And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
Command the children of Israel, that they put out of the camp every leper, and every one that hath an issue, and whosoever is defiled by the dead:
Both male and female shall ye put out, without the camp shall ye put them; that they defile not their camps, in the midst whereof I dwell.
And the children of Israel did so, and put them out without the camp: as the Lord spake unto Moses, so did the children of Israel.
And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
Speak unto the children of Israel, When a man or woman shall commit any sin that men commit, to do a trespass against the Lord, and that person be guilty;
Then they shall confess their sin which they have done: and he shall recompense his trespass with the principal thereof, and add unto it the fifth part thereof, and give it unto him against whom he hath trespassed.
But if the man have no kinsman to recompense the trespass unto, let the trespass be recompensed unto the Lord, even to the priest; beside the ram of the atonement, whereby an atonement shall be made for him.
And every offering of all the holy things of the children of Israel, which they bring unto the priest, shall be his.
And every man’s hallowed things shall be his: whatsoever any man giveth the priest, it shall be his.
And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, If any man’s wife go aside, and commit a trespass against him,
And a man lie with her carnally, and it be hid from the eyes of her husband, and be kept close, and she be defiled, and there be no witness against her, neither she be taken with the manner;
And the spirit of jealousy come upon him, and he be jealous of his wife, and she be defiled: or if the spirit of jealousy come upon him, and he be jealous of his wife, and she be not defiled:
Then shall the man bring his wife unto the priest, and he shall bring her offering for her, the tenth part of an ephah of barley meal; he shall pour no oil upon it, nor put frankincense thereon; for it is an offering of jealousy, an offering of memorial, bringing iniquity to remembrance.
And the priest shall bring her near, and set her before the Lord:
And the priest shall take holy water in an earthen vessel; and of the dust that is in the floor of the tabernacle the priest shall take, and put it into the water:
And the priest shall set the woman before the Lord, and uncover the woman’s head, and put the offering of memorial in her hands, which is the jealousy offering: and the priest shall have in his hand the bitter water that causeth the curse:
And the priest shall charge her by an oath, and say unto the woman, If no man have lain with thee, and if thou hast not gone aside to uncleanness with another instead of thy husband, be thou free from this bitter water that causeth the curse:
But if thou hast gone aside to another instead of thy husband, and if thou be defiled, and some man have lain with thee beside thine husband:
Then the priest shall charge the woman with an oath of cursing, and the priest shall say unto the woman, The Lord make thee a curse and an oath among thy people, when the Lord doth make thy thigh to rot, and thy belly to swell;
And this water that causeth the curse shall go into thy bowels, to make thy belly to swell, and thy thigh to rot: And the woman shall say, Amen, amen.
And the priest shall write these curses in a book, and he shall blot them out with the bitter water:
And he shall cause the woman to drink the bitter water that causeth the curse: and the water that causeth the curse shall enter into her, and become bitter.
Then the priest shall take the jealousy offering out of the woman’s hand, and shall wave the offering before the Lord, and offer it upon the altar:
And the priest shall take an handful of the offering, even the memorial thereof, and burn it upon the altar, and afterward shall cause the woman to drink the water.
And when he hath made her to drink the water, then it shall come to pass, that, if she be defiled, and have done trespass against her husband, that the water that causeth the curse shall enter into her, and become bitter, and her belly shall swell, and her thigh shall rot: and the woman shall be a curse among her people.
And if the woman be not defiled, but be clean; then she shall be free, and shall conceive seed.
This is the law of jealousies, when a wife goeth aside to another instead of her husband, and is defiled;
Or when the spirit of jealousy cometh upon him, and he be jealous over his wife, and shall set the woman before the Lord, and the priest shall execute upon her all this law.
Then shall the man be guiltless from iniquity, and this woman shall bear her iniquity.
