Chapter 5

1 The unclean are removed out of the camp. 5 Restitution is to be made in trespasses. 11 The trial of jealousy.

2. Put out. All ceremonially unclean persons must be removed from the vicinity of the camp. There may, perhaps, have been other reasons, in addition to the principle of quarantine, that prompted this command. But quarantine seems the evident reason.

Camp. This would refer to the camp area in the fullest sense, extending to its limits on all sides (chs. 2, 3). The same word isalso translated “tents,” in 2 Chron. 31:2.

Every leper. See on Lev. 13:2 and Additional Note on Lev. 13. The Jews viewed this disease as a mark of God’s displeasure. In some cases it was indeed such a mark, as evidence in the cases of Miriam Num. 12:12, Gehazi (2 Kings 5:27), and Uzziah (2 Kings 15:5).

That hath an issue. See on Lev. 15 This class was not excluded from the outer camp.

Defiled by the dead. This class of persons was shut out only from the inner camp (see Lev. 11:24; 21:1, 11).

The word here translated “dead” is nephesh, rendered in the English Bible as “soul” in many instances (see on Gen. 35:18). It has various meanings, and here refers to a corpse, regarded as ceremonially unclean (see Num. 6:6, 11; 9:6, 7, 10; Lev. 21:11).

The three classes here specified had certain things in common: (1) the duration of uncleanness—seven days after the removal of the cause—and (2) the conception of their being a means of defiling others who came in contact with them.

3. In the midst whereof I dwell. The same expression is used of the Holy Land (ch. 35:34), in admonition not to pollute it by deeds of violence and injustice.

6. A man or woman. The Hebrew words here refer to specific individuals.

Men. From a generic term meaning “mankind.”

Against the Lord. A sin against a fellow man is looked upon as a sin against the person of God, and therefore required a sacrificial offering as well as restitution to the injured person (see Num. 5:7; cf. Lev. 6:2–4). Although it is possible to sin against God without involving injury to a fellow man, it is not possible to sin against man without committing a sin against God.

7. Recompense his trespass. Literally, “return his guilt.” Here the abstract “guilt” is used for the concrete thing that he stole, or whatever he may have realized from its disposal.

With the principal. Literally, “with its head,” that is, in full.

Fifth part. Note a similar compensation in Lev. 6:5; 22:14 (see Lev. 27:11, 27, 31).

8. Kinsman. This is the word goХel, from the verb “to redeem, to act as a kinsman.” It is applied to Christ as the Redeemer (see Job 19:25; Ps. 19:14; 78:35; 103:4; Isa. 41:14; 43:14; 47:4; 54:5; 59:20; 60:16). Since an Israelite would usually have a kinsman, it is possible that the man without kin would be a proselyte.

Unto the Lord, even to the priest. Literally, “for Jehovah for the priest.” The priest stood as the personal representative of Jehovah, and the property becomes his (see Lev. 23:20).

The ram of the atonement. The required offering (Lev. 5:15; 6:6; 7:7), pertaining to the priest in Jehovah’s stead.

9. Offering. The word “offering” has the meaning of “that which lifts off,” that is, from a larger amount, and is devoted to a sacred purpose. Jewish teaching is that this is reference to the first fruits (Ex. 23:19), so that they too became the property of the priests (Num. 15:19–21; 31:29, 41, 52; Deut. 12:6, 11). The idea of a contribution, whether in the general sense or for a specific purpose, applies appropriately here. The “offering” becomes the priest’s due (Lev. 7:14, 32, 34).

10. Shall be his. This verse mentions both sources of priestly revenue: dues to Jehovah and gifts to the priests. An individual priest could not claim specific gifts from particular individuals. The giving was the responsibility of the owner, subject to this general admonition and to the principle that whatever Jehovah claimed as His own must come first.

13. No witness. Two witnesses were necessary to secure a conviction (Num. 35:30; Deut. 17:6; Deut. 19:15). The penalty for proved guilt was death (Lev. 20:10; Deut. 22:22–27). There is every suspicion on the part of the husband at least, but no actual proof.

