1The unclean to be removed out of the camp. 5Restitution to be made in cases of trespass. 9All offerings and hallowed things belong to the priest. 11The trial of jealousy.
1AND the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
2Command the children of Israel, that they put outa of the camp every leper, and every oneb that hath an 1issue, and whosoever is defiled byc the 2dead:
a Lev. 13:3, 46.
b Lev. 15:2.
1 Compare Lev. 15:2.
c Lev. 21:1.
2 Hebr. soul. See Lev. 19 on verse 28.
33Both male and female shall ye put out, without the camp shall ye put them; that 4they 5defile not 6their camps, 7in the midst whereof I dwell.
3 That is, whether it be a man or a woman.
4 Namely, the other Israelites.
5 Namely, by permitting such unclean persons to live amongst them.
6 There were (as some do hold) three camps: the camp of the LORD, which was the tabernacle; the camp of the Levites; the camp of the Israelites. The leprous persons were excluded out of them all, but those with running issues out of the first two.
7 That is, among whom I continue with My grace and favor, whom I do keep and protect by My special providence, and whom withal I guide and govern by My Word and Spirit, guiding and conducting them to everlasting salvation. Compare Lev. 26:11, 12 with the annotations and Ezek. 37:28; 2 Cor. 6:16.
4And the children of Israel did so, and put them out without the camp: as the LORD spake unto Moses, so did the children of Israel.
5¶And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
6Speakd unto the children of Israel, When a man or woman shall commit any 8sin that men commit, to do a trespass against the LORD, and that 9person be guilty;
d Lev. 6:1, 3.
8 Hebr. sins of man. Understand such sins as men commit by human frailty, proceeding from the inherent corruption of nature. Compare Lev. 5:2, 3. This kind of trespass is opposed to sin committed on purpose, willfully, presumptuously and with an high hand, Num. 15:30. Or understand the sin which was committed after the manner of men, who by nature are very much inclined to sin. Other, sins of men, that is, committed against such and such a person, or our neighbor.
9 Or, soul. See Gen. 12 on verse 5.
7Then they shall 10confess their sin which they have done: and 11he shall recompense his 12trespass withe the principal thereof, and add unto it 13the fifth part thereof, and give it unto him against whom he hath trespassed.
10 Namely, before the priests, as who was to offer the sacrifice for him, and might receive the goods offered in the Lord’s behalf, there being no redeemer at hand, verse 8 and compare Lev. 5:5, 6, 10, 11, 12, 13.
11 Namely, the guilty one.
12 That is, that which he has purloined or taken from his neighbor, whereby he made himself guilty.
e Lev. 6:5.
13 Thereby to requite the damage which the owner sustained for the time having been deprived of the use of his goods.
8But if 14the man have no kinsman to recompense the trespass unto, let the trespass be recompensed unto the LORD, even to the priest; beside the ram of the atonement, whereby an atonement shall be made for him.
14 Namely, he, to whom the wrong was done, being dead or having left no kindred, nor special heir, nor anyone else who might lawfully own and claim the goods and to whom it might be restored, in such a case the goods fell to the LORD and by that means unto the priests.
9And every 15offering of all the holy things of the children of Israel, which they bring unto the priest, shall be 16his.
15 This word is not taken here in particular, as opposed to the wave offering, as Exod. 29:27, but in general for the things which are given by any person to the priest and thereby are consecrated to God, and may thenceforth be destined to no other use than is commanded. See Exod. 25:2; Num. 15:19; Neh. 10:39.
16 Namely, of the priest; also in the next verse. See Lev. 6 on verse 16.
10Andf every man’s hallowed things shall be his: whatsoever any man giveth the priest, it shall be his.
f Lev. 10:12.
11¶And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
12Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, If 17any man’s wife 18go aside, and commit a trespass against him,
17 Hebr. man, man, as Num. 4:19, etc.
18 According to the suspicion and distrust of her husband, charging her of breach of wedlock by adultery and being so possessed with jealousy about it, that he cannot be at rest in his mind.
13And a man lie with her 19carnally, and it be hid from the eyes of her husband, and be kept close, and she be 20defiled, and there be no witness against her, neither she be taken with the manner;
19 See of this same phrase, Lev. 15:18; 19:20.
20 Namely, by adultery.
14And 21the spirit of jealousy come upon him, and he be jealous of his wife, and she be defiled: or if the spirit of jealousy come upon him, and he be jealous of his wife, and she be not defiled:
21 Hebr. the spirit of envy, and so in the sequel. Understand hereby the passion of jealousy in a man doubting his wife’s honesty, entertaining very ill opinions of the same. The word spirit often signifies the affections or passions whereby persons are either inwardly inclined, or outwardly instigated to the committing of some sins or infirmities or to the performance of some virtues and good works. See Isa. 19:14; Hosea 4:12; 1 Cor. 4:21; Gal. 6:1; 2 Tim. 1:7.
15Then shall the man bring his wife unto the priest, and he shall bring her offering for her, the tenth part of 22an ephahg of barley meal; he shall pour 23no oil upon it, nor put frankincense thereon; for it is an offering of jealousy, an offering of memorial, bringing iniquity to remembrance.
22 See Exod. 16:36.
g dry: ten omers, 0.95 bushel or 34 liters*
23 The reason is, as some conjecture, that the oil was a sign of grace and spiritual gifts, and the frankincense a sign of a pleasing and acceptable smell, neither of which agreed with this case.
