Numbers 5 · Kingdoms of Scripture

1Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

2Command the sons of Israel to send out of the camp everyone with a skin disease, everyone with a discharge, and everyone unclean from a dead person.

Notes (1)

Translation
Tzaru’a is the skin disease of Leviticus, not a modern medical name. Zav is a discharge. Tame la-nefesh is unclean from a corpse.

3Male and female, you shall send them out. Outside the camp you shall send them, so they do not make their camps unclean, the camps where I dwell in their midst.

4The sons of Israel did so. They sent them outside the camp. As Yahweh spoke to Moses, so the sons of Israel did.

5Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

6Speak to the sons of Israel: When a man or a woman does any of the human offenses, breaking faith against Yahweh, and that person is guilty,

Notes (1)

Translation
Ma’al is a breach of faith, as in the guilt offering of Leviticus. Ashmah is the guilt that follows.

7they shall confess their offense that they did. He shall return the guilt-price in full, add a fifth to it, and give it to the one he wronged.

8If the man has no redeemer to whom the guilt-price can be returned, the guilt-price that is returned belongs to Yahweh, for the priest, besides the ram of atonement with which atonement is made for him.

Notes (1)

Translation
Goel is the redeemer, the near kin of the glossary. Here he is the one who can receive what is paid back. Eil ha-kippurim is the ram of atonement.

9Every contribution from all the holy things of the sons of Israel, which they bring near to the priest, shall be his.

Notes (1)

Translation
Terumah is a contribution, as in Exodus.

10A man’s holy things shall be his. Whatever a man gives to the priest shall be the priest’s.

11Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

12Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them: Any man whose wife turns aside and breaks faith against him,

Notes (1)

Translation
Tisteh is “she turns aside.” The line is about a wife suspected of that turn. No later label is added to the Hebrew.

13and a man lies with her, a lying down of seed, and it is hidden from her husband’s eyes, and she keeps it secret, and she is unclean, and there is no witness against her, and she was not caught,

14and a spirit of jealousy passes over him and he is jealous of his wife, and she is unclean, or a spirit of jealousy passes over him and he is jealous of his wife, and she is not unclean,

15then the man shall bring his wife to the priest, and he shall bring her near-offering for her, a tenth of an ephah of barley flour. He shall not pour oil on it, and he shall not put frankincense on it, for it is a grain gift of jealousy, a grain gift of reminder, a reminder of guilt.

Notes (1)

Translation
Minchat qena’ot is a grain gift of jealousy. Minchat zikkaron is a grain gift of reminder. Avon is guilt.

16The priest shall bring her near and stand her before Yahweh.

17The priest shall take holy water in a clay vessel, and the priest shall take some of the dust that is on the floor of the dwelling and put it into the water.

18The priest shall stand the woman before Yahweh, unbind the woman’s head, and put into her palms the grain gift of reminder. It is the grain gift of jealousy. In the priest’s hand shall be the bitter water that carries a curse.

Notes (1)

Translation
Mei ha-marim ha-me’arerim is water that is bitter and that brings a curse. Both words are printed in the one phrase. Para et rosh is unbinding the hair of the head.

19The priest shall put her under oath and say to the woman, If no man has lain with you, and if you have not turned aside to uncleanness under your husband, be clear of this bitter water that carries a curse.

20But you, if you have turned aside under your husband, and if you have become unclean, and a man other than your husband has put his lying in you,

21then the priest shall put the woman under the oath of the curse, and the priest shall say to the woman, May Yahweh make you a curse and an oath among your people, when Yahweh makes your thigh drop and your belly swell.

22This cursing water shall come into your belly, to swell the belly and to drop the thigh. And the woman shall say, Amen, amen.

Notes (1)

Translation
Amen amen is the woman’s acceptance of the oath, printed twice as the Hebrew says it.

23The priest shall write these curses in a document and wipe them off into the bitter water.

24He shall make the woman drink the bitter water that carries a curse, and the cursing water shall enter her and become bitter.

25The priest shall take the grain gift of jealousy from the woman’s hand, raise the grain gift as a raised offering before Yahweh, and bring it near to the altar.

Notes (1)

Translation
Tenufah is a raised offering, as in Exodus.

26The priest shall take a handful from the grain gift, its reminder portion, and turn it into smoke on the altar. After that he shall make the woman drink the water.

Notes (1)

Translation
Qamatz is taking a handful. Azkarah is the reminder portion. Hiqtir is turning it into smoke.

27He shall make her drink the water. If she has become unclean and has broken faith against her husband, the cursing water shall enter her and become bitter. Her belly shall swell, her thigh shall drop, and the woman shall become a curse among her people.

