Numbers 5:16 kjv
And the priest shall bring her near, and set her before the LORD:
Numbers 5:16 nkjv
'And the priest shall bring her near, and set her before the LORD.
Numbers 5:16 niv
"?'The priest shall bring her and have her stand before the LORD.
Numbers 5:16 esv
"And the priest shall bring her near and set her before the LORD.
Numbers 5:16 nlt
"The priest will then present her to stand trial before the LORD.
Numbers 5 16 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Num 5:18 | "Then the priest shall have the woman stand before the Lord..." | Establishes the ritual position before God. |
| Lev 9:5 | "...all the congregation drew near and stood before the Lord." | Standing before God signifies assembly for divine purpose. |
| Deut 19:17 | "...the two men in the dispute shall stand before the Lord, before the priests..." | Judicial standing before God for arbitration. |
| Josh 24:1 | "Then Joshua assembled all the tribes of Israel...and they presented themselves before God." | Formal presentation for covenant renewal. |
| 1 Sam 10:19 | "...you said to Him, ‘No, but set a king over us!’ Now therefore, present yourselves before the LORD..." | Presenting oneself for divine will/judgment. |
| Ps 90:8 | "You have set our iniquities before You, our secret sins in the light of Your presence." | God's knowledge of hidden sin. |
| Isa 66:18 | "For I know their works and their thoughts. It shall be that I will gather all nations...and they shall come and see My glory." | God sees all and will judge openly. |
| Jer 32:27 | "Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me?" | God's absolute knowledge and power. |
| Ezek 22:14 | "Can your heart endure, or can your hands remain strong, in the days when I deal with you? I, the LORD, have spoken..." | Emphasizes inability to hide from divine judgment. |
| Zech 3:1 | "Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the Angel of the LORD..." | Accused standing before divine authority. |
| Mal 2:14 | "Because the LORD has been witness between you and the wife of your youth..." | God as a witness in marriage covenant. |
| Matt 12:36 | "But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment." | Accountability for actions and words. |
| Luke 12:2 | "For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known." | Ultimate revelation of hidden truths. |
| John 8:3-9 | "Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery... 'He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.'" | Addresses adultery with focus on heart and grace. |
| Rom 2:16 | "...in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ..." | God judges hidden things through Christ. |
| Heb 4:13 | "And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account." | All exposed before God. |
| Heb 10:28-29 | "Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Of how much worse punishment..." | Seriousness of covenant breaking. |
| 1 Pet 4:5 | "They will give an account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead." | Universal judgment before God. |
| Rev 20:12 | "And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God..." | Ultimate standing before God for final judgment. |
| Num 27:2 | "...and they stood before Moses and before Eleazar the priest and before the leaders..." | Official presentation before appointed authorities. |
Numbers 5 verses
Numbers 5 16 Meaning
Numbers 5:16 describes the initial step in the ritual of the suspected adulteress, where the priest physically positions the accused woman in a specific, highly symbolic place: directly before the LORD. This act underscores the solemnity and divine authority inherent in the impending ordeal, signifying that her truthfulness, or lack thereof, is being brought under God's immediate scrutiny and judgment.
Numbers 5 16 Context
Numbers Chapter 5 primarily addresses laws related to ritual purity and communal holiness within the Israelite camp. It begins with the removal of defiled individuals (lepers, those with discharges, those defiled by a corpse) from the camp to maintain its purity (Num 5:1-4). Following this, it deals with restitution for wrongs committed, especially against the LORD (Num 5:5-10). Immediately preceding and following verse 16 is the "Law of Jealousy" or "Ordeal of Bitter Water" (Num 5:11-31), a unique ritual procedure to resolve a husband's suspicion of his wife's unfaithfulness when there are no witnesses. Verse 16 initiates this ritual, establishing the ceremonial placement of the woman under divine arbitration. Historically and culturally, such "ordeals" existed in the Ancient Near East, but the Israelite practice uniquely places the matter directly before YHWH in His Tabernacle, not relying solely on human judicial processes, reflecting the sacredness of the marriage covenant and the centrality of God in Israel's justice system. It acted as a divine oath, seeking revelation of hidden truth.
