Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Sforno · Torah
Sforno on Numbers 5:13/ספורנו על במדבר ה׳:י״ג
אוְשָׁכַב אִישׁ אֹתָהּ. שֶׁכֵּן דַּרְכּוֹ שֶׁל יֵצֶר הָרָע לָצֵאת מֵרָעָה אֶל רָעָה.
1ושכב איש אותה, and another man has lain with her It is characteristic of the evil urge to cause the sinner to proceed from a relatively mild sin to ever more serious sins.
בוְנֶעְלַם מֵעֵינֵי אִישָׁהּ. אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁקָּדְמוּ כָּל אֵלֶּה, יִקָּרֶה שֶׁיִּהְיֶה הַדָּבָר נֶעְלָם מֵעֵינֵי אִישָׁהּ, כְּאִלּוּ תִכְהֶינָה עֵינָיו מֵרְאוֹת. שֶׁאִם הָיָה יוֹדֵעַ וְשׁוֹתֵק, לֹא הָיוּ הַמַּיִם בּוֹדְקִין אֶת הָאִשָּׁה כְּלָל, כְּמוֹ שֶׁבֵּאֲרוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (ספרי ז).
2ונעלם מעיני אישה, even though there had been indications of mistrust, jealousy, etc., her latest indiscretion remained hidden from the eyes of her husband. It is as if his eyes had been too weak to see what was going on. Had her husband been aware of her infidelity, the waters would not even have the power to bring this to light. Our sages have made this quite clear (Sifrey 7).
גוְנִסְתְּרָה. אַחַר כָּל אֵלֶּה וְנוֹדַע זֶה לְאִישָׁהּ.
3ונסתרה, she had subsