Numbers — Chapter 5

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1And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

2Command the children of Israel, that they put out of the camp every leper, and every one that hath an issue, and whosoever is defiled by the dead:

3Both male and female shall ye put out, without the camp shall ye put them; that they defile not their camps, in the midst whereof I dwell.

4And the children of Israel did so, and put them out without the camp: as the LORD spake unto Moses, so did the children of Israel.

5And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

6Speak unto the children of Israel, When a man or woman shall commit any sin that men commit, to do a trespass against the LORD, and that person be guilty;

7Then they shall confess their sin which they have done: and he shall recompense his trespass with the principal thereof, and add unto it the fifth part thereof, and give it unto him against whom he hath trespassed.

8But if the man have no kinsman to recompense the trespass unto, let the trespass be recompensed unto the LORD, even to the priest; beside the ram of the atonement, whereby an atonement shall be made for him.

9And every offering of all the holy things of the children of Israel, which they bring unto the priest, shall be his.

10And every man’s hallowed things shall be his: whatsoever any man giveth the priest, it shall be his.

11And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

12Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, If any man’s wife go aside, and commit a trespass against him,

13And a man lie with her carnally, and it be hid from the eyes of her husband, and be kept close, and she be defiled, and there be no witness against her, neither she be taken with the manner;

14And the spirit of jealousy come upon him, and he be jealous of his wife, and she be defiled: or if the spirit of jealousy come upon him, and he be jealous of his wife, and she be not defiled:

15Then shall the man bring his wife unto the priest, and he shall bring her offering for her, the tenth part of an ephah of barley meal; he shall pour no oil upon it, nor put frankincense thereon; for it is an offering of jealousy, an offering of memorial, bringing iniquity to remembrance.

16And the priest shall bring her near, and set her before the LORD:

17And the priest shall take holy water in an earthen vessel; and of the dust that is in the floor of the tabernacle the priest shall take, and put it into the water:

18And the priest shall set the woman before the LORD, and uncover the woman’s head, and put the offering of memorial in her hands, which is the jealousy offering: and the priest shall have in his hand the bitter water that causeth the curse:

19And the priest shall charge her by an oath, and say unto the woman, If no man have lain with thee, and if thou hast not gone aside to uncleanness with another instead of thy husband, be thou free from this bitter water that causeth the curse:

20But if thou hast gone aside to another instead of thy husband, and if thou be defiled, and some man have lain with thee beside thine husband:

21Then the priest shall charge the woman with an oath of cursing, and the priest shall say unto the woman, The LORD make thee a curse and an oath among thy people, when the LORD doth make thy thigh to rot, and thy belly to swell;

22And this water that causeth the curse shall go into thy bowels, to make thy belly to swell, and thy thigh to rot: And the woman shall say, Amen, amen.

23And the priest shall write these curses in a book, and he shall blot them out with the bitter water:

24And he shall cause the woman to drink the bitter water that causeth the curse: and the water that causeth the curse shall enter into her, and become bitter.

25Then the priest shall take the jealousy offering out of the woman’s hand, and shall wave the offering before the LORD, and offer it upon the altar:

26And the priest shall take an handful of the offering, even the memorial thereof, and burn it upon the altar, and afterward shall cause the woman to drink the water.

27And when he hath made her to drink the water, then it shall come to pass, that, if she be defiled, and have done trespass against her husband, that the water that causeth the curse shall enter into her, and become bitter, and her belly shall swell, and her thigh shall rot: and the woman shall be a curse among her people.

28And if the woman be not defiled, but be clean; then she shall be free, and shall conceive seed.

29This is the law of jealousies, when a wife goeth aside to another instead of her husband, and is defiled;

30Or when the spirit of jealousy cometh upon him, and he be jealous over his wife, and shall set the woman before the LORD, and the priest shall execute upon her all this law.

31Then shall the man be guiltless from iniquity, and this woman shall bear her iniquity.

1And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying,

2Command the children of Israel, that they put out of the camp every leper, and every one that hath an issue, and whosoever is unclean by the dead:

3both male and female shall ye put out, without the camp shall ye put them; that they defile not their camp, in the midst whereof I dwell.

