1Und Jehovah redete zu Mose und sprach: 2Gebiete den Söhnen Israels, daß sie jeden Aussätzigen und jeden mit einem Fluß Behafteten und alle durch Tote Verunreinigte aus dem Lager senden sollen. 3Vom Männlichen bis zum Weiblichen sollt ihr entsenden, aus dem Lager sollt ihr sie entsenden; daß sie euer Lager nicht verunreinigen, in deren Mitte Ich wohne. 4Und die Söhne Israels taten so, und entsandten sie aus dem Lager. Wie Jehovah zu Mose geredet hatte, also taten die Söhne Israels. 5Und Jehovah redete mit Mose und sprach: 6Rede zu den Söhnen Israel: So ein Mann oder ein Weib eine der menschlichen Sünden tut und damit eine Untreue gegen Jehovah begeht, so ist solche Seele verschuldet. 7Und sie sollen ihre Sünde, die sie taten, bekennen, und er soll die Hauptsumme der Schuld zurückgeben und ein Fünftel dazutun, und es dem geben, an dem er es verschuldet hat. 8Und hat der Mann keinen Einlöser, an den die Schuld zurückgegeben werden könnte, so sei die zurückzugebende Schuld dem Jehovah, dem Priester, außer dem Widder der Sühne, womit er ihn sühnt. 9Und jegliche Habe von allem Heiligen der Söhne Israels, das sie dem Priester dar- bringen, sein soll es sein. 10Und so ein Mann etwas heiligt, soll es ihm gehören. Was ein Mann dem Priester gibt, sein soll es sein. 11Und Jehovah redete zu Mose und sprach: 12Rede mit den Söhnen Israels und sprich zu ihnen: Wenn irgendeines Mannes Weib abweicht und Untreue an ihm begeht, 13So daß ein Mann bei ihr liegt und sie besamt, und es ist vor den Augen ihres Mannes verborgen, und sie hat es verheimlicht, daß sie sich verunreinigt hat, und kein Zeuge gegen sie da ist, und sie ist nicht erfaßt worden, 14Und in ihn ist der Geist der Eifersucht übergegangen, und er auf sein Weib eifersüchtig ist, ob sie sich nicht verunreinigt hätte; oder es geht in ihn ein Geist der Eifersucht über, und er ist auf sein Weib eifersüchtig, und sie ist nicht unrein, 15So bringe der Mann sein Weib zu dem Priester, und bringe ihre Opfergabe ihrethalben ein zehntel Epha Gerstenmehl dar, er gieße kein Öl darauf und gebe keinen Weihrauch bei; denn ein Speiseopfer der Eifersucht ist es, ein Speiseopfer der Gedenkung, das einer Missetat gedenken läßt. 16Und der Priester lasse sie nahen und vor Jehovah stehen. 17Und der Priester nehme heiliges Wasser in ein irdenes Gefäß; und von dem Staub, der auf der Flur der Wohnung ist, nehme der Priester und gebe ihn in das Wasser. 18Und der Priester lasse das Weib vor Jehovah stehen und Blöße das Haupt des Weibes, und gebe auf ihre Handflächen das Speiseopfer der Gedenkung. Das Speiseopfer der Eifersuchten ist es; und in der Hand des Priesters seien die bitteren Wasser, die verfluchten. 19Und der Priester beschwöre sie und spreche zu dem Weibe: Hat kein Mann bei dir gelegen und bist du nicht abgewichen zur Unreinheit hinter deinem Manne, so bleibe ungestraft von diesen bitteren Wassern, den verfluchten. 20So du aber abgewichen hinter deinem Manne und dich verunreinigt hast, und ein Mann dich beschlafen hat außer deinem Manne; 21So schwöre der Priester dem Weibe mit einem Schwur der Verwünschung, und spreche der Priester zu dem Weibe: Jehovah wird dich zur Verwünschung und zum Schwur geben inmitten deines Volkes, damit, daß Jehovah deine Hüfte verfallen und den Leib dir schwellen läßt. 22Und es komme dieses verfluchte Wasser in deine Eingeweide, auf daß der Leib dir schwelle und deine Hüfte verfalle. Und das Weib spreche: Amen! Amen! 23Und der Priester schreibe diese Verwünschungen in das Buch, und wische es ab in die bitteren Wasser; 24Und lasse das Weib das bittere verfluchte Wasser trinken, und das verfluchte Wasser komme in sie zur Bitterkeit. 25Und der Priester nehme von der Hand es Weibes das Speiseopfer der Eifersuchten und webe das Speiseopfer vor Jehovah und bringe es dar auf dem Altar. 