Numbers 15 36

Numbers 15:36 kjv

And all the congregation brought him without the camp, and stoned him with stones, and he died; as the LORD commanded Moses.

Numbers 15:36 nkjv

So, as the LORD commanded Moses, all the congregation brought him outside the camp and stoned him with stones, and he died.

Numbers 15:36 niv

So the assembly took him outside the camp and stoned him to death, as the LORD commanded Moses.

Numbers 15:36 esv

And all the congregation brought him outside the camp and stoned him to death with stones, as the LORD commanded Moses.

Numbers 15:36 nlt

So the whole community took the man outside the camp and stoned him to death, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

Numbers 15 verses

Numbers 15 36 Meaning

Numbers 15:36 describes the community's action of enforcing God's law by executing the man who violated the Sabbath by gathering wood. This verse concludes the narrative, emphasizing the public and communal nature of the judgment against presumptuous sin, showcasing the severity with which the Lord's commandments, especially the Sabbath, were to be upheld in the Israelite community, and that this grave sin necessitated his removal and death to maintain the sanctity of the camp.

Numbers 15 36 Context

Numbers chapter 15 provides various laws and regulations for the Israelites following their murmuring and judgment at Kadesh-Barnea. The chapter begins with laws concerning various sacrifices and offerings when entering the Promised Land. This is followed by regulations regarding unintentional sins, emphasizing a provision for atonement. Numbers 15:30-31 then abruptly shifts to highlight the severe consequence for presumptuous or high-handed sin—sin committed "defiantly" or "with a high hand," a direct contempt for the Lord's word and command. Immediately after this declaration, the incident of the Sabbath breaker is recounted (Numbers 15:32-35). This specific narrative serves as a concrete example and judicial precedent for applying the previously declared capital punishment for a willful sin. The man was caught gathering sticks on the Sabbath, an act that violated the clear command to keep the Sabbath holy and abstain from work. Moses and the congregation had to specifically inquire of the Lord regarding this particular offense, reinforcing that divine judgment and due process, not arbitrary human will, dictated the sentence. Verse 36 describes the communal execution based on God's explicit instruction.

Numbers 15 36 Word analysis

• And all the congregation (וְכָל־הָעֵדָה - vechol-ha'edah):
  • "And" (וְ - ve): Connects this verse directly to the divine instruction given in the previous verse (Num 15:35), indicating immediate execution of the command.
  • "all the congregation" (כָל־הָעֵדָה - kol-ha'edah): Refers to the entire community of Israel functioning as a unified body, encompassing its leaders and the people. The Hebrew term eda signifies a formally assembled community or legal body. This highlights communal responsibility and underscores that this was not a mob act, but a divinely ordained, collective execution of justice, legally sanctioned and performed by the representatives of the community. It impressed upon everyone the seriousness of defying God's laws.
• brought him outside the camp (הוֹצִיאוּ אֹתוֹ מִחוּץ לַמַּחֲנֶה - hotsiu oto michutz lamahaneh):
  • "brought him" (הוֹצִיאוּ אֹתוֹ - hotsiu oto): Emphasizes the action of removing the individual from the living space.
  • "outside the camp" (מִחוּץ לַמַּחֲנֶה - michutz lamahaneh): This act held profound symbolic and practical significance. The camp was considered holy, the dwelling place of the Lord (Num 5:3, Deut 23:14). Executing an offender within the camp would defile it. Removing him "outside" the camp physically demonstrated the community's separation from the sin and the sinner. It was a visible purification ritual, expelling evil and restoring the camp's sanctity before God. It signified the one cast out was no longer part of the community or covenant benefits.
• and stoned him with stones (וַיִּרְגְּמוּ אֹתוֹ בָּאֲבָנִים - vayirgumu oto ba'avanim):
  • "stoned him" (וַיִּרְגְּמוּ אֹתוֹ - vayirgumu oto): Ragam (רָגַם) is the Hebrew verb specifically meaning to stone. Stoning was a prescribed method of capital punishment for certain severe offenses in Mosaic Law (e.g., blasphemy, idolatry, certain sexual sins, Sabbath breaking). It was a communal act, often starting with witnesses (Deut 17:7), emphasizing the collective responsibility and rejection of the transgression by the entire community. It was a decisive and visible judgment.
  • "with stones" (בָּאֲבָנִים - ba'avanim): The plural "stones" reiterates the method and indicates the participation of many.
• and he died (וַיָּמֹת - vayamot):
  • "and he died" (וַיָּמֹת - vayamot): This finality ensures the completion of the divine judgment and the full penalty for the offense. It is a stark statement of the ultimate consequence for deliberate disobedience to God's specific commandments, particularly one as fundamental as the Sabbath rest. The wages of sin is death, clearly manifested.

Numbers 15 36 Bonus section

This incident is unique as it marks the first recorded instance where a specific divine instruction was required for capital punishment concerning an offense that already had a general death penalty prescribed for it (Sabbath violation). It underscores Moses' reliance on God for clarification and confirms that judicial action was taken only after explicit divine endorsement, emphasizing rule by divine command, not human whim. The man’s actions of simply gathering sticks highlight that even seemingly small acts of defiance, when presumptuously done against a direct command of God, were viewed with extreme gravity because they struck at the heart of covenant obedience and God's authority. This event also acts as a bridge between the giving of laws and their practical application, ensuring that the people understood the consequences of willful transgression as they prepared to enter the Promised Land. The meticulous detail about "outside the camp" and communal stoning stresses the orderliness of divine justice, not mob rule, in the purification of the community.

Numbers 15 36 Commentary

Numbers 15:36 presents a crucial episode in the establishment of the covenant laws, highlighting the extreme seriousness of intentional sin, specifically Sabbath desecration. This narrative follows laws concerning unintentional sins, making the contrast with presumptuous, "high-handed" sin stark. The man gathered wood, a deliberate act of labor, despite the clear divine mandate for Sabbath rest. The direct consultation with the Lord by Moses emphasizes that this was not an arbitrary human decision, but a divine decree, illustrating God's active involvement in maintaining holiness within His community.

The execution was a communal act: "all the congregation" participating symbolized the collective upholding of God's holiness and the purification of the camp from defilement. Taking the man "outside the camp" further underscored his removal from the holy presence of God and His people, signifying complete expulsion and purification of the sacred space. Stoning was a public and thorough method of execution, ensuring the collective involvement of the community in administering justice, serving as a powerful deterrent and a visible declaration of the severity of God's law. This incident teaches that God takes His commandments, especially those concerning sacred time, with utmost gravity. It served as a stern warning against spiritual indifference and open rebellion, affirming that certain sins against the Lord required the ultimate penalty to safeguard the sanctity of the covenant community and the honor of God.Practical example:

• This teaches the seriousness of deliberately disregarding God's commands; our spiritual disciplines, like regular worship and prayer, should not be presumptuously neglected.