Ye shall have one law for him that sinneth through ignorance, both for him that is born among the children of Israel, and for the stranger that sojourneth among them.

NUMBERS 15:29KJV
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Numbers 15:29 (KJV)

What does Numbers 15:29 mean?

Numbers 15:29 says that there is to be one law for anyone who sins unintentionally, whether that person is an Israelite by birth or a foreigner living among them. This means the same standard applies to everyone in the community when it comes to mistakes or sins done out of ignorance.

In this part of Numbers, God is giving instructions to Moses for the Israelites about how to handle different kinds of sins. The verse comes in a section about unintentional sins—things people do wrong without realizing it. By saying the law is the same for both Israelites and foreigners (sojourners), the verse emphasizes fairness and equal treatment in the community’s legal and religious life.

The Hebrew behind Numbers 15:29

  • "law" (תּוֹרָה, torah): This word means instruction or law. Its use here highlights that the guidance given is not just a rule but a teaching meant for everyone in the community.
  • "stranger" (גֵּר, ger): This word refers to a foreigner or non-Israelite living among the Israelites. The verse’s use of "ger" shows that even those not born into the community are included under the same legal and moral expectations.
  • "ignorance" (שְׁגָגָה, shegagah): This word means an unintentional mistake or error. The verse is specifically about sins that are not done on purpose, which are treated differently from deliberate wrongdoing.

Why Numbers 15:29 matters

  • Numbers 15:29 clears up any idea that there were separate standards for Israelites and non-Israelites; both groups are held to the same law regarding unintentional sins.
  • The verse emphasizes the value of fairness and unity in the community, showing that God’s instructions were meant to create a just society for everyone living among the Israelites.
  • This verse connects to the wider passage, which distinguishes between unintentional and intentional sins, helping the reader understand the seriousness with which different kinds of wrongdoing were viewed.

Where else these words appear

“born” Hebrew H249 · used in 17 verses

  • Exodus 12:19 Seven days shall there be no leaven found in your houses: for whosoever eateth that which is leavened, even that soul shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he be a stranger, or born in the land.
  • Leviticus 18:26 Ye shall therefore keep my statutes and my judgments, and shall not commit any of these abominations; neither any of your own nation, nor any stranger that sojourneth among you:
  • Numbers 9:14 And if a stranger shall sojourn among you, and will keep the passover unto the LORD; according to the ordinance of the passover, and according to the manner thereof, so shall he do: ye shall have one ordinance, both for the stranger, and for him that was born in the land.

“ignorance” Hebrew H7684 · used in 18 verses

  • Leviticus 4:2 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a soul shall sin through ignorance against any of the commandments of the LORD concerning things which ought not to be done, and shall do against any of them:
  • Leviticus 22:14 And if a man eat of the holy thing unwittingly, then he shall put the fifth part thereof unto it, and shall give it unto the priest with the holy thing.
  • Numbers 35:11 Then ye shall appoint you cities to be cities of refuge for you; that the slayer may flee thither, which killeth any person at unawares.

“stranger” Hebrew H1616 · used in 83 verses

  • Genesis 15:13 And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years;
  • Leviticus 25:35 And if thy brother be waxen poor, and fallen in decay with thee; then thou shalt relieve him: yea, though he be a stranger, or a sojourner; that he may live with thee.
  • Deuteronomy 27:19 Cursed be he that perverteth the judgment of the stranger, fatherless, and widow. And all the people shall say, Amen.

“sojourneth” Hebrew H1481 · used in 94 verses

  • Genesis 12:10 And there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was grievous in the land.
  • Deuteronomy 1:17 Ye shall not respect persons in judgment; but ye shall hear the small as well as the great; ye shall not be afraid of the face of man; for the judgment is God's: and the cause that is too hard for you, bring it unto me, and I will hear it.
  • Psalms 61:4 I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever: I will trust in the covert of thy wings. Selah.