Numbers 15:22
New International Version
“’Now if you as a community unintentionally fail to keep any of these commands the LORD gave Moses—

New Living Translation
“But suppose you unintentionally fail to carry out all these commands that the LORD has given you through Moses.

English Standard Version
“But if you sin unintentionally, and do not observe all these commandments that the LORD has spoken to Moses,

Berean Standard Bible
Now if you stray unintentionally and do not obey all these commandments that the LORD has spoken to Moses—

King James Bible
And if ye have erred, and not observed all these commandments, which the LORD hath spoken unto Moses,

New King James Version
‘If you sin unintentionally, and do not observe all these commandments which the LORD has spoken to Moses—

New American Standard Bible
‘But when you unintentionally do wrong and fail to comply with all these commandments which the LORD has spoken to Moses,

NASB 1995
‘But when you unwittingly fail and do not observe all these commandments, which the LORD has spoken to Moses,

NASB 1977
‘But when you unwittingly fail and do not observe all these commandments, which the LORD has spoken to Moses,

Legacy Standard Bible
‘But when you unintentionally fail and do not observe all these commandments, which Yahweh has spoken to Moses,

Amplified Bible
‘But when you unintentionally fail and do not observe all these commandments, which the LORD has spoken to Moses,

Christian Standard Bible
“When you sin unintentionally and do not obey all these commands that the LORD spoke to Moses —

Holman Christian Standard Bible
When you sin unintentionally and do not obey all these commands that the LORD spoke to Moses—

American Standard Version
And when ye shall err, and not observe all these commandments, which Jehovah hath spoken unto Moses,

English Revised Version
And when ye shall err, and not observe all these commandments, which the LORD hath spoken unto Moses,

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"Suppose you unintentionally do something wrong by not obeying all these commands the LORD gave Moses.

Good News Translation
But suppose someone unintentionally fails to keep some of these regulations which the LORD has given Moses.

International Standard Version
"Here's what you are to do when you all go astray and fail to observe all these commands that the LORD had spoken to Moses,

Majority Standard Bible
Now if you stray unintentionally and do not obey all these commandments that the LORD has spoken to Moses—

NET Bible
"'If you sin unintentionally and do not observe all these commandments that the LORD has spoken to Moses--

New Heart English Bible
"'When you shall err, and not observe all these commandments, which the LORD has spoken to Moses,

Webster's Bible Translation
And if ye have erred, and not observed all these commandments which the LORD hath spoken to Moses,

World English Bible
“‘When you err, and don’t observe all these commandments which Yahweh has spoken to Moses—
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And when you err, and do not do all these commands which YHWH has spoken to Moses—

Young's Literal Translation
'And when ye err, and do not all these commands which Jehovah hath spoken unto Moses,

Smith's Literal Translation
And when ye shall err, and shall not do all these commands which Jehovah spake to Moses,
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And if through ignorance you omit any of these things, which the Lord hath spoken to Moses,

Catholic Public Domain Version
And if, through ignorance, you neglect any of these things, which the Lord has spoken to Moses,

New American Bible
If through inadvertence you fail to do any of these commandments which the LORD has given to Moses—

New Revised Standard Version
But if you unintentionally fail to observe all these commandments that the LORD has spoken to Moses—
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And if you err, and do not observe all these commandments which the LORD has spoken to Moses,

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And if you err and you will not do all of these commandments that LORD JEHOVAH spoke with Moshe.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And when ye shall err, and not observe all these commandments, which the LORD hath spoken unto Moses,

Brenton Septuagint Translation
But whensoever ye shall transgress, and not perform all these commands, which the Lord spoke to Moses;

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Offerings for Unintentional Sins
22Now if you stray unintentionally and do not obey all these commandments that the LORD has spoken to Moses— 23all that the LORD has commanded you through Moses from the day the LORD gave them and continuing through the generations to come—…

Cross References
Leviticus 4:2
“Tell the Israelites to do as follows with one who sins unintentionally against any of the LORD’s commandments and does what is forbidden by them:

Leviticus 5:15-19
“If someone acts unfaithfully and sins unintentionally against any of the LORD’s holy things, he must bring his guilt offering to the LORD: an unblemished ram from the flock, of proper value in silver shekels according to the sanctuary shekel; it is a guilt offering. / Regarding any holy thing he has harmed, he must make restitution by adding a fifth of its value to it and giving it to the priest, who will make atonement on his behalf with the ram as a guilt offering, and he will be forgiven. / If someone sins and violates any of the LORD’s commandments even though he was unaware, he is guilty and shall bear his punishment. ...

Hebrews 9:7
But only the high priest entered the second room, and then only once a year, and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance.

Leviticus 4:13-14
Now if the whole congregation of Israel strays unintentionally and the matter escapes the notice of the assembly so that they violate any of the LORD’s commandments and incur guilt by doing what is forbidden, / when they become aware of the sin they have committed, then the assembly must bring a young bull as a sin offering and present it before the Tent of Meeting.

Leviticus 4:27-28
And if one of the common people sins unintentionally and does what is prohibited by any of the LORD’s commandments, he incurs guilt. / When he becomes aware of the sin he has committed, he must bring an unblemished female goat as his offering for that sin.

Hebrews 5:2
He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and misguided, since he himself is subject to weakness.

Leviticus 5:17-18
If someone sins and violates any of the LORD’s commandments even though he was unaware, he is guilty and shall bear his punishment. / He is to bring to the priest an unblemished ram of proper value from the flock as a guilt offering. Then the priest will make atonement on his behalf for the wrong he has committed in ignorance, and he will be forgiven.

Acts 3:17
And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders.