26Und der Priester nehme eine Handvoll von ihrem Speiseopfer, ihrem Gedenkteil, und zünde es an auf dem Altar, und hierauf lasse er das Weib das Wasser trinken. 27Und hat er ihr das Wasser zu trinken gegeben, dann wird geschehen, wenn sie sich verunreinigt und wider ihren Mann untreu geworden ist, daß das Wasser, das verfluchte, in sie kommt zur Bitterkeit, und ihr Leib schwillt und ihre Hüfte verfällt, und das Weib zur Verwünschung wird in ihres Volkes Mitte, 28Hat sich das Weib aber nicht verunreinigt und ist sie rein, so bleibt sie ungestraft und kann Samen empfangen. 29Dies ist das Gesetz über Eifersucht, wenn ein Weib hinter ihrem Manne abweicht und sich verunreinigt. 30Oder wenn in einen Mann der Geist der Eifersucht übergeht und er auf sein Weib eifersüchtig wird, so lasse er das Weib vor Jehovah stehen und der Priester tue ihr alles nach diesem Gesetz. 31Und der Mann sei unschuldig an der Missetat, das Weib aber trägt ihre Missetat.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 2 THE UNCLEAN TO BE REMOVED OUT OF THE CAMP. (
Num 5:1-
Num 5:4)
Command the children of Israel, that they put out of the camp every leper--The exclusion of leprous persons from the camp in the wilderness, as from cities and villages afterwards, was a sanitary measure taken according to prescribed rules (Lev. 13:1-14:57). This exclusion of lepers from society has been acted upon ever since; and it affords almost the only instance in which any kind of attention is paid in the East to the prevention of contagion. The usage still more or less prevails in the East among people who do not think the least precaution against the plague or cholera necessary; but judging from personal observation, we think that in Asia the leprosy has now much abated in frequency and virulence. It usually appears in a comparatively mild form in Egypt, Palestine, and other countries where the disorder is, or was, endemic. Small societies of excluded lepers live miserably in paltry huts. Many of them are beggars, going out into the roads to solicit alms, which they receive in a wooden bowl; charitable people also sometimes bring different articles of food, which they leave on the ground at a short distance from the hut of the lepers, for whom it is intended. They are generally obliged to wear a distinctive badge that people may know them at first sight and be warned to avoid them. Other means were adopted among the ancient Jews by putting their hand on their mouth and crying, "Unclean, unclean" [
Lev 13:45]. But their general treatment, as to exclusion from society, was the same as now described. The association of the lepers, however, in this passage, with those who were subject only to ceremonial uncleanness, shows that one important design in the temporary exile of such persons was to remove all impurities that reflected dishonor on the character and residence of Israel's King. And this vigilant care to maintain external cleanliness in the people was typically designed to teach them the practice of moral purity, or cleansing themselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit. The regulations made for ensuring cleanliness in the camp suggest the adoption of similar means for maintaining purity in the church. And although, in large communities of Christians, it may be often difficult or delicate to do this, the suspension or, in flagrant cases of sin, the total excommunication of the offender from the privileges and communion of the church is an imperative duty, as necessary to the moral purity of the Christian as the exclusion of the leper from the camp was to physical health and ceremonial purity in the Jewish church.
