Numbers 5:14

14 if a spirit of jealousy comes over him, and he is jealous [of] his wife and she is defiled; or if a spirit of jealousy comes over him and he is jealous [of] his wife but she is not defiled,

Numbers 5:14 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 5:14

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 5:14 In-Context

12 "Speak to the {Israelites} and say to them, 'If any man's wife goes astray and acts unfaithfully to him,

13 and a man sleeps with her and ejaculates and it is hidden from the eyes of her husband and she is concealed, although she is defiled, and there is no witness against her and she was not caught,

14 if a spirit of jealousy comes over him, and he is jealous [of] his wife and she is defiled; or if a spirit of jealousy comes over him and he is jealous [of] his wife but she is not defiled,

15 he will bring his wife to the priest. And he will bring her offering for her, one-tenth of an ephah of flour. He will not pour oil on it, and he will not put frankincense on it because [it is] a grain offering of jealousy, a grain offering of remembering, a reminding of guilt.

16 " 'Then the priest will bring her near and present her {before} Yahweh;