What Does Numbers 15:25 Mean in the King James?
And the priest shall make an atonement for all the congregation of the children of Israel, and it shall be forgiven them; for it is ignorance: and they shall bring their offering, a sacrifice made by fire unto the LORD, and their sin offering before the LORD, for their ignorance:
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
The verse binds an unintentional miss to two movements of restoration: covering first, release after.
THE MEANING
An unintentional miss is still named before the LORD. The congregation is covered and released, and an offering is brought before the LORD as part of that restoration.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
Only deliberate wrongdoing can be addressed before God.
THE ROOT
כִּפֶּר
kipper
GROWS FROM
כפר
cover, cover over
“make an atonement” in this verse is kipper. Under “atonement” is the image of covering. The verse places that covering over the entire congregation, then names release as its outcome.
ALSO GROWS
kappōret: covering; the cover over the ark
כַּפֹּרֶת
This branch carries the same covering image into the sanctuary.
kōfer: ransom; covering price
כֹּפֶר
This branch keeps the root’s covering sense visible in a price that covers a liability.
וְנִסְלַח
wenislach
GROWS FROM
סלח
release, pardon, forgive
The outcome is release: the congregation is forgiven after the covering. The verse holds these as related but distinct movements.
ALSO GROWS
salach: forgive, pardon
סָלַח
This verb names the release given to the congregation.
selichah: forgiveness, pardon
סְלִיחָה
This noun carries the same root into the act or state of forgiveness.
שְׁגָגָה
shegagah
GROWS FROM
שגה
stray, err, go astray
The word rendered “ignorance” points to an unintentional straying or error, not simply a lack of information. The verse names the miss precisely while including it in the covering and release.
ALSO GROWS
shagah: stray, err
שָׁגָה
The verb gives the sense of wandering from the way, which clarifies the kind of error named here.
shegagah: inadvertent error
שְׁגָגָה
This noun identifies the congregation’s failure as unintentional.
THE PATTERN
Scripture holds a real miss together with restoration: it is named, then covered, released, or cleansed.
And he shall make an atonement for the holy sanctuary, and he shall make an atonement for the tabernacle of the congregation, and for the altar, and he shall make an atonement for the priests, and for all the people of the congregation.A Psalm of David, Maschil. Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.THE THREAD
And he shall make an atonement for the holy sanctuary, and he shall make an atonement for the tabernacle of the congregation, and for the altar, and he shall make an atonement for the priests, and for all the people of the congregation.The same covering root translated here as “atonement” appears across this verse. Its repetition extends the image from sacred space and its servants to the whole congregation, opening the communal reach of the covering in Numbers 15:25.
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