Numbers 5:11-16

The Test for an Unfaithful Wife

11 Then the LORD said to Moses,

12 “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘If a man’s wife goes astray and is unfaithful to him

13 so that another man has sexual relations with her, and this is hidden from her husband and her impurity is undetected (since there is no witness against her and she has not been caught in the act),

14 and if feelings of jealousy come over her husband and he suspects his wife and she is impure—or if he is jealous and suspects her even though she is not impure—

15 then he is to take his wife to the priest. He must also take an offering of a tenth of an ephah^[a] of barley flour on her behalf. He must not pour olive oil on it or put incense on it, because it is a grain offering for jealousy, a reminder-offering to draw attention to wrongdoing.

16 “ ‘The priest shall bring her and have her stand before the LORD.

Numbers 5:11-16 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.

Cross References

• 1. ver 19-21; S Exodus 20:14
• 2. S Exodus 20:14; Leviticus 18:20; Leviticus 20:10
• 3. ver 30; Proverbs 6:34; Proverbs 27:4; Song of Songs 8:6
• 4. S Exodus 16:36
• 5. S Leviticus 6:20
• 6. ver 18,25
• 7. Ezekiel 21:23; Ezekiel 29:16

Footnotes

• [a]. That is, probably about 3 1/2 pounds or about 1.6 kilograms