Numbers 15:17

Study note

Setting — The LORD addresses Moses at the close of a legislative section governing communal purity and resident foreigners. This moment functions as a structural hinge between the previous ordinance and the forthcoming land-entry instructions.

The words — The Hebrew sequence וַ/יְדַבֵּ֥ר אֶל־מֹשֶׁה לֵ/אמֹֽר (va/y.da.Ber 'el-mo.Sheh le./Mor) literally translates to "and he spoke to Moses saying." This specific verbal form signals the shift from narrative summary to direct divine address.

The thread — This speech formula anchors the surrounding legislation, appearing in Numbers 15:16 to establish unified law and in Numbers 15:18 to initiate the next command. It operates as a recurring literary marker for covenantal instruction throughout the Pentateuch.

Why it lands — The text requires the reader to identify Moses as the exclusive conduit for these divine mandates. It demands immediate attention to the following commands as binding legal standards rather than historical commentary.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.