New International Reader s Version - NIrV - 1996
Numbers 5
1
The Lord spoke to Moses. He said,
2
"Tell the Israelites that certain people must be sent away from the camp. Command them to send away anyone who has a skin disease. They must send away all those who have a liquid waste coming from their bodies. And they must send away those who are not 'clean' because they have touched a dead body.
Reference
3
That applies to men and women alike. Send them out of the camp. They must not make their camp 'unclean.' That is where I live among them."
Reference
Parallel theme
Deuteronomy 23:14
4
So the people of Israel did what the Lord commanded. They sent those who were not "clean" out of the camp. They did just as the Lord had directed Moses.
5
The Lord said to Moses,
6
"Speak to the people of Israel. Say to them, 'Suppose a man or woman does something wrong to someone else. Then that person is not being faithful to the Lord. People like that are guilty.
7
" 'They must admit they have committed a sin. They must pay in full for what they did wrong. And they must add a fifth to it. Then they must give all of it to the person they have sinned against.
Reference
8
" 'But suppose the person has died. And suppose there is not a close relative who can be paid for the sin that was committed. Then what is paid belongs to the Lord. It must be given to the priest. A ram must be given along with it. The ram must be sacrificed to the Lord to pay for the sin.
Reference
Parallel theme
Leviticus 7:7
10
Sacred gifts belong to the man who gives them. But what he gives to a priest will belong to the priest.' "
Reference
Parallel theme
Leviticus 10:13
11
Then the Lord spoke to Moses again. He said,
12
"Speak to the people of Israel. Say to them, 'Suppose a man's wife goes down the wrong path. And suppose she is not faithful to him.
13
She has sex with another man. And suppose what she has done is hidden from her husband. No one knows she is not "clean." So there is no witness against her. And she has not been caught in the act.
Reference
14
" 'Suppose her husband becomes jealous. He does not trust his wife, and she is really not "clean." Or suppose he does not trust her even though she is "clean."
Reference
Song of Solomon 8:6
Parallel theme
Proverbs 6:34
1 Corinthians 10:22
Zephaniah 3:8
Spirit
Numbers 5:30
15
Then he must take his wife to the priest. " 'He must also bring an offering. It must be eight cups of barley flour. The offering is for his wife. He must not pour olive oil on it. And he must not put incense on it. It is a grain offering for being jealous. It calls attention to a person's guilt.
Reference
16
" 'The priest must have her stand in front of the Lord.
17
He must pour some holy water into a clay jar. He must get some dust from the floor of the holy tent. And he must put it into the water.
Reference
Temple
Exodus 30:18
18
The priest must have the woman stand in front of the Lord. Then he must untie her hair. He must place in her hands the offering that calls attention to a person's guilt. It is the grain offering for being jealous. The priest must keep the bitter water with him. It is the water that brings a curse.
19
" 'Then the priest must have the woman take an oath. He must say to her, "Suppose no other man has had sex with you. And suppose you haven't gone down the wrong path. You have kept yourself pure while you are married to your husband. Then may the bitter water that brings a curse not harm you.
20
But suppose you have gone down the wrong path while you are married to your husband. You have made yourself 'unclean.' You have had sex with a man who isn't your husband."
21
" 'At that point the priest must put the woman under the curse of the oath. He must say, "May the Lord cause your people to call a curse down on you. May he cause them to speak against you. May they do it when the Lord makes your body unable to have children.
Reference
22
May this water that brings a curse enter your body. May it make your body unable to have children." " 'Then the woman must say, "Amen. Let it happen."
Reference
Curse
Numbers 5:27
Parallel theme
Psalm 109:18
Psalm 89:52
Psalm 72:19
Psalm 41:13
Proverbs 1:31
John 3:3
John 3:11
John 6:53
Ezekiel 3:3
23
" 'The priest must write the curses on a scroll. He must wash them off in the bitter water.
24
It is the water he will have the woman drink. It is bitter water that brings a curse. It will enter her body. And it will cause her to suffer bitterly.
Reference
Parallel theme
Malachi 3:5
25
" 'The priest must take from her hands the grain offering for being jealous. He must lift it up and wave it in front of the Lord. He must bring it to the altar.
Reference
Sacrifice
Leviticus 8:27
26
Then the priest must take a handful of the grain offering. It is the offering that calls attention to a person's guilt. He must burn it on the altar. After that, he must have the woman drink the water.
