Numbers 5:7-17

7 then they shall confess their sin which they have done, and he shall recompense his guilt with the principal thereof and add unto it the fifth part thereof and give it unto him against whom he is guilty.
8 But if that man has no redeemer to recompense the trespass unto, let the trespass be recompensed unto the LORD, even to the priest, beside the ram of the reconciliations, whereby reconciliation shall be made for him.
9 And every offering of all the holy things of the sons of Israel, which they bring unto the priest, shall be his.
10 And every man’s sanctified things shall be his; likewise whatever any man gives the priest, it shall be his.
11 And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,
12 Speak unto the sons of Israel and say unto them, If any man’s wife goes astray and betrays him,
13 and a man lies with her carnally, and it is hid from the eyes of her husband because she contaminated herself in secret, and there is no witness against her, neither was she taken in the act;
14 if a spirit of jealousy should come upon him, and he becomes jealous of his wife, and she is defiled; or if a spirit of jealousy comes upon him, and he becomes jealous of his wife, and she is not defiled,
15 then shall the man bring his wife unto the priest, and he shall bring her offering for her, the tenth part of an ephah of barley meal; he shall pour no oil upon it, nor put frankincense thereon; for it is a present of jealousy, a present of remembrance, which brings iniquity to memory.
16 And the priest shall bring her near and set her before the LORD.
17 Then the priest shall take holy water in an earthen vessel; and of the dust that is in the floor of the tabernacle the priest shall take and put it into the water.

Numbers 5:7-17 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.

The Jubilee Bible (from the Scriptures of the Reformation), edited by Russell M. Stendal, Copyright © 2000, 2001, 2010