Leviticus 4:22-23
When a leader sins unintentionally and does what is prohibited by any of the commandments of the LORD his God, he incurs guilt. / When he becomes aware of the sin he has committed, he must bring an unblemished male goat as his offering.

1 Timothy 1:13
I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a violent man; yet because I had acted in ignorance and unbelief, I was shown mercy.

Leviticus 4:3
If the anointed priest sins, bringing guilt on the people, he must bring to the LORD a young bull without blemish as a sin offering for the sin he has committed.

Luke 23:34
Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up His garments by casting lots.

Leviticus 4:20
He shall offer this bull just as he did the bull for the sin offering; in this way the priest will make atonement on their behalf, and they will be forgiven.

Acts 17:30
Although God overlooked the ignorance of earlier times, He now commands all people everywhere to repent.

Leviticus 4:31
Then he is to remove all the fat, just as it is removed from the peace offering, and the priest is to burn it on the altar as a pleasing aroma to the LORD. In this way the priest will make atonement for him, and he will be forgiven.


Treasury of Scripture

And if you have erred, and not observed all these commandments, which the LORD has spoken to Moses,

Leviticus 4:2,13,14,22,27
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 5:13,15-17
And the priest shall make an atonement for him as touching his sin that he hath sinned in one of these, and it shall be forgiven him: and the remnant shall be the priest's, as a meat offering…

Psalm 19:12
Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults.

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Commandments Commands Err Erred Error Inadvertently Sin Unintentionally Unwittingly
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Commandments Commands Err Erred Error Inadvertently Sin Unintentionally Unwittingly
Numbers 15
1. The law of the meat offering, and the drink offering
14. The stranger is under the same law
17. The law of the first of the dough
22. The sacrifice for sins of ignorance
30. The punishment of presumption
32. He who violated the Sabbath is stoned
37. The law of tassels














Now if you sin unintentionally
The phrase "Now if you sin unintentionally" introduces the concept of unintentional sin, which is a significant theme in the Old Testament. The Hebrew word for "sin" here is "חָטָא" (chata), which means to miss the mark or to err. This reflects the understanding that sin is not just a deliberate act of rebellion but can also be an inadvertent failure to meet God's standards. The term "unintentionally" is derived from the Hebrew "בִּשְׁגָגָה" (bishgagah), indicating actions done without intent or awareness. This highlights God's recognition of human fallibility and His provision for grace even when we are unaware of our transgressions. Historically, this reflects the communal and individual responsibility in ancient Israel to maintain holiness and purity before God.

and do not obey all these commandments
The phrase "and do not obey all these commandments" underscores the comprehensive nature of the Law given to Israel. The Hebrew word for "obey" is "שָׁמַע" (shama), which means to hear, listen, or give heed. It implies an active engagement with God's word, not merely passive hearing. "All these commandments" refers to the entirety of the Mosaic Law, which was given to guide the Israelites in their covenant relationship with God. This phrase emphasizes the importance of obedience to God's revealed will and the seriousness of failing to adhere to His commands, even unintentionally. It reflects the historical context of a covenant community bound by divine law, where every commandment was integral to maintaining the relationship with God.

that the LORD has spoken to Moses
The phrase "that the LORD has spoken to Moses" affirms the divine origin of the commandments. "The LORD" is the English representation of the Hebrew "יהוה" (YHWH), the sacred name of God, emphasizing His eternal and unchanging nature. The verb "has spoken" comes from the Hebrew "דָּבַר" (dabar), indicating a direct communication from God. Moses, as the mediator of the covenant, received these commandments directly from God, underscoring their authority and divine source. This phrase situates the commandments within the historical narrative of the Exodus and the Sinai covenant, where Moses served as the intermediary between God and the people of Israel. It highlights the importance of divine revelation and the role of Moses as a faithful servant in conveying God's will to His people.

(22) And if ye have erred, and not observed.--Rather, And if ye shall err and not observe.

Verse 22. - And if ye have erred. The absence of the usual formula, "and the Lord spake unto Moses," is singular, because what follows has reference not to the enactment just made, but to the whole Law. Perhaps it is a part of the thoroughly unscientific and inartificial character of the Mosaic legislation that a principle of extreme importance and wide application is appended to an insignificant matter of ceremonial. Provision is here made for the forgiveness of sins due to ignorance and oversight - a provision which was sorely needed, considering the great complexity of the Law, and the bad training they had for the accurate observance of it (Deuteronomy 12:8). A similar provision had been made in Leviticus 4. The two, however, differ, inasmuch as this contemplates sins of commission, while this contemplates sins of omission.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Now if
וְכִ֣י (wə·ḵî)
Conjunctive waw | Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

you sin unintentionally
תִשְׁגּ֔וּ (ṯiš·gū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural
Strong's 7686: To stray, to mistake, to transgress, to reel, be enraptured

and do not
וְלֹ֣א (wə·lō)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

obey
תַעֲשׂ֔וּ (ṯa·‘ă·śū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural
Strong's 6213: To do, make

all
כָּל־ (kāl-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

these
הָאֵ֑לֶּה (hā·’êl·leh)
Article | Pronoun - common plural
Strong's 428: These, those

commandments
הַמִּצְוֺ֖ת (ham·miṣ·wōṯ)
Article | Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 4687: Commandment

that
אֲשֶׁר־ (’ă·šer-)
Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

the LORD
יְהוָ֖ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

has spoken
דִּבֶּ֥ר (dib·ber)
Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1696: To arrange, to speak, to subdue

to
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

Moses—
מֹשֶֽׁה׃ (mō·šeh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 4872: Moses -- a great Israelite leader, prophet and lawgiver


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OT Law: Numbers 15:22 When you shall err and not observe (Nu Num.)
Numbers 15:21
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