Numbers 5:3 (KJV)

What does Numbers 5:3 mean?

Numbers 5:3 says that both men and women with the conditions named in the preceding verse were to be placed outside Israel’s camp. The stated reason is to keep the camp from being defiled, because God says he lives among the people there.

God is speaking to Moses, who is to give the instruction to the Israelites. The words “in the midst whereof I dwell” picture God’s dwelling place as part of the camp, surrounded by the people.

The Hebrew behind Numbers 5:3

• “defile” — טָמֵא (ṭameʾ): This word carries the sense of making something unclean. Here, the concern is about the camp’s condition in relation to God’s presence.
• “dwell” — שָׁכַן (shakhan): This word means to live or settle in a place. It gives the reason for the instruction a particular setting: God describes himself as living among the Israelites.

Why Numbers 5:3 matters

• The instruction applies to both sexes. “Both male and female” makes clear that the rule was not limited to men.
• The people being sent out are identified by specific conditions, not by sex. Numbers 5:2 names a skin condition called leprosy in the KJV, a bodily discharge, and uncleanness from contact with a dead body.
• The passage presents the instruction as one the Israelites carried out. Numbers 5:4 says they put those people outside the camp as the Lord had told Moses.