Numbers 5:2

2 Command thou to the sons of Israel, that they cast out of the tents each leprous man, and that floweth out the seed, and that is defouled upon a dead body; (Command thou to the Israelites, that they throw out of the tents, that is, out of the camp, any person who is leprous, and he who floweth out the seed, and anyone who is defiled by contact with a dead body;)

Numbers 5:2 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 5:2

Command the children of Israel
Not as from himself, but from the Lord; deliver out the following as a command of his, to which obedience was required of all the children of Israel:

that they put out of the camp every leper;
there were three camps, Jarchi says, in the time of their encampment; between the curtains was the camp of the Shechinah, or the divine Majesty; the encampment of the Levites round about; and from thence to the end was the camp of the standards, to the four winds, which was the camp of Israel; and the leper was to be put out of them all; so Ben Gersom; see ( Leviticus 13:46 ) ;

and everyone that hath an issue;
a gonorrhoea, man or woman, see ( Leviticus 15:2 Leviticus 15:19 ) ; according Jarchi, such an one might be in the camp of Israel, but was to be put out of the other two camps:

and whosoever is defiled by the dead;
by attending the funerals of the dead, or touching them, see ( Leviticus 21:1 ) ( 22:4 ) ; such an one might go into the camp of the Levites, according to Jarchi and Ben Gersom; and was to be put of none but the camp of the Shechinah, or the tabernacle; but the camp of Israel seems to be meant of them all, out of which they were to be put, as an emblem of the rejection of all impure persons out of the church of God.

Numbers 5:2 In-Context

1 And the Lord spake to Moses, and said,

2 Command thou to the sons of Israel, that they cast out of the tents each leprous man, and that floweth out the seed, and that is defouled upon a dead body; (Command thou to the Israelites, that they throw out of the tents, that is, out of the camp, any person who is leprous, and he who floweth out the seed, and anyone who is defiled by contact with a dead body;)

3 cast ye out of the tents, as well a male as a female, lest they defoul those, when they dwell with you. (throw ye out of the camp, a female as well as a male, lest they defile all the tents, where I live among you.)

4 And the sons of Israel did so (And the Israelites did so); and they putted them out of the tents, as the Lord spake to Moses.

5 And the Lord spake to Moses, and said,