What is the meaning of Numbers 5:13? Sleeping with another man “...but a man may have slept with her...” (Numbers 5:13) • Scripture treats sexual intimacy as covenantal (Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:5-6). Any union outside marriage is adultery, a direct violation of the seventh commandment (Exodus 20:14; Proverbs 6:32-33). • Adultery is not merely personal failure; it is sin against God (Psalm 51:4) and the community (Leviticus 20:10). • The jealous-husband ordinance in Numbers 5 underscores God’s concern that marital faithfulness be guarded, even in cases where proof is unavailable. and it is concealed from her husband “...and it is concealed from her husband...” • Sin often seeks secrecy (Job 24:15; John 3:19-20), yet God sees what spouses may miss (Hebrews 4:13). • Concealment threatens the trust that marriage rests on (Malachi 2:14-16). • Hidden sin, if unconfessed, eats away at conscience and relationship (Psalm 32:3-4). and her impurity is undetected “...and her impurity is undetected...” • “Impurity” refers to both moral guilt and ceremonial defilement (Leviticus 18:20, 20:21). • Though invisible to people, impurity disrupts fellowship with God (Isaiah 59:2) and invites discipline (Numbers 12:10-15). • The law’s aim is restoration: exposing impurity makes cleansing possible (Psalm 51:7). since there is no witness against her “...since there is no witness against her...” • Mosaic law required at least two witnesses to convict (Deuteronomy 17:6; 19:15). • In cases lacking witnesses, human courts were powerless, yet God provided a procedure (Numbers 5:16-24) so justice would not be thwarted. • This protects against false accusation (John 8:17) while still affirming that truth matters. and she was not caught in the act “...and she was not caught in the act.” • Being “caught” established immediate legal proof (Deuteronomy 22:22). Without it, the issue moved from public tribunal to divine examination. • God reserves the right to uncover what humans cannot (Luke 8:17; 1 Corinthians 4:5). • The ordeal of bitter water (Numbers 5:24-28) places final judgment in His hands, showing that hidden sin is never ultimately hidden. summary Numbers 5:13 highlights the gravity of adultery, the vulnerability of concealed sin, and God’s provision for truth when human evidence is lacking. Marriage demands fidelity; secrecy cannot shield guilt from the Lord. The passage reassures the innocent, warns the guilty, and upholds God as the perfect Judge who brings hidden things to light for the sake of holiness and restored fellowship. |
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