Numbers 15:16
One law and one manner shall be for you, and for the stranger that sojourneth with you.
Original Language Analysis
תּוֹרָ֥ה
law
H8451
תּוֹרָ֥ה
law
Strong's:
H8451
Word #:
1 of 9
a precept or statute, especially the decalogue or pentateuch
וּמִשְׁפָּ֥ט
manner
H4941
וּמִשְׁפָּ֥ט
manner
Strong's:
H4941
Word #:
3 of 9
properly, a verdict (favorable or unfavorable) pronounced judicially, especially a sentence or formal decree (human or (participant's) divine law, ind
יִֽהְיֶ֣ה
H1961
יִֽהְיֶ֣ה
Strong's:
H1961
Word #:
5 of 9
to exist, i.e., be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)
וְלַגֵּ֖ר
shall be for you and for the stranger
H1616
וְלַגֵּ֖ר
shall be for you and for the stranger
Strong's:
H1616
Word #:
7 of 9
properly, a guest; by implication, a foreigner
Historical Context
This declaration was countercultural in the extreme. Ancient Near Eastern religions had complex hierarchies: priests vs. laity, citizens vs. foreigners, men vs. women. Israel's 'one law' for native and alien foreshadowed the gospel's leveling effect: 'All have sinned... justified freely by his grace' (Romans 3:23-24).
Questions for Reflection
- How does the double emphasis ('one law AND one manner') reinforce the completeness of spiritual equality before God?
- In what ways does the principle of unified law both comfort (no favoritism) and challenge (no excuses) all people?
- How is Christ Himself the ultimate 'one law and one manner' for approaching God (John 14:6)?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
One law and one manner shall be for you, and for the stranger that sojourneth with you—The climactic restatement uses synonymous parallelism for emphasis: תּוֹרָה אַחַת (torah achat, 'one law') and מִשְׁפָּט אֶחָד (mishpat echad, 'one judgment/ordinance'). No loopholes, no dual standards. This revolutionary egalitarianism flows from monotheism—one God demands one way of approach.
Paul quotes this principle in Romans 2:11-16, arguing that God judges Jew and Gentile by the same standard. The verse devastates both Jewish presumption ('we have the law') and Gentile excuse ('we didn't know'). Christ is the fulfillment of 'one law'—the only mediator between God and humanity (1 Timothy 2:5).