6 RESTITUTION ENJOINED. (
Num 5:5-
Num 5:10)
When a man or a woman shall commit any sin that men commit, to do a trespass against the Lord--This is a wrong or injury done by one man to the property of another, and as it is called "a trespass against the Lord," it is implied, in the case supposed, that the offense has been aggravated by prevaricating--by a false oath, or a fraudulent lie in denying it, which is a "trespass" committed against God, who is the sole judge of what is falsely sworn or spoken (
Acts 5:3-
Acts 5:4).
and that person be guilty--that is, from the obvious tenor of the passage, conscience-smitten, or brought to a sense and conviction of his evil conduct. (See on
Lev 6:2). In that case, there must be: first, confession, a penitential acknowledgment of sin; secondly, restitution of the property, or the giving of an equivalent, with the additional fine of a fifth part, both as a compensation to the person defrauded, and as a penalty inflicted on the injurer, to deter others from the commission of similar trespasses. (See on
Exod 22:1). The difference between the law recorded in that passage and this is that the one was enacted against flagrant and determined thieves, the other against those whose necessities might have urged them into fraud, and whose consciences were distressed by their sin. This law also supposes the injured party to be dead, in which case, the compensation due to his representatives was to be paid to the priest, who, as God's deputy, received the required satisfaction.
9 every offering . . . shall be his--Whatever was given in this way, or otherwise, as by freewill offerings, irrevocably belonged to the priest.
12 THE TRIAL OF JEALOUSY. (Num. 5:11-31)
if any man's wife go aside, and commit a trespass against him--This law was given both as a strong discouragement to conjugal infidelity on the part of a wife, and a sufficient protection of her from the consequences of a hasty and groundless suspicion on the part of the husband. His suspicions, however, were sufficient in the absence of witnesses (
Lev 20:10) to warrant the trial described; and the course of proceeding to be followed was for the jealous husband to bring his wife unto the priest with an offering of barley meal, because none were allowed to approach the sanctuary empty handed (
Exod 23:15). On other occasions, there were mingled with the offering, oil which signified joy, and frankincense which denoted acceptance (
Ps 141:2). But on the occasion referred to, both these ingredients were to be excluded, partly because it was a solemn appeal to God in distressing circumstances, and partly because it was a sin offering on the part of the wife, who came before God in the character of a real or suspected offender.
17 the priest shall take holy water--Water from the laver, which was to be mixed with dust--an emblem of vileness and misery (
Gen 3:14;
Ps 22:15).
in an earthen vessel--This fragile ware was chosen because, after being used, it was broken in pieces (
Lev 6:28;
Lev 11:33). All the circumstances of this awful ceremony--her being placed with her face toward the ark--her uncovered head, a sign of her being deprived of the protection of her husband (
1Cor 11:7) --the bitter potion being put into her hands preparatory to an appeal to God--the solemn adjuration of the priest (
Num 5:19-
Num 5:22), all were calculated in no common degree to excite and appall the imagination of a person conscious of guilt.
21 The Lord make thee a curse, &c.--a usual form of imprecation (
Isa 65:15;
Jer 29:22).
22 the woman shall say, Amen, Amen--The Israelites were accustomed, instead of formally repeating the words of an oath merely to say, "Amen," a "so be it" to the imprecations it contained. The reduplication of the word was designed as an evidence of the woman's innocence, and a willingness that God would do to her according to her desert.
23 write these curses in a book--The imprecations, along with her name, were inscribed in some kind of record--on parchment, or more probably on a wooden tablet.
blot them out with the bitter water--If she were innocent, they could be easily erased, and were perfectly harmless; but if guilty, she would experience the fatal effects of the water she had drunk.
29 This is the law of jealousies--Adultery discovered and proved was punished with death. But strongly suspected cases would occur, and this law made provision for the conviction of the guilty person. It was, however, not a trial conducted according to the forms of judicial process, but an ordeal through which a suspected adulteress was made to go--the ceremony being of that terrifying nature, that, on the known principles of human nature, guilt or innocence could not fail to appear. From the earliest times, the jealousy of Eastern people has established ordeals for the detection and punishment of suspected unchastity in wives. The practice was deep-rooted as well as universal. And it has been thought, that the Israelites being strongly biassed in favor of such usages, this law of jealousies "was incorporated among the other institutions of the Mosaic economy, in order to free it from the idolatrous rites which the heathens had blended with it." Viewed in this light, its sanction by divine authority in a corrected and improved form exhibits a proof at once of the wisdom and condescension of God.