16And the priest shall bring her near, and set her 24before the LORD:
24 That is, before the tabernacle wherein was the ark, as a token of the presence of God. See Lev. 1 on verse 3.
17And the priest shall take 25holy 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:
25 Namely, which was taken out of the holy laver, standing by the altar of burnt offering, wherein the water was kept, which had to be used in the holy service. See Exod. 30:18; 40:30.
18And the priest shall set the woman before the LORD, and 26uncover the woman's head, and put the offering of memorial in her hands, which is the jealousy offering: and the priest shall have in his hand the 27bitter water that causeth 28the curse:
26 This was done: I. to declare that the woman was free and at her own liberty and disposing, and had power to take an oath; as on the contrary, the covering of her head was a sign that she stood under the power of her husband, 1 Cor. 11:5, 10; II. that she might be seen and known the better and her words and behavior the better observed by the entire congregation; III. that she might be so much the more ashamed and afraid to utter and declare anything but the very truth, as standing uncovered there before the presence of God and all the assembly.
27 This is so called by reason of the many and bitter (or grievous) pains the woman was bringing upon herself by the heavy curse and imprecation she made against herself in case of being guilty. See verses 24, 27. Compare Exod. 32:20.
28 That is, the punishment of God mentioned in verse 22. See likewise verse 24.
19And the priest shall 29charge her by an oath, and say unto the woman, If no man have lain with thee, and if thou hast not gone aside to uncleanness with another 30instead of thy husband, be thou 31free from this bitter water that causeth the curse:
29 That is, he shall make her to declare by oath whether she committed adultery or not. Other, by adjuration.
30 Other, instead of thy husband, that is, having lain with him instead of thy husband; also verses 20, 29.
31 That is, guiltless and free from the punishment, so that this water shall not hurt thee.
20But if thou hast gone aside to another instead of thy husband, and if thou be defiled, and some man have lain 32with thee beside thine husband:
32 See of the Hebrew phrase here used, Lev. 18:20, 23; 20:15.
21Then the priest shall charge the woman with an oath 33of cursing, and the priest shall say unto the woman, The LORD make thee 34a curse and an oath among thy people, when the LORD doth make thy thigh to rot, and thy belly to swell;
33 The LORD would have this law confirmed in three manners of ways: I. by an oath of imprecation, to be made by the accused woman, in this verse and the next; II. by the writing down of this act, which was to be done by the priest, in such a manner that the note or parchment was to be dipped and rinsed in the water, verse 23; III. by the drinking of the bitter water (in which, as it were, the written curse was rinsed) which was likewise to be performed by the women, verse 24.
34 That is, unto a pattern of cursing and of perjury, that other people shall take thee for an example of an accursed person, having not only committed so foul a sin, but likewise denied it so stoutly with a solemn oath.
22And this water that causeth the curse shall go into thy bowels, to make thy belly to swell, and thy thigh to rot: And the woman shall say, 35Amen, amen.
35Amen is a word which the Hebrews use: I. in assenting to anything, Deut. 27:15, 16; Neh. 8:7; Rev. 5:14; II. in confirming and asseverating of any account, Mat. 5:18; 6:2, etc.; III. in wishing for any good, Jer. 11:5; 28:6; Rev. 22:20; IV. in accepting and expecting of any evil which is threatened, as here. It is sometimes doubled to increase and strengthen the significance, as here and Psalm 89:52; John 3:3, 11; 5:19, etc. The word signifies properly be it true, or, it is true, or, be it thus, so be it done.
23And the priest shall write these curses in a 36book, and he shall 37blot them out with the bitter water:
36 Or, small note paper.
37 Or, wipe it off, wash it out.
24And he shall cause the woman to drink the bitter water that causeth the curse: and the water that causeth 38the curse shall enter into her, and become 39bitter.
38 See on verse 18.
39 That is, so that she may obtain the bitter punishment of God, if she is guilty.
25Then the priest shall take the jealousy offering out of the woman's hand, and shall wave the offering before the LORD, and offer it upon the altar:
26And the priest shall take an handful of the offering, even the memorial 40thereof, and burn it upon the altar, and afterward shall cause the woman to drink the water.
40 Understand a part of the same offering, which was to be kindled and burnt. Compare Lev. 2:2, and the annotation.
27And when he hath made her to drink the water, then it shall come to pass, that, if she be defiled, and have done trespass against her husband, that 41the water that causeth the curse shall enter into her, and become bitter, and her belly shall swell, and her thigh shall rot: and the woman shall be 42a curse among her people.
41 This water had not this operation by nature, but by the special ordinance of God, Who by the same, either executed His just judgment upon the guilty person, or manifested His promise on the guiltless.
42 See on verse 21.
28And if the woman be not defiled, but be clean; then she shall be free, and shall conceive 43seed.
43 That is, shall become fruitful.
29This is the law of jealousies, when a wife goeth aside to another instead of her husband, and is defiled;
30Or when the spirit of jealousy cometh upon him, and he be jealous over his wife, and shall set the woman 44before the LORD, and the priest shall execute upon her all this law.
44 See on verse 16.
31Then shall the man be 45guiltless from iniquity, and this woman shall bear her 46iniquity.
45 That is, although the husband shall have accused his wife upon wrong suspicion, yet shall he not be punished for it; or, the man having performed this, the husband shall be guiltless of the adultery of his wife; whereas on the contrary, if the husband would connive and wink at it, he would be guilty.
46 See Lev. 5 on verse 1.