Numbers 15:27 kjv
And if any soul sin through ignorance, then he shall bring a she goat of the first year for a sin offering.
Numbers 15:27 nkjv
'And if a person sins unintentionally, then he shall bring a female goat in its first year as a sin offering.
Numbers 15:27 niv
"?'But if just one person sins unintentionally, that person must bring a year-old female goat for a sin offering.
Numbers 15:27 esv
"If one person sins unintentionally, he shall offer a female goat a year old for a sin offering.
Numbers 15:27 nlt
"If one individual commits an unintentional sin, the guilty person must bring a one-year-old female goat for a sin offering.
Numbers 15 27 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference Note |
|---|---|---|
| Lev 4:2 | "If a soul shall sin through ignorance against any of the commandmen | Unintentional sin by individuals and priests |
| Lev 4:27-28 | "And if any one of the common people sin through ignorance, while h | Requirement for sin offering by common person |
| Lev 5:17-19 | "And if a soul sin, and commit any of these things which are forbid | Trespass/guilt offering for unknown sin |
| Num 15:30-31 | "But the soul that doeth ought presumptuously, whether he be born i | Contrast with intentional, high-handed sin |
| Ps 19:12 | "Who can understand his errors? Cleanse thou me from secret faults. | Awareness of hidden or unintentional sin |
| Ezek 45:20 | "And so thou shalt do on the seventh day of the month for every one | Sin offering in the vision of the temple |
| Heb 9:7 | "But into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not | Atonement for the errors of the people |
| Heb 9:22 | "And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and withou | Necessity of blood for atonement |
| Heb 10:4 | "For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should | Inability of animal sacrifices to perfect |
| Rom 3:23-25 | "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God...to decla | Christ as propitiation for all sins |
| Rom 5:12 | "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by s | Universal nature of sin through Adam |
| Rom 6:23 | "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life | Consequence of sin and grace of God |
| Eph 2:1-3 | "And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins..." | Spiritual deadness due to sin before Christ |
| 1 Pet 2:24 | "Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that w | Christ bore our sins as ultimate sacrifice |
| Isa 53:6 | "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his | Humanity's turning away from God |
| Gal 3:10 | "For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for | Law's curse for not performing all its demands |
| Jas 4:17 | "Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him | Sin of omission and knowing what is right |
| 1 Jn 1:8-9 | "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves...If we confess | Confession and cleansing from all unrighteousness |
| 2 Cor 5:21 | "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we mig | Christ made sin for us |
| Zech 13:1 | "In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David | Fountain for sin and uncleanness |
| Jn 1:29 | "The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the | Jesus as the Lamb of God who takes away sin |
| Lev 17:11 | "For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you | Blood's role in atonement for the soul |
| Titus 2:11-14 | "For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all | God's grace teaching to renounce ungodliness |
| Heb 7:27 | "Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice | Christ's one-time, perfect sacrifice |
Numbers 15 verses
Numbers 15 27 Meaning
Numbers 15:27 addresses the provision for an individual who unintentionally commits a sin. It establishes that if a person sins without malice or premeditation, but through ignorance or oversight, they are required to bring a specific sacrifice—a female goat a year old—as a sin offering (chatta'th) to make atonement. This law highlights God's mercy in providing a pathway for reconciliation even for inadvertent transgressions, distinct from rebellious or deliberate sin.
Numbers 15 27 Context
Numbers chapter 15 provides a series of supplementary laws for the Israelites, designed to clarify various aspects of offerings and the treatment of sin, particularly as they prepare to enter the Promised Land. Prior to this verse, laws concerning communal offerings for unintentional sin and general peace offerings are given. Verse 27 specifically deals with the sin offering for an individual who sins through ignorance, distinguishing it from the earlier communal offerings (Num 15:22-26) and setting it apart from defiant, high-handed sins (Num 15:30-31), for which there was no sacrificial remedy but only severe punishment. Historically and culturally, these laws provided a clear system for maintaining purity and restoring relationships within the covenant community with God, in stark contrast to surrounding pagan practices which often involved appeasement of fickle deities with arbitrary offerings.
