Numbers 15:39
And it shall be a tassel for you to look at and remember all the commandments of the LORD, to do them, not to follow after your own heart and your own eyes, which you are inclined to whore after.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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This tassel isn't just a decorative fringe; it's a visual cue designed to stop you from chasing your own desires and interpretations. The text points out that your "heart and your own eyes" are dangerously inclined to lead you astray, hinting that our natural inclinations, even when they feel right or look appealing, are often a form of spiritual unfaithfulness.
Immediately following a lengthy section detailing various offerings and sacrifices, God instructs Moses to tell the Israelites to put tassels on the fringes of their garments. This directive is given to serve as a constant visual reminder of God's commandments, preventing them from being led astray by their own desires and the allure of forbidden practices, which is described as spiritual adultery. The ultimate purpose is to help them live as a holy people, set apart for God.
Why would God command a specific tassel? It wasn't just about looking good; it was about remembering and doing.
God instructs Israel to place a blue cord on the tassels of their garments. This wasn't merely decorative; it served as a constant, visible reminder.
A Living Memorial
The tassels, especially with the blue cord, were designed to be noticeable. Every time someone looked down, they would see this reminder. It was a tangible way to keep God's commandments front and center in their daily lives.
More Than Just Memory
But remembering wasn't the end goal. The ultimate purpose was to do the commandments. This tassel was a prompt to action, a visual cue to live out their faith in obedience, not just acknowledge it.
The tassel wasn't just a reminder of what to do, but also what not to do. It countered a dangerous internal pull.
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The verse contrasts obedience to God's commandments with following 'your own heart and your own eyes.' This highlights a fundamental human tendency towards self-will and subjective desires, which can lead us astray.
The Danger of Internal Cues
'Your own heart' represents our inner desires and inclinations. 'Your own eyes' represent what we see and are attracted to in the world. When these become our primary guides, independent of God's revealed will, we are prone to wander into error, superstition, or sin.
Spiritual Adultery
The phrase 'after which ye use to go a whoring' is strong language. It signifies a betrayal of faithfulness, likening the pursuit of personal desires over God's commands to spiritual adultery. It means turning away from the true God to chase after other gods, other desires, or other ways of living that are not aligned with His Word.
The tassel wasn't just about following rules; it was tied to a foundational event that defined Israel's identity.
The context of this commandment, especially in the verses immediately following (Numbers 15:40-41), is crucial. It reminds Israel why they are called to obedience.
Divine Rescue and Relationship
God explicitly states, 'I am the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God.' This points back to the Exodus – God's mighty act of delivering His people from slavery.
Identity Forged in Redemption
This act of redemption wasn't just a historical event; it established God's covenant relationship with Israel. They were called to be His people, set apart and holy, precisely because He had redeemed them. The tassels served as a constant, visible reminder of this foundational truth: their obedience was a response to God's liberating love and a commitment to the identity He had given them.
Understand the original words
mitsvah · Hebrew Noun
Refers to the revealed will and statutes of God given to His people; they are the authoritative directives that govern the life, ethics, and worship of the covenant community.
zanah · Hebrew Verb
A metaphorical term describing spiritual unfaithfulness or idolatry, where the people turn away from their covenantal devotion to God to pursue desires or gods that compete for His place in their hearts.
This commandment for tassels wasn't just about clothing; it was a divine response to Israel's deep-seated tendency to stray from God's path, a problem vividly illustrated by recent events like the golden calf incident and Nadab and Abihu's fatal error. The tassels served as a visual cue, a constant, tangible reminder to resist the allure of their own desires and the surrounding pagan practices, grounding them in God's covenant and commands.
c. 1446 BC
Exodus from Egypt
God delivers the Israelites from slavery in Egypt through Moses, establishing His covenant with them and setting them apart as His people.
c. 1446 BC
Giving of the Law at Sinai
God gives the Ten Commandments and the full Law to Moses on Mount Sinai, outlining the way of life for His chosen people.
c. 1445 BC
Rebellion and Wilderness Wanderings Begin
The Israelites repeatedly disobey God, culminating in the 40-year period of wandering in the desert after the incident at Kadesh Barnea.
c. 1445 BC— this verse
Command for Tassels (Tzitzit)
God instructs Moses to command the Israelites to make tassels for the corners of their garments, with a blue cord, as a constant reminder of His commandments.
c. 1445 BC
Nadab and Abihu's Strange Fire
Nadab and Abihu offer unauthorized 'strange fire' before the Lord and are consumed by His judgment, highlighting the danger of disregarding God's specific instructions for worship.
c. 1445 BC
The Golden Calf Incident
While Moses is on Mount Sinai, the Israelites fashion and worship a golden calf, an act of idolatry and blatant disobedience to God's commands.
This passage describes the importance of constantly remembering God's commands, much like the tassels were meant to serve as a visual reminder of the Law.
Jeremiah 3:6-9The imagery of 'going a whoring' after one's heart and eyes is mirrored here, illustrating how straying from God's commands is akin to spiritual unfaithfulness.
1 John 2:15-16This New Testament passage speaks against the desires of the flesh and eyes, directly aligning with the warning in Numbers to not follow after these inclinations.
Colossians 2:8Paul warns against being taken captive by human traditions and worldly principles, which resonates with the command to not follow one's own heart and eyes instead of God's commands.
calvinNumbers 15:37-41: "And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,"
Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them fringes in the borders of their garments, throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe of the borders a ribband of blue:
Alloquere filios Israel, et dic eis ut faciant sibi fimbrias in angulis vestimentorum suorum, per generationes suas, et ponant in fimbria anguli filum hyacinthinum.
And it shall be unto you for a fringe, that ye may lo…
ellicottNumbers 15:39: "And it shall be unto you for a fringe, that ye may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of the LORD, and do them; and that ye seek not after your own heart and your own eyes, after which ye use to go a whoring:"
(39) That ye seek not after your own heart.— Or, That ye go not about, or search not out, &c.
This tassel isn't just a decorative fringe; it's a visual cue designed to stop you from chasing your own desires and interpretations. The text points out that your "heart and your own eyes" are dangerously inclined to lead you astray, hinting that our natural inclinations, even when they feel right or look appealing, are often a form of spiritual unfaithfulness.
Immediately following a lengthy section detailing various offerings and sacrifices, God instructs Moses to tell the Israelites to put tassels on the fringes of their garments. This directive is given to serve as a constant visual reminder of God's commandments, preventing them from being led astray by their own desires and the allure of forbidden practices, which is described as spiritual adultery. The ultimate purpose is to help them live as a holy people, set apart for God.
Immediately following a lengthy section detailing various offerings and sacrifices, God instructs Moses to tell the Israelites to put tassels on the fringes of their garments. This directive is given to serve as a constant visual reminder of God's commandments, preventing them from being led astray by their own desires and the allure of forbidden practices, which is described as spiritual adultery. The ultimate purpose is to help them live as a holy people, set apart for God.
"And it shall be a tassel for you to look at and remember all the commandments of the LORD, to do them, not to follow after your own heart and your own eyes, which you are inclined to whore after." — This tassel isn't just a decorative fringe; it's a visual cue designed to stop you from chasing your own desires and interpretations. The text points out that your "heart and your own eyes" are dange…
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