Numbers 5:1-4

Unclean People

1 The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

2 "Command the people of Israel that they ¹put out of the camp everyone who is leprous^[a] or has ²a discharge and everyone who is ³unclean through contact with the dead.

3 You shall put out both male and female, putting them outside the camp, that they may not defile their camp, ⁴in the midst of which I dwell."

4 And the people of Israel did so, and put them outside the camp; as the LORD said to Moses, so the people of Israel did.

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. Numbers 12:14; Leviticus 13:46
• 2. Leviticus 15:2
• 3. Numbers 9:6, 10; Numbers 19:11, 13; Numbers 31:19; Leviticus 21:1; [Haggai 2:13]
• 4. See Leviticus 26:11, 12

Footnotes

• [a]. Leprosy was a term for several skin diseases; see Leviticus 13