4And the children of Israel did so, and put them out without the camp; as Jehovah spake unto Moses, so did the children of Israel.

5And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying,

6Speak unto the children of Israel, When a man or woman shall commit any sin that men commit, so as to trespass against Jehovah, and that soul shall be guilty;

7then he shall confess his sin which he hath done: and he shall make restitution for his guilt in full, and add unto it the fifth part thereof, and give it unto him in respect of whom he hath been guilty.

8But if the man have no kinsman to whom restitution may be made for the guilt, the restitution for guilt which is made unto Jehovah shall be the priest`s; besides the ram of the atonement, whereby atonement shall be made for him.

9And every heave-offering of all the holy things of the children of Israel, which they present unto the priest, shall be his.

10And every man`s hallowed things shall be his: whatsoever any man giveth the priest, it shall be his.

11And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying,

12Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, If any man`s wife go aside, and commit a trespass against him,

13and a man lie with her carnally, and it be hid from the eyes of her husband, and be kept close, and she be defiled, and there be no witness against her, and she be not taken in the act;

14and the spirit of jealousy come upon him, and he be jealous of his wife, and she be defiled: or if the spirit of jealousy come upon him, and he be jealous of his wife, and she be not defiled:

15then shall the man bring his wife unto the priest, and shall bring her oblation for her, the tenth part of an ephah of barley meal; he shall pour no oil upon it, nor put frankincense thereon; for it is a meal-offering of jealousy, a meal-offering of memorial, bringing iniquity to remembrance.

16And the priest shall bring her near, and set her before Jehovah:

17and the priest shall take holy water in an earthen vessel; and of the dust that is on the floor of the tabernacle the priest shall take, and put it into the water.

18And the priest shall set the woman before Jehovah, and let the hair of the woman`s head go loose, and put the meal-offering of memorial in her hands, which is the meal-offering of jealousy: and the priest shall have in his hand the water of bitterness that causeth the curse.

19And the priest shall cause her to swear, and shall say unto the woman, If no man have lain with thee, and if thou have not gone aside to uncleanness, being under thy husband, be thou free from this water of bitterness that causeth the curse.

20But if thou have gone aside, being under thy husband, and if thou be defiled, and some man have lain with thee besides thy husband:

21then the priest shall cause the woman to swear with the oath of cursing, and the priest shall say unto the woman, Jehovah make thee a curse and an oath among thy people, when Jehovah doth make thy thigh to fall away, and thy body to swell;

22and this water that causeth the curse shall go into thy bowels, and make thy body to swell, and thy thigh to fall away. And the woman shall say, Amen, Amen.

23And the priest shall write these curses in a book, and he shall blot them out into the water of bitterness:

24and he shall make the woman drink the water of bitterness that causeth the curse; and the water that causeth the curse shall enter into her [and become] bitter.

25And the priest shall take the meal-offering of jealousy out of the woman`s hand, and shall wave the meal-offering before Jehovah, and bring it unto the altar:

26and the priest shall take a handful of the meal-offering, as the memorial thereof, and burn it upon the altar, and afterward shall make the woman drink the water.

27And when he hath made her drink the water, then it shall come to pass, if she be defiled, and have committed a trespass against her husband, that the water that causeth the curse shall enter into her [and become] bitter, and her body shall swell, and her thigh shall fall away: and the woman shall be a curse among her people.

28And if the woman be not defiled, but be clean; then she shall be free, and shall conceive seed.

29This is the law of jealousy, when a wife, being under her husband, goeth aside, and is defiled;

30or when the spirit of jealousy cometh upon a man, and he is jealous of his wife; then shall he set the woman before Jehovah, and the priest shall execute upon her all this law.

31And the man shall be free from iniquity, and that woman shall bear her iniquity.

1Then the Lord spoke to Moses:

2“Command the Israelites to expel from the camp every leper, everyone who has a discharge, and whoever becomes defiled by a corpse.

3You must expel both men and women; you must put them outside the camp, so that they will not defile their camps, among which I live.”

4So the Israelites did so, and expelled them outside the camp. As the Lord had spoken to Moses, so the Israelites did.