28If the woman has not become unclean and she is clean, she shall be clear, and she shall be sown with seed.

Notes (1)

Translation
Nizre’ah zara is “she shall be sown with seed,” able to conceive. A smoother “she shall bear children” is not printed.

29This is the instruction of jealousies, when a woman turns aside under her husband and becomes unclean,

Notes (1)

Translation
Torah here is instruction, the rule for this case.

30or when a spirit of jealousy passes over a man and he is jealous of his wife. He shall stand the woman before Yahweh, and the priest shall do for her all this instruction.

31The man shall be clear of guilt, and that woman shall carry her guilt.

1Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

2Command the sons of Israel to send out of the camp everyone with a skin disease, everyone with a discharge, and everyone unclean from a dead person.

Notes (1)

Translation
Tzaru’a is the skin disease of Leviticus, not a modern medical name. Zav is a discharge. Tame la-nefesh is unclean from a corpse.

3Male and female, you shall send them out. Outside the camp you shall send them, so they do not make their camps unclean, the camps where I dwell in their midst.

4The sons of Israel did so. They sent them outside the camp. As Yahweh spoke to Moses, so the sons of Israel did.

5Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

6Speak to the sons of Israel: When a man or a woman does any of the human offenses, breaking faith against Yahweh, and that person is guilty,

Notes (1)

Translation
Ma’al is a breach of faith, as in the guilt offering of Leviticus. Ashmah is the guilt that follows.

7they shall confess their offense that they did. He shall return the guilt-price in full, add a fifth to it, and give it to the one he wronged.

Notes (1)

Translation
Goel is the redeemer, the near kin of the glossary. Here he is the one who can receive what is paid back. Eil ha-kippurim is the ram of atonement.

9Every contribution from all the holy things of the sons of Israel, which they bring near to the priest, shall be his.

Notes (1)

Translation
Terumah is a contribution, as in Exodus.

10A man’s holy things shall be his. Whatever a man gives to the priest shall be the priest’s.

11Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

12Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them: Any man whose wife turns aside and breaks faith against him,

Notes (1)

Translation
Tisteh is “she turns aside.” The line is about a wife suspected of that turn. No later label is added to the Hebrew.

13and a man lies with her, a lying down of seed, and it is hidden from her husband’s eyes, and she keeps it secret, and she is unclean, and there is no witness against her, and she was not caught,

14and a spirit of jealousy passes over him and he is jealous of his wife, and she is unclean, or a spirit of jealousy passes over him and he is jealous of his wife, and she is not unclean,

Notes (1)

Translation
Minchat qena’ot is a grain gift of jealousy. Minchat zikkaron is a grain gift of reminder. Avon is guilt.

16The priest shall bring her near and stand her before Yahweh.

17The priest shall take holy water in a clay vessel, and the priest shall take some of the dust that is on the floor of the dwelling and put it into the water.

Notes (1)

Translation
Mei ha-marim ha-me’arerim is water that is bitter and that brings a curse. Both words are printed in the one phrase. Para et rosh is unbinding the hair of the head.

20But you, if you have turned aside under your husband, and if you have become unclean, and a man other than your husband has put his lying in you,

22This cursing water shall come into your belly, to swell the belly and to drop the thigh. And the woman shall say, Amen, amen.

Notes (1)

Translation
Amen amen is the woman’s acceptance of the oath, printed twice as the Hebrew says it.

23The priest shall write these curses in a document and wipe them off into the bitter water.

24He shall make the woman drink the bitter water that carries a curse, and the cursing water shall enter her and become bitter.

25The priest shall take the grain gift of jealousy from the woman’s hand, raise the grain gift as a raised offering before Yahweh, and bring it near to the altar.

Notes (1)

Translation
Tenufah is a raised offering, as in Exodus.

26The priest shall take a handful from the grain gift, its reminder portion, and turn it into smoke on the altar. After that he shall make the woman drink the water.

Notes (1)

Translation
Qamatz is taking a handful. Azkarah is the reminder portion. Hiqtir is turning it into smoke.

28If the woman has not become unclean and she is clean, she shall be clear, and she shall be sown with seed.

Notes (1)

Translation
Nizre’ah zara is “she shall be sown with seed,” able to conceive. A smoother “she shall bear children” is not printed.

29This is the instruction of jealousies, when a woman turns aside under her husband and becomes unclean,

Notes (1)

Translation
Torah here is instruction, the rule for this case.

30or when a spirit of jealousy passes over a man and he is jealous of his wife. He shall stand the woman before Yahweh, and the priest shall do for her all this instruction.

31The man shall be clear of guilt, and that woman shall carry her guilt.