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Numbers 15 General Notes
Special concepts in this chapter
Purifying the people
As the people travel through the wilderness, Yahweh is purifying them. He is doing this so that they are able to enter into the Promised Land. (See: rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/purify and rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/promisedland)
Other possible translation difficulties in this chapter
Prostitution
The imagery of prostitution is commonly used in Scripture to indicate that Yahweh alone is to be worshiped. The people are compared to the prostitute because a husband is to only have a sexual relationship with his wife. Both the prostitute and the worship of other gods are violations of this exclusive relationship. Many cultures will struggle with this imagery because of a desire to use euphemisms. (See: rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/falsegod and rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-euphemism)