Numbers 5:1

Study note

Setting — The LORD addresses Moses at the transition from the census narrative to a new statutory section. This opening clause positions Moses as the recipient of a command that immediately follows in Numbers 5:2.

The words — The verb וַיְדַבֵּר (va/y.da.Ber) literally renders "and he spoke," identifying Yahweh as the initiating speaker. The connective לֵ/אֹמֶר (le./Mor) translates as "saying," functioning grammatically to introduce the specific directive that occupies the next verse.

The thread — This formulaic introduction appears repeatedly in Exodus, Leviticus, and Deuteronomy to mark shifts from narrative to statutory revelation. It establishes a consistent literary pattern where divine speech directly precedes covenant legislation.

Why it lands — The verse requires the reader to treat the following regulations as direct divine speech rather than administrative advice. It establishes Moses as the authorized mediator for the community's ritual boundaries.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.