Numbers 15 35

Numbers 15:35 kjv

And the LORD said unto Moses, The man shall be surely put to death: all the congregation shall stone him with stones without the camp.

Numbers 15:35 nkjv

Then the LORD said to Moses, "The man must surely be put to death; all the congregation shall stone him with stones outside the camp."

Numbers 15:35 niv

Then the LORD said to Moses, "The man must die. The whole assembly must stone him outside the camp."

Numbers 15:35 esv

And the LORD said to Moses, "The man shall be put to death; all the congregation shall stone him with stones outside the camp."

Numbers 15:35 nlt

Then the LORD said to Moses, "The man must be put to death! The whole community must stone him outside the camp."

Numbers 15 verses

Numbers 15 35 Meaning

Numbers 15:35 states that the Lord commanded Moses concerning the man found gathering sticks on the Sabbath, declaring, "The man shall be put to death; all the congregation shall stone him with stones outside the camp." This verse communicates a direct divine judgment, demanding the capital punishment of an individual for intentional, flagrant disobedience of a foundational covenant command—the Sabbath. It highlights the absolute seriousness with which God regarded His laws, particularly those designed to sanctify His people and uphold His holiness.

Numbers 15 35 Context

Numbers 15:35 is part of a larger section in the Book of Numbers dealing with laws given after the disheartening report of the spies and the resulting forty years of wilderness wandering. This chapter, specifically, intersperses laws about offerings for unintentional sins (vv. 22-29), then explicitly distinguishes them from "presumptuous" sins—sins committed "with a high hand" or defiantly (vv. 30-31), for which there is no atoning sacrifice and the offender "shall be cut off from among his people."

Immediately following these laws (vv. 32-34), the incident of the man gathering sticks on the Sabbath is introduced. He is apprehended, and because the appropriate action for such a clear violation of a capital law (Ex 35:2) was not specified within the new framework for unintentional sin, Moses consults the Lord directly. Verse 35 is the Lord's unequivocal decree, providing the specific punishment and procedure. This event serves as a stark, living illustration and enforcement of the law regarding intentional sin mentioned earlier in the chapter, underscoring God's absolute commitment to His covenant demands, particularly concerning the sacred sign of the Sabbath. It establishes a powerful precedent for capital judgment against open contempt for God's commandments in the new wilderness generation.

Numbers 15 35 Word analysis

• The LORD: Hebrew YHWH (Yahweh). Signifies God's covenant name, emphasizing that this command comes from the God who entered into a relationship with Israel and expects obedience as part of that covenant. His judgment is a direct response to a breach of that sacred bond.

• said to Moses: Indicates a direct, unambiguous divine revelation and command. It highlights that the authority for this capital punishment comes directly from God, not from human legal invention or interpretation. Moses acts as the divine messenger and enforcer.

• The man: Hebrew hā’îsh. Refers specifically to the individual apprehended. The use of "the" emphasizes a singular, specific case, but one meant to serve as a public, communal lesson.

• shall be put to death: Hebrew môt yûmāt (מוֹת יוּמַת). This is a strong, emphatic construction in Hebrew, literally "dying he shall be put to death." It signifies absolute certainty and irrevocability of the judgment, leaving no room for leniency or alternative penalties. It emphasizes the severity and finality of the sentence.

• all the congregation: Hebrew kol-hā‘ēdāh. This implies that every member of the community, not just a select group of officials or executioners, was to participate in the act. This served multiple purposes:

  • Corporate responsibility: The entire community was involved in upholding God's holiness and purging evil from their midst.
  • Deterrence: It served as a public warning and deterrent to all witnesses.
  • Witness: The congregation acted as witnesses to the just execution of God's command.
  • Exclusion of defilement: The entire community ensures that the contamination of such sin is removed from their midst.

• shall stone him with stones: Hebrew rāḡōm ’ōṯōw bā’ăḇānîm. Stoning was a prescribed method of execution for a range of grave offenses in Israel, particularly those considered to be against God directly (e.g., blasphemy, idolatry, major covenant breaches like Sabbath desecration). It was a communal act, representing the community's assent to the judgment and their participation in maintaining the purity and holiness of the camp.

• outside the camp: Hebrew miḥūṣ lāmaḥăneh. This location was significant:

  • Removal of impurity: Anything considered unclean or defiled (including dead bodies, criminals) was removed from the holy precinct of the camp, where God's presence dwelled.
  • Symbolic expulsion: The offender was literally cast out from the community, symbolizing their severance from God's covenant people.
  • Witness of defilement: The place where such things were taken often became a place of disgrace.

• "The man shall be put to death... stone him with stones... outside the camp": This sequence reveals God's structured and unyielding approach to intentional covenant breach. It emphasizes the ultimate consequence for deliberate sin against His holy law: complete separation from the community and life itself, publicly and demonstrably enforced by the very people called to live by His commands. The combined force of these actions underscores the sacredness of the Sabbath and the severity of defiance towards God.

Numbers 15 35 Bonus section

The incident of the Sabbath breaker, although seemingly isolated, is profoundly connected to the spiritual state of Israel at the time. After the rebellion at Kadesh-Barnea and the ensuing divine decree of forty years of wilderness wandering, God re-established legal statutes for the new generation, reinforcing the standards of holiness and obedience. The Sabbath-breaker's sin was not merely collecting wood; it was an act of open defiance, a blatant disregard for a command explicitly given by God as a sign of His covenant and Israel's consecration to Him. It symbolized contempt for God's authority in the very presence of His glory.

The direct consultation with the LORD and the explicit divine command for death, carried out by the entire congregation outside the camp, was a pivotal moment in solidifying the moral and judicial order within the Israelite community. It confirmed that there were offenses so grave, so defiant of the covenant relationship, that they demanded ultimate separation and judgment to preserve the spiritual integrity of the camp and uphold the glory of God's name among His people. This strong precedent highlighted God's demand for reverent obedience and provided a stark example that while God is gracious, He is also righteous and just in His judgments, especially against direct rebellion.

Numbers 15 35 Commentary

Numbers 15:35 delivers a harsh but critical judgment in the narrative of Israel's journey through the wilderness. It illustrates the non-negotiable sanctity of God's covenant commands, particularly the Sabbath, which was a fundamental sign between God and His people (Ex 31:13). The incident serves as a direct, real-world application of the principles laid out earlier in the chapter concerning "presumptuous" sins – those committed with defiant intent and disregard for God's word. Unlike unintentional sins for which sacrifices could atone, there was no remedy for high-handed rebellion; it required removal from the community through capital punishment. The communal nature of the stoning ("all the congregation") emphasizes Israel's collective responsibility in maintaining the holiness of their society, purging evil, and deterring others. Executing the offender "outside the camp" visually signified the expulsion of defilement from the sacred space where God dwelt among His people. While New Testament believers live under grace and not under the Law's specific punitive measures, this event fundamentally reminds us of God's holiness, the extreme seriousness of rebellion against Him, and that deliberate sin is ultimately an offense against God's divine authority. The New Testament affirms that "the wages of sin is death" (Rom 6:23), albeit fulfilled in Christ's atoning sacrifice for the believing. This historical account functions as a powerful warning against trivializing divine commands and presuming upon God's grace.