Numbers 15:15

15:15 One statute must apply ¹  to you who belong to the congregation and to the resident foreigner who is living among you, as a permanent ²  statute for your future generations. You and the resident foreigner will be alike ³  before the Lord.

Numbers 15:30

Deliberate Sin

15:30 “‘But the person ⁴  who acts defiantly, ⁵  whether native-born or a resident foreigner, insults ⁶  the Lord. ⁷  That person ⁸  must be cut off ⁹  from among his people.

Numbers 19:10

19:10 The one who gathers the ashes of the heifer must wash his clothes and be ceremonially unclean until evening. This will be a permanent ordinance both for the Israelites and the resident foreigner who lives among them.

[15:15]  ¹ tn The word “apply” is supplied in the translation.

[15:15]  ² tn Or “a statute forever.”

[15:15]  ³ tn Heb “as you, as [so] the alien.”

[15:30]  ⁴ tn Heb “soul.”

[15:30]  ⁵ tn The sin is described literally as acting “with a high hand” – בְּיָד רָמָה (bÿyad ramah). The expression means that someone would do something with deliberate defiance, with an arrogance in spite of what the Lord said. It is as if the sinner was about to attack God, or at least lifting his hand against God. The implication of the expression is that it was done in full knowledge of the Law (especially since this contrasts throughout with the sins of ignorance). Blatant defiance of the word of the Lord is dealt with differently. For similar expressions, see Exod 14:8 and Num 33:3.

[15:30]  ⁶ tn The verb occurs only in the Piel; it means “to blaspheme,” “to revile.”

[15:30]  ⁷ tn The word order in the Hebrew text places “Yahweh” first for emphasis – it is the Lord such a person insults.

[15:30]  ⁸ tn Heb “soul.”

[15:30]  ⁹ tn The clause begins with “and” because the verb is the perfect tense with vav (ו) consecutive. As discussed with Num 9:13, to be cut off could mean excommunication from the community, death by the community, or death by divine intervention.