Numbers 15 34

Numbers 15:34 kjv

And they put him in ward, because it was not declared what should be done to him.

Numbers 15:34 nkjv

They put him under guard, because it had not been explained what should be done to him.

Numbers 15:34 niv

and they kept him in custody, because it was not clear what should be done to him.

Numbers 15:34 esv

They put him in custody, because it had not been made clear what should be done to him.

Numbers 15:34 nlt

They held him in custody because they did not know what to do with him.

Numbers 15 verses

Numbers 15 34 Meaning

Numbers 15:34 describes the immediate action taken after a man was discovered gathering wood on the Sabbath. The community placed him in custody because they lacked a clear divine directive concerning the precise punishment for this specific offense, which was a direct violation of the Sabbath command. It highlights a critical juncture where human leadership awaited God's specific instruction before enacting judgment for a breach of newly given divine law.

Numbers 15 34 Context

Numbers chapter 15 lays out various laws, focusing heavily on offerings for unintentional sins (Lev 4:2) as well as the dire consequences for defiant, high-handed sins (Lev 4:2, Exod 21:14). It introduces the law of fringes, meant to remind the Israelites to obey God’s commandments. Immediately following these statutes, the incident of the Sabbath-breaker serves as a stark illustration of the difference between unintentional sin, which could be atoned for, and deliberate, defiant sin, which received a much harsher penalty. The discovery of the man gathering sticks on the Sabbath, despite explicit warnings against work on that day (Exod 31:15; Exod 35:2), put the community in a quandary: while the general penalty for Sabbath breaking was death, the precise method or circumstance of execution had not yet been divinely revealed for this specific case. Historically, this occurred during Israel's forty-year wilderness wandering, where they were under direct divine governance and frequently consulted Moses for God's specific will.

Numbers 15 34 Word analysis

• וַיַּנִּיחוּ (vayannīḥū): "And they put him" or "And they let him rest." This is a Hiphil imperfect of נוּח (nûaḥ), meaning to rest, settle, deposit, or cause to rest. In this context, it denotes a causative action: they caused him to be put somewhere, specifically into detention. It implies a temporary measure, a holding pattern. The action taken by the community indicates a careful and cautious approach, acknowledging the severity of the offense but lacking the final executive instruction.
• אֹתֹו (ʾōṯō): "him." A direct object pronoun.
• בַּמִּשְׁמָר (bammīšmār): "in custody" or "in confinement." This noun is from the root שׁמר (šāmar), meaning "to guard," "to keep," "to preserve." It refers to a place of confinement, a prison, or protective custody. Its use here indicates a legal detention, not a final judgment or punishment, but a provisional measure taken by the authorities (Moses and the community elders) until a decision from God could be received. This reflects the legal procedure also seen with the blasphemer in Lev 24:12.
• כִּי (kī): "for," "because." This conjunction introduces the reason for their action. It explains why the man was held in custody: due to the absence of a clear ruling.
• לֹא (lōʾ): "not." The particle of negation.
• פֹרַשׁ (pōrāš): "was declared" or "was made clear." This is a Pual perfect (passive participle, but acting as a finite verb here) of the root פָרַשׁ (pāraš), meaning "to spread out," "to explain," "to specify," "to declare distinctively." The passive voice is significant; it indicates that a clear decision had not been explicitly revealed or made known by a higher authority (i.e., God). It points to a situation where divine instruction was needed to resolve a specific legal ambiguity.
• מַה (mah): "what." An interrogative pronoun, used here to refer to the action or punishment to be done.
• יֵּעָשֶׂה (yē‘āśeh): "should be done." This is a Niphal imperfect (passive) of the root עָשָׂה (ʿāśāh), meaning "to do," "to make," "to act." The Niphal voice emphasizes that something needs to be "done" to him, passively indicating that the action will be inflicted upon him by others (the community as executors of divine judgment). The imperfect tense suggests a pending or yet-to-be-determined action.
• לוֹ (lō): "to him" or "concerning him." A prepositional suffix, indicating the recipient of the action.

Words-group by words-group analysis

• "And they put him in custody": This phrase demonstrates the community's immediate and lawful response to a significant transgression. It shows responsible governance by Moses and the elders, not a mob action, but an official detainment for judicial review.
• "for it had not been declared what should be done to him": This critical clause reveals the legal dilemma. While the penalty for Sabbath violation was death (Exod 31:15; Exod 35:2), the specific method or divine mandate for executing that penalty in this particular circumstance was not explicitly outlined, hence the need for divine consultation. It underscores that even with general laws, specific divine revelation was necessary for unique cases or for the exact execution of justice. This showcases the principle of God's sovereignty over law and judgment.

Numbers 15 34 Bonus section

The legal precision requested by God, as seen in this verse, shows that Old Testament law, while divine, was not applied blindly. There was a divine process that involved direct communication for clarity on judicial matters, especially concerning capital punishment. This careful approach contrasts sharply with the summary justice often seen in surrounding pagan cultures and emphasizes the unique nature of Israel's direct covenant relationship with Yahweh as their supreme Lawgiver and Judge. This incident, therefore, not only serves as a practical application of a law but also as a profound theological lesson on the importance of divine revelation in the administration of justice.

Numbers 15 34 Commentary

Numbers 15:34 highlights the intersection of divine law and its practical application within the Israelite community. The incident of the Sabbath-breaker underscores a vital legal and theological principle: while God had already prescribed the death penalty for Sabbath desecration, the exact method or context of its application, especially in this concrete scenario where the sin was openly defiant, still required a direct divine pronouncement. The act of "putting him in custody" reflects the prudent wisdom of Moses and the elders. They recognized the seriousness of the sin and the general legal framework, but also their limited human authority in prescribing execution without explicit, specific divine command. This practice of detaining individuals until God's specific will was revealed set a precedent (as seen earlier with the blasphemer in Lev 24) that upheld divine sovereignty as the ultimate source of law and judgment. This entire process demonstrates God's desire for justice to be administered precisely according to His revealed will, not through human assumption or precedent alone, ensuring that even punitive measures reflect His holiness and order.