Numbers 5:1-4

Cleansing the Camps

1 Then the LORD said to Moses, ¹

2 “Command the Israelites to send away from the camp anyone with a skin disease, ^[a] anyone who has a bodily discharge, and anyone who is defiled by a dead body.

3 You must send away male and female alike; send them outside the camp so they will not defile their camp, where I dwell among them.”

4 So the Israelites did this, sending such people outside the camp. They did just as the LORD had instructed Moses.

Numbers 5:1-4 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.

Cross References

• 1. (Leviticus 13:1–46)

Footnotes

• [a] Forms of the Hebrew tzaraath, traditionally translated as leprosy, were used for various skin diseases; see Leviticus 13.