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George Haydock's Catholic Commentary

Numbers 5:17-18

Holy water, destined for sacred uses, which is called most bitter, ver. 18, (Menochius) and cursed, (ver. 22,) on account of the imprecations used to detect the guilty. (Worthington) --- Earth, to shew the woman, that if she had been unfaithful, she deserved to be trodden upon as dung, Ecclesiasticus ix. 10. --- Head, that she may remember all is naked before the Lord. (Menochius) --- Hebrew may signify, "he shall cut the hair of her head," (see Leviticus x. 6.; Calmet) or take off her veil. (Josephus, [Antiquities?] iii. 10.) (Haydock) --- Remembrance, by which God was requested to manifest the truth, either by punishing or by rewarding the woman, ver. 15, 28. (Menochius) --- Bitter, either on account of the wormwood, or because of their effects on the guilty. (Calmet)

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See also Numbers 5:17-18 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Numbers 5:17. _HOLY WATER_] Water out of the laver, called _holy_ because consecrated to sacred uses. This is the most ancient case of the trial by _ordeal_. Numbers 5:31, Numbers 5:31....

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    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 impo...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    4. THE SANCTIFICATION OF THE CAMP AND THE NAZARITE CHAPTER 5 _ 1. Concerning the leper, the issue and defilement of the dead (Numbers 5:1)_ 2. Concerning restitution (Numbers 5:5) 3. Concerning th...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    AN ORDEAL IN CASES OF JEALOUSY. A married woman suspected of unfaithfulness is, in the absence of evidence, to be subjected to an ordeal by being made to drink holy water with which dust from the floo...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    HOLY. separated: taken from the laver. See note on Exodus 3:5. TABERNACLE. Hebrew. _mishkan._ App-40....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    The Ordeal of Jealousy. Though in its present form a late priestly composition this section is evidently based upon very ancient material. Its contents find no parallel in the other Pentateuchal code...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _holy water_ A unique expression. The writer may have thought that the water should be taken from the sacred laver, which, according to a late stratum of P, stood in the court. LXX., however, has ὕδωρ...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    AND THE PRIEST, SHALL BRING HER NEAR, AND SET HER, &C.— Read, _shall bring it near, and set it,_ &c. see Numbers 5:18. The _holy water,_ in the next verse, means the water from the laver, which is cal...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    C. THE ORDEAL OF JEALOUSY vv. 11-31 TEXT Numbers 5:11. And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 12. Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, If any man's wife go aside, and commit a trespas...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    _AND THE PRIEST SHALL TAKE HOLY WATER IN AN EARTHEN VESSEL; AND OF THE DUST THAT IS IN THE FLOOR OF THE TABERNACLE THE PRIEST SHALL TAKE, AND PUT IT INTO THE WATER:_ The priest shall take holy water...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    VARIOUS CEREMONIAL LAWS 1-4. On the seclusion of lepers and unclean persons, see Leviticus 13-15. 5-10. On the law of restitution, see Leviticus 5:14 to Leviticus 6:7, to which the present passage is...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    HOLY WATER] This is the only place where this phrase is found, and it is not explained. Water from the laver is probably meant: see Exodus 30:17....

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    THE OLD TESTAMENT BOOK OF NUMBERS IN THE DESERT NUMBERS _MARION ADAMS_ CHAPTER 5 *UNCLEAN PEOPLE – NUMBERS 5:1-4 V1 The *LORD spoke to Moses. V2-3 He told Moses to speak to the *Israeli

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    וְ לָקַ֧ח הַ כֹּהֵ֛ן מַ֥יִם קְדֹשִׁ֖ים בִּ

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    DEFILEMENT AND PURGATION Numbers 5:1 THE separation of Israel as a people belonging to Jehovah proceeded on ideas of holiness which excluded from privilege many of the Hebrews themselves. The law did...

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    3. THE WATER OF JEALOUSY Numbers 5:11. The long and remarkable statute regarding the water of jealousy seems to have been interposed to prevent, by means of an ordeal, that cruel practice of perempto...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    This section is devoted to arrangements emphasizing the necessity for the purity of the camp on the eve of the coming of the people into the land. All that were unclean were put outside the camp This...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    And the priest shall take (h) holy water in an earthen vessel; and of the dust that is in the floor of the tabernacle the priest shall take, and put [it] into the water: (h) Which also is called the...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    These verses contain a very circumstantial account, of the law of jealousy. The process of trial is very solemn and awful; and the event, suited to the nature of the dispensation, under which the chur...