Numbers 5 16 Word analysis
- And the priest: Hebrew: veha-kohen (וְהַכֹּהֵן). "And" connects this action to the previous instruction. "The priest" refers to a designated member of the Aaronic priesthood, emphasizing his essential mediating role in sacred matters. He is the official facilitator of divine justice.
- shall bring her near: Hebrew: vehiqrivah (וְהִקְרִיבָהּ). Derived from the verb qarab (קרב), meaning "to come near, to approach, to present." While often used for offering sacrifices (bringing something "near" the altar), here it signifies the priest's active role in presenting the woman, akin to an offering or presentation before a divine court. This is not a passive approach but an intentional, formal action to place her under sacred jurisdiction.
- and set her: Hebrew: vehe'emidah (וְהֶעֱמִידָהּ). From the verb amad (עמד), meaning "to stand, to cause to stand, to take a stand." This implies a position of fixed readiness, often in a posture of respectful submission, expectation, or judicial presentation. She is to be firmly placed and remain in this posture for the duration of the ordeal. It’s an active establishment of her position by the priest.
- before the LORD: Hebrew: lifnei YHVH (לִפְנֵי יְהוָה). "Before" (lifnei) literally means "to the face of" or "in the presence of." This signifies not just physical proximity to the Tabernacle (where God's presence dwelt symbolically) but a direct appeal to God's divine judgment. This phrase is crucial; it elevates the human suspicion to a divine tribunal, making YHWH the ultimate judge and arbiter of truth in this matter, reflecting a foundational principle of Israelite jurisprudence. It indicates an encounter with divine authority and sovereignty.
Words-group analysis
- "And the priest shall bring her near and set her": This phrase emphasizes the priest's active, instrumental role in the legal and spiritual process. He is not merely observing; he is conducting, moving the individual into the sphere of divine engagement. His actions initiate the formal inquiry. This structured action underscores the formality and gravity of the ordeal, ensuring proper ceremonial protocol before the Divine Presence.
- "before the LORD": This concluding phrase powerfully defines the entire ritual's ultimate authority and intended recipient. It shifts the case from a domestic dispute to a divine courtroom, highlighting that YHWH is the supreme witness, judge, and revealer of hidden things. It elevates the accusation to a level of profound spiritual significance, relying on supernatural revelation rather than solely human evidence or confession, thus appealing directly to divine justice.
Numbers 5 16 Bonus section
The location where the woman is "set before the LORD" would have been within the Tabernacle complex, likely at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, specifically "before the altar" (Num 5:18). This positioning is highly symbolic, linking the accused not only to divine judgment but also to sacrificial atonement or purification, suggesting that resolution would bring either spiritual cleansing or divine curse. This ritual underscores a core Israelite belief: human actions, especially those related to covenants like marriage, are always in the sight of God, and hidden truth ultimately rests with Him to reveal. The psychological weight on the accused, knowing she stood before the Holy One of Israel, cannot be overstated, serving as a powerful deterrent or catalyst for confession.
Numbers 5 16 Commentary
Numbers 5:16 serves as the ceremonial gateway to the Ordeal of Bitter Water. It establishes the grave setting: the accused woman is formally presented by the priest, God's representative, into God's very presence. This is not a mere geographical relocation but a solemn act placing her under immediate divine scrutiny. The choice of language—"bring her near" (often associated with offerings) and "set her" (indicating a fixed, official posture)—reinforces the ritual's judicial gravity. It implies an appeal directly to God to reveal what human senses or witnesses cannot ascertain. The ultimate judge is YHWH, whose presence at the Tabernacle makes this a divine court. This ritual stands in contrast to common human justice which could be prone to bias or lack of evidence, demonstrating God's sovereign involvement in even the most private matters to ensure justice and maintain the purity of the Israelite community and the sanctity of marriage. It underscores that secret sins are not hidden from God.