Numbers 5 addresses the crucial themes of holiness, justice, and the integrity of the Israelite community as they journeyed toward the Promised Land. More than just a collection of rules, this chapter reveals God's commitment to the spiritual and physical well-being of His people. These regulations served to maintain order, purity, and a right relationship with God and each other. The book of Numbers serves as a reminder that obedience to God's law brings prosperity, while disobedience leads to dire consequences. The principles within Numbers 5, regarding faith, unbelief, and their corresponding consequences, remain relevant and applicable in our lives today.
Cleansing the Camp (Numbers 5:1-4)
The initial verses of Numbers 5:1-4 focus on maintaining the purity of the Israelite camp. The Lord instructs Moses to command the Israelites to remove anyone with skin diseases, bodily discharges, or those defiled by contact with a dead body from the camp. This wasn't a cruel act of banishment but a necessary measure to protect the community from potential contagion and to maintain the holiness of the camp, where God's presence dwelt in the tabernacle.
The tabernacle stood at the center of the Israelite camp, a visible manifestation of God's presence. The people were called to be holy because the Lord is holy (Leviticus 19:2). Spiritual holiness was connected to the condition of their bodies and their relationships with fellow covenant members. The "unclean" were ceremonially unclean, not inherently spiritually inferior. Procedures were in place for cleansing and restoring them (Leviticus 13:1-46; 14:1-32; 15:1-32; 22:4-9). Isolation also had health benefits in a large community, preventing the spread of contagious diseases.
This section highlights the importance of both physical and spiritual cleanliness in the community. God's people were to be set apart, reflecting His holiness in every aspect of their lives.
Confession and Restitution (Numbers 5:5-10)
Numbers 5:5-10 addresses sins committed against another person. These sins, whether moral or legal violations, required serious action to make things right. The passage stresses that any sin within the community is ultimately an offense against the Lord, making the person guilty in His sight (Numbers 5:6).
This reminds us that our sins are never committed in isolation. They always affect others, either directly or indirectly. However, first and foremost, sin is an offense against our Creator. King David understood this, even after committing adultery and murder, he knew that he had offended God most of all. God commanded, “Do not murder,” and “Do not commit adultery” (Exodus 20:13-14). David prayed, “Against you—you alone—I have sinned and done this evil in your sight” (Psalm 51:4).
The Lord instituted the principle of recompense, requiring the wrongdoer to repay the victim for the offense, plus an additional fifth of the value of what was taken, damaged, or lost (Numbers 5:7). If the victim had no close relative to receive the payment, it was to be given to the Lord for the priest, along with the atonement ram (Numbers 5:8). This ensured that wrongdoing was thoroughly purged from the community.
This passage emphasizes the importance of both confession and restitution in seeking forgiveness and reconciliation. It underscores the seriousness of sin and the need to repair the damage it causes.
The Test for Suspected Adultery (Numbers 5:11-31)
The final section of Numbers 5:11-31 outlines a ritual for dealing with a husband's jealousy and suspicion that his wife had committed adultery. Adultery was a grave sin under the Mosaic covenant because it was a violation against the Lord. The procedure for determining guilt or innocence, while seemingly strange to modern readers, was prescribed by God Himself.
The process involved the husband bringing his wife to the priest, along with an offering of barley flour (Numbers 5:15). The priest would prepare a "bitter water" mixture, combining holy water with dust from the tabernacle floor. The woman was required to drink this mixture after affirming her innocence and accepting a curse if she were lying. The curse was written on a scroll and washed into the bitter water (Numbers 5:16-24).
If the woman was innocent, no harm would come to her, and she would be able to conceive (Numbers 5:28). However, if she was guilty, the curse would supernaturally render her sterile (Numbers 5:27).
Some modern critics view this ritual as oppressive to women, but it can also be seen as a way God supernaturally protected women in a time before modern forensic science. God acted as the perfect Judge and the best witness in these cases.
This passage provides a glimpse into the challenges of maintaining justice and order in a society where proof of wrongdoing was difficult to obtain. It also reveals God's willingness to intervene supernaturally to ensure that truth and justice prevailed. It underscores the sanctity of marriage and the serious consequences of infidelity.
