But the person who does anything with a high hand renders the Hebrew literally. This figurative expression who does anything with a high hand is usually taken to mean “who sin[s] deliberately” (Good News Bible) or “who acts defiantly” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh), in arrogance and being fully aware of the law. Such sins stand in contrast to the unintentional sins of the preceding verses. In some cultures Revised Standard Version‘s literal rendering may refer to a gesture that has an entirely different meaning. If so, translators should render this expression nonfiguratively (so Good News Bible) or use another figurative expression with the same meaning.

Whether he is native or a sojourner: See verse 14.

Reviles the LORD means a person who sins deliberately blasphemes God (so New Living Translation), who treats him with contempt (so Good News Bible). For such a defiant sin there is no sacrifice for purification or forgiveness.

And that person shall be cut off from among his people: See 9.13. This clause probably means that such a person should be “excluded” (Bible en français courant) or “expelled” (Bijbel in Gewone Taal) from the community. Good News Bible says the person must be “put to death.” However, it is not certain whether execution is in view here, so this more specific sense should not be expressed.

Quoted with permission from de Regt, Lénart J. and Wendland, Ernst R. A Handbook on Numbers. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2016. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .