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Numbers Chapter Five

 

Numbers 5 Outlines

Ceremonially Unclean Persons Isolated (v.1~4)

Confession and Restitution (v.5~10)

Concerning Unfaithful Wives (v.11~31)

New King James Version (NKJV)

 

INTRODUCTION TO NUMBERS 5

This chapter contains a repetition of some former laws concerning putting unclean persons out of the camp Numbers 5:1; making restitution in case of trespass against another Numbers 5:5; and of giving the offering of all holy things and all hallowed things to the priests Numbers 5:9; and a new law concerning jealousy in a man of his wife Numbers 5:11; when she was to be brought to the priest and various rites and ceremonies to be used Numbers 5:15; who was to give her bitter water as a trial of her chastity which if guilty would have a strange effect upon her and make her accursed but if not would not affect her and she would be free and happy Numbers 5:24.

 

Numbers 5:1   And the Lord spoke to Moses saying:

   YLT  1And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses saying

And the Lord spake unto Moses .... Jarchi says what follows was said on the day the tabernacle was erected but it seems rather to have been delivered after the several camps were formed and the people numbered when those that were unclean were ordered to be cast out of them:

saying; as follows.

 

Numbers 5:2   2 “Command the children of Israel that they put out of the camp every leper everyone who has a discharge and whoever becomes defiled by a corpse.

   YLT  2`Command the sons of Israel and they send out of the camp every leper and every one with an issue and every one defiled by a body;

Command the children of Israel .... Not as from himself but from the Lord; deliver out the following as a command of his to which obedience was required of all the children of Israel:

that they put out of the camp every leper; there were three camps Jarchi says in the time of their encampment; between the curtains was the camp of the Shechinah or the divine Majesty; the encampment of the Levites round about; and from thence to the end was the camp of the standards to the four winds which was the camp of Israel; and the leper was to be put out of them all; so Ben Gersom; see Leviticus 13:46

and everyone that hath an issue; a gonorrhoea man or woman see Leviticus 15:2; according Jarchi such an one might be in the camp of Israel but was to be put out of the other two camps:

and whosoever is defiled by the dead; by attending the funerals of the dead or touching them see Leviticus 21:1; such an one might go into the camp of the Levites according to Jarchi and Ben Gersom; and was to be put of none but the camp of the Shechinah or the tabernacle; but the camp of Israel seems to be meant of them all out of which they were to be put as an emblem of the rejection of all impure persons out of the church of God.

 

Numbers 5:3   3 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.”

   YLT  3from 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.'

Both male and female shall ye put out .... Whether leprous or profluvious or defiled by touching a dead carcass: by this law Miriam when leprous was put out of the camp Numbers 12:14

without the camp shall ye put them; which is repeated that it might be taken notice of and punctually observed:

that they defile not their camps; of which there were four the camps of Judah Reuben Ephraim and Dan:

in the midst whereof I dwell; for the tabernacle which was the dwelling place of the Lord was in the midst of the camps of Israel; they were pitched on the four quarters of it; and this is a reason why impure persons were not suffered to be in the camp of Israel because of the presence of God in the tabernacle so near them to whom all impurity is loathsome and not to be permitted in his sight; and though this was ceremonial it was typical of the uncleanness of sin which is abominable to him and renders persons unfit for communion with him and with his people.

 

Numbers 5:4   4 And the children of Israel did so and put them outside the camp; as the Lord spoke to Moses so the children of Israel did.

   YLT  4And the sons of Israel do so and they send them out unto the outside of the camp; as Jehovah hath spoken unto Moses so have the sons of Israel done.

And the children of Israel did so and put them without the camp .... Aben Ezra observes that this was done immediately before they journeyed and that those that were defiled journeyed between the standard of Ephraim and the standard of Dan; but this he says was by way of conjecture since it is not expressed:

as the Lord spake unto Moses so did the children of Israel; they were obedient in this particular.

 

Numbers 5:5   5 Then the Lord spoke to Moses saying

   YLT  5And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses saying

And the Lord spake unto Moses .... Or continued to speak to him at the same time:

saying; as follows.

 

Numbers 5:6   6 “Speak to the children of Israel: ‘When a man or woman commits any sin that men commit in unfaithfulness against the Lord and that person is guilty

   YLT  6`Speak unto the sons of Israel Man or woman when they do any of the sins of man by committing a trespass against Jehovah and that person [is] guilty

Speak unto the children of Israel .... Put them in mind of the following law that they observe it; and which is here repeated because of two new things in it as Jarchi observes the one relates to confession teaching that there is no fifth part nor trespass offering by witnesses till a man confesses the thing; and the other is concerning taking anything away by violence from a proselyte which is to be given to the priests; see the original law in Leviticus 6:1

when a man or woman shall commit any sin that men commit; or "any of the sins of men"F5מכל חטאת האדם "ex omnibus peccatis hominis" Montanus. which are commonly done by men and men are subject to through the infirmity of the flesh and the temptations of Satan; or "any sin against man"F6"Ex omnibus peccatis contra hominem" Tigurine version; so Patrick. so some as this referred to is expressly said to be Numbers 5:7

to do a trespass against the Lord; for every sin against man is also against the Lord being a breach of his command; as David's sin against Uriah was a sin against the Lord Psalm 51:4; though the Jews understand it particularly of lying and swearing falsely appealing to God and calling him to be a witness to a falsehood; and so the Targum of Onkelos seems to interpret it:

and the person be guilty; and knows he is so and even knew it when he took an oath to the contrary; see Leviticus 6:3.

 

Numbers 5:7   7 then he shall confess the sin which he has committed. He shall make restitution for his trespass in full plus one-fifth of it and give it to the one he has wronged.

   YLT  7and they have confessed their sin which they have done then he hath restored his guilt in its principal and its fifth is adding to it and hath given [it] to him in reference to whom he hath been guilty.

Then they shall confess their sin which they have done .... The form of which confession according to Fagius was O Lord I am guilty of death I have deserved to be stoned for this sin or to be strangled for this trespass or to be burnt for this crime &c.

and he shall recompense his trespass with the principal thereof and add unto it the fifth part thereof; paying the whole of whatsoever he had in any manner defrauded his neighbour of to which he was to add a fifth part of that; that is as Aben Ezra interprets it it he confesses of himself but if there are witnesses of it he must add two fifths and some say a fifth of a fifth:

and give it unto him against whom he hath trespassed; as a satisfaction for the injury done him.

 

Numbers 5:8   8 But if the man has no relative to whom restitution may be made for the wrong the restitution for the wrong must go to the Lord for the priest in addition to the ram of the atonement with which atonement is made for him.

   YLT  8`And if the man have no redeemer to restore the guilt to the guilt which is restored [is] Jehovah's the priest's apart from the ram of the atonements whereby he maketh atonement for him.

But if a man have no kinsman to recompense the trespass to .... This supposes that if a man should die against whom the trespass is before the restitution is made then it shall be made to his heirs; and if he has none then it was to be given to the priest as after directed: the JewsF7Maimon. & Bartenora in Misn. Bava Kama c. 9. sect. 11. Jarchi in loc. generally understand this of a proselyte that has no heirs for they say there is no Israelite but has kinsmen a brother or a son or some one or other near of kin to him of his father's family even up to Jacob:

let the trespass be recompensed unto the Lord even to the priest; that is let the principal with the fifth part which is the recompence for the trespass committed be given to the priest of the Lord which is the same as if it was given to him he being his minister:

beside the ram of the atonement whereby an atonement shall be made for him; which in this case was ordered to be offered for the expiation of the trespass see Leviticus 6:6; the Jewish canon is "he that takes away anything by force from a proselyte and swears to him and he (the proselyte) dies lo he shall pay the principal and the fifth to the priests and the trespass offering to the altar as it is said "if a man has no kinsman" &c. when he brings the money and the trespass offering and he is dead the money shall be given to his sons but the trespass offering (the ram) shall feed until it contracts some blemish and then it shall be sold and the price of it shall fall to the freewill offeringsF8Misn. Bava Kama ib. .'

 

Numbers 5:9   9 Every offering of all the holy things of the children of Israel which they bring to the priest shall be his.

   YLT  9`And every heave-offering of all the holy things of the sons of Israel which they bring near to the priest becometh his;

And every offering of all the holy things of the children of Israel .... Of the holy sacrifices brought by them to be offered up; that part of them which is elevated heaved or waved as the heave shoulder and wave breast:

which they bring unto the priest shall be his; what they bring to him to offer for them shall be his who performs the service even that part of them which is his due.

 

Numbers 5:10   10 And every man’s holy things shall be his; whatever any man gives the priest shall be his.’”

   YLT  10and any man's hallowed things become his; that which any man giveth to the priest becometh his.'

And every man's hallowed things shall be his .... Which he by a vow or freewill offering separates to holy uses; these are at his own dispose to give to what priest he will or they are the priest's; for what a man devotes to the Lord is to be given to them or such things as God has hallowed sanctified and set apart for sacred uses as the firstfruits and tithes they were the priests'; the Jewish writersF9Targ. Jon. Siphri & Midrash in Jarchi in loc. restrain it to tithes:

whatsoever any man giveth the priest it shall be his; his personally who officiates or to whom the gift is given and is not to be divided among the other priests in the course.

 

Numbers 5:11   11 And the Lord spoke to Moses saying

   YLT  11And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses saying

And the Lord spake unto Moses .... At the same time and delivered to him a new law:

saying; as follows.

 

Numbers 5:12   12 “Speak to the children of Israel and say to them: ‘If any man’s wife goes astray and behaves unfaithfully toward him

   YLT  12`Speak unto the sons of Israel and thou hast said unto them When any man's wife turneth aside and hath committed against him a trespass

Speak unto the children of Israel and say unto them .... It being an affair which concerned them:

if any man's wife go aside and commit a trespass against him; the sin of adultery which is a going aside out of the way of virtue and chastity and a trespass against an husband a breach of the marriage covenant with him a defiling his bed doing an injury and dishonour to him bringing confusion into his family and a spurious offspring to possess his substance: though this is to be understood not of certain adultery of which there is plain and full proof for then there would be no occasion of such a trial as is afterwards directed to; besides her husband in such a case might put her away and even according to the law she was to be put to death Leviticus 20:10; but of her having committed it in the opinion of her husband he having some ground of suspicion though he could not be certain of it; and therefore by this law was allowed to make trial that he might find it out it at present only a suspected case and a doubtful one; and the JewsF11Bemidbar Rabba sect. 9. fol. 195. 2. say "they never gave the waters drink but in a doubtful case:'and so this may interpreted of her declining and departing from her husband's house not keeping at home to mind the affairs of her family but gadding abroad and keeping company with another man or other men; and that after she had been warned and charged by her husband to the contrary and so had disobeyed him and acted contrary to his will; and in that sense had committed a trespass and so had given him suspicion of her unchastity for which he might have some reason; if as it is said in the MisnahF12Sotah c. 1. sect. 1 2. he gave her an admonition before two witnesses saying have no talk with such a man and yet she talks with him; or as the commentators addF13Maimon. & Bartenora in Misn. Bava Kama c. 9. sect. 11. be not secretly or in private with such an one and yet goes into a private place with him and stays so long with him that she may be defiled; this with them rendered her suspected.

 

Numbers 5:13   13 and a man lies with her carnally and it is hidden from the eyes of her husband and it is concealed that she has defiled herself and there was no witness against her nor was she caught—

   YLT  13and a man hath lain with her [with] the seed of copulation and it hath been hid from the eyes of her husband and concealed and she hath been defiled and there is no witness against her and she hath not been caught

And a man lie with her carnally .... That is is suspected that he has so done not that it is a clear case for it follows:

and it be hid from the eyes of her husband and be kept close; so that it is not known by her husband nor by any other; "she hath hid herself" so Ainsworth being in a private place with another man though warned to the contrary by her husband:

and she be defiled and there be no witness against her; of her being defiled though there may be of her being in private with such a man:

neither she be taken with the manner; or in the act of uncleanness.

 

Numbers 5:14   14 if the spirit of jealousy comes upon him and he becomes jealous of his wife who has defiled herself; or if the spirit of jealousy comes upon him and he becomes jealous of his wife although she has not defiled herself—

   YLT  14and a spirit of jealousy hath passed over him and he hath been jealous of his wife and she hath been defiled; -- or a spirit of jealousy hath passed over him and he hath been jealous of his wife and she hath not been defiled –

And the spirit of jealousy come upon him .... A thought rises up in his mind a strong suspicion works in him which he cannot resist and throw off but it remains with him and makes him very uneasy that his wife has defiled his bed as it follows:

and he be jealous of his wife and she be defiled; that his wife is defiled by a man; and which is the real case as it afterwards appears though at present he is not certain only has a suspicion of it:

or if the spirit of jealousy come upon him and he be jealous of his wife and she be not defiled; it is mere jealousy and suspicion without any foundation for it; and his wife proved a chaste and virtuous woman; yet be it which it would he being jealous the following law was to take place and the following rules to be observed.

 

Numbers 5:15   15 then the man shall bring his wife to the priest. He shall bring the offering required for her one-tenth of an ephah of barley meal; he shall pour no oil on it and put no frankincense on it because it is a grain offering of jealousy an offering for remembering for bringing iniquity to remembrance.