Reference
27
" 'Suppose she has made herself "unclean." She has not been faithful to her husband. And she has drunk the water that brings a curse. Then it will go into her body. It will cause her to suffer bitterly. It will make her body unable to have children. Her people will call a curse down on her.
Reference
Curse
Jeremiah 29:18
Jeremiah 42:18
Zechariah 8:13
Isaiah 65:15
Jeremiah 29:22
Jeremiah 24:9
Jeremiah 44:12
Parallel theme
Deuteronomy 28:37
28
" 'But suppose the woman has not made herself "unclean." And suppose she is free from anything that is not "clean." Then she will be free of guilt. And she will be able to have children.
29
" 'That is the law about being jealous. It applies to a woman who has gone down the wrong path. She has made herself "unclean" while she is married to her husband.
Reference
30
And it applies to a man who becomes jealous. He has doubts about his wife. The priest must have her stand in front of the Lord. He must apply the entire law to her.
31
The husband will not be guilty of doing anything wrong. But the woman will be punished for her sin.' "
Reference
Parallel theme
Leviticus 20:10
Chapter Summary
Numbers chapter 5 sets out instructions on maintaining the cleanliness of the Israelite camp, on restoring what has been wrongfully taken, and responding to a husband suspecting his wife of being unfaithful. The chapter brings together different matters affecting the Israelites. Each of these is a concern in its own context, but they share the insight that the Israelites lived around the tabernacle in which God's presence was among them. They had to take matters of unfaithfulness, uncleanness, and injustice seriously.
The chapter begins with directions on dealing with unclean people. God instructs Moses that anyone with leprosy, a discharge, or who had become unclean through touching a dead body should be kept away from the camp. The rationale was that God had commanded that the Israelites should keep the camp that was around the tabernacle holy. Moses and the Israelites carried out this instruction in response to God's command related to the tabernacle in the midst of the camp.
The next set of instructions are more personal. God instructs the Israelites that if any person wrongs another, the matter was to be regarded as a wrong against Him. Restitution was to be made, which went beyond a confession of wrongdoing. The person was to make full restitution plus give an additional fifth. If the person who had been wronged was deceased and had no close relative to whom restitution could be made, the fifth was to be given to the Lord.
Instructions of a different order conclude the chapter. God instructs Moses on what is to be done in the case that a husband suspects his wife of being unfaithful but there is no evidence. The woman is to appear before the priest with an offering. Holy water and some dust from the floor of the tabernacle were mixed and used to try to determine if the woman had been unfaithful.
The woman was to be required to declare her innocence. If the woman had not been unfaithful, she would be able to have children. If she had been unfaithful, the words said above would be a curse against her. The woman was to say "amen, amen" to the curse and the priest was to write down the curses, mixing them up with holy water before the woman drank them. The text says that if she was guilty, the curses were to bring their punishments upon the woman.
The chapter concludes with the description of the law concerning jealousy. The husband was to bring the woman before the Lord and have the priest perform the ceremony. The outcome was for God to determine.
Numbers chapter 5 sets out three areas of instruction with regard to the life of the Israelites. The first deals with unclean people who had to be kept away from the camp. The second deals with people who have wronged others and have to make restitution. The final instructions deal with husbands suspecting their wives of being unfaithful.
There is a basic idea that runs through the three sections. The Israelites were to be concerned in their society with matters that could affect the community. They could not be indifferent to such matters.
The Israelites had to deal with uncleanness in people, especially those who had touched a dead body or who were suffering from leprosy. Dealing with uncleanness was necessary for maintaining the holiness of the camp in which the tabernacle was located. With regard to restitution, God was concerned with matters that could tear relationships in society. A person should not consider the damage they have caused to others as a matter of no concern to them. Restitution was a personal matter between the wrongdoer and the one who had been wronged. Wrongdoing was to be confessed and restitution was to be made with an additional fifth as a penalty for wrongdoing. This was a way of making a personal wrong right again and showing respect to the one who had been wronged. The final matter of the suspicions of a husband was not a matter for him to decide on his own. Such accusations could easily lead to family feuds, which is why the matter was to be brought before the priest.