And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
Command the children of Israel, that they put out of the camp every leper, and every one that hath an issue, and whosoever is defiled by the dead:
Both male and female shall ye put out, without the camp shall ye put them; that they defile not their camps, in the midst whereof I dwell.
And the children of Israel did so, and put them out without the camp: as the Lord spake unto Moses, so did the children of Israel.
And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
Speak unto the children of Israel, When a man or woman shall commit any sin that men commit, to do a trespass against the Lord, and that person be guilty;
Then they shall confess their sin which they have done: and he shall recompense his trespass with the principal thereof, and add unto it the fifth part thereof, and give it unto him against whom he hath trespassed.
But if the man have no kinsman to recompense the trespass unto, let the trespass be recompensed unto the Lord, even to the priest; beside the ram of the atonement, whereby an atonement shall be made for him.
And every offering of all the holy things of the children of Israel, which they bring unto the priest, shall be his.
And every man’s hallowed things shall be his: whatsoever any man giveth the priest, it shall be his.
And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, If any man’s wife go aside, and commit a trespass against him,
And a man lie with her carnally, and it be hid from the eyes of her husband, and be kept close, and she be defiled, and there be no witness against her, neither she be taken with the manner;
And the spirit of jealousy come upon him, and he be jealous of his wife, and she be defiled: or if the spirit of jealousy come upon him, and he be jealous of his wife, and she be not defiled:
Then shall the man bring his wife unto the priest, and he shall bring her offering for her, the tenth part of an ephah of barley meal; he shall pour no oil upon it, nor put frankincense thereon; for it is an offering of jealousy, an offering of memorial, bringing iniquity to remembrance.
And the priest shall bring her near, and set her before the Lord:
And the priest shall take holy water in an earthen vessel; and of the dust that is in the floor of the tabernacle the priest shall take, and put it into the water:
And the priest shall set the woman before the Lord, and uncover the woman’s head, and put the offering of memorial in her hands, which is the jealousy offering: and the priest shall have in his hand the bitter water that causeth the curse:
And the priest shall charge her by an oath, and say unto the woman, If no man have lain with thee, and if thou hast not gone aside to uncleanness with another instead of thy husband, be thou free from this bitter water that causeth the curse:
But if thou hast gone aside to another instead of thy husband, and if thou be defiled, and some man have lain with thee beside thine husband:
Then the priest shall charge the woman with an oath of cursing, and the priest shall say unto the woman, The Lord make thee a curse and an oath among thy people, when the Lord doth make thy thigh to rot, and thy belly to swell;
And this water that causeth the curse shall go into thy bowels, to make thy belly to swell, and thy thigh to rot: And the woman shall say, Amen, amen.
And the priest shall write these curses in a book, and he shall blot them out with the bitter water:
And he shall cause the woman to drink the bitter water that causeth the curse: and the water that causeth the curse shall enter into her, and become bitter.
Then the priest shall take the jealousy offering out of the woman’s hand, and shall wave the offering before the Lord, and offer it upon the altar:
And the priest shall take an handful of the offering, even the memorial thereof, and burn it upon the altar, and afterward shall cause the woman to drink the water.
And when he hath made her to drink the water, then it shall come to pass, that, if she be defiled, and have done trespass against her husband, that the water that causeth the curse shall enter into her, and become bitter, and her belly shall swell, and her thigh shall rot: and the woman shall be a curse among her people.
And if the woman be not defiled, but be clean; then she shall be free, and shall conceive seed.
This is the law of jealousies, when a wife goeth aside to another instead of her husband, and is defiled;
Or when the spirit of jealousy cometh upon him, and he be jealous over his wife, and shall set the woman before the Lord, and the priest shall execute upon her all this law.
Then shall the man be guiltless from iniquity, and this woman shall bear her iniquity.
