God’s Word Translation
Numbers 5:15
15He must then take his wife to the priest along with eight cups of barley flour as an offering for her. He must not pour olive oil on the flour or put frankincense on it, since it is a grain offering brought because of the husband’s jealousy, an offering used for a confession—to remind someone of a sin that was committed.
Numbers 5:15 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Then shall the man bring his wife unto the priest, and he shall bring her offering for her, the tenth part of an ephah of barley meal; he shall pour no oil upon it, nor put frankincense thereon; for it is an offering of jealousy, an offering of memorial, bringing iniquity to remembrance.
- New International Version (NIV)then he is to take his wife to the priest. He must also take an offering of a tenth of an ephah of barley flour on her behalf. He must not pour olive oil on it or put incense on it, because it is a grain offering for jealousy, a reminder-offering to draw attention to wrongdoing.
- English Standard Version (ESV)then the man shall bring his wife to the priest and bring the offering required of her, a tenth of an ephah of barley flour. He shall pour no oil on it and put no frankincense on it, for it is a grain offering of jealousy, a grain offering of remembrance, bringing iniquity to remembrance.
- New King James Version (NKJV)then the man shall bring his wife to the priest. He shall bring the offering required for her, one-tenth of an ephah of barley meal; he shall pour no oil on it and put no frankincense on it, because it is a grain offering of jealousy, an offering for remembering, for bringing iniquity to remembrance.
Context of Numbers 5:15
13and may have had sexual intercourse with another man without her husband’s knowledge. She may have kept it secret if there were no witnesses to accuse her and she wasn’t caught in the act. 14“A husband may have a fit of jealousy and suspect his wife, whether she was actually unfaithful or not. He must then take his wife to the priest along with eight cups of barley flour as an offering for her. He must not pour olive oil on the flour or put frankincense on it, since it is a grain offering brought because of the husband’s jealousy, an offering used for a confession—to remind someone of a sin that was committed. 16“The priest will have the woman come forward and stand in the Lord’s presence. 17Then the priest will take holy water in a piece of pottery and put some dust from the floor of the tent into the water.
Read all of Numbers 5Numbers 5:15 word by word
וְהֵבִ֨יא הָאִ֣ישׁ אֶת־אִשְׁתּוֹ֮ אֶל־הַכֹּהֵן֒ וְהֵבִ֤יא אֶת־קָרְבָּנָהּ֙ עָלֶ֔יהָ עֲשִׂירִ֥ת הָאֵיפָ֖ה קֶ֣מַח שְׂעֹרִ֑ים לֹֽא־יִצֹ֨ק עָלָ֜יו שֶׁ֗מֶן וְלֹֽא־יִתֵּ֤ן עָלָיו֙ לְבֹנָ֔ה כִּֽי־מִנְחַ֤ת קְנָאֹת֙ ה֔וּא מִנְחַ֥ת זִכָּר֖וֹן מַזְכֶּ֥רֶת עָוֹֽן׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Then shall the manאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
- bringבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): bringH935
- his wifeאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · woman: wifeH802
- unto the priestכֹּהֵןkôhên · priestH3548
- her offeringקׇרְבָּןqorbân qûrbân · offeringH7133
- for her, the tenthעֲשִׂירִי‛ăώîyrîy · tenthH6224
- of an ephahאֵיפָה'êyphâh 'êphâh · ephahH374
- of barleyשְׂעֹרָהώe‛ôrâh ώe‛ôrâh ώe‛ôr ώe‛ôr · barleyH8184
- mealקֶ֫מַחqemach · flourH7058
- he shall pourיָצַקyâtsaq · to pour: pourH3332
- no oilשֶׁ֫מֶןshemen · oilH8081
- upon it, nor putנָתַןnâthan · to give: putH5414
- frankincenseלְבֹנָהlebônâh lebônâh · frankincenseH3828
- an offeringמִנְחָהminchâh · offeringH4503
- of jealousyקִנְאָהqin'âh · jealousyH7068
- of memorialזִכָּרוֹןzikrôn · memorialH2146
- bringingזָכַרzâkar · to rememberH2142
- iniquityעָוֺן‛âvôn ‛âvôn · iniquity: crimeH5771
Cross-references for Numbers 5:15
- Leviticus 5:11“But if you cannot afford two mourning doves or two pigeons, then bring eight cups of flour as an offering for the sin you committed. Never put olive oil on it or add incense to it, because it is an offering for sin.
- Hosea 3:2So I bought her for 23 ounces of silver and 10 bushels of barley.
- 1 Kings 17:18The woman asked Elijah, “What do you and I have in common, man of God? Did you come here to remind me of my sin and kill my son?”
- Ezekiel 29:16The nation of Israel will never trust Egypt again. The people of Israel will remember how wrong they were whenever they turned to Egypt ⌞for help⌟. Then they will know that I am the Almighty Lord.’ ”
- Hebrews 10:3Instead, this yearly cycle of sacrifices reminded people of their sins.
Commentaries on Numbers 5:15
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 11-31Verses 11-31 The trial of jealousy. Since the crime of adultery is especially defiling and destructive of the very foundations of social order, the whole subject is dealt with at a length proportionate to its importance. The process prescribed has lately been strikingly illustrated from an Egyptian “romance,” which refers to the time of Rameses the Great, and may therefore well serve to illustrate the manners and customs of the Mosaic times. This mode of…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 11-31Verses 11-31 This law would make the women of Israel watch against giving cause for suspicion. On the other hand, it would hinder the cruel treatment such suspicions might occasion. It would also hinder the guilty from escaping, and the innocent from coming under just suspicion. When no proof could be brought, the wife was called on to make this solemn appeal to a heart-searching God. No woman, if she were guilty, could say "Amen" to the adjuration, and…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 14-15The husband presented his case to the priest, and the “law of jealousy” (5:29) transferred the husband's jealousy and suspicion to a higher court of appeal.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 11-3112-15. if any man's wife go aside, and commit a trespass against him--This law was given both as a strong discouragement to conjugal infidelity on the part of a wife, and a sufficient protection of her from the consequences of a hasty and groundless suspicion on the part of the husband. His suspicions, however, were sufficient in the absence of witnesses (Le 20:10) to warrant the trial described; and the course of proceeding to be followed was for the…Read the comment
Topics related to Numbers 5:15
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Numbers 5
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
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