Numbers 5 3

Numbers 5:3 kjv

Both 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.

Numbers 5:3 nkjv

You shall put out both male and female; you shall put them outside the camp, that they may not defile their camps in the midst of which I dwell."

Numbers 5:3 niv

Send away male and female alike; send them outside the camp so they will not defile their camp, where I dwell among them."

Numbers 5:3 esv

You shall put out both male and female, putting them outside the camp, that they may not defile their camp, in the midst of which I dwell."

Numbers 5:3 nlt

This command applies to men and women alike. Remove them so they will not defile the camp in which I live among them."

Numbers 5 verses

Numbers 5 3 Meaning

Numbers 5:3 stipulates that both male and female individuals affected by specific ritual impurities must be expelled from the Israelite camp. This expulsion was mandated to safeguard the sanctity of the camp, specifically to prevent the defilement of the space where the holy God of Israel dwelled in their midst, symbolized by the Tabernacle. The removal was for ceremonial purification rather than permanent ostracization, aiming to maintain a consecrated environment fit for divine presence.

Numbers 5 3 Context

Numbers chapter 5 opens a section of purification laws within the broader structure of the book, which largely concerns Israel's journey through the wilderness and their preparation for entering the Promised Land. This chapter immediately follows the detailed organization of the camp by tribes (Numbers 2) and the arrangement of the Levites and their duties around the Tabernacle (Numbers 3-4). The command in Numbers 5:1-4 (and specifically verse 3) highlights the practical application of holiness, ensuring that the camp, where God's Tabernacle (His dwelling place) stood, remained ceremonially pure. It details the removal of those with various forms of ritual impurity: leprosy, bodily discharges, or defilement by a dead body. This legislative sequence underscores the principle that divine presence demands a holy and undefiled environment, shaping the daily life and structure of the Israelite community around the central reality of God's immediate proximity.

Numbers 5 3 Word analysis

• male and female (זָכָר֙ וּנְקֵבָ֔ה - zakhar u'neqevah): This emphasizes that the command for exclusion applies indiscriminately to all individuals, regardless of their gender. The purity requirements for God's presence affect everyone equally in the covenant community. This contrasts with potential gender-specific rituals in some ancient Near Eastern practices.
• you shall put out / you shall put them outside (תְּשַׁלֵּ֔חוּ - t’shallekhu / וְשִׁלַּחְתֶּ֣ם אֹתָ֗ם - v’shillakhtem otam): The Hebrew verb shalakh means "to send, to put away, to cast out." The repeated command stresses the imperative nature and importance of this action. It implies a definitive physical separation from the holy space of the camp.
• outside the camp (מִחוּץ֩ לַֽמַּחֲנֶה֙ - mikhutz lammakhaneh): The machaneh (camp) was the highly organized physical space where Israel lived, with the Tabernacle at its absolute center. To be "outside the camp" signifies being removed from the immediate sphere of God's sacred dwelling and the community consecrated to Him. This location for the impure serves as a stark visual reminder of the separation between ritual purity and uncleanness.
• that they may not defile (וְלֹ֤א יְטַמְּא֛וּ - v’lo yetamme'u): The root ṭama' means "to be unclean, defiled." This indicates the purpose of the expulsion: to prevent the spread of ritual impurity, which is seen as actively contaminating the camp's sacred status. Uncleanness, though not always sinful, was incompatible with holiness and rendered individuals unable to approach God.
• their camp (מַחֲנֵיהֶ֗ם - makhanehem): This reinforces the idea that the entire community, symbolized by "their camp," is subject to the holiness requirement, not just individuals. The purity of the collective was essential for the communal experience of God's presence.
• in the midst of which I dwell (אֲנִ֖י שֹׁכֵ֥ן - ani shokhen): The most crucial part of the verse, explaining why the laws are necessary. Shokhen (from the root shakan) means "to dwell, abide," the same root used for Mishkan (Tabernacle) – the dwelling place of God. This signifies God's tangible and intimate presence among His people, not in a distant temple, but right there in their camp. His holy presence is the fundamental reason for all the purity laws.

• male and female you shall put out: This phrase highlights the egalitarian application of the law concerning ritual impurity. It shows that irrespective of gender, anyone who violated the camp's required state of purity through leprosy, discharges, or contact with a corpse had to be physically removed. This principle underscored the non-negotiable nature of God's holiness and His demand for a clean environment for His dwelling, affecting every individual equally.
• you shall put them outside the camp: This specific command of physical removal signifies the separation of the ritually unclean from the holy community. The camp itself, with the Tabernacle at its heart, was considered a sacred space because God resided there. Expulsion was a public act symbolizing the incompatibility of impurity with God's holy presence and acted as a necessary measure to contain contamination and uphold the camp's sanctified status.
• that they may not defile their camp: This clause explicitly states the purpose behind the expulsion: preventing defilement. Ritual uncleanness was not merely a physical state but carried theological significance, making individuals and potentially spaces ritually unfit for divine encounter. By removing the unclean, the camp maintained its collective purity, preventing it from becoming an unacceptable dwelling place for God.
• in the midst of which I dwell: This foundational declaration provides the ultimate rationale for all purity laws related to the camp. God's own direct and active presence (shekhinah), residing within the Tabernacle in the very center of their encampment, was the supreme motivating factor. His holiness could not tolerate impurity; therefore, a purified environment was essential to maintain this unique covenant relationship and safeguard the sacred space He chose to inhabit among His people.

Numbers 5 3 Bonus section

The strictness of expelling "male and female" from the camp underscores that ceremonial impurity was not a matter of moral failing or individual worth, but a state of ritual defilement incompatible with the nature of a holy God. It demonstrates that the entire community bore a corporate responsibility for maintaining purity, as defilement of even one member could compromise the whole camp and by extension, God's willingness to dwell among them. This concept of the contagious nature of impurity contrasts sharply with holiness, which could also be transferred but generally required more deliberate and specific actions. The physical Tabernacle system, with its demanding purity requirements, served as a tangible object lesson about the immense holiness of God and humanity's inherent distance from it due to any form of "uncleanness," ultimately pointing to the need for a perfect clean environment to commune with God, foreshadowed by the New Heaven and New Earth where nothing defiled will enter.

Numbers 5 3 Commentary

Numbers 5:3 lays bare a fundamental principle of Old Testament theology: God's holiness necessitates purity in His presence. The immediate, physical removal of anyone, regardless of gender, who was ritually unclean (specifically due to leprosy, bodily discharges, or contact with the dead) from the Israelite camp underscores the absolute intolerance of the Holy God for defilement. This was not a punitive measure in the modern sense but a protective act; the purpose was to preserve the sanctity of the entire community, ensuring it remained a suitable dwelling place for Yahweh. The Tabernacle, where God resided, permeated the whole camp with a tangible holiness, requiring vigilance against anything that would compromise that sacred atmosphere. This act of purification ensures that nothing obstructs God's intimate communion with His people. The verse is a stark reminder that drawing near to a holy God requires preparation and adherence to His standards, highlighting the serious consequences of ritual impurity on communal worship and relationship with the divine. This Old Testament principle of physical separation prefigures the New Testament call for spiritual purity among believers, who collectively form God's spiritual temple.