   YLT  15`Then hath the man brought in his wife unto the priest and he hath brought in her offering for her a tenth of the ephah of barley meal he doth not pour on it oil nor doth he put on it frankincense for it [is] a present of jealousy a present of memorial causing remembrance of iniquity.

Then shall the man bring his wife unto the priest .... Not to the high priest but to a common priest anyone then officiating in his course; for there was a jealousy offering to be offered up before the Lord upon the altar which none but a priest might do; and besides the whole process in this affair was to be carried on by him: according to the MisnahF14Ut supra (Misn. Bava Kama c. 9.) sect. 3 4. the man brought his wife first to the sanhedrim or court of judicature in the place where he lived; before whom as MaimonidesF15Hilchot Sotah c. 3. sect. 1. says he proved by witnesses that he had warned his wife of being in private with such a man and yet she had done it again; and whereas she insisted on her chastity he desired that the bitter waters might be given her that the truth might appear; and then they sent him with two disciples of the wise men to the great sanhedrim at Jerusalem where the trial was made; who in order to bring her too confession endeavoured to terrify her as they do persons in capital cases and finding this wilt not do then they used smooth words saying my daughter perhaps much wine was the occasion of it or much laughter &c.

and he shall bring her offering for her: not the priest but her husband and that whether he is willing or not as Aben Ezra; who also observes that it may be interpreted with her or for her sake not to make any expiation for any fault of his that when he first observed her immodesty did not reprove her; for the offering though brought by him was not his but his wife's and not to expiate her sin but to bring it to remembrance as is after expressed:

the tenth part of an ephah of barley meal; which was an omer Exodus 16:36 the quantity of manna for one man every day Exodus 16:16 and the quantity of flour in the daily meat offering Exodus 29:40; only that was of fine wheaten flour; this of barley the food of beasts as the Targum of Jonathan remarks; and R. Gamaliel in the MisnahF16Sotah c. 2. sect. 1. says that as her deed was the deed of a beast so her offering was the food of a beast; and this is observed by Jarchi and Aben Ezra on the text as the reason of barley being used in this offering: some say it was a symbol of her impudence others of her being little at home as the barley is not long under groundF17Apud Muis. in loc. ; the true reason it may be was for her humiliation being vile and mean hence it follows:

he shall pour no oil upon it nor put frankincense thereon; as used to be oft meat offerings denoting their acceptableness to God Leviticus 2:1; the reason seems to be because these were tokens of joy and gladness whereas this was a mournful affair to the husband that he should have any cause of suspicion and jealousy to the wife that she should be suspected and to the whole family on that account:

for it is an offering of jealousy an offering of memorial bringing iniquity to remembrance; if guilty of it and therefore oil and frankincense were forbidden in this kind of offering as in a sin offering Leviticus 5:11.

 

Numbers 5:16   16 ‘And the priest shall bring her near and set her before the Lord.

   YLT  16`And the priest hath brought her near and hath caused her to stand before Jehovah

And the priest shall bring her near .... Or "offer it" as the Vulgate Latin version that is the offering of jealousy:

and set her before the Lord; or "it" the offering; for which the Tigurine version is more express "let the priest offer that sacrifice and set that before the Lord 'for the setting of the woman before the Lord is spoken of in Numbers 5:18.

 

Numbers 5:17   17 The priest shall take holy water in an earthen vessel and take some of the dust that is on the floor of the tabernacle and put it into the water.

   YLT  17and the priest hath taken holy water in an earthen vessel and of the dust which is on the floor of the tabernacle doth the priest take and hath put [it] into the water

And the priest shall take holy water .... Out of the laver as the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan and so Jarchi and Aben Ezra:

in an earthen vessel; which held half a log and that was but a quarter of a pint or three egg shells; for no more was assigned to a suspected woman according to the MisnahF18Sotah c. 2. sect. 2. Menachot c. 9. sect. 3. . Some say only a fourth part: an earthen vessel was made use of as everything vile and mean was in this affair:

and of the dust that is in the floor of the tabernacle the priest shall take and put it into the water; first the water was put in and then the dust as Ben Gersom observes: there was a place a cubit square where was a marble table and a ring fixed in it and when he lifted it up he took dust from under it and put it so as it might be upon the top of the waterF19Sotah c. 2. sect. 2. ; which was used either as the Targum of Jonathan suggests because the end of all flesh is to come to dust and so to put her in mind of her original and her end; and in like manner the earthen vessel might signify that she would be broke to pieces as that vessel; as also it might direct her thoughts to the tempter by the influence of whose temptation she had been drawn into this sin dust being the serpent's food; and this being taken off the floor of the tabernacle might add to the veneration of it and make it more solemn and awful to drink of it.