  • Introductory Lectures - Commentary by William Kelly

    It is impossible to look at this book ever so cursorily without feeling the difference of the atmosphere from that of Leviticus. And this is so much the more striking because it cannot be fairly doubt...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    Let us pursue the study of the book. Chapter 5 presents three things, in connection with the purity of the camp, looked at as the dwelling-place of God, and in connection with our pilgrim passage thro...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    AND THE PRIEST SHALL TAKE HOLY WATER,.... Out of the laver, as the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan, and so Jarchi and Aben Ezra: IN AN EARTHEN VESSEL; which held half a log, and that was but a quarte...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    And the priest shall take holy water in an earthen vessel; and of the dust that is in the floor of the tabernacle the priest shall take, and put [it] into the water: Ver. 17. _Holy water,_] _i.e., _...

  • KJV Original Language Details

    1 The vncleane are remoued out of the campe. 5 Restitution is to be made in trespasses. 11 The triall of Iealousie. 1 AND the LORD spake vnto Moses, saying, 2 Commaund the children of Israel, that...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    and the priest shall take holy water in an earthen vessel, and of the dust that is in the floor of the Tabernacle the priest shall take, and put it into the water, to remind those witnessing the act o...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    THE TRIAL OF JEALOUSY...

  • Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

    DEFILEMENT CALLING FOR ISOLATION (vs.1-4) The principle of 1 Corinthians 5:6, "a little leaven leavens the whole lump" was just as true in the Old Testament as in the new. However, the defilement ofN...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    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...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    HOLY WATER; either water out of the holy laver, EXODUS 30:18, or rather the water of purification appointed for such kind of uses, NUMBERS 19:9. This was used, that if she were guilty, she might be af...

  • Notes on the Pentateuch by Charles Henry Mackintosh

    ''And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Command the children of Israel, that they put out of the camp every leper, and every one that hath an issue, and whosoever is defiled by the dead: both male an...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Numbers 5:17 priest H3548 take H3947 (H8804) holy H6918 water H4325 earthen H2789 vessel H3627 H3548 take...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    THE WOMAN IS TO BE BROUGHT NEAR BEFORE YAHWEH AND THE PRIEST THEN MAKES THE WATER OF TESTING (NUMBERS 5:16) Numbers 5:16 ‘And the priest shall bring her near, and set her before Yahweh.' The priest...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Defilement of the camp. CHARACTERS: God, Moses. CONCLUSION: The purity of the church must be as carefully guarded as the order of it and it is for the edification of it that those who are...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Numbers 5:2. _Defiled by the dead._ They were unclean seven days. The whole of Shem's race in India, keep this custom to the present day. Numbers 5:6. _Any sin that men commit;_ through ignorance, or...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _If any man’s wife go aside._ THE TRIAL OF THE SUSPECTED WIFE I. Confidence in conjugal relations is of great importance. “Suspicion,” says Bp. Babington, “is the cut-throat and poison of all love a...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    NUMBERS—NOTE ON NUMBERS 5:1__ The concept of uncleanness is important in the Bible, and it is not what most people assume the term means (for a discussion of the term, see Introduction to Leviticus; s...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    NUMBERS—NOTE ON NUMBERS 5:11 The ritual described here is designed to distinguish between actual adultery (vv. Numbers 5:12) and unwarranted suspicion (v....

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    THE EXCLUSION OF THE UNCLEAN (_Numbers 5:1_) “Now that the nation was regularly organised, the sacred tribe dedicated, and the sanctuary with the tokens of God’s more immediate Presence provided with...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION THE TRIAL OF JEALOUSY (Numbers 5:11-4). NUMBERS 5:12 IF ANY MAN'S WIFE … COMMIT A TRESPASS AGAINST HIM. The adultery of the wife is here regarded only from a social point of vie

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Now in chapter five they are told to cleanse the camp by putting out every leper and those that have any kind of an issue from their body, who is and those that have been defied, defiled by touching a...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    Exodus 30:18; Jeremiah 17:13; Job 2:12; John 8:6; John 8:8;...

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    Holy water — Water of purification appointed for such uses. This was used, that if she were guilty, she might be afraid to add profaneness to her other crime. An earthen vessel — Because, after this u...

  • When Critics Ask: A Popular Handbook on Bible Difficulties, Norman L. Geisler and Thomas Howe, 1960

    Doesn’t the Bible condone a superstition here? PROBLEM: Paul condemns “old wives’ fables” (1 Timothy 4:7). But, Moses here commands the practice of a superstition that has no basis in science. The acc...

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