Numbers 5:3
New International Version
Send away male and female alike; send them outside the camp so they will not defile their camp, where I dwell among them.”

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

English Standard Version
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.”

Berean Standard Bible
You must send away male and female alike; send them outside the camp so they will not defile their camp, where I dwell among them.”

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
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.”

New American Standard Bible
You shall send away both male and female; you shall send them outside the camp so that they do not defile their camp where I dwell in their midst.”

NASB 1995
“You shall send away both male and female; you shall send them outside the camp so that they will not defile their camp where I dwell in their midst.”

NASB 1977
“You shall send away both male and female; you shall send them outside the camp so that they will not defile their camp where I dwell in their midst.”

Legacy Standard Bible
You shall send away both male and female; you shall send them outside the camp so that they will not defile their camp where I dwell in their midst.”

Amplified Bible
You shall send away both male and female; you shall send them outside the camp so that they will not defile their camp where I dwell in their midst.”

Christian Standard Bible
Send away both male or female; send them outside the camp, so that they will not defile their camps where I dwell among them.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
You must send away both male or female; send them outside the camp, so that they will not defile their camps where I dwell among them.”

American Standard Version
both male and female shall ye put out, without the camp shall ye put them; that they defile not their camp, in the midst whereof I dwell.

English Revised Version
both male and female shall ye put out, without the camp shall ye put them; that they defile not their camp, in the midst whereof I dwell.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Send all of these unclean men and women outside the camp. They must not make this camp where I live among you unclean."

Good News Translation
Send all these ritually unclean people out, so that they will not defile the camp, where I live among my people."

International Standard Version
Whether male or female, send them outside the camp so that they won't defile their camp, because I live among them."

Majority Standard Bible
You must send away male and female alike; send them outside the camp so they will not defile their camp, where I dwell among them.”

NET Bible
You must expel both men and women; you must put them outside the camp, so that they will not defile their camps, among which I live."

New Heart English Bible
Both you shall put male and female outside of the camp; that they not defile their camp, in the midst of which I dwell."

Webster's Bible Translation
Both male and female shall ye put out, without the camp shall ye put them; that they defile not their camps, in the midst of which I dwell.

World English Bible
You shall put both male and female outside of the camp so that they don’t defile their camp, in the midst of which I dwell.”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
you send out from male even to female; you send them to the outside of the camp and they do not defile their camps in the midst of which I dwell.”

Young's Literal Translation
from male unto female ye do send out; unto the outside of the camp ye do send them; and they defile not their camps in the midst of which I do tabernacle.'

Smith's Literal Translation
From male even to female ye shall send them forth, without the camp shall ye send them; and they shall not defile their camp where I dwell in the midst of them.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Whether it be man or woman, cast ye them out of the camp, lest they defile it when I shall dwell with you.

Catholic Public Domain Version
cast out of the camp both male and female, lest they contaminate it while I am dwelling with you.”

New American Bible
Male and female alike, you shall expel them. You shall expel them from the camp so that they do not defile their camp, where I dwell in their midst.

New Revised Standard Version
you shall put out both male and female, putting them outside the camp; they must not defile their camp, where I dwell among them.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Both male and female shall you put outside the camp, that they may not defile your camps, for I dwell among you.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
From male and unto female you shall put out them outside of the camp and they shall not defile your camps, for I dwell among you.”
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
both male and female shall ye put out, without the camp shall ye put them; that they defile not their camp, in the midst whereof I dwell.'

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Whether male or female, send them forth out of the camp; and they shall not defile their camps in which I dwell among them.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Cleansing the Camps
2“Command the Israelites to send away from the camp anyone with a skin disease, anyone who has a bodily discharge, and anyone who is defiled by a dead body. 3You must send away male and female alike; send them outside the camp so they will not defile their camp, where I dwell among them.” 4So the Israelites did this, sending such people outside the camp. They did just as the LORD had instructed Moses.…

Cross References
Leviticus 13:46
As long as he has the infection, he remains unclean. He must live alone in a place outside the camp.

Leviticus 15:31
You must keep the children of Israel separate from their uncleanness, so that they do not die by defiling My tabernacle, which is among them.

