Numbers 5:1-11

Isolation of the Unclean

1 The Lord instructed Moses:

2 "Command the Israelites to send away anyone from the camp who is afflicted with a skin disease, anyone who has a [bodily] discharge, or anyone who is defiled because of a corpse.^[a]

3 You must send away both male or female; send them outside the camp, so that they will not defile their camps where I dwell among them."

4 The Israelites did this, sending them outside the camp. The Israelites did as the Lord instructed Moses.

Compensation for Wrongdoing

5 The Lord spoke to Moses:

6 "Tell the Israelites: When a man or woman commits any sin against another, that person acts unfaithfully toward the Lord and is guilty.

7 The person is to confess the sin he has committed. He is to pay full compensation, add a fifth of its value to it, and give [it] to the individual he has wronged.^[b]

8 But if that individual has no relative^[c] to receive compensation,^[d] the compensation goes to the Lord for the priest, along with the atonement ram by which the priest will make atonement for the [guilty] person.^[e]

9 Every holy contribution the Israelites present to the priest will be his.^[f]

10 Each one's holy contribution is his [to give]; what each one gives to the priest will be his."

The Jealousy Ritual

11 The Lord spoke to Moses:

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Numbers 5:1-11 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO NUMBERS 5

This chapter contains a repetition of some former laws, concerning putting unclean persons out of the camp, Nu 5:1-4; making restitution in case of trespass against another, Nu 5:5-8; and of giving the offering of all holy things and all hallowed things to the priests, Nu 5:9,10; and a new law concerning jealousy, in a man, of his wife, Nu 5:11-14; when she was to be brought to the priest, and various rites and ceremonies to be used, Nu 5:15-23; who was to give her bitter water as a trial of her chastity, which, if guilty, would have a strange effect upon her, and make her accursed, but if not, would not affect her, and she would be free and happy, Nu 5:24-31.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Footnotes 6

[a]. Nm 9:6-7; Lv 14:2-3; 15; 22:4
[b]. Lv 6:1-5
[c]. Lv 25:25,48-49; Jr 32:7
[d]. In the case of the individual's death
[e]. Lv 6:6-7
[f]. Ex 25:2-3; 29:27-28; Lv 7:14,32,34