Numbers 5:9-19

9 '¹Also every contribution pertaining to all the holy gifts of the sons of Israel, which they offer to the priest, shall be his.

10 'So every man's holy gifts shall be his; whatever any man gives to the priest, it ²becomes his.' "

The Adultery Test

11 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

12 "Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, 'If any man's wife ³goes astray and is unfaithful to him,

13 and a man has ⁴intercourse * with her and it is hidden from the eyes of her husband and she is undetected, although she has defiled herself, and there is no witness against her and she has not been caught in the act,

14 if a spirit of ⁵jealousy comes over him and he is jealous of his wife when she has defiled herself, or if a spirit of jealousy comes over him and he is jealous of his wife when she has not defiled herself,

15 the man shall then bring his wife to the priest, and shall bring as an offering for her one-tenth of an ephah of barley meal; he shall not pour oil on it nor put frankincense on it, for it is a grain offering of jealousy, a grain offering of memorial, ⁶a reminder of iniquity.

16 'Then the priest shall bring her near and have her stand before the LORD,

17 and the priest shall take holy water in an earthenware vessel; and he shall take some of the dust that is on the floor of the tabernacle and put it into the water.

18 'The priest shall then have the woman stand before the LORD and let the hair of the woman's head go loose, and place the grain offering of memorial in her hands, which is the grain offering of jealousy, and in the hand of the priest is to be the water of bitterness that brings a curse.

19 'The priest shall have her take an oath and shall say to the woman, "If no man has lain with you and if you have not ⁷gone astray into uncleanness, being under the authority of your husband, be immune to this water of bitterness that brings a curse;

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Numbers 5:9-19 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO NUMBERS 5

This chapter contains a repetition of some former laws, concerning putting unclean persons out of the camp, Nu 5:1-4; making restitution in case of trespass against another, Nu 5:5-8; and of giving the offering of all holy things and all hallowed things to the priests, Nu 5:9,10; and a new law concerning jealousy, in a man, of his wife, Nu 5:11-14; when she was to be brought to the priest, and various rites and ceremonies to be used, Nu 5:15-23; 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, Nu 5:24-31.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Cross References 7

1. Leviticus 7:32, 34; Leviticus 10:14, 15
2. Leviticus 10:13
3. Num 5:19-21, 29
4. Leviticus 18:20; Leviticus 20:10
5. Proverbs 6:34; Song of Songs 8:6
6. 1 Kings 17:18; Ezekiel 29:16
7. Numbers 5:12

Footnotes 8

[a]. Lit "heave offering"
[b]. Lit "concealed"
[c]. Lit "and"
[d]. Lit "her"
[e]. I.e. Approx one bu
[f]. Lit "the priest"
[g]. Lit "on her palms"
[h]. Lit "free from"