Numbers 5:17

5:17 The priest will then take holy water ¹  in a pottery jar, and take some ²  of the dust ³  that is on the floor of the tabernacle, and put it into the water.

Numbers 15:30

Deliberate Sin

15:30 “‘But the person ⁴  who acts defiantly, ⁵  whether native-born or a resident foreigner, insults ⁶  the Lord. ⁷  That person ⁸  must be cut off ⁹  from among his people.

[5:17]  ¹ tn This is probably water taken from the large bronze basin in the courtyard. It is water set apart for sacred service. “Clean water” (so NEB) does not capture the sense very well, but it does have the support of the Greek that has “pure running water.” That pure water would no doubt be from the bronze basin anyway.

[5:17]  ² tn Heb “from.” The preposition is used here with a partitive sense.

[5:17]  ³ sn The dust may have come from the sanctuary floor, but it is still dust, and therefore would have all the pollutants in it.

[15:30]  ⁴ tn Heb “soul.”

[15:30]  ⁵ tn The sin is described literally as acting “with a high hand” – בְּיָד רָמָה (bÿyad ramah). The expression means that someone would do something with deliberate defiance, with an arrogance in spite of what the Lord said. It is as if the sinner was about to attack God, or at least lifting his hand against God. The implication of the expression is that it was done in full knowledge of the Law (especially since this contrasts throughout with the sins of ignorance). Blatant defiance of the word of the Lord is dealt with differently. For similar expressions, see Exod 14:8 and Num 33:3.

[15:30]  ⁶ tn The verb occurs only in the Piel; it means “to blaspheme,” “to revile.”

[15:30]  ⁷ tn The word order in the Hebrew text places “Yahweh” first for emphasis – it is the Lord such a person insults.

[15:30]  ⁸ tn Heb “soul.”

[15:30]  ⁹ tn The clause begins with “and” because the verb is the perfect tense with vav (ו) consecutive. As discussed with Num 9:13, to be cut off could mean excommunication from the community, death by the community, or death by divine intervention.