What number verse is Numbers 5:5 in the Bible?

Numbers 5:5 is the 3,798th verse of the Bible. Counting straight through the King James canon — all 31,102 verses from Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22:21 — Numbers 5:5 sits at position 3,798.

“Restitution for Trespass”· Numbers 5:5–10

Translation

King James Version

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

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KJV (with Strong's)

And the LORD ^H3068 spake ^H1696 unto Moses ^H4872, saying ^H559,

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Complete Jewish Bible

ADONAI said to Moshe,

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Berean Standard Bible

And the LORD said to Moses,

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American Standard Version

And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying,

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World English Bible Messianic

The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

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Geneva Bible (1599)

And the Lord spake vnto Moses, saying,

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Young's Literal Translation

And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, saying,

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فارسی · OPV

و خداوند موسی‌ را خطاب‌ كرده‌، گفت‌:

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In the KJVVerse 3,798 of 31,102 · 12.2%

LawLawHistoryHistPoetryPoetProphetsProphNew TestamentNT

Study This Verse

Summary

Numbers 5:5 functions as a foundational introductory formula within the Book of Numbers, signaling a direct and authoritative divine communication from the LORD to Moses. This concise declaration establishes the absolute authority and divine origin of the subsequent instructions, serving as a recurring literary device throughout the Pentateuch. It underscores God's active involvement in the governance and daily life of His covenant people, while simultaneously highlighting Moses' unique and indispensable mediatorial role in delivering these sacred decrees to the Israelite nation.

Context

Literary Context

Numbers 5:5 serves as a crucial textual hinge, introducing a new block of divine legislation and a shift in focus within the book. The preceding verses, Numbers 5:1-4, detail specific commands for maintaining the ritual purity of the Israelite camp by expelling individuals afflicted with leprosy, bodily discharges, or ceremonial defilement by a corpse. This emphasis on communal purity and order sets the immediate backdrop for the subsequent laws. Following verse 5, the text introduces intricate regulations concerning restitution for wrongs committed against the LORD or against another person, culminating in the unique and complex "law of jealousy" for suspected marital infidelity (Numbers 5:6-31). Thus, Numbers 5:5 marks the divine initiation of these specific regulations, underscoring their importance within the Israelite legal and social framework, transitioning from physical purity of the camp to moral and social accountability within the covenant community.

Historical & Cultural Context

The Book of Numbers chronicles Israel's forty-year wilderness sojourn, a transformative period characterized by divine instruction, covenant renewal, and the meticulous establishment of a theocratic society. At this stage, the Israelites are organized around the Tabernacle, the central dwelling place of God's holy presence, which necessitates strict adherence to purity laws and social order for a people living in close proximity to a holy God. The commands introduced by Numbers 5:5 reflect the nascent nation's developing societal structure and legal system, which is explicitly presented as divinely instituted. Unlike other ancient Near Eastern law codes, which often originated from human kings or established traditions, Israel's laws were uniquely presented as direct revelations from their divine King, the LORD. Moses, as the designated mediator, was the exclusive conduit for these divine pronouncements, a role consistently emphasized throughout the Pentateuch, as seen in passages like Deuteronomy 5:5. This divine origin imbued the laws with unparalleled authority and sanctity, fundamentally differentiating Israel's legal framework from those of surrounding nations and establishing a unique covenant relationship founded on divine decree.

Key Themes

Numbers 5:5 contributes significantly to several overarching themes within the Book of Numbers and the Pentateuch. Foremost is the theme of Divine Revelation and Authority, emphasizing that God is an active, speaking God who directly communicates His will to humanity. This verse reinforces that the laws and instructions governing Israel's life are not human inventions but originate from the sovereign LORD, demanding absolute obedience and reverence. Secondly, it highlights Moses' Mediatorial Role, underscoring his unique position as God's chosen prophet and the exclusive channel through whom the divine word is conveyed to the entire nation. This theme is crucial for understanding the legitimacy and binding nature of the Mosaic Law. Lastly, the verse implicitly supports the theme of Covenant Relationship, as God's speaking to Moses is an act of covenant faithfulness, providing the necessary guidance for Israel to live as His holy people, set apart from the nations, and to maintain their relationship with Him in the wilderness, as further detailed in the laws of Numbers 5.

