Numbers 15:26

Study note

Setting — The narrator records God's directive through Moses regarding the resolution of a corporate unintentional transgression. The command addresses the entire congregation of Israel alongside resident foreigners at the moment the priest completes the atonement ritual.

The words — The verb וְנִסְלַח (ve-nislaḥ) literally means "and it will be forgiven." It governs the phrase לְכָל־עֲדַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל (le-kol-'adat benê yiśrāʾēl), translating to "to all the congregation of the sons of Israel."

The thread — The inclusion of the resident alien (הַגֵּר הַגָּר בְּתוֹכָם) alongside Israelite covenant members appears in Numbers 15:14-16 and 15:29. The procedural framework for corporate unintentional sin is established in Numbers 15:24-25 and contrasted with individual provisions in Numbers 15:27.

Why it lands — The text requires acknowledgment that forgiveness for unintentional corporate sin extends equally to native Israelites and resident foreigners. It mandates submission to the prescribed priestly atonement and offerings rather than independent remediation.

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.