These matters were not trivial for the people of Israel. Confession of wrong, restitution, and a willingness to accept judgment were necessary to restore relationships and to renew a right spirit within people. The instructions regarding restitution show that personal relationships mattered in the eyes of God. An Israelite could not take advantage of another and then consider that the matter was concluded. Wrong had to be righted and restitution made. The additional fifth showed that the wrong was serious and the restitution was a matter of importance to God. The matter of a husband suspecting his wife of being unfaithful was dealt with in a manner similar to the other matters dealt with in this chapter. In each of these matters, the Israelite was concerned with something that could spoil their society.
Numbers chapter 5 provides instruction on matters of importance to the Israelites as they lived around the tabernacle. The instructions relate to unclean people in society who had to be banished from the camp. Wrongdoing had to be confessed and restitution made as part of repairing relationships. Suspicions of unfaithfulness could lead to family feuds, and such cases were to be brought before the priest with specified offerings and judgment from God.
The chapter begins with directions on dealing with unclean people. God instructs Moses that anyone with leprosy, a discharge, or who had become unclean through touching a dead body should be kept away from the camp. The rationale was that God had commanded that the Israelites should keep the camp that was around the tabernacle holy. Moses and the Israelites carried out this instruction in response to God's command related to the tabernacle in the midst of the camp.
The next set of instructions are more personal. God instructs the Israelites that if any person wrongs another, the matter was to be regarded as a wrong against Him. Restitution was to be made, which went beyond a confession of wrongdoing. The person was to make full restitution plus give an additional fifth. If the person who had been wronged was deceased and had no close relative to whom restitution could be made, the fifth was to be given to the Lord.
Instructions of a different order conclude the chapter. God instructs Moses on what is to be done in the case that a husband suspects his wife of being unfaithful but there is no evidence. The woman is to appear before the priest with an offering. Holy water and some dust from the floor of the tabernacle were mixed and used to try to determine if the woman had been unfaithful.
The woman was to be required to declare her innocence. If the woman had not been unfaithful, she would be able to have children. If she had been unfaithful, the words said above would be a curse against her. The woman was to say "amen, amen" to the curse and the priest was to write down the curses, mixing them up with holy water before the woman drank them. The text says that if she was guilty, the curses were to bring their punishments upon the woman.
The chapter concludes with the description of the law concerning jealousy. The husband was to bring the woman before the Lord and have the priest perform the ceremony. The outcome was for God to determine.
Numbers chapter 5 sets out three areas of instruction with regard to the life of the Israelites. The first deals with unclean people who had to be kept away from the camp. The second deals with people who have wronged others and have to make restitution. The final instructions deal with husbands suspecting their wives of being unfaithful.
There is a basic idea that runs through the three sections. The Israelites were to be concerned in their society with matters that could affect the community. They could not be indifferent to such matters.
The Israelites had to deal with uncleanness in people, especially those who had touched a dead body or who were suffering from leprosy. Dealing with uncleanness was necessary for maintaining the holiness of the camp in which the tabernacle was located. With regard to restitution, God was concerned with matters that could tear relationships in society. A person should not consider the damage they have caused to others as a matter of no concern to them. Restitution was a personal matter between the wrongdoer and the one who had been wronged. Wrongdoing was to be confessed and restitution was to be made with an additional fifth as a penalty for wrongdoing. This was a way of making a personal wrong right again and showing respect to the one who had been wronged. The final matter of the suspicions of a husband was not a matter for him to decide on his own. Such accusations could easily lead to family feuds, which is why the matter was to be brought before the priest.
These matters were not trivial for the people of Israel. Confession of wrong, restitution, and a willingness to accept judgment were necessary to restore relationships and to renew a right spirit within people. The instructions regarding restitution show that personal relationships mattered in the eyes of God. An Israelite could not take advantage of another and then consider that the matter was concluded. Wrong had to be righted and restitution made. The additional fifth showed that the wrong was serious and the restitution was a matter of importance to God. The matter of a husband suspecting his wife of being unfaithful was dealt with in a manner similar to the other matters dealt with in this chapter. In each of these matters, the Israelite was concerned with something that could spoil their society.
Numbers chapter 5 provides instruction on matters of importance to the Israelites as they lived around the tabernacle. The instructions relate to unclean people in society who had to be banished from the camp. Wrongdoing had to be confessed and restitution made as part of repairing relationships. Suspicions of unfaithfulness could lead to family feuds, and such cases were to be brought before the priest with specified offerings and judgment from God.