Exposition and Analysis

Key Word Analysis

LORD Yᵉhôvâh' H3068

This is the Tetragrammaton (YHWH), the personal, covenantal name of God, often rendered "Yahweh" or "Jehovah." Derived from the Hebrew root for "to be" or "to exist," it signifies "(the) self-Existent or Eternal." Its use here emphasizes that the speaker is not a generic deity but the specific God who revealed Himself to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who delivered Israel from Egypt, and who entered into covenant with them at Sinai. It highlights His relational, active, and sovereign nature as the ultimate source of all authority and law, affirming His unchanging presence and faithfulness to His people.

spake dâbar' H1696

From a primitive root meaning "to arrange," this verb is used figuratively (of words) to mean "to speak." It implies a direct, articulate, and intentional communication, often with the intent to command, declare, or instruct. Unlike a casual utterance, dâbar suggests a forceful and authoritative declaration, reinforcing the weight and binding nature of the words that follow. This choice of verb indicates that God is not merely musing but actively issuing decrees, establishing His will for His people.

saying ʼâmar' H559

A primitive root meaning "to say (used with great latitude)," this word often functions as an infinitive construct (לֵאמֹר, lēʼmōr) in this context. While seemingly redundant after "spake," its inclusion emphasizes the verbatim nature of the divine message. It assures the reader that what is about to be recounted are the precise words that the LORD communicated to Moses, lending absolute authenticity and infallibility to the subsequent commands. It serves as a direct introduction to the divine discourse, signaling that God's exact pronouncements are to follow.

Verse Breakdown

"And the LORD"

This opening phrase immediately identifies the ultimate and singular source of the ensuing message. It is not a human decree, a priestly tradition, or a tribal custom, but the sovereign, covenant-keeping God of Israel, YHWH Himself. This sets the tone for the absolute authority and divine origin of the instructions that follow, establishing that the subsequent laws are not open to human negotiation or alteration.

"spake unto Moses"

This clause specifies the chosen recipient and mediator of the divine communication. Moses is uniquely selected and positioned to receive God's direct words and convey them with fidelity to the entire nation of Israel. This highlights his unparalleled role as God's prophet and leader, through whom the divine will is revealed to humanity, emphasizing the directness of the revelation and God's personal engagement with His chosen servant.

"saying"

This final word functions as a direct introduction to the divine discourse that immediately follows. It signals that the exact words of the LORD are about to be presented, emphasizing the directness and verbatim nature of the revelation. It reinforces the authority and truthfulness of the forthcoming commands, leaving no doubt that they are God's own pronouncements, intended for precise understanding and strict obedience.

Literary Devices

Numbers 5:5 employs several significant literary devices that underscore its theological importance. Primarily, it functions as a Formulaic Introduction, a recurring phrase ("And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying") found extensively throughout the Pentateuch. This repetition serves to punctuate the narrative, marking distinct sections of divine revelation, laws, or commands, and emphasizing the continuous nature of God's communication with His people through Moses. It acts as a consistent signal to the reader that what follows is not human commentary or tradition but direct Divine Speech Act, thereby imbuing the subsequent laws and narratives with absolute authority and divine origin. The consistent use of this formula also highlights Moses' Mediatorial Role, consistently presenting him as the unique and divinely appointed conduit for God's will to His people. Furthermore, the phrase itself is a form of Repetition (appearing hundreds of times), which serves to reinforce the central theological truth that God is an active, speaking God who guides His people through direct, authoritative revelation.

