22 " 'Now if you as a community unintentionally fail to keep any of these commands the Lord gave Moses-
22 And if ye have erred, and not observed all these commandments, which the Lord hath spoken unto Moses,
22 "But if you sin unintentionally,
22 "But if you should get off the beaten track and not keep the commands which God spoke to Moses,
22 'If you sin unintentionally, and do not observe all these commandments which the Lord has spoken to Moses--
22 "But suppose you unintentionally fail to carry out all these commands that the Lord has given you through Moses.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Numbers 15:22
Commentary on Numbers 15:22-29
(Read Numbers 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.