5Then the Lord spoke to Moses:

6“Tell the Israelites, ‘When a man or a woman commits any sin that people commit, thereby breaking faith with the Lord, and that person is found guilty,

7then he must confess his sin that he has committed and must make full reparation, add one-fifth to it, and give it to whomever he wronged.

8But if the individual has no close relative to whom reparation can be made for the wrong, the reparation for the wrong must be paid to the Lord for the priest, in addition to the ram of atonement by which atonement is made for him.

9Every offering of all the Israelites’ holy things that they bring to the priest will be his.

10Every man’s holy things will be his; whatever any man gives the priest will be his.’”

11The Lord spoke to Moses:

12“Speak to the Israelites and tell them, ‘If any man’s wife goes astray and behaves unfaithfully toward him,

13and a man goes to bed with her for sexual relations without her husband knowing it, and it is undetected that she has defiled herself since there was no witness against her, nor was she caught in the act—

14and if jealous feelings come over him and he becomes suspicious of his wife when she is defiled, or if jealous feelings come over him and he becomes suspicious of his wife, when she is not defiled—

15then the man must bring his wife to the priest, and he must bring the offering required for her, one-tenth of an ephah of barley meal; he must not pour olive oil on it or put frankincense on it because it is a grain offering of suspicion, a grain offering for remembering, for bringing iniquity to remembrance.

16“‘Then the priest will bring her near and have her stand before the Lord.

17The priest will then take holy water in a pottery jar, and take some of the dust that is on the floor of the tabernacle, and put it into the water.

18Then the priest will have the woman stand before the Lord, and he will uncover the woman’s head and put the grain offering for remembering in her hands, which is the grain offering of suspicion. The priest will hold in his hand the bitter water that brings a curse.

19Then the priest will put the woman under oath and say to her, “If no other man has gone to bed with you, and if you have not gone astray and become defiled while under your husband’s authority, may you be free from this bitter water that brings a curse.

20But if you have gone astray while under your husband’s authority, and if you have defiled yourself and some man other than your husband has had sexual relations with you—”

21(then the priest will put the woman under the oath of the curse and will say to her) “the Lord make you an attested curse among your people if the Lord makes your thigh fall away and your abdomen swell,

22and this water that causes the curse will go into your stomach and make your abdomen swell and your thigh rot.” Then the woman must say, “Amen, amen.”

23“‘Then the priest will write these curses on a scroll and then scrape them off into the bitter water.

24He will make the woman drink the bitter water that brings a curse, and the water that brings a curse will enter her to produce bitterness.

25The priest will take the grain offering of suspicion from the woman’s hand, wave the grain offering before the Lord, and bring it to the altar.

26Then the priest will take a handful of the grain offering as its memorial portion, burn it on the altar, and afterward make the woman drink the water.

27When he has made her drink the water, then if she has defiled herself and behaved unfaithfully toward her husband, the water that brings a curse will enter her to produce bitterness—her abdomen will swell, her thigh will fall away, and the woman will become a curse among her people.

28But if the woman has not defiled herself, and is clean, then she will be free of ill effects and will be able to bear children.

29“‘This is the law for cases of jealousy, when a wife, while under her husband’s authority, goes astray and defiles herself,

30or when jealous feelings come over a man and he becomes suspicious of his wife; then he must have the woman stand before the Lord, and the priest will carry out all this law upon her.

31Then the man will be free from iniquity, but that woman will bear the consequences of her iniquity.’”

1Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

2“Command the children of Israel that they put out of the camp every leper, and everyone who has an issue, and whoever is unclean by the dead.

3Both you shall put male and female outside of the camp; that they not defile their camp, in the midst of which I dwell.”

4The children of Israel did so, and put them outside of the camp; as Yahweh spoke to Moses, so did the children of Israel.

5Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

6“Speak to the children of Israel: ‘When a man or woman commits any sin that men commit, so as to trespass against Yahweh, and that soul is guilty;

7then he shall confess his sin which he has done, and he shall make restitution for his guilt in full, and add to it the fifth part of it, and give it to him in respect of whom he has been guilty.

8But if the man has no kinsman to whom restitution may be made for the guilt, the restitution for guilt which is made to Yahweh shall be the priest’s; besides the ram of the atonement, by which atonement shall be made for him.

