◄ Numbers 5:11 ►
Then the LORD said to Moses,
Study Bible
Then the LORD
The phrase "Then the LORD" signifies a direct communication from God, emphasizing His active role in guiding the Israelites. The Hebrew word for "LORD" here is "Yahweh," the sacred and personal name of God, which underscores His covenant relationship with His people. This divine name is a reminder of God's eternal presence and faithfulness. In the context of Numbers, it highlights God's ongoing involvement in the lives of the Israelites as they journey through the wilderness, providing them with laws and instructions to maintain holiness and order within the community.

said
The word "said" indicates a verbal communication from God to Moses. In Hebrew, the word is "amar," which is often used in the context of divine speech. This conveys the authority and importance of the message being delivered. God's words are not mere suggestions but commands that carry weight and require obedience. This reflects the broader biblical theme of God as the ultimate lawgiver and the source of wisdom and truth.

to Moses
Moses is the chosen leader and prophet through whom God communicates His will to the Israelites. His role as a mediator is crucial, as he stands between God and the people, receiving divine instructions and conveying them to the community. Historically, Moses is a central figure in the Old Testament, known for leading the Israelites out of Egypt and receiving the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai. His relationship with God is characterized by intimacy and reverence, making him a model of faithful leadership. Moses' unique position underscores the importance of obedience and faithfulness in fulfilling God's purposes.

Persons / Places / Events
1. The LORD (Yahweh)
The covenant God of Israel, who is giving instructions to Moses. Yahweh is central to the account as the divine lawgiver.

2. Moses
The leader of the Israelites and the mediator between God and His people. He receives and communicates God's laws to the Israelites.

3. Israelites
The people of God who are receiving these laws as part of their covenant relationship with Yahweh. They are in the wilderness, journeying towards the Promised Land.

4. The Wilderness
The setting where the Israelites are camped and where God is giving His laws through Moses.

5. The Tabernacle
Although not directly mentioned in this verse, it is the central place of worship and where God's presence dwells among the Israelites.
Teaching Points
God's Holiness and Law
God's instructions to Moses highlight His holiness and the need for His people to live according to His standards. This calls us to reflect on how we uphold God's holiness in our lives today.

The Role of Mediators
Moses serves as a mediator between God and the Israelites, pointing to the ultimate mediator, Jesus Christ. We are reminded of the importance of Christ's role in our relationship with God.

Community and Accountability
The laws given to the Israelites were meant to maintain purity and accountability within the community. We should consider how we hold each other accountable in our faith communities.

Faithfulness in Relationships
The broader context of Numbers 5 deals with faithfulness in relationships, particularly marriage. This challenges us to examine our own commitments and faithfulness in our relationships.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the role of Moses as a mediator in Numbers 5:11 foreshadow the role of Jesus Christ in the New Testament?

2. In what ways can we apply the principles of holiness and purity from Numbers 5 to our modern-day lives?

3. How does understanding the cultural and historical context of the Israelites in the wilderness enhance our interpretation of this passage?

4. What are some practical ways we can hold each other accountable in our faith communities, similar to the accountability seen in the laws given to the Israelites?

5. How do the themes of faithfulness and purity in Numbers 5 relate to Jesus' teachings in the Sermon on the Mount, and how can we apply these teachings to our personal relationships?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Leviticus 20
This chapter provides additional laws regarding purity and holiness, emphasizing the need for the Israelites to be set apart for God.

Deuteronomy 24
Offers further instructions on marriage and family laws, which relate to the themes of purity and faithfulness found in Numbers 5.

Matthew 5
Jesus' teachings on the heart and purity, which echo the deeper spiritual principles behind the laws given in Numbers.
Sermons
A Fallacious Test of InnocenceScientific IllustrationsNumbers 5:11-31
Innocence Mysteriously DeclaredCaroline's Fox's JournalNumbers 5:11-31
Innocence Strangely DeclaredW. Smith.Numbers 5:11-31
The Trial of JealousyD. Young Numbers 5:11-31
The Trial of the Suspected WifeW. Jones.Numbers 5:11-31
People
Ephah, Israelites, Moses
Places
Sinai
Topics
Saying, Spake, Speaketh, Spoke
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Numbers 5:11-15

     4404   food
     8467   reminders

Numbers 5:11-28

     4456   grain

Numbers 5:11-31

     5472   proof, evidence
     5707   male and female
     5744   wife
     8830   suspicion