 

Numbers 5:18   18 Then the priest shall stand the woman before the Lord uncover the woman’s head and put the offering for remembering in her hands which is the grain offering of jealousy. And the priest shall have in his hand the bitter water that brings a curse.

   YLT  18and the priest hath caused the woman to stand before Jehovah and hath uncovered the woman's head and hath given into her hands the present of the memorial it [is] a present of jealousy and in the hand of the priest are the bitter waters which cause the curse.

And the priest shall set the woman before the Lord .... In the east of the tabernacle with her face to the west where was the holy of holies so Ben Gersom; but not immediately for they had her from place to place as Jarchi says till she was weary and her mind disturbed that she might confess; and if she said I am defiled she rent the writing of her dowry and went out; but if she said I am pure they brought her to the eastern gate the gate of Nicanor for there they made women suspected of adultery to drink the watersF20Sotah c. 1. sect. 5. :

and uncover the woman's head; as a token of her immodesty and non-subjection to her husband and that she might be seen by all to cause shame in her: according to the MisnahF21Sotah c. 1. sect. 5 6. the priest took off her clothes and loosed her hair--if she was clothed with white garments he clothed her with black; if she had on her ornaments of gold chains earrings or rings he took them away from her that she might be unseemly and whoever would might come and look at her:

and put the offering of memorial into her hands which is the jealousy offering; to weary her as Jarchi says that if perhaps her mind was disturbed she would confess; and so in the MisnahF23Sotah c. 2. sect. 1. it is said that her husband put this offering into her hands to weary her; but the true reason here seems to be that it might appear to be her own offering:

and the priest shall have in his hand the bitter water that causeth the curse; not that the water was bitter of itself for it was the water out of the laver and had nothing in it but the dust of the floor of the tabernacle; though some think some bitter thing was put into it so Ben Gersom as wormwood; but it is so called from the effects of it on those that were guilty; it produced sad effects in them bitter and distressing and made them appear to be accursed ones for it was not bitter till it entered Numbers 5:24; whereas it was not so to the innocent nor attended with any such consequence to them; so that there was nothing in the water itself but its efficacy was divine and supernatural.

 

Numbers 5:19   19 And the priest shall put her under oath and say to the woman “If no man has lain with you and if you have not gone astray to uncleanness while under your husband’s authority be free from this bitter water that brings a curse.

   YLT  19`And the priest hath caused her to swear and hath said unto the woman If no man hath lain with thee and if thou hast not turned aside [to] uncleanness under thy husband be free from these bitter waters which cause the curse;

And the priest shall charge her by an oath .... Or give her her oath:

and say unto the woman if no man hath lain with thee: besides her husband:

and thou hast not gone aside to uncleanness with another instead of thy husband; which is but another phrase expressive of the same thing the sin of adultery:

be thou free from this bitter water that causeth the curse; if this is the case it shall produce no bitter effects or bring any curse upon thee.

 

Numbers 5:20   20 But if you have gone astray while under your husband’s authority and if you have defiled yourself and some man other than your husband has lain with you”—

   YLT  20and thou if thou hast turned aside under thy husband and if thou hast been defiled and any man doth give his copulation to thee besides thy husband –

But if thou hast gone aside to another instead of thy husband .... Gone aside from the paths of modesty and chastity and betook herself to another man's bed instead of her husband's:

and if thou be defiled by committing adultery:

and some man hath lain with thee beside thy husband; these phrases are all synonymous and a heap of words are made use of to express the sin and that there might be no evasion of it and that it might be clear what was intended this being said on oath.

 

Numbers 5:21   21 then the priest shall put the woman under the oath of the curse and he shall say to the woman—“the Lord make you a curse and an oath among your people when the Lord makes your thigh rot and your belly swell;

   YLT  21(then the priest hath caused the woman to swear with an oath of execration and the priest hath said to the woman) -- Jehovah doth give thee for an execration and for a curse in the midst of thy people in Jehovah's giving thy thigh to fall and thy belly to swell

Then the priest shall charge the woman with an oath of cursing .... An oath which has a curse annexed to it if taken falsely which was to be pronounced upon the woman if guilty:

and the priest shall say unto the woman; pronouncing the imprecation or curse upon her she having taken the oath should she be guilty of the crime suspected of and she had swore concerning:

the Lord make thee a curse and an oath among the people; accursed according to the oath taken; or let this be the form of an oath and imprecation used by the people saying if I have done so and so let me be accursed as such a woman or let not that happen to me as did to such a woman so Jarchi:

when the Lord doth make thy thigh to rot and thy belly to swell; upon drinking the bitter waters; but though these things followed upon that yet not as the natural cause of them for they are ascribed to the Lord and to a supernatural and miraculous power of his which went along with the drinking of them.

