51 Then the Lord spoke to Moses , saying , 2 "Command the sons of Israel that they send away from the camp every leper and everyone having a discharge and everyone who is unclean because of a dead person . 3 "You shall send away both male and female ; you shall send them outside e e the camp so that they will not defile their camp where I dwell in their midst ." 4 The sons of Israel did so and sent them outside e e the camp ; just as the Lord had spoken to Moses , thus the sons of Israel did .
5 Then the Lord spoke to Moses , saying , 6 "Speak to the sons of Israel , ' When a man or woman commits any e of the sins of mankind , acting unfaithfully against the Lord , and that person is guilty , 7 then he shall confess his sins which he has committed , and he shall make restitution in full for his wrong and add to it one-fifth of it, and give it to him whom he has wronged . 8 'But if the man has no relative to whom restitution may be made for the wrong , the restitution which is made for the wrong must go to the Lord for the priest , besides e the ram of atonement , by which atonement is made for him. 9 ' Also 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 becomes his.' "
11 Then the Lord spoke to Moses , saying , 12 "Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, 'If any man's wife goes astray and is unfaithful to him, 13 and a man has intercourse e 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 jealousy 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 , a 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 gone astray into uncleanness , being under the authority of your husband , be immune to this water of bitterness that brings a curse ; 20 if you, however, have gone astray , being under the authority of your husband , and if you have defiled yourself and a man other than your husband has had intercourse with you"
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Numbers 5:1-20
Commentary on Numbers 5:1-10
(Read Numbers 5:1-10)
The camp was to be cleansed. The purity of the church must be kept as carefully as the peace and order of it. Every polluted Israelite must be separated. The wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable. The greater profession of religion any house or family makes, the more they are obliged to put away iniquity far from them. If a man overreach or defraud his brother in any matter, it is a trespass against the Lord, who strictly charges and commands us to do justly. What is to be done when a man's awakened conscience charges him with guilt of this kind, though done long ago? He must confess his sin, confess it to God, confess it to his neighbour, and take shame to himself; though it go against him to own himself in a lie, yet he must do it. Satisfaction must be made for the offence done to God, as well as for the loss sustained by the neighbour; restitution in that case is not enough without faith and repentance. While that which is wrongly gotten is knowingly kept, the guilt remains on the conscience, and is not done away by sacrifice or offering, prayers or tears; for it is the same act of sin persisted in. This is the doctrine of right reason, and of the word of God. It detects hypocrites, and directs the tender conscience to proper conduct, which, springing from faith in Christ, will make way for inward peace.
Commentary on Numbers 5:11-31
(Read Numbers 5:11-31)
This law would make the women of Israel watch against giving cause for suspicion. On the other hand, it would hinder the cruel treatment such suspicions might occasion. It would also hinder the guilty from escaping, and the innocent from coming under just suspicion. When no proof could be brought, the wife was called on to make this solemn appeal to a heart-searching God. No woman, if she were guilty, could say "Amen" to the adjuration, and drink the water after it, unless she disbelieved the truth of God, or defied his justice. The water is called the bitter water, because it caused the curse. Thus sin is called an evil and a bitter thing. Let all that meddle with forbidden pleasures, know that they will be bitterness in the latter end. From the whole learn, 1. Secret sins are known to God, and sometimes are strangely brought to light in this life; and that there is a day coming when God will, by Christ, judge the secrets of men according to the gospel, Romans 2:16. 2 In particular, Whoremongers and adulterers God will surely judge. Though we have not now the waters of jealousy, yet we have God's word, which ought to be as great a terror. Sensual lusts will end in bitterness. 3. God will manifest the innocency of the innocent. The same providence is for good to some, and for hurt to others. And it will answer the purposes which God intends.