Deuteronomy 23:14
For the LORD your God walks throughout your camp to protect you and deliver your enemies to you. Your camp must be holy, lest He see anything unclean among you and turn away from you.

Leviticus 7:20-21
But if anyone who is unclean eats meat from the peace offering that belongs to the LORD, that person must be cut off from his people. / If one touches anything unclean, whether human uncleanness, an unclean animal, or any unclean, detestable thing, and then eats any of the meat of the peace offering that belongs to the LORD, that person must be cut off from his people.”

Leviticus 22:3-4
Tell them that for the generations to come, if any of their descendants in a state of uncleanness approaches the sacred offerings that the Israelites consecrate to the LORD, that person must be cut off from My presence. I am the LORD. / If a descendant of Aaron has a skin disease or a discharge, he may not eat the sacred offerings until he is clean. Whoever touches anything defiled by a corpse or by a man who has an emission of semen,

2 Kings 7:3
Now there were four men with leprosy at the entrance of the city gate, and they said to one another, “Why just sit here until we die?

2 Chronicles 26:21
So King Uzziah was a leper until the day of his death. He lived in isolation, leprous and cut off from the house of the LORD, while his son Jotham had charge of the royal palace and governed the people of the land.

Isaiah 52:11
Depart, depart, go out from there! Touch no unclean thing; come out from it, purify yourselves, you who carry the vessels of the LORD.

Ezekiel 44:23
They are to teach My people the difference between the holy and the common and show them how to discern between the clean and the unclean.

Lamentations 1:17
Zion stretches out her hands, but there is no one to comfort her. The LORD has decreed against Jacob that his neighbors become his foes. Jerusalem has become an unclean thing among them.

Matthew 8:2-4
Suddenly a leper came and knelt before Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” / Jesus reached out His hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” He said. “Be clean!” And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. / Then Jesus instructed him, “See that you don’t tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift prescribed by Moses, as a testimony to them.”

Mark 1:40-45
Then a leper came to Jesus, begging on his knees: “If You are willing, You can make me clean.” / Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out His hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” He said. “Be clean!” / And immediately the leprosy left him, and the man was cleansed. ...

Luke 5:12-14
While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he fell facedown and begged Him, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” / Jesus reached out His hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” He said. “Be clean!” And immediately the leprosy left him. / “Do not tell anyone,” Jesus instructed him. “But go, show yourself to the priest and present the offering Moses prescribed for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.”

Luke 17:12-19
As He entered one of the villages, He was met by ten lepers. They stood at a distance / and raised their voices, shouting, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” / When Jesus saw them, He said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they were on their way, they were cleansed. ...

Acts 10:28
He said to them, “You know how unlawful it is for a Jew to associate with a foreigner or visit him. But God has shown me that I should not call any man impure or unclean.


Treasury of Scripture

Both male and female shall you put out, without the camp shall you put them; that they defile not their camps, in the middle whereof I dwell.

without

1 Kings 7:3
And it was covered with cedar above upon the beams, that lay on forty five pillars, fifteen in a row.

1 Corinthians 5:13
But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.

2 Corinthians 6:17
Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,

defile not

Numbers 19:22
And whatsoever the unclean person toucheth shall be unclean; and the soul that toucheth it shall be unclean until even.

Haggai 2:13,14
Then said Haggai, If one that is unclean by a dead body touch any of these, shall it be unclean? And the priests answered and said, It shall be unclean…

in the midst

Leviticus 26:11,12
And I will set my tabernacle among you: and my soul shall not abhor you…

Deuteronomy 23:14
For the LORD thy God walketh in the midst of thy camp, to deliver thee, and to give up thine enemies before thee; therefore shall thy camp be holy: that he see no unclean thing in thee, and turn away from thee.

Psalm 68:18
Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the LORD God might dwell among them.