 

Numbers 5:22   22 and may this water that causes the curse go into your stomach and make your belly swell and your thigh rot.” ‘Then the woman shall say “Amen so be it.”

   YLT  22and these waters which cause the curse have gone into thy bowels to cause the belly to swell and the thigh to fall; and the woman hath said Amen Amen.

And this water that causeth the curse .... Upon the drinking of which the curse follows if guilty:

shall go into thy bowels; and there operate and produce the above effects which are repeated again to inject terror:

to make thy belly to swell and thy thigh to rot; here ends the form of the oath which begins Numbers 5:19

and the woman shall say amen amen; so be it; let it be as pronounced if I am guilty; which as Aben Ezra observes is repeated for the sake of confirmation; though the Jewish writers commonly understand it as respecting various things the oath and the curse the thing charged with and the persons suspected ofF24Misn. ib. sect. 5. Targum Jon. & Jerus. & Jarchi in loc. .

 

Numbers 5:23   23 ‘Then the priest shall write these curses in a book and he shall scrape them off into the bitter water.

   YLT  23`And the priest hath written these execrations in a book and hath blotted [them] out with the bitter waters

And the priest shall write these curses in a book .... The above curses imprecated on herself by an oath; the words and the letters of them were written at length in a scroll of parchment; and as some say also her name but not her double amen to themF25Misnah ut supra (Sotah c. 2) sect. 3. :

and he shall blot them out with the bitter water: wash them out with it and into it or scrape them off of the parchment into it.

 

Numbers 5:24   24 And he shall make the woman drink the bitter water that brings a curse and the water that brings the curse shall enter her to become bitter.

   YLT  24and hath caused the woman to drink the bitter waters which cause the curse and the waters which cause the curse have entered into her for bitter things.

And he shall cause the woman to drink the bitter water that causeth the curse ..... Having the curse imprecated upon herself if guilty scraped into it; and this she was obliged to drink whether she would or not; so it is said if the roll is blotted out and she says I am defiled the water is poured out and her offering is scattered in the place of ashes; if the roll is blotted out and she says I will not drink then force her and make her drink whether she will or noF26Misnah ut supra (Sotah) c. 3. sect. 3. :

and the water that causeth the curse shall enter into her and become bitter; produce the sad and bitter effects mentioned.

 

Numbers 5:25   25 Then the priest shall take the grain offering of jealousy from the woman’s hand shall wave the offering before the Lord and bring it to the altar;

   YLT  25`And the priest hath taken out of the hand of the woman the present of jealousy and hath waved the present before Jehovah and hath brought it near unto the altar;

Then the priest shall take the jealousy offering out of the woman's hand .... Which she was obliged to hold in her hand while the above rites and ceremonies were performed; which was very heavy being an omer of barley flour a measure about three quarts which was put into an Egyptian basket made of small palm tree twigs: and this was put into her hands to weary her as before observed that having her mind distressed she might the sooner confess her crime:

and shall wave the offering before the Lord: backwards and forwards upwards and downwards as Jarchi; who also observes that the woman waved with him for her hand was above the hand of the priest so the tradition is "he (her husband) took her offering out of the Egyptian basket and put it into a ministering vessel and gave it into her hand and the priest put his hand under hers and waved itF1Misnah ut supra (Sotah) c. 3. sect. 1. :"

and offer it upon the altar: this was the bringing of it to the southwest corner of the altar as Jarchi says before he took a handful out of it as in other meat offerings.

 

Numbers 5:26   26 and the priest shall take a handful of the offering as its memorial portion burn it on the altar and afterward make the woman drink the water.

   YLT  26and the priest hath taken a handful of the present its memorial and hath made perfume on the altar and afterwards doth cause the woman to drink the water:

And the priest shall take an handful of the offering even the memorial thereof .... For good or evil according as her works were as Aben Ezra observes; a memorial for good if innocent and a memorial for evil if guilty:

and burn it upon the altar; as the handful of other meat offerings used to be Leviticus 1:2

and afterwards shall cause the woman to drink the water; oblige her to it; having proceeded thus far and no confession made namely an oath taken the curses of it written in a scroll and scraped into the waters and the jealousy offering waved and offered.

