Numbers 15:24

Num 15:24 Then it shall be, if [ought] be committed by ignorance without the knowledge of the congregation, that all the congregation shall offer one young bullock for a burnt offering, for a sweet savour unto the LORD, with his meat offering, and his drink offering, according to the manner, and one kid of the goats for a sin offering.

Ver. 24. By ignorance.] Or, Infirmity; incogitancy; inadvertency. For such there is a pardon, of course, ready sealed by God in Christ: else we might die in our sins, while the pardon is providing.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Some read, from the eyes of the Congregation, that is, which is hid from the Congregation.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

if aught be committed by ignorance--The Mosaic ritual was complicated, and the ceremonies to be gone through in the various instances of purification which are specified, would expose a worshipper, through ignorance, to the risk of omitting or neglecting some of them. This law includes the stranger in the number of those for whom the sacrifice was offered for the sin of general ignorance.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 24. If aught be committed by ignorance] See Clarke on Le 4:2, and "Le 5:17". The case here probably refers to the whole congregation; the cases above, to the sin of an individual.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(24) By ignorance.—The word shegagah is used to denote transgressions committed unwittingly in contrast to sins committed presumptuously (Num_15:30). (See Lev_4:2 and Note.) Provision had already been made in Leviticus 4 for sins of commission committed unwittingly by the whole congregation, but no provision appears to have been made for the guilt contracted in the case of sins of omission. It is possible, also, that in this place transgressions committed by an individual, but affecting the whole of the congregation, may be included. In Lev_4:14 a young bullock is appointed as a sin offering; in the present case a young bullock is appointed for a burnt offering and a kid of the goats for a sin offering. It must be remembered, moreover, that the commandments delivered in this chapter have express reference to the land of Canaan, whereas many of the commandments previously delivered had already become obligatory.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

24. The offering is a young bullock for a burnt-offering, together with the proper meal-offering and libation, and a he-goat for a sin offering.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And the priest shall make an atonement for all the congregation of the children of Israel;.... By offering a sin offering for them, a type of Christ, the propitiation not only for the sins of the people among the Jews, but throughout the whole world, Jo1 2:2,

and it shall be forgiven them; as the sins of the Lord's people are forgiven them through the blood of Christ, and on account of his stoning sacrifice and satisfaction made for them:

for it is ignorance; a sin of ignorance, for which reason Christ pleads for pardon on the foot of his sacrifice, and his people receive it, Luk 23:34; for that this sin was forgiven on the score of a sacrifice appears by what follows:

and they shall bring their offering, a sacrifice made by fire unto the Lord; the bullock for the burnt offering:

and their sin offering before the Lord, for their ignorance; a kid of the goats.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

In Le 4 the bullock is for a sin-offering, here it is for a burnt-offering, either because they are different laws, as hath been said; or because here is added a new penalty, to breed the greater caution and diligence in the Israelites, who had given many instances, and now a fresh and eminent instance, of their heedlessness in observing the commands of God; and so, besides that bullock for a sin-offering, which he leaves to be gathered out of Lev 4:11, he now requires another bullock for a burnt-offering.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

24. Without the knowledge — Hebrew, away from the eyes of the congregation. How the whole nation could be ignorantly delinquent it is difficult to discover. Outram supposes that it was done “by retaining to a certain extent the national rites, and following the worship of the true God, and yet at the same time acting unconsciously in opposition to the law through having been led astray by some common errors.” Others explain it as the neglect of religious duties through the example of godless rulers who adopted pagan customs apparently reconcilable with Mosaism but really repugnant to its spirit.

For a burnt offering — This is mentioned first, since it is the principal sacrifice. But in the order of time the sin offering was first offered, since sin must be expiated before the sinner can consecrate himself wholly, and be entirely sanctified. In this comment Keil concurs, forgetful of his declaration elsewhere that there is no prescribed order when two or more sacrifices were offered together. See Introd. to Leviticus (5.)

Sin offering — In Mosaism the killing of the animal is by the offerer and not by the priest, unless he be the offerer. Comp. Lev_1:5; Lev_4:3-4. If the slaughter were really an act of atonement it would probably take place on the altar itself, and not by its side. “The priestly function begins not with the shedding but with the use of the blood.” — Oehler. “The blood (of Christ) itself, not the shedding of the blood, is the ransom, the price of eternal redemption.” — Bengel. See Leviticus iv, notes.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

If ought be committed. Rather, "if it be committed," i.e., the non-observance of "all these commandments." It cannot, however, be necessary to suppose that a falling away from the whole body of the Mosaic legislation is here intended; such an apostasy could not happen by oversight, and if it did, the remedy provided would seem much too slight for the occasion. The analogy of the provision which follows (verse 27), and of the parallel provisions in Lev_4:2, Lev_4:13, points clearly to the neglect of any one of the Divine commandments. One young bullock for a burnt offering. In the case of a sin of commission done ignorantly, the bullock was treated as a sin offering, (Lev_4:14, Lev_4:20) for in that case the expiation of guilt incurred is the prominent point in the atonement; in this case it is the necessity of a fresh self-dedication to the Lord. According to the manner, fpvMiK, according to the ordinance given above. One kid of the goats for a sin offering. This was no doubt offered first, because expiation must precede self-oblation, but the bullock is mentioned first as forming the principal part of the sacrifice. The kid was probably treated according to the regulations of Lev_4:14, sq.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

ואם מעיני העדה נעשתה בשגגה — This means: If it is by the eyes (the leaders) of the community that this sin has been committed in error, i.e., that they have mistakenly taught of a certain one of the rites associated with the worship of God that it is permissible to worship an idol in that manner, [then it shall be that all the congregation shall offer, etc.] (cf. Horayot 5b).

לחטת — This lacks the א usually found in it, to indicate that it is not like other חטאות, sin-offerings; for in the case of all sin offerings mentioned in the Torah that are to be brought together with a burnt offering, the sin-offering precedes the burnt offering (i.e. is offered first), since it is said, (Leviticus 5:10) “And the second animal shall he make as a burnt offering,” whilst in this case the burnt offering precedes the sin-offering (Horayot 13a).

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.