Numbers 5:12

5:12 “Speak to the Israelites and tell them, ‘If any man’s wife goes astray and behaves unfaithfully toward him,

Numbers 5:15

5:15 then ¹  the man must bring his wife to the priest, and he must bring the offering required for her, one tenth of an ephah of barley meal; he must not pour olive oil on it or put frankincense on it, because it is a grain offering of suspicion, ²  a grain offering for remembering, ³  for bringing ⁴  iniquity to remembrance.

Numbers 5:19

5:19 Then the priest will put the woman under oath and say to the her, “If no other ⁵  man has had sexual relations with you, and if you have not gone astray and become defiled while under your husband’s authority, may you be free from this bitter water that brings a curse. ⁶ 

Isaiah 5:7-8

5:7 Indeed ⁷  Israel ⁸  is the vineyard of the Lord who commands armies,

the people ⁹  of Judah are the cultivated place in which he took delight.

He waited for justice, but look what he got – disobedience! ¹⁰ 

He waited for fairness, but look what he got – cries for help! ¹¹ 

Disaster is Coming

5:8 Those who accumulate houses are as good as dead, ¹² 

those who also accumulate landed property ¹³ 

until there is no land left, ¹⁴ 

and you are the only landowners remaining within the land. ¹⁵ 

¹ tn All the conditions have been laid down now for the instruction to begin – if all this happened, then this is the procedure to follow.

² tn The Hebrew word is “jealousy,” which also would be an acceptable translation here. But since the connotation is that suspicion has been raised about the other person, “suspicion” seems to be a better rendering in this context.

³ tn The word “remembering” is זִכָּרוֹן (zikkaron); the meaning of the word here is not so much “memorial,” which would not communicate much, but the idea of bearing witness before God concerning the charges. The truth would come to light through this ritual, and so the attestation would stand. This memorial would bring the truth to light. It was a somber occasion, and so no sweet smelling additives were placed on the altar.

⁴ tn The final verbal form, מַזְכֶּרֶת (mazkeret), explains what the memorial was all about – it was causing iniquity to be remembered.

⁵ tn The word “other” is implied, since the woman would not be guilty of having sexual relations with her own husband.

⁶ sn Although there would be stress involved, a woman who was innocent would have nothing to hide, and would be confident. The wording of the priest’s oath is actually designed to enable the potion to keep her from harm and not produce the physical effects it was designed to do.

⁷ tn Or “For” (KJV, ASV, NASB, NRSV).

⁸ tn Heb “the house of Israel” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV).

⁹ tn Heb “men,” but in a generic sense.

¹⁰ tn Heb “but, look, disobedience.” The precise meaning of מִשְׂפָּח (mishpakh), which occurs only here in the OT, is uncertain. Some have suggested a meaning “bloodshed.” The term is obviously chosen for its wordplay value; it sounds very much like מִשְׁפָּט (mishpat, “justice”). The sound play draws attention to the point being made; the people have not met the Lord’s expectations.

¹¹ tn Heb “but, look, a cry for help.” The verb (“he waited”) does double duty in the parallelism. צְעָקָה (tsa’qah) refers to the cries for help made by the oppressed. It sounds very much like צְדָקָה (tsÿdaqah, “fairness”). The sound play draws attention to the point being made; the people have not met the Lord’s expectations.

¹² tn Heb “Woe [to] those who make a house touch a house.” The exclamation הוֹי (hoy, “woe, ah”) was used in funeral laments (see 1 Kgs 13:30; Jer 22:18; 34:5) and carries the connotation of death.

¹³ tn Heb “[who] bring a field near a field.”

¹⁴ tn Heb “until the end of the place”; NASB “until there is no more room.”

¹⁵ tn Heb “and you are made to dwell alone in the midst of the land.”