Numbers 5:14
in Numbers 5and if a feeling of jealousy comes over her husband and he suspects his wife who has defiled herself—or if a feeling of jealousy comes over him and he suspects her even though she has not defiled herself—
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and the spirit of jealousy come upon him, and he be jealous of his wife, and she be defiled: or if the spirit of jealousy come upon him, and he be jealous of his wife, and she be not defiled:
KJV
And the spirit of jealousy come upon him, and he be jealous of his wife, and she be defiled: or if the spirit of jealousy come upon him, and he be jealous of his wife, and she be not defiled:
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This verse in Numbers 5
Commentary
5 notes on this verseThe spirit of jealousy - רוח קנאה ruach kinah, either a supernatural diabolic influence, exciting him to jealousy, or the passion or affection of jealousy, for so the words may be understood.
This site's exposition
if any man’s wife goes astray
on Numbers 5:12-14
Verse 13 sets a case that evidence cannot reach, since “there is no witness against her and she was not caught in the act”. The death penalties of Leviticus 20:10 and Deuteronomy 22:22 require proof, so they cannot touch it.
This site's exposition
even though she has not defiled herself
The verse's second half allows for an innocent wife. John Wesley reads the rite as protection for her in part, since a hard-hearted husband could otherwise kill or divorce her on suspicion alone. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown likewise call it a guard against hasty and groundless suspicion.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
And the spirit of jealousy come upon him,....
The sin of adultery is justly represented as an exceedingly sinful sin; it is going aside from God and virtue, and the good way, Prov. ii. It is committing a trespass against the husband, robbing him of his honour, alienating his right, introducing a spurious breed into his family to share with his children in his estate, and violating her covenant with him.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
ועבר עליו AND [THE SPIRIT OF JEALOUSY] COME UPON HIM — i.e., had come upon him before her seclusion with the man.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
HE SHALL POUR NO OIL UPON IT — “so that her offering shall not be enriched, for oil is called light, whereas she acted in darkness. NOR SHALL HE PUT FRANKINCENSE THEREON, for the matriarchs are compared to frankincense, as it is said, to the hill of frankincense.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 4 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
20 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְעָבַ֨ר | veavar | and it will pass | H5674 → | 556 times |
| עָלָ֧יו | ʾalav | over him | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| רֽוּחַ־ | ruach- | a spirit of | H7307 → | 378 times |
| קִנְאָ֛ה | kinah | jealousy | H7068 → | 43 times |
| וְקִנֵּ֥א | vekine' | and he will be jealous of | H7065 → | 34 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אִשְׁתּ֖וֹ | ʾishto | wife his | H802 → | 781 times |
| וְהִ֣וא | vehiv' | and she | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| נִטְמָ֑אָה | nitmaah | she has made herself unclean | H2930 → | 162 times |
| אוֹ־ | ʾov- | or | H176 → | 321 times |
| עָבַ֨ר | ʾavar | it has passed | H5674 → | 556 times |
| עָלָ֤יו | ʾalav | over him | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| רֽוּחַ־ | ruach- | a spirit of | H7307 → | 378 times |
| קִנְאָה֙ | kinah | jealousy | H7068 → | 43 times |
| וְקִנֵּ֣א | vekine' | and he will be jealous of | H7065 → | 34 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אִשְׁתּ֔וֹ | ʾishto | wife his | H802 → | 781 times |
| וְהִ֖יא | vehi' | and she | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| לֹ֥א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| נִטְמָֽאָה׃ | nitmaah | she has made herself unclean | H2930 → | 162 times |
וְעָבַ֨רand it will pass
veavarH5674 →556 times
עָלָ֧יוover him
ʾalavH5921 →5755 times
רֽוּחַ־a spirit of
ruach-H7307 →378 times
קִנְאָ֛הjealousy
kinahH7068 →43 times
וְקִנֵּ֥אand he will be jealous of
vekine'H7065 →34 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
אִשְׁתּ֖וֹwife his
ʾishtoH802 →781 times
וְהִ֣ואand she
vehiv'H1931 →1879 times
נִטְמָ֑אָהshe has made herself unclean
nitmaahH2930 →162 times
אוֹ־or
ʾov-H176 →321 times
עָבַ֨רit has passed
ʾavarH5674 →556 times
עָלָ֤יוover him
ʾalavH5921 →5755 times
רֽוּחַ־a spirit of
ruach-H7307 →378 times
קִנְאָה֙jealousy
kinahH7068 →43 times
וְקִנֵּ֣אand he will be jealous of
vekine'H7065 →34 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
אִשְׁתּ֔וֹwife his
ʾishtoH802 →781 times
וְהִ֖יאand she
vehi'H1931 →1879 times
לֹ֥אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
נִטְמָֽאָה׃she has made herself unclean
nitmaahH2930 →162 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Song of Solomon 8:6Set me as a seal over your heart, as a seal upon your arm. For love is as strong as death, its jealousy as unrelenting as Sheol. Its sparks are fiery flames, the fiercest…
it leads to
- Revelation 12:11
They have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony. And they did not love their lives so as to shy away from death.
- Isaiah 49:16
Behold, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; your walls are ever before Me.
- Philippians 1:20–23
I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have complete boldness so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or…
- Song of Solomon 5:8
O daughters of Jerusalem, I adjure you, if you find my beloved, tell him I am sick with love.
- John 21:15–19
When they had finished eating, Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love Me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he answered, “You know I love You.” Jesus replied, “Feed My lambs.”
- Revelation 12:11
Through
1 Corinthians 10:22Are we trying to provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than He?
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 32:21
They have provoked My jealousy by that which is not God; they have enraged Me with their worthless idols. So I will make them jealous by those who are not a people; I will…
- Deuteronomy 32:21
Through
Zephaniah 3:8Therefore wait for Me,” declares the LORD, “until the day I rise to testify. For My decision is to gather nations, to assemble kingdoms, to pour out upon them My indignation—all My burning anger.…
it leads to
- Zephaniah 1:18
Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to deliver them on the Day of the LORD’s wrath. The whole earth will be consumed by the fire of His jealousy.” For indeed, He…
- Joel 3:2
I will gather all the nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. There I will enter into judgment against them concerning My people, My inheritance, Israel, whom they have scattered among…
- Zephaniah 1:18
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Numbers
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.