Numbers 5

King James Version

Full text for Numbers Chapter 5

1¶ And 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.

11¶ And 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.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Numbers 5 outlines three distinct laws given by the LORD to Moses for the Israelite camp. It begins with the command to remove all ceremonially unclean individuals from the camp to maintain its purity. Next, it details the process for restitution for sins committed against the LORD or another, requiring confession and repayment with an added fifth part. Finally, the chapter institutes the "law of jealousies," a ritual for a husband to ascertain his wife's fidelity through a divinely administered test involving bitter water.

Medium Summary

Numbers chapter 5 presents a series of divine ordinances for the Israelite community. The chapter opens with a strict command from the LORD to Moses, instructing the removal of all individuals considered ceremonially unclean—including lepers, those with bodily issues, and those defiled by the dead—from the camp, ensuring its sanctity in the LORD's dwelling presence. Following this, the text addresses the law of trespass, requiring any person who commits a sin against the LORD or another to confess, make full restitution, and add a fifth part to the principal; if no kinsman exists, the restitution is rendered to the priest. The chapter then introduces the comprehensive "law of jealousies," designed to resolve suspicions of adultery. This intricate ritual involves a husband bringing his suspected wife to the priest, who prepares a bitter water mixed with dust from the tabernacle floor. The wife is made to drink this water after an oath, with the understanding that if she is guilty, her body will suffer specific afflictions, but if innocent, she will be cleared and able to conceive. This process ensures the husband's innocence from iniquity and reveals the truth of the wife's conduct.

Long Summary

Numbers chapter 5 details three significant laws delivered by the LORD to Moses for the governance of the Israelite camp. The first ordinance mandates the strict removal of all ceremonially unclean persons—specifically lepers, those with bodily discharges, and individuals defiled by contact with the dead—from within the camp. This expulsion, applicable to both males and females, was crucial to prevent the defilement of the camp, emphasizing the LORD's presence in their midst. The children of Israel diligently obeyed this command, ensuring the purity of their encampment. The second section addresses the law of trespass, stipulating that any man or woman who commits a sin against the LORD or another person must confess their transgression. They are then required to make full restitution of the principal amount of the trespass and add a fifth part to it, giving it to the wronged party. If the wronged individual has no kinsman to receive the recompense, the restitution is to be given to the LORD, specifically to the priest, in addition to a ram for atonement. Furthermore, all holy offerings brought by the Israelites to the priest are designated as his portion. The final and most extensive section introduces the "law of jealousies," a judicial procedure for a husband who suspects his wife of infidelity when there are no witnesses. The husband is to bring his wife to the priest with an offering of barley meal, without oil or frankincense, as it is an offering of memorial bringing iniquity to remembrance. The priest then prepares "bitter water" by mixing holy water with dust from the tabernacle floor. The woman's head is uncovered, and she is made to hold the offering while the priest holds the bitter water. She is then put under an oath, where the priest pronounces curses upon her if she is guilty of adultery, stating that her thigh will rot and her belly swell. The curses are written, blotted into the water, and she is made to drink it. If she is indeed defiled, the water will become bitter within her, causing the predicted physical afflictions, and she will become a curse among her people. However, if she is innocent and clean, she will be free from the curse and able to conceive children. This elaborate ritual ensures divine judgment in cases of suspected marital infidelity, freeing the husband from guilt and placing the burden of iniquity upon the wife if she is found guilty.

Core Concepts

  • Camp PurityThe necessity of removing all ceremonially unclean individuals (lepers, those with issues, defiled by the dead) from the Israelite camp to maintain its sanctity, as the LORD dwells in their midst.
  • Law of TrespassA divine ordinance requiring confession and restitution for sins committed against the LORD or another person, including an additional fifth part, with provisions for restitution to the priest if no kinsman exists.
  • Priestly DuesThe directive that various holy offerings and hallowed things brought by the Israelites to the priest become his property, ensuring the sustenance of the priestly office.
  • Spirit of JealousyThe emotional state of a husband who suspects his wife of infidelity, which triggers the specific ritual outlined in the law of jealousies, regardless of whether she is actually defiled.
  • Bitter Water TestA unique judicial ritual involving a suspected unfaithful wife drinking water mixed with dust and blotted curses, designed to reveal her guilt or innocence through divine physical consequences or blessing.
  • Divine Justice in AdulteryThe mechanism established by God to provide a means of discerning truth in cases of suspected marital infidelity where human witnesses are absent, ensuring that either the wife's guilt is revealed or her innocence affirmed.
  • Consequences of Guilt/InnocenceThe specific outcomes of the bitter water test: physical affliction (rotting thigh, swelling belly) and becoming a curse if guilty, versus freedom and ability to conceive if innocent.