23 ("all that the Lord has commanded...from the day the Lord gave command and onward") serves as an internal textual boundary for what constitutes authoritative divine instruction. This principle contrasts sharply with the "high-handed" or presumptuous sin mentioned later in the chapter (v. 30-31), for which there was no atoning sacrifice, demonstrating that grace for unintentional sin did not negate the absolute authority of God's comprehensive and perpetually binding Law. It reveals God's meticulous nature in guiding His people, establishing a fixed revelation for His covenant community that distinguished their faith and practices from surrounding cultures.
Numbers 15 23 Commentary
Numbers 15:23 is a foundational declaration within the Mosaic Law, emphasizing the unwavering and comprehensive authority of God's commands. It highlights that every directive communicated through Moses originated directly from the Lord and remained eternally binding for every successive generation of Israel. This verse stands in the context of laws concerning unintentional sin, underscoring that even actions done in ignorance are held accountable before God's complete and unchanging standard. The comprehensive nature ("all") of these commands signifies that partial obedience or selective adherence is insufficient; the covenant required a holistic embrace of God's will. Its enduring application ("throughout your generations") reflects God's faithfulness to His covenant and His consistent expectation for holiness and obedience across time.