 

Numbers 5:27   27 When he has made her drink the water then it shall be if she has defiled herself and behaved unfaithfully toward her husband that the water that brings a curse will enter her and become bitter and her belly will swell her thigh will rot and the woman will become a curse among her people.

   YLT  27yea he hath caused her to drink the water and it hath come to pass if she hath been defiled and doth commit a trespass against her husband that the waters which cause the curse have gone into her for bitter things and her belly hath swelled and her thigh hath fallen and the woman hath become an execration in the midst of her people.

And when he hath made her to drink the water .... For as before observed and here by Jarchi again if she says I will not drink it after the roll is blotted out they oblige her and make her drink it whether she will or not unless she says I am defiled:

then it shall come to pass that if she be defiled and have done trespass against her husband; or has committed adultery:

that the water that causeth the curse shall enter into her and become bitter; the water drank by her and having the curses scraped into it shall enter into her and operate and produce bitter and dreadful effects:

and her belly shall swell and her thigh shall rot; not through any natural virtue in the water or what is put into it either the dust of the floor of the tabernacle or the scrapings of the parchment roll these could have no physical influence to produce such effects; but they must be ascribed to a supernatural cause the power and curse of God attending this draught. A certain Jewish writerF2R. Samuel Tzartzah Mekor Chayim fol. 91. 3. says though very falsely that the priest put poison into the water which produced such effects; but then how could an innocent woman escape the effects of it? that must be allowed to be miraculous and supernatural was it so; but there is no manner of reason to believe that anything of this kind was put into it The Jews sayF3Misn. Sotah c. 3. sect. 4. as soon or before she had made an end of drinking: the water the effects appeared; her face turned pale immediately her eyes bolted out and she was filled with veins her body swelled and they called out Cast her out cast her out that she may not defile the court. And the text seems to intimate as if the operation was immediate; yea moreover they sayF4Ibid. c. 5. sect. 1. that as the waters searched her so they searched him (the adulterer) because it is said twice "shall enter shall enter"; and that the same effects appeared in him as in her but in neither unless the husband was innocent; for if he was not pure from the same sin himself the waters would not search his wifeF5T. Bab. Sotah fol. 28. 1. Gersom in loc. hence they sayF6Misn. Sotah c. 2. sect. 9. when adulterers increased (under the second temple) the bitter waters ceased according to Hosea 4:14; see Matthew 12:39. This practice has been imitated by the Heathens; the river Rhine according to Julian the emperorF7Orat. 2. p. 151. Ep. 16. p. 131. tried the legitimacy of children; and so lakes have been used for the trial of perjury and unchastity as the Stygian lake for perjury and another of the same name near Ephesus for unchastity; into which if persons suspected of adultery descended having the form of an oath hanging about their necks if they were pure the waters stood unmoved but if corrupt they swelled up to their necks and covered the tablet on which the oath was writtenF8Vid. Salden. Otia l. 1. Exercitat. 6. sect. 24. . The priestesses of a certain deity being obliged to live a single life were tried by drinking bullocks' blood upon which if false to their oath and corrupt they immediately died as PausaniasF9Achaica sive l. 7. p. 450. relates; and MacrobiusF11Saturnal. l. 5. c. 19. speaks of some lakes in Sicily the inhabitants called the Cups to which recourse was had when persons were suspected of any ill and where an oath was taken of them; if the person swore truly he departed unhurt but if falsely he immediately lost his life in the lake. PhilostratusF12Vita Apollonii l. 1. c. 4. relates of a water near Tyana a city in Cappadocia sacred to Jupiter which the inhabitants call Asbamaea which to those that kept their oaths was placid and sweet but to perjured persons the reverse; it affected their eyes hands and feet and seized them with dropsies and consumptions; nor could they depart from the water but remained by it mourning their sad case and confessing their perjury: but what comes nearest to this usage of the Jews is a custom at marriages among the savages at Cape BretonF13Genuine Letters and Memoirs relating to the Isle of Cape Breton &c. : at a marriage feast two dishes of meat are brought to the bridegroom and bride in two "ouragans" (basins made of the bark of a tree) and the president of the feast addresses himself to the bride thus "and thou that art upon the point of entering into a respectable state know that the nourishment thou art going to take forebodes the greatest calamities to thee if thy heart is capable of harbouring any ill design against thy husband or against thy nation: shouldest thou ever be led astray by the caresses of a stranger; or shouldest thou betray thy husband and thy country the victuals contained in this "ouragan" will have the effects of a slow poison with which thou wilt be tainted from this very instant; but if on the other hand thou remainest faithful to thy husband and to thy country if thou wilt never insult the one for his defect nor give a description of the other to the enemy thou wilt find this nourishment both agreeable and wholesome.'Now if these relations can be credited then much more this of the bitter waters for though there was something wonderful and supernatural in them yet nothing incredible:

and the woman shall be a curse among her people: the time she lives; but then all this while she was looked upon as an accursed person and despised and shunned by all.

