Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
Numbers Ch.5 / 36 Ch.s
NU:5
* The unclean to be removed out of the camp, Restitution to be
made for trespasses. (1-10) The trial of jealousy. (11-31)
#1-10 The camp was to be cleansed. The purity of the church must
be kept as carefully as the peace and order of it. Every
polluted Israelite must be separated. The wisdom from above is
first pure, then peaceable. The greater profession of religion
any house or family makes, the more they are obliged to put away
iniquity far from them. If a man overreach or defraud his
brother in any matter, it is a trespass against the Lord, who
strictly charges and commands us to do justly. What is to be
done when a man's awakened conscience charges him with guilt of
this kind, though done long ago? He must confess his sin,
confess it to God, confess it to his neighbour, and take shame
to himself; though it go against him to own himself in a lie,
yet he must do it. Satisfaction must be made for the offence
done to God, as well as for the loss sustained by the neighbour;
restitution in that case is not enough without faith and
repentance. While that which is wrongly gotten is knowingly
kept, the guilt remains on the conscience, and is not done away
by sacrifice or offering, prayers or tears; for it is the same
act of sin persisted in. This is the doctrine of right reason,
and of the word of God. It detects hypocrites, and directs the
tender conscience to proper conduct, which, springing from faith
in Christ, will make way for inward peace.
#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 drink the water after it, unless
she disbelieved the truth of God, or defied his justice. The
water is called the bitter water, because it caused the curse.
Thus sin is called an evil and a bitter thing. Let all that
meddle with forbidden pleasures, know that they will be
bitterness in the latter end. From the whole learn, 1. Secret
sins are known to God, and sometimes are strangely brought to
light in this life; and that there is a day coming when God
will, by Christ, judge the secrets of men according to the
gospel, #Ro 2:16|. 2 In particular, Whoremongers and adulterers
God will surely judge. Though we have not now the waters of
jealousy, yet we have God's word, which ought to be as great a
terror. Sensual lusts will end in bitterness. 3. God will
manifest the innocency of the innocent. The same providence is
for good to some, and for hurt to others. And it will answer the
purposes which God intends.