Library
Meditations against Despair, or Doubting of God's Mercy.
It is found by continual experience, that near the time of death, when the children of God are weakest, then Satan makes the greatest nourish of his strength, and assails them with his strongest temptations. For he knows that either he must now or never prevail; for if their souls once go to heaven, he shall never vex nor trouble them any more. And therefore he will now bestir himself as much as he can, and labour to set before their eyes all the gross sins which ever they committed, and the judgments …
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety

Ciii. Zacchæus. Parable of the Pounds. Journey to Jerusalem.
(Jericho.) ^C Luke XIX. 1-28. ^c 1 And he entered and was passing through Jericho. [This was about one week before the crucifixion. Jericho is about seven miles from the Jordan and about seventeen and a half from Jerusalem.] 2 And behold, a man called by name Zacchaeus; and he was a chief publican, and he was rich. [See p. 76. It is probable that Zacchæus was a sub-contractor under some Roman knight who had bought the privilege of collecting taxes at Jericho, or perhaps the privilege of all …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Influences that Gave Rise to the Priestly Laws and Histories
[Sidenote: Influences in the exile that produced written ceremonial laws] The Babylonian exile gave a great opportunity and incentive to the further development of written law. While the temple stood, the ceremonial rites and customs received constant illustration, and were transmitted directly from father to son in the priestly families. Hence, there was little need of writing them down. But when most of the priests were carried captive to Babylonia, as in 597 B.C., and ten years later the temple …
Charles Foster Kent—The Origin & Permanent Value of the Old Testament

The Work of Jesus Christ as an Advocate,
CLEARLY EXPLAINED, AND LARGELY IMPROVED, FOR THE BENEFIT OF ALL BELIEVERS. 1 John 2:1--"And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." By JOHN BUNYAN, Author of "The Pilgrim's Progress." London: Printed for Dorman Newman, at the King's Arms, in the Poultry, 1689. ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. This is one of the most interesting of Bunyan's treatises, to edit which required the Bible at my right hand, and a law dictionary on my left. It was very frequently republished; …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

Subjects of Study. Home Education in Israel; Female Education. Elementary Schools, Schoolmasters, and School Arrangements.
If a faithful picture of society in ancient Greece or Rome were to be presented to view, it is not easy to believe that even they who now most oppose the Bible could wish their aims success. For this, at any rate, may be asserted, without fear of gainsaying, that no other religion than that of the Bible has proved competent to control an advanced, or even an advancing, state of civilisation. Every other bound has been successively passed and submerged by the rising tide; how deep only the student …
Alfred Edersheim—Sketches of Jewish Social Life

Jesus Heals a Leper and Creates Much Excitement.
^A Matt.VIII. 2-4; ^B Mark I. 40-45; ^C Luke V. 12-16. ^c 12 And it came to pass, while he was in one of the cities [it was a city of Galilee, but as it was not named, it is idle to conjecture which city it was], behold, ^b there cometh { ^a came} ^b to him a leper [There is much discussion as to what is here meant by leprosy. Two diseases now go by that name; viz., psoriasis and elephantiasis. There are also three varieties of psoriasis, namely, white, black and red. There are also three varieties …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

The Eternity of God
The next attribute is, God is eternal.' Psa 90:0. From everlasting to everlasting thou art God.' The schoolmen distinguish between aevun et aeternum, to explain the notion of eternity. There is a threefold being. I. Such as had a beginning; and shall have an end; as all sensitive creatures, the beasts, fowls, fishes, which at death are destroyed and return to dust; their being ends with their life. 2. Such as had a beginning, but shall have no end, as angels and the souls of men, which are eternal …
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

The Section Chap. I. -iii.
The question which here above all engages our attention, and requires to be answered, is this: Whether that which is reported in these chapters did, or did not, actually and outwardly take place. The history of the inquiries connected with this question is found most fully in Marckius's "Diatribe de uxore fornicationum," Leyden, 1696, reprinted in the Commentary on the Minor Prophets by the same author. The various views may be divided into three classes. 1. It is maintained by very many interpreters, …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

Numbers
Like the last part of Exodus, and the whole of Leviticus, the first part of Numbers, i.-x. 28--so called,[1] rather inappropriately, from the census in i., iii., (iv.), xxvi.--is unmistakably priestly in its interests and language. Beginning with a census of the men of war (i.) and the order of the camp (ii.), it devotes specific attention to the Levites, their numbers and duties (iii., iv.). Then follow laws for the exclusion of the unclean, v. 1-4, for determining the manner and amount of restitution …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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