As I read Numbers 5, a number of questions came to mind: Why such a weird test to determine guilt? Why are they being so harsh and one-sided to the women? What about the man? Victor Matthews has some insights into this seemingly difficult passage that I thought I would pass along. His thoughts (with some additions of my own) have been squeezed into the following three points:
(1) Adultery was a serious crime that affected the whole family. Promiscuity did not simply affect marital intimacy, but had consequences both towards the land and the children. The honor and integrity of the women was something that was to be protected and upheld by husbands and fathers. The 'spirit of jealousy' is probably not simply a ploy to get rid of a wife, but accusations and rumors that needed to be settled. A hint of infidelity, whether true or not, could have devastating consequences.
(2) Without eyewitnesses, the normal methods of justice were lost. Using forensic evidence is a rather new phenomenon, so CSI doesn't help us around 1500 B.C. Mob violence and/or a husband having judicial authority (especially with a jealous spirit) are also not options. The village needed to have harmony and resolution in this situation. ‘Innocent until proven guilty’ is a concept we desire to embrace, but in reality, if someone were to plead the 5th, we’d probably assume their guilt. This procedure has the positive function of clearing the innocent.
(3) The community would be constrained since any punishment for the woman would come from God. This too promotes integrity in relationships since the Lord sees all, and engagement in illicit sex cannot be hidden from God.
This is not the only law on marital infidelity. There are consequences for both men and women who had sex outside the bounds of marriage. Why this one and why here? There is a common theme of “breaking faith” with the Lord (vv. 6) and a woman with her husband (vv. 12 & 27). The goal of both laws is to promote faithfulness. This law gives a frame of reference to “breaking faith” with the Lord – it is as serious as an unfaithful wife.
Victor Matthews, Dictionary of Old Testament: Pentateuch, "Family Relationships," IVP, 2003.
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