Numbers 5 addresses the crucial themes of holiness, justice, and the integrity of the Israelite community as they journeyed toward the Promised Land. More than just a collection of rules, this chapter reveals God's commitment to the spiritual and physical well-being of His people. These regulations served to maintain order, purity, and a right relationship with God and each other. The book of Numbers serves as a reminder that obedience to God's law brings prosperity, while disobedience leads to dire consequences. The principles within Numbers 5, regarding faith, unbelief, and their corresponding consequences, remain relevant and applicable in our lives today.
Cleansing the Camp (Numbers 5:1-4)
The initial verses of Numbers 5:1-4 focus on maintaining the purity of the Israelite camp. The Lord instructs Moses to command the Israelites to remove anyone with skin diseases, bodily discharges, or those defiled by contact with a dead body from the camp. This wasn't a cruel act of banishment but a necessary measure to protect the community from potential contagion and to maintain the holiness of the camp, where God's presence dwelt in the tabernacle.
The tabernacle stood at the center of the Israelite camp, a visible manifestation of God's presence. The people were called to be holy because the Lord is holy (Leviticus 19:2). Spiritual holiness was connected to the condition of their bodies and their relationships with fellow covenant members. The "unclean" were ceremonially unclean, not inherently spiritually inferior. Procedures were in place for cleansing and restoring them (Leviticus 13:1-46; 14:1-32; 15:1-32; 22:4-9). Isolation also had health benefits in a large community, preventing the spread of contagious diseases.
This section highlights the importance of both physical and spiritual cleanliness in the community. God's people were to be set apart, reflecting His holiness in every aspect of their lives.
Confession and Restitution (Numbers 5:5-10)
Numbers 5:5-10 addresses sins committed against another person. These sins, whether moral or legal violations, required serious action to make things right. The passage stresses that any sin within the community is ultimately an offense against the Lord, making the person guilty in His sight (Numbers 5:6).
This reminds us that our sins are never committed in isolation. They always affect others, either directly or indirectly. However, first and foremost, sin is an offense against our Creator. King David understood this, even after committing adultery and murder, he knew that he had offended God most of all. God commanded, “Do not murder,” and “Do not commit adultery” (Exodus 20:13-14). David prayed, “Against you—you alone—I have sinned and done this evil in your sight” (Psalm 51:4).
The Lord instituted the principle of recompense, requiring the wrongdoer to repay the victim for the offense, plus an additional fifth of the value of what was taken, damaged, or lost (Numbers 5:7). If the victim had no close relative to receive the payment, it was to be given to the Lord for the priest, along with the atonement ram (Numbers 5:8). This ensured that wrongdoing was thoroughly purged from the community.
This passage emphasizes the importance of both confession and restitution in seeking forgiveness and reconciliation. It underscores the seriousness of sin and the need to repair the damage it causes.
The Test for Suspected Adultery (Numbers 5:11-31)
The final section of Numbers 5:11-31 outlines a ritual for dealing with a husband's jealousy and suspicion that his wife had committed adultery. Adultery was a grave sin under the Mosaic covenant because it was a violation against the Lord. The procedure for determining guilt or innocence, while seemingly strange to modern readers, was prescribed by God Himself.
The process involved the husband bringing his wife to the priest, along with an offering of barley flour (Numbers 5:15). The priest would prepare a "bitter water" mixture, combining holy water with dust from the tabernacle floor. The woman was required to drink this mixture after affirming her innocence and accepting a curse if she were lying. The curse was written on a scroll and washed into the bitter water (Numbers 5:16-24).
If the woman was innocent, no harm would come to her, and she would be able to conceive (Numbers 5:28). However, if she was guilty, the curse would supernaturally render her sterile (Numbers 5:27).
Some modern critics view this ritual as oppressive to women, but it can also be seen as a way God supernaturally protected women in a time before modern forensic science. God acted as the perfect Judge and the best witness in these cases.
This passage provides a glimpse into the challenges of maintaining justice and order in a society where proof of wrongdoing was difficult to obtain. It also reveals God's willingness to intervene supernaturally to ensure that truth and justice prevailed. It underscores the sanctity of marriage and the serious consequences of infidelity.