9Every heave offering of all the holy things of the children of Israel, which they present to the priest, shall be his.

10Every man’s holy things shall be his: whatever any man gives the priest, it shall be his.’”

11Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

12“Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them: ‘If any man’s wife goes astray, and is unfaithful to him,

13and a man lies with her carnally, and it is hidden from the eyes of her husband, and this is kept concealed, and she is defiled, and there is no witness against her, and she isn’t taken in the act;

14and the spirit of jealousy comes on him, and he is jealous of his wife, and she is defiled: or if the spirit of jealousy comes on him, and he is jealous of his wife, and she isn’t defiled:

15then the man shall bring his wife to the priest, and shall bring her offering for her: one tenth of an ephah of barley meal. He shall pour no oil on it, nor put frankincense on it, for it is a meal offering of jealousy, a meal offering of memorial, bringing iniquity to memory.

16The priest shall bring her near, and set her before Yahweh;

17and the priest shall take holy water in an earthen vessel; and of the dust that is on the floor of the tabernacle the priest shall take, and put it into the water.

18The priest shall set the woman before Yahweh, and let the hair of the woman’s head go loose, and put the meal offering of memorial in her hands, which is the meal offering of jealousy. The priest shall have in his hand the water of bitterness that brings a curse.

19The priest shall cause her to swear, and shall tell the woman, “If no man has lain with you, and if you haven’t gone aside to uncleanness, being under your husband, be free from this water of bitterness that brings a curse.

20But if you have gone astray, being under your husband, and if you are defiled, and some man has lain with you besides your husband:”

21then the priest shall cause the woman to swear with the oath of cursing, and the priest shall tell the woman, “Yahweh make you a curse and an oath among your people, when Yahweh allows your thigh to fall away, and your body to swell;

22and this water that brings a curse will go into your bowels, and make your body swell, and your thigh fall away.” The woman shall say, “Amen, Amen.”

23“‘The priest shall write these curses in a book, and he shall blot them out into the water of bitterness.

24He shall make the woman drink the water of bitterness that causes the curse; and the water that causes the curse shall enter into her and become bitter.

25The priest shall take the meal offering of jealousy out of the woman’s hand, and shall wave the meal offering before Yahweh, and bring it to the altar.

26The priest shall take a handful of the meal offering, as its memorial, and burn it on the altar, and afterward shall make the woman drink the water.

27When he has made her drink the water, then it shall happen, if she is defiled, and has committed a trespass against her husband, that the water that causes the curse will enter into her and become bitter, and her body will swell, and her thigh will fall away: and the woman will be a curse among her people.

28If the woman isn’t defiled, but is clean; then she shall be free, and shall conceive offspring.

29“‘This is the law of jealousy, when a wife, being under her husband, goes astray, and is defiled;

30or when the spirit of jealousy comes on a man, and he is jealous of his wife; then he shall set the woman before Yahweh, and the priest shall execute on her all this law.

31The man shall be free from iniquity, and that woman shall bear her iniquity.’”

Summary
Authorship & Background
Map & Geography
Commentary
Videos
Reflection

Summary

God commands the removal of the unclean from camp, gives restitution laws, and prescribes the test for a wife suspected of unfaithfulness.