Numbers 15 27 Word analysis
- And if any soul: The Hebrew word
nephesh(נֶפֶשׁ) means "soul," "person," or "being." It emphasizes that the law applies to any individual member of the Israelite community, not just leaders or specific groups. It underscores personal responsibility. - sin through ignorance: The Hebrew verb is
shagag(שָׁגַג), meaning "to err," "to go astray," "to commit a fault unwittingly," or "to blunder." This is distinct from deliberate, premeditated sin. It denotes a transgression committed without malicious intent, either unknowingly (e.g., performing a forbidden act without realizing it's forbidden) or inadvertently (e.g., a mistake). This ignorance is not necessarily a complete lack of knowledge of the law, but rather a momentary oversight or unawareness during the act itself. - then he shall bring: This phrase denotes an obligatory action. It is a divine command, specifying the required response for such an act, showing God's provision for restoration.
- a she-goat: The Hebrew
ez(עֵז) specifies a female goat. In the sacrificial system, particular animals were designated for specific offerings. The she-goat was a common animal for individual sin offerings, especially for the common person, signifying a cost yet one within reach. Its female gender was specified for this type of offering. - of the first year: This phrase indicates a young, unblemished, and therefore valuable animal. The requirement of a young, unblemished animal for sacrifice highlights the need for the offering to be perfect, reflecting the holiness of God and prefiguring the unblemished nature of the ultimate sacrifice, Jesus Christ.
- for a sin offering: The Hebrew term
chatta'th(חַטָּאת) refers specifically to the "sin offering." This type of offering was designed to atone for sins that caused defilement (e.g., ritual impurities, unintentional moral transgressions), thereby cleansing the offender and purifying the sanctuary from the taint of sin, thus restoring the person's relationship with God and the community. It emphasizes atonement for a specific transgression.
Words-group analysis:
- "if any soul sin through ignorance": This phrase sets the entire context for the sacrifice. It clearly defines the scope of this particular law – it's not for open rebellion, but for unintentional faults. It underscores God's gracious provision for mistakes, distinguishing His justice from a system that punishes all missteps equally. This concept highlights God's understanding of human frailty.
Numbers 15 27 Bonus section
- The emphasis on "ignorance" for the
chatta'thhighlights God's profound understanding of human limitation and frailty. Not all sins are met with the same judicial outcome in God's law. - The sacrifice's purpose was not merely propitiation (appeasing God's wrath), but also expiation (cleansing away defilement caused by sin) and the restoration of covenant fellowship.
- The she-goat, being a relatively common animal, suggests God made the provision accessible to the average Israelite, underscoring His desire for all to be cleansed.
- This specific law implicitly reinforces the overarching theme that the Mosaic Law served to reveal the holy character of God and the depth of humanity's sin, pointing to the ultimate need for a more profound and complete atonement found in Christ.
Numbers 15 27 Commentary
Numbers 15:27 establishes a foundational principle of God's grace within the Old Covenant: provision for unintentional sin. While sin always carries consequences, the Law distinguishes between an unwitting offense and a defiant rebellion. For an individual who, through ignorance or oversight, transgresses one of God's commandments, there is a clear path to atonement through the prescribed sin offering of a young she-goat. This specific ritual sacrifice, the chatta'th, cleansed the offender from their impurity and re-established their right standing within the covenant community. It demonstrates that God's desire was to maintain relationship with His people, providing a means for their cleansing even when they stumbled. This practice ultimately pointed forward to the ultimate and perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ, whose single, spotless offering cleanses believers from all sin—intentional and unintentional—once and for all (Heb 9:28, 10:10-14). The law implicitly warns against the presumption of 'ignorance' when willful sin is at play (Num 15:30-31), thereby teaching genuine humility and careful adherence to God's ways.