🔢WEB · Numbers 5:11
What does Numbers 5:11 mean?
"Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,"
— Numbers 5:11 (World English Bible)
Surrounding context
But if the man has no kinsman to whom restitution may be made for the guilt, the restitution for guilt which is made to Yahweh shall be the priest’s; besides the ram of the atonement, by which atonement shall be made for him.
Every heave offering of all the holy things of the children of Israel, which they present to the priest, shall be his.
Every man’s holy things shall be his: whatever any man gives the priest, it shall be his.’”
Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
“Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them: ‘If any man’s wife goes astray, and is unfaithful to him,
and 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, and there is no witness against her, and she isn’t taken in the act;
and 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:
Explanation
Numbers 5:11 is a brief introductory formula, and it's worth being upfront about that: on its own, this verse simply tells us that God spoke to Moses and was about to give him further instructions. It doesn't contain a command, a story, or a teaching in itself. Rather, it functions as a literary hinge, marking the start of a new section within the book of Numbers, much like similar phrases appear throughout the Pentateuch ("Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying...") to introduce fresh legislation for Israel.
The context is essential for understanding why this verse is here. Numbers was written in the tradition of Moses, addressed to the Israelites during their wilderness journey after leaving Egypt and before entering the Promised Land. The book contains a mix of narrative and legal material meant to organize the community, maintain purity, and establish social and religious order among the twelve tribes. This particular verse introduces the law concerning suspected marital unfaithfulness, often called the "jealousy offering" or "trial by ordeal" passage, which runs through verse 31. So while verse 11 itself is just the announcement, it sets the stage for a specific and serious set of instructions God is about to give.
Theologically, this kind of introduct
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