1(Třetí volaný) Hospodin mluvil k Mošemu, říkaje: 2„Přikaž synům Jisraele, ať z tábora odešlou každého malomocného, každého s výtokem a každého, kdo se znečistil na mrtvém. 3Ať je odešlou z tábora, ať je to muž nebo žena, a neznečišťují svůj tábor, kde já mezi nimi bydlím!“ 4Synové Jisraele tak učinili a poslali je z tábora, jak to Hospodin řekl Mošemu, tak synové Jisraele učinili. 5Hospodin mluvil k Mošemu, říkaje: 6„Spáchají-li muž nebo žena některý z lidských hříchů, zapírajíce přitom zpronevěru přísahou při Hospodinu, a ta duše se cítí vinna, 7ať vyznají spáchaný hřích a každý k hodnotě zpronevěřené věci přidá pětinu její ceny a odevzdá to tomu, na kom se provinil. 8A nemá-li dotyčný dědice, jemuž by vrátil, čím se provinil, pak to, čím se provinil, bude vráceno Hospodinu, knězi, vedle berana usmíření, jímž je za něj usmiřováno. 9A každý příspěvek zasvěcený syny Jisraele bude náležet knězi, kterému byl odevzdán. 10Všechno zasvěcované však člověku patří, dokud to knězi výslovně nedá.“ 11(Čtvrtý volaný) Hospodin mluvil k Mošemu, říkaje: 12„Pověz synům Jisraele a řekni jim: Muž, jemuž by se zpronevěřila jeho žena a zapřela mu nevěru, 13že s ní někdo souložil výronem semene, a zůstalo to utajeno očím jejího muže a ona, ač nečistá, by to tajila a nebylo by svědka a ona nebyla přistižena, 14ať už by se poskvrnila a on byl zachvácen žárlivostí a žárlil na svou ženu, anebo by se neposkvrnila a on byl zachvácen žárlivostí a žárlil na svou ženu, 15ať ten muž přivede svou ženu ke knězi a přinese za ni k oběti desetinu éfy ječné mouky, ale ať na ni nelije olej a nedává na ni kuřidlo, jelikož je to moučná oběť žárlivosti, moučná oběť k připomínce, jež připomíná vinu. 16A kněz ji obětuje a postaví ji před tvář Hospodina. 17Kněz nechť vezme do hliněné nádoby svatou vodu a ať také vezme z prachu, který bude na zemi příbytku, a dá jej do té vody. 18A když kněz tu ženu postaví před tvář Hospodina a rozpustí jí vlasy, dá jí na dlaně moučnou oběť připomínky, což je moučná oběť žárlivosti, a v rukou kněze bude ta hořká voda, probouzející kletbu. 19A kněz ženu zapřísahá a řekne jí: Jestliže s tebou nikdo nesouložil a ty ses pod svým mužem neposkvrnila nevěrou, očisti se touto hořkou vodou. 20Běda ti však, jestli ses pod svým mužem zpronevěřila a poskvrnila a jiný muž kromě tvého manžela do tebe dal svůj výron! 21A kněz tu ženu zapřísahá pod kletbou a řekne té ženě kněz: Nechť tě pak Hospodin vydá kletbě a za odstrašující příklad mezi tvým lidem, učiniv tvé lůno zmetající a tvé břicho nafouklé! 22A tato hořká voda probouzející kletbu vejde do tvých vnitřností a nafoukne ti břicho a tvé lůno potratí, načež ta žena řekne: Staň se, staň! 23A kněz, napsav ony kletby na pergamen, smyje je v té hořké vodě. 24A když dá potom ženě vypít hořkou vodu spojenou s kletbou, ta kletba v ní učiní vodu hořkou. 25Kněz [nejprve] vezme z ruky té ženy moučnou oběť žárlivosti, zamává tou moučnou obětí před tváří Hospodina a obětuje ji k oltáři. 26Potom kněz vezme do hrsti za připomínku z té moučné oběti, spálí ji na oltáři a [nakonec] dá vypít ženě tu vodu. 27A když jí dal tu vodu vypít a byla nečistá a zapřela svou nevěru manželovi, kletbu probouzející voda v ní zhořkne, její břicho se nafoukne a její lůno potratí, a ta žena bude mezi svým lidem živoucí kletbou. 28Jestliže se však ta žena neposkvrnila a je čistá, je očištěna [od podezření] a zůstane plodná. 29To je nauka o žárlivosti, když se žena zpronevěří pod svým mužem a poskvrní se. 30O muži, jejž zradila jeho žena, a on, zachvácen žárlivostí ke své ženě, postaví ženu před tvář Hospodina a kněz jí učiní všechno podle této nauky. 31Tím se ten muž očistí od viny a svou vinu ponese žena.“
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.