Authorship & Background

Author: Moses. Numbers is the fourth book of the Pentateuch, written during the wilderness period (approximately 1445-1405 BC). Hebrew title: "Bemidbar" — "In the wilderness." The book records Israel's 38 years of wilderness wandering between Sinai and the Promised Land — a journey that should have taken 11 days (Deuteronomy 1:2) but took 40 years due to unbelief.
Historical Context: Chapter 5 addresses three issues of camp purity: (1) the removal of unclean persons from the camp, (2) restitution for wrongs committed, and (3) the test for suspected adultery (the "jealousy offering" or "bitter water" test). The logic flows from Chapters 1-4: God has organized His people around the Tabernacle; now He ensures the camp's purity because "I dwell" in their midst (v.3). God's presence demands holiness. Uncleanness, unconfessed sin, and hidden unfaithfulness all threaten the community's relationship with God. The chapter moves from external defilement (leprosy, discharge, corpse contact) to interpersonal sin (trespass requiring restitution) to the most intimate betrayal (marital unfaithfulness). The jealousy test (vv.11-31) is unique in Scripture — it is a trial by ordeal where God Himself renders the verdict. No human judge can determine hidden sin; God alone knows the heart. The procedure places judgment entirely in God's hands.
Removal of the Unclean (vv.1-4): Three categories must be put outside the camp: lepers, those with a discharge, and those defiled by contact with the dead (v.2). Both male and female (v.3). The reason: "that they defile not their camps, in the midst whereof I dwell" (v.3). God's presence requires a clean camp. The people obey (v.4). This is not cruelty but protection — God's holiness and human uncleanness cannot coexist in the same space without consequence.
Restitution for Trespass (vv.5-10): When someone sins against another ("a trespass against the LORD," v.6), they must: (1) confess the sin (v.7), (2) make full restitution plus one-fifth (20%) added (v.7), (3) give it to the wronged party (v.7). If the wronged person has no kinsman to receive it, restitution goes to the LORD through the priest, plus a ram of atonement (v.8). Sin against man is sin against God. Forgiveness requires both confession and restitution — making it right with God AND with the person wronged.
The Jealousy Test — Suspected Adultery (vv.11-31): The scenario: a wife is suspected of unfaithfulness, but there are no witnesses and she was not caught (vv.12-13). The "spirit of jealousy" comes upon the husband — whether she is guilty or innocent (v.14). The husband brings her to the priest with a grain offering of barley (no oil, no frankincense — this is not a joyful offering but a somber one) (v.15). The priest sets her before the LORD (v.16). He takes holy water in an earthen vessel, adds dust from the Tabernacle floor (v.17). He unbinds/uncovers her hair, places the grain offering in her hands, and holds the "bitter water that causeth the curse" (v.18). The oath: if innocent, be free; if guilty, may the LORD make you a curse — "thy thigh to rot, and thy belly to swell" (vv.19-22). The woman says "Amen, amen" (v.22). The curses are written and washed into the water (v.23). She drinks (v.24). The grain offering is waved and burned (vv.25-26). The result: if guilty, the curse takes effect — swelling and wasting (v.27); if innocent, she is cleared and "shall conceive seed" (v.28). The man is "guiltless from iniquity" for bringing the accusation (v.31). This places judgment entirely in God's hands — no human verdict, no mob justice, no false accusation without divine arbitration.

Map & Geography

  • Wilderness of Sinai: Laws concerning camp purity — the unclean are put "without the camp" (v.3). The camp's holiness reflects God's presence at its center.

Commentary

  • Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com Guzik notes that the jealousy test actually protects the woman — it prevents a jealous husband from taking matters into his own hands. The matter is placed before God, and if she is innocent, she is publicly vindicated. He emphasizes that God alone judges hidden things.
  • Charles Spurgeon: "God dwells in the midst of His people, and therefore the camp must be clean. Sin cannot be hidden where God is present. He sees what no witness saw. He knows what no court can prove. The bitter water is God's way of saying: 'Nothing is hidden from Me.' Let us live as those who know that all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do (Hebrews 4:13)."

Reflection

  • 1. God's presence demands purity (v.3). You cannot harbor uncleanness and enjoy God's presence simultaneously. "If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie" (1 John 1:6). What defilement needs to be "put outside the camp" of your life?
  • 2. Confession AND restitution (v.7). It is not enough to say "I'm sorry" to God. If you have wronged someone, make it right — and add to it. Grace does not eliminate the obligation to restore what was taken. Zacchaeus understood this (Luke 19:8).
  • 3. Nothing is hidden from God (vv.12-27). The jealousy test exists because human courts cannot judge hidden sin. But God sees all. "Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do" (Hebrews 4:13). Live accordingly.
  • 4. God protects the innocent (v.28). If the woman is clean, she is vindicated and blessed with fertility. God does not only judge the guilty — He clears the innocent. Trust Him with your reputation when falsely accused.
  • 5. Sin affects the community (vv.1-4). Individual uncleanness defiles the whole camp. Your sin is never merely private — it affects the body. "A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump" (Galatians 5:9).