14. Spirit. From ruach, translated “spirit” in the OT. It occurs 377 times in the Hebrew, and is translated “spirit” 232 times. The dominant idea of this word is “power.” When the queen of Sheba saw the splendors of Solomon, “there was no more spirit in her ” (1 Kings 10:5). When Isaiah speaks of the horses of Egypt as flesh “and not spirit,” he means that they a “and not spirit,” he means that they were weak as compared with God. A man who has control of his spirit is both strong and worthy (Prov. 16:32; 25:28). Here (Num. 5:14)the term indicates an intense impulse or emotion.

15. Tenth part of an ephah. Approximately 2 dry qt. (2.21 l.).

Barley meal. A cheaper kind of flour, a coarse food used only by the very poor (Judges 7:13; John 6:9, 13), and as fodder for animals (1 Kings 4:28). The “fine flour” commanded for other offerings (Eze. 46:14) was not allowed in a case of this kind, where moral corruption and dishonor were the issues. The coarse elements of this oblation were indicative of the coarseness and grossness of the sinful act.

Pour no oil. This was a most unhappy occasion, so oil, a symbol of joy and happiness, was excluded. Oil and frankincense, although included with a meal offering of first fruits, were not allowed with a poor man’s sin offering (Lev. 2:15; 5:11).

Of jealousy. The Hebrew word here is plural in number, “jealousies,” inasmuch as the offense, if the woman was guilty, was against both God and her husband. Also, more than one person was guilty.

Of memorial. A phrase to remind men that God does not condone iniquity, neither does He forget it until it has been confessed (1 Kings 17:18; Eze. 29:16; Hosea 8:13; Jer. 44:21; Ps. 25:7).

16. Before the Lord. That is, to the tabernacle.

17. Holy water. This would be water in the laver that was reserved for the priests’ ablutions Ex. 30:18, 19. Some maintain, however, that it refers to running water (see Num. 19:17; Lev. 14:5). This expression is used nowhere else in the Bible. There is no similarity whatever between this and the so-called holy water provided by certain churches today.

An earthen vessel. The cheapest kind of vessel, to conform to the coarseness of the flour—and the heinousness of the sin. The vessel would probably be smashed after the ceremony, as in the case of the sin offering (Lev. 6:28; cf. 14:5, 50). Some commentators suggest that this implied the broken life of the woman, should she be found guilty.

Dust. The reason for this provision is not clear. Perhaps, being in a sense sacred, it would harm only a guilty person.

18. Uncover the woman’s head. This was a gesture of shame (see Lev. 10:6; 13:45; 21:10).

In her hands. These various acts would have the tendency to break down the woman’s fortitude and cause her to confess, if guilty.

Bitter water. The literal expression in the Hebrew is “waters of bitterness.” Not that the water was of itself bitter of taste, but that for the guilty person there would be bitter results (see Jer. 2:19; 4:18; Eze. 23:48).

19. Instead of thy husband. The Hebrew reads, “under thy husband,” meaning “subject to thy husband.” In Eze. 23:5 it is rendered “when she was mine,” literally, “when she was under me,” and Rom. 7:2, where the word translated “woman” is a compound meaning “under one man,” that is, under his direction as the head of the house.

Be thou free. That is, free from the curse involved, if not guilty.

21. Make thee a curse. When cursing or taking an oath, people would recall her name in their imprecations called down upon offenders, saying, “May Jehovah make you like that woman.”

Thy thigh. Meaning, perhaps, that the woman would not again give birth to a healthy child (see v. 28). She would thus become a bitter disappointment to her husband, unable to build up his house.

23. Blot them out. The written words would be washed off into the water, and so transferred to it.

24. To drink. The woman drank the water after the meal offering (v. 26), but the act is anticipated here.

26. The memorial. As a reminder to Jehovah to prevent the waters of bitterness from doing harm to the woman if she was innocent. The term is a technical one (Lev. 2:2, 9, 16; 5:12; 6:15; 24:7).

27. Shall be a curse. She would be an example and a warning to others.

28. Free. That is, declared innocent (see Jer. 2:35), and so suffering no harm.

Shall conceive. A compensation implying divine favor, and therefore highly prized by the Israelites.

31. Bear her iniquity. The basic principle of the whole ordeal was that the outcome lay in God’s hands.