Theological and Thematic Connections

Numbers 5:5, though brief, encapsulates profound theological truths concerning divine revelation, God's active involvement in human affairs, and the absolute authority of His word. It establishes the foundational principle that the laws governing Israel's life were not human constructs or societal agreements but originated directly from the sovereign will of the LORD. This divine origin elevates the status of the law from a mere legal code to sacred instruction, making obedience a matter of covenant faithfulness and a pathway to holiness for the formation of a holy people. The verse also underscores God's personal and intimate engagement with His chosen mediator, Moses, through whom His will is communicated with clarity and accountability to the entire community, ensuring that all Israel understood the source and sanctity of their laws.

Exodus 25:1 Leviticus 1:1 Amos 3:7

Reflection and Application

Numbers 5:5, while seemingly a simple transitional verse, carries a profound and enduring message for believers today: God is a speaking God who actively desires to communicate His will to His people. Just as the Israelites were called to listen attentively to the authoritative words spoken through Moses, we are called to diligently engage with God's inspired and infallible Word, the Bible. This verse reminds us that the Scriptures are not merely human writings or historical accounts but are divinely breathed, carrying the very voice and authority of the LORD. Our spiritual growth, moral discernment, and faithful obedience are directly tied to our willingness to hear, understand, and apply what God has "spoken" through His written Word. It encourages us to approach the Bible with profound reverence, seeking not just information or intellectual stimulation but divine guidance for every aspect of our lives, trusting that His instructions are for our ultimate good, our sanctification, and His glory.

Questions for Reflection

How does recognizing the divine origin and authority of Scripture (as highlighted in Numbers 5:5) impact your approach to reading and studying the Bible?
In what practical ways do you actively seek to hear God's "speaking" in your daily life, beyond just reading the written Word, through prayer and discernment?
What specific areas of your life need to be brought into greater alignment with the authoritative voice of God as revealed in His Word, and what steps will you take to do so?

FAQ

Why is this verse, "And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying," so frequently repeated in the Pentateuch?

This phrase is a recurring literary and theological formula used to introduce new sections of divine revelation, laws, or commands. Its frequent repetition serves several critical purposes: it constantly reminds the reader of the divine origin and absolute authority of the instructions that follow, distinguishing them from human traditions or laws. It also emphasizes Moses' unique mediatorial role as the chosen conduit for God's direct communication to Israel, establishing the legitimacy of the Mosaic Law. Furthermore, it provides a clear structural framework, signaling shifts in topic or the beginning of a new divine discourse, as seen in numerous instances like Exodus 25:1 or Leviticus 1:1. This consistent repetition instills in the audience a deep reverence for the Word of God as direct, infallible revelation, ensuring its enduring impact.

Christ-Centered Fulfillment

While Numbers 5:5 speaks of God's direct communication through Moses, it ultimately foreshadows the ultimate and perfect divine Word, Jesus Christ. Moses was a mediator of the Old Covenant, delivering God's laws written on stone, but Jesus is the mediator of a new and better covenant, the very Word of God incarnate (John 1:1 and John 1:14). The temporary and limited nature of Moses' mediation, though divinely appointed, points forward to the permanent and perfect mediation of Christ. In Him, God does not merely "speak unto" humanity through a prophet from afar, but God Himself "spoke" to us definitively and fully through His Son (Hebrews 1:1-2). Jesus is the living embodiment of God's authoritative voice, who not only perfectly declares God's will but also perfectly fulfills the law (Matthew 5:17) and, through His atoning sacrifice, provides the means for sinful humanity to be reconciled to a holy God. Through Christ, we enter into a new covenant where God's Word is not just heard externally but indwells believers by the Holy Spirit, enabling true obedience and intimacy with God (John 14:23).

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Public-domain commentary

Matthew Henry

From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Numbers 5:1–10. His three-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.

1662–1714 · 10 verses

Passage under commentNumbers 5:1–10

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.

I. II. Main points1. 2. Sub-points(1.) (2.) Details

Here is, I. A command for the purifying of the camp, by turning out from within its lines all those that were ceremonially unclean, by issues, leprosies, or the touch of dead bodies, until they were cleansed according to the law, Num 5:2, Num 5:3.