 

Numbers 5:28   28 But if the woman has not defiled herself and is clean then she shall be free and may conceive children.

   YLT  28`And if the woman hath not been defiled and is clean then she hath been acquitted and hath been sown [with] seed.

And if the woman be not defiled but be clean .... If she is not guilty of adultery but pure from that sin:

then she shall be free; from the effects of the bitter water; they shall have no such influence upon her but she shall be as soured and healthful as ever; nay the Jewish writers say more so that if she had any sickness or disease upon her she would now be freed from itF14Maimon. Hilchot Sotah c. 3. sect. 22. ; the Targum of Jonathan has it her splendour shall shine the brightness and beauty of her countenance:

and shall conceive seed; a man child as the same Targum; and the Jewish writers say if she was barren before now she would be fruitful; but no more is meant by it than that her husband should receive her gladly and she should live comfortably with him hereafter and the blessing of God would be upon her which would still be a confirmation of her chastity.

 

Numbers 5:29   29 ‘This is the law of jealousy when a wife while under her husband’s authority goes astray and defiles herself

   YLT  29`This [is] the law of jealousies when a wife turneth aside under her husband and hath been defiled

This is the law of jealousies .... Which was appointed by God to deter wives from adultery and preserve the people of Israel the worshippers of him from having a spurious brood among them; and to keep husbands from being cruel to their wives they might be jealous of and to protect virtue and innocence and to detect lewdness committed in the most secret manner; whereby God gave proof of his omniscience that he had knowledge of the most private acts of uncleanness and was the avenger of all such. The reasons why such a law was not made equally in favour of women as of men are supposed to be these: because of the greater authority of the man over the woman which would seem to be lessened if such a power was granted her; because marriage was not so much hurt or so much damage came to families by the adultery of men as of women; because women are more apt to be suspicious than men and in those times more prone to adultery through their eager desire of children that they might not lie under reproachF15Vid. Salden. ut supra (Otia l. 1. Exercitat. 6.) sect. 19. :

when a wife goeth aside to another instead of her husband and is defiled; is suspected of going aside to another man and is supposed to be defiled by him.

 

Numbers 5:30   30 or when the spirit of jealousy comes upon a man and he becomes jealous of his wife; then he shall stand the woman before the Lord and the priest shall execute all this law upon her.

   YLT  30or when a spirit of jealousy passeth over a man and he hath been jealous of his wife then he hath caused the woman to stand before Jehovah and the priest hath done to her all this law

Or when the spirit of jealousy cometh upon him and he be jealous over his wife .... See Gill on Numbers 5:14

and shall set the woman before the Lord; has carried the matter so far as to bring his wife to the priest or civil magistrate and declare his suspicion and the ground of it:

and the priest shall execute upon her all this law; he shall proceed according to the law and perform every rite and ceremony required; nor could any stop be put to it unless the woman owned she was defiled.

 

Numbers 5:31   31 Then the man shall be free from iniquity but that woman shall bear her guilt.’”

   YLT  31and the man hath been acquitted from iniquity and that woman doth bear her iniquity.'

Then shall the man be guiltless from iniquity .... Which otherwise he would not by conniving at her loose way of living and not reproving her for it and bringing her either to repentance or punishment; and retaining and encouraging jealousy in his mind without declaring it and his reasons for it: the sense of the passage seems to be that when a man had any ground for his suspicion and jealousy and he proceeded according as this law directs whether his wife was guilty or not guilty no sin was chargeable on him or blame to be laid to him or punishment inflicted on him:

and the woman shall bear her iniquity; the punishment of it through the effects of the bitter waters upon her if guilty; nor was her husband chargeable with her death she justly brought it on herself: or if not guilty yet as she had by some unbecoming behaviour raised such a suspicion in him nor would she be reclaimed though warned to the contrary she for it justly bore the infamy of such a process; which was such as Maimonides saysF16Moreh Nevochim par. 3. c. 49. p. 499. that innocent women would give all that they had to escape it and reckoned death itself more agreeable than that as to be served as such a woman was; See Gill on Numbers 5:18.

 

──John Gill’s Exposition of the Bible