1ER redete zu Mosche, sprechend: 2Gebiete den Söhnen Jissraels, daß sie aus dem Lager schicken alles Aussätzige, alles Flußbehaftete, alles Leichnambemakelte, 3so Männliches wie Weibliches sollt ihr ausschicken, außer Lagers hinwegschicken sollt ihr sie, daß sie nicht bemakeln ihr Lager, in deren Mitte ich einwohne. 4Die Söhne Jissrael taten so, sie schickten sie hinweg außer Lagers, wie ER Mosche geboten hatte, so taten die Söhne Jissraels. 5ER redete zu Mosche, sprechend: 6Rede zu den Söhnen Jissraels: Ein Mann oder ein Weib, wenn sie etwas tun von allen Versündigungen des Menschen, Trug zu trügen an IHM, und dieses Wesen wurde schuldig, 7bekennen sollen sie sich zu ihrer Versündigung, die sie taten, er erstatte seine Abschuldung nach ihrem Hauptbetrag, und ihr Fünftel lege er drauf, das gebe er dem, an dem er schuldig wurde. 8Hat aber dieser Mann keinen Erblöser, daß dem die Abschuldung erstattet werde, gehört die zu erstattende Abschuldung IHM, wird des Priesters, außer dem Widder der Bedeckungen, womit über ihm bedeckt wird. 9Auch alle Hebe von allen Darheiligungen der Söhne Jissraels die sie dem Priester nahen, sein werde sie, 10jedermanns Darheiligungen, sein werden sie, was jemand dem Priester gibt, sein werde es. 11ER redete zu Mosche, sprechend: 12Rede zu den Söhnen Jissraels, sprich zu ihnen: Mann um Mann, wenn sein Weib ausschweift und Trug an ihm trügt, 13daß ein Mann ihr beiliegt in Samens Beilager, und es blieb vor den Augen des Mannes verborgen, weil sie sich heimlich hielt, sie ist aber bemakelt, und ein Zeuge ist nicht gegen sie, und sie wurde nicht gefaßt, 14und ein Eifergeist gerät über ihn, und er eifert um sein Weib, und sie ist bemakelt; oder ein Eifergeist gerät über ihn, und er eifert um sein Weib, sie ist aber nicht bemakelt: 15bringe der Mann sein Weib zum Priester und bringe ihre Nahung ihrethalb, das Zehntel des Scheffels Gerstenmehl, nicht gieße er Öl darauf, nicht gebe er Weihrauch darauf, denn eine Hinleitspende der Eiferungen ists, eine Hinleitspende des Gedenkens, Fehls gedenkenmachend. 16Der Priester nahe sie, er stelle sie vor IHN. 17Der Priester nehme heiliges Wasser in einem Tongefäß, und vom Staub, der auf dem Estrich der Wohnung sein wird, nehme der Priester und gebe in das Wasser. 18Der Priester stelle das Weib vor IHN, er entfeßle das Haupthaar des Weibes, er gebe auf ihre Hohlhände die Hinleite des Gedenkens, eine Eiferungshinleite ist sie, und in der Hand des Priesters seien die Wasser der Bitternisse, die fluchgewissen. 19Der Priester beschwöre sie, er spreche zu dem Weib: Lag dir ein Mann nicht bei, schweiftest du nicht aus in Bemaklung, deinem Mann unterstehend, bleibe ungestraft von diesen Wassern der Bitternisse, den fluchgewissen. 20Wenn aber ausschweiftest du, deinem Mann unterstehend, wenn du bemakelt wurdest, daß ein Mann seine Ablagerung in dich gab außer deinem Mann, 21- so beschwöre der Priester das Weib mit dem Droheidschwur, so spreche der Priester zum Weib - gebe ER dich zu Droheid und zu Schwur inmitten deines Volks, indem ER gibt: deine Hüfte sinkt, dein Bauch schwillt, 22wie diese Wasser, die fluchgewissen, in dein Eingeweid kamen, Bauch zu schwellen, Hüfte zu senken! Das Weib spreche: Jawahr! jawahr! 23Der Priester schreibe diese Eiddrohungen auf ein Blatt, er wische sie ab in die Wasser der Bitternisse hinein. 24Er gebe dem Weib zu schlucken die Wasser der Bitternisse, die fluchgewissen, daß in sie kommen die Wasser, die fluchgewissen, zu Bitternissen. 25Der Priester nehme aus der Hand des Weibes die Hinleite der Eiferungen, er schwinge die Hinleite vor IHM, er nahe sie zur Schlachtstatt, 26der Priester greife von der Hinleite ihr Gedenkteil und lasse es emporrauchen auf der Statt, hierauf gebe er dem Weib die Wasser zu schlucken. 27Und wie er ihr die Wasser zu schlucken gibt, wirds sein: ward sie bemakelt, trog sie Trug an ihrem Mann, kommen in sie die Wasser, die fluchgewissen, zu Bitternissen, ihr Bauch schwillt, ihre Hüfte sinkt, das Weib wird zur Eiddrohung im Innern ihres Volks; 28ward aber nicht bemakelt das Weib, ist sie rein, ungestraft bleibt sie und wird Samens besamt. 29Dieses ist die Weisung der Eiferungen, ob ein Weib, ihrem Mann unterstehend, ausschweift und bemakelt wird, 30oder ob über jemand ein Eifergeist gerät, er eifert um sein Weib, er stelle das Weib vor IHN; der Priester tue an ihr nach all dieser Weisung. 31Der Mann ist unsträflich, ohne Fehl, jenes Weib muß ihren Fehl tragen.
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.