Numbers 15:28

And the priest shall make an atonement for the soul that sinneth ignorantly, when he sinneth by ignorance before the LORD, to make an atonement for him; and it shall be forgiven him.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

15:22-29 Though ignorance will in a degree excuse, it will not justify those who might have known their Lord's will, yet did it not. David prayed to be cleansed from his secret faults, those sins which he himself was not aware of. Sins committed ignorantly, shall be forgiven through Christ the great Sacrifice, who, when he offered up himself once for all upon the cross, seemed to explain one part of the intention of his offering, in that prayer, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. It looked favourably upon the Gentiles, that this law of atoning for sins of ignorance, is expressly made to extend to those who were strangers to Israel.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Without the knowledge of the congregation - literally, as marginal. The words point to an error of omission which escaped notice at the time: i. e. to an oversight.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

27-29. if any soul sin through ignorance—not only in common with the general body of the people, but his personal sins were to be expiated in the same manner.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

No text from Poole on this verse.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And the priest shall make atonement for the soul that sinneth ignorantly,.... By offering his sin offering for him:

when he sinneth by ignorance before the Lord; to whom it is known to be such, before whom all things are naked, open, and well known:

to make an atonement for him, and it shall be forgiven him; upon that atonement made by sacrifice; so the forgiveness of the sins of all the Lord's people proceeds upon an atonement made by the blood and sacrifice of Christ: full atonement of sin and free forgiveness are not contrary to each other.

Geneva Study Bible

And the priest shall make an atonement for the soul that sinneth ignorantly, when he sinneth by ignorance before the LORD, to make an atonement for him; and it shall be forgiven him.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Numbers 15:28

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

In the same way, again, there was one law for the native and the stranger, in relation to sins of omission on the part of single individuals. The law laid doon in Leviticus 5:6 (cf. Leviticus 4:27.) for the Israelites, is repeated here in Numbers 15:27, Numbers 15:28, and in Numbers 15:28 it is raised into general validity for foreigners also. In Numbers 15:29, האזרח is written absolutely for לאזרח.