Numbers 5:6

6 "Tell the People of Israel, When a man or woman commits any sin, the person has broken trust with God, is guilty,

Numbers 5:6 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 5:6

Speak unto the children of Israel
Put them in mind of the following law, that they observe it; and which is here repeated, because of two new things in it, as Jarchi observes, the one relates to confession, teaching that there is no fifth part nor trespass offering by witnesses, till a man confesses the thing; and the other is, concerning taking anything away by violence from a proselyte, which is to be given to the priests; see the original law in ( Leviticus 6:1-7 ) ;

when a man or woman shall commit any sin that men commit;
or, "any of the sins of men" F5, which are commonly done by men, and men are subject to through the infirmity of the flesh, and the temptations of Satan; or "any sin against man" F6, so some, as this referred to is expressly said to be, ( Numbers 5:7 ) ;

to do a trespass against the Lord;
for every sin against man is also against the Lord, being a breach of his command; as David's sin against Uriah was a sin against the Lord, ( Psalms 51:4 ) ; though the Jews understand it particularly of lying and swearing falsely, appealing to God, and calling him to be a witness to a falsehood; and so the Targum of Onkelos seems to interpret it:

and the person be guilty;
and knows he is so, and even knew it when he took an oath to the contrary; see ( Leviticus 6:3 Leviticus 6:4 ) .


FOOTNOTES:

F5 (Mdah tajx lkm) "ex omnibus peccatis hominis", Montanus.
F6 "Ex omnibus peccatis contra hominem", Tigurine version; so Patrick.

Numbers 5:6 In-Context

4 The People of Israel did this, banning them from the camp. They did exactly what God had commanded through Moses.
5 God spoke to Moses:
6 "Tell the People of Israel, When a man or woman commits any sin, the person has broken trust with God, is guilty,
7 and must confess the sin. Full compensation plus twenty percent must be made to whoever was wronged.
8 If the wronged person has no close relative who can receive the compensation, the compensation belongs to God and must be given to the priest, along with the ram by which atonement is made.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.