High-handed sin and the Promised Land: The rhetorical relationship between law and narrative in Numbers 15

Abstract

The rhetorical relationship between law and narrative has received increasing attention in recent Pentateuchal scholarship. An especially interesting case study is the legal material of Num. 15, which is placed directly after the narrative of the Israelites’ refusal to enter the land of Canaan (Num. 13-14) and itself contains a short narrative (Num. 15.32-36). Scholars have offered explanations for some of the material in Num. 15, but the rationale for this chapter’s diverse content—especially the pericope regarding unintentional and ‘high-handed’ sins (Num. 15.22-31)—remains largely unexplained. This article addresses this lacuna by examining the relationship between law and narrative in Num. 15. Specifically, this article argues that (1) the rhetorical function of Num. 15.22-31 is to show that the Israelites committed a high-handed sin when they failed to take the land, and (2) that the Israelites’ sin is contextually linked with God’s rest.