Numbers 5
Deuteronomy 5 restates the Ten Commandments for the new generation of Israelites. The chapter moves through three main sections: the covenant setting at Horeb (verses 1-5), the Ten Commandments themselves (verses 6-21), and the people’s response to God’s voice together with the call to obey (verses 22-33).
1verseThe LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
2verse“Command the children of Israel that they put out of the camp every leper, everyone who has a discharge, and whoever is unclean by a corpse.
3verseYou 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.”
4verseThe children of Israel did so, and put them outside of the camp; as the LORD spoke to Moses, so the children of Israel did.
5verseThe LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
6verse“Speak to the children of Israel: ‘When a man or woman commits any sin that men commit, so as to trespass against the LORD, and that soul is guilty,
7versethen he shall confess his sin which he has done; and he shall make restitution for his guilt in full, add to it the fifth part of it, and give it to him in respect of whom he has been guilty.
8verseBut if the man has no kinsman to whom restitution may be made for the guilt, the restitution for guilt which is made to the LORD shall be the priest’s, in addition to the ram of the atonement, by which atonement shall be made for him.
9verseEvery heave offering of all the holy things of the children of Israel, which they present to the priest, shall be his.
10verseEvery man’s holy things shall be his; whatever any man gives the priest, it shall be his.’”
11verseThe LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
12verse“Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them: ‘If any man’s wife goes astray and is unfaithful to him,
13verseand a man lies with her carnally, and it is hidden from the eyes of her husband and this is kept concealed, and she is defiled, there is no witness against her, and she isn’t taken in the act;
14verseand the spirit of jealousy comes on him, and he is jealous of his wife and she is defiled; or if the spirit of jealousy comes on him, and he is jealous of his wife and she isn’t defiled;
15versethen the man shall bring his wife to the priest, and shall bring her offering for her: one tenth of an ephah of barley meal. He shall pour no oil on it, nor put frankincense on it, for it is a meal offering of jealousy, a meal offering of memorial, bringing iniquity to memory.
16verseThe priest shall bring her near, and set her before the LORD.
17verseThe priest shall take holy water in an earthen vessel; and the priest shall take some of the dust that is on the floor of the tabernacle and put it into the water.
18verseThe priest shall set the woman before the LORD, and let the hair of the woman’s head go loose, and put the meal offering of memorial in her hands, which is the meal offering of jealousy. The priest shall have in his hand the water of bitterness that brings a curse.
19verseThe priest shall cause her to take an oath and shall tell the woman, “If no man has lain with you, and if you haven’t gone aside to uncleanness, being under your husband’s authority, be free from this water of bitterness that brings a curse.
20verseBut if you have gone astray, being under your husband’s authority, and if you are defiled, and some man has lain with you besides your husband—”
21versethen the priest shall cause the woman to swear with the oath of cursing, and the priest shall tell the woman, “May the LORD make you a curse and an oath among your people, when the LORD allows your thigh to fall away, and your body to swell;
22verseand this water that brings a curse will go into your bowels, and make your body swell, and your thigh fall away.” The woman shall say, “Amen, Amen.”
23verse“‘The priest shall write these curses in a book, and he shall wipe them into the water of bitterness.
24verseHe shall make the woman drink the water of bitterness that causes the curse; and the water that causes the curse shall enter into her and become bitter.
25verseThe priest shall take the meal offering of jealousy out of the woman’s hand, and shall wave the meal offering before the LORD, and bring it to the altar.
26verseThe priest shall take a handful of the meal offering, as its memorial portion, and burn it on the altar, and afterward shall make the woman drink the water.
27verseWhen he has made her drink the water, then it shall happen, if she is defiled and has committed a trespass against her husband, that the water that causes the curse will enter into her and become bitter, and her body will swell, and her thigh will fall away; and the woman will be a curse among her people.
28verseIf the woman isn’t defiled, but is clean; then she shall be free, and shall conceive offspring.
29verse“‘This is the law of jealousy, when a wife, being under her husband, goes astray, and is defiled,
30verseor when the spirit of jealousy comes on a man, and he is jealous of his wife; then he shall set the woman before the LORD, and the priest shall execute on her all this law.
31verseThe man shall be free from iniquity, and that woman shall bear her iniquity.’”
The Meaning of Restating the Ten Commandments
The commandments are repeated because the covenant instruction is not only for the previous generation. The new generation must hear and receive the same covenant responsibilities as they prepare to enter the land. The commandments address Israel’s relationship with God and with neighbor, forming the basic shape of covenant life.
God’s Majesty and the People’s Response
The people hear God’s voice from the fire and are filled with awe. They ask Moses to receive God’s words and speak them to them, fearing that direct exposure to the divine voice will overwhelm them. God affirms their response and calls them to maintain that reverent heart by walking in His commands.
The Overall Message of Deuteronomy 5
The chapter reaffirms that God’s instruction is the present standard for Israel’s life, not merely a memory from the past. Obedience is connected with life, well-being, and longevity in the land. The emphasis is not mechanical rule-keeping alone, but faithful covenant life shaped by reverence, memory, and practice.
Points for Reflection
- How am I receiving instruction that I have heard before but still need to live today?
- Does reverence for God lead to concrete obedience in ordinary decisions?
- How do love for God and responsibility toward neighbor appear in the way I understand the commandments?
Apply It to Yourself
| Focus | Application |
|---|---|
| Check | Look back on your life and identify one command or principle you need to practice more concretely. |
| Practice | Apply that instruction in a specific choice today, and build a pattern of small but faithful obedience. |
As part of Coupang Partners activities, this post may earn a commission from qualifying purchases.