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Numbers 5
1. The unclean are removed out of camp
5. Restitution is to be made in trespass
11. The trial of jealously














You must exclude
The phrase "You must exclude" is a directive given by God to the Israelites, emphasizing the necessity of maintaining purity within the camp. The Hebrew root for "exclude" is "שָׁלַח" (shalach), which means to send away or to cast out. This action is not merely a suggestion but a command, highlighting the importance of obedience to God's laws. In a spiritual sense, this exclusion represents the need for holiness and separation from sin, as God dwells among His people and requires a pure environment.

from the camp
The "camp" refers to the dwelling place of the Israelites during their journey through the wilderness. It is a physical space but also a symbol of the community of God's people. The camp is where God's presence resides, particularly in the Tabernacle, which is at the center. The sanctity of the camp is paramount, as it is a reflection of God's holiness. Historically, the camp's organization and purity were crucial for the Israelites' identity as a people set apart for God.

every leper
Leprosy, in the biblical context, is a term that encompasses various skin diseases. The Hebrew word "צָרַעַת" (tzara'at) is used here, which is not limited to what we know today as Hansen's disease. Leprosy rendered a person ceremonially unclean, and thus they were to be excluded from the camp. This exclusion was not only for health reasons but also had spiritual implications, as leprosy was often seen as a symbol of sin and impurity. The leper's exclusion serves as a reminder of the separation sin causes between humanity and God.

everyone with a discharge
The phrase "everyone with a discharge" refers to individuals with bodily discharges, which are detailed in Leviticus 15. The Hebrew word "זָב" (zav) indicates a flow or issue, often associated with impurity. These discharges made a person ceremonially unclean, necessitating their exclusion from the camp. This regulation underscores the importance of physical and spiritual cleanliness, as bodily discharges were seen as a disruption of the natural order established by God.

anyone who is unclean because of a dead body
Contact with a dead body rendered a person unclean, as death is the ultimate consequence of sin (Romans 6:23). The Hebrew term "טָמֵא" (tamei) is used for "unclean," signifying a state of impurity that required purification rituals. This exclusion highlights the separation between life and death, purity and impurity. It serves as a powerful reminder of the sanctity of life and the need for atonement and cleansing from the defilement of sin.

Verse 3. - That they defile not their camps, in the midst whereof I dwell. Cleanliness, decency, and the anxious removal even of unwitting pollutions were things due to God himself, and part of the awful reverence to be paid to his presence in the midst of Israel. It is of course easy to depreciate the value of such outward cleanness, as compared with inward; but when we consider the frightful prevalence of filthiness in Christian countries

(1) of person and dress,

(2) of talk,

(3) of habit in respect of things not so much sinful as uncleanly, . . .

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
You must send away
תְּשַׁלֵּ֔חוּ (tə·šal·lê·ḥū)
Verb - Piel - Imperfect - second person masculine plural
Strong's 7971: To send away, for, out

male
מִזָּכָ֤ר (miz·zā·ḵār)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2145: Remembered, a male

and
עַד־ (‘aḏ-)
Preposition
Strong's 5704: As far as, even to, up to, until, while

female alike;
נְקֵבָה֙ (nə·qê·ḇāh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 5347: A female

send them
תְּשַׁלְּח֑וּם (tə·šal·lə·ḥūm)
Verb - Piel - Imperfect - second person masculine plural | third person masculine plural
Strong's 7971: To send away, for, out

outside
מִח֥וּץ (mi·ḥūṣ)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 2351: Separate by a, wall, outside, outdoors

the camp,
לַֽמַּחֲנֶ֖ה (lam·ma·ḥă·neh)
Preposition-l, Article | Noun - common singular
Strong's 4264: An encampment, an army

so that they will not
וְלֹ֤א (wə·lō)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

defile
יְטַמְּאוּ֙ (yə·ṭam·mə·’ū)
Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 2930: To be or become unclean

their camp
מַ֣חֲנֵיהֶ֔ם (ma·ḥă·nê·hem)
Noun - common plural construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 4264: An encampment, an army

where
אֲשֶׁ֥ר (’ă·šer)
Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

I
אֲנִ֖י (’ă·nî)
Pronoun - first person common singular
Strong's 589: I

dwell
שֹׁכֵ֥ן (šō·ḵên)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 7931: To settle down, abide, dwell

among them.”
בְּתוֹכָֽם׃ (bə·ṯō·w·ḵām)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 8432: A bisection, the centre


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OT Law: Numbers 5:3 Both you shall put male and female (Nu Num.)
Numbers 5:2
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