1.These orders are executed immediately, Num 5:4.

(1.)The camp was now newly-modelled and put in order, and therefore, to complete the reformation of it, it is next to be cleansed. Note, The purity of the church must be as carefully consulted and preserved as the peace and order of it. It is requisite, not only that every Israelite be confined to his own standard, but that every polluted Israelite be separated from it. The wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable.

(2.)God's tabernacle was now fixed in the midst of their camp, and therefore they must be careful to keep it clean. Note, The greater profession of religion any house or family make the more they are obliged to put away iniquity far from their tabernacle, Job 22:23. The person, the place, in the midst of which God dwells, must not be defiled; for, if it be, he will be affronted, offended, and provoked to withdraw, Co1 3:16, Co1 3:17.

2.This expulsion of the unclean out of the camp was to signify,

(1.)What the governors of the church ought to do: they must separate between the precious and the vile, and purge out scandalous persons, as old leaven (Co1 5:8, Co1 5:13), lest others should be infected and defiled, Heb 12:15. It is for the glory of Christ and the edification of his church that those who are openly and incorrigibly profane and vicious should be put out and kept from Christian communion till they repent.

(2.)What God himself will do in the great day: he will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather out of his kingdom all things that offend. As here the unclean were shut out of the camp, so into the new Jerusalem no unclean thing shall enter, Rev 21:27.

II.A law concerning restitution, in case of wrong done to a neighbour.

It is called a sin that men commit (Num 5:6), because it is common among men; a sin of man, that is, a sin against man, so it is thought it should be translated and understood. If a man overreach or defraud his brother in any matter, it is to be looked upon as a trespass against the Lord, who is the protector of right, the punisher of wrong, and who strictly charges and commands us to do justly. Now what is to be done when a man's awakened conscience charges him with guilt of this kind, and brings it to his remembrance though done long ago?

1.He must confess his sin, confess it to God, confess it to his neighbour, and so take shame to himself. If he have denied it before, though it go against the grain to own himself in a lie, yet he must do it; because his heart was hardened he denied it, therefore he has no other way of making it appear that his heart is now softened but by confessing it.

2.He must bring a sacrifice, a ram of atonement, Num 5:8. Satisfaction must be made for the offence done to God, whose law is broken, as well as for the loss sustained by our neighbour; restitution in this case is not sufficient without faith and repentance.

3.Yet the sacrifices would not be accepted till full amends were made to the party wronged, not only the principal, but a fifth part added to it, Num 5:7. It is certain that while that which is got by injustice is knowingly retained in the hands the guilt of the injustice remains upon the conscience, and is not purged by sacrifice nor offering, prayers not tears, for it is one and the same continued act of sin persisted in. This law we had before (Lev 6:4), and it is here added that if the party wronged was dead, and he had no near kinsman who was entitled to the debt, or if it was any way uncertain to whom the restitution should be made, this should not serve for an excuse to detain what was unjustly gotten; to whomsoever it pertained, it was certainly none of his that got it by sin, and therefore it must be given to the priest, Num 5:8. If there were any that could make out a title to it, it must not be given to the priest (God hates robbery for burnt-offerings); but, if there were not, then it lapsed to the great Lord (ob defectum sanguinis - for want of issue), and the priests were his receivers. Note, Some work of piety or charity is a piece of necessary justice to be done by those who are conscience to themselves that they have done wrong, but know not how otherwise to make restitution; what is not our property will never be our profit.

III.A general rule concerning hallowed things given upon this occasion, that, whatever was given to the priest, his it shall be, Num 5:9, Num 5:10.

1.He that gave it was not to receive his gift again upon any pretence whatsoever. This law ratifies and confirms all grants for pious uses, that people might not give things to the priests in a fit of zeal, and then recall them in a fit of vexation.

2.The other priests should not come in sharers with that priest who then officiated, and to whom the hallowed thing, whatever it was, was given. Let him that was most ready and diligent in attending fare the better for it: if he do the work, let him have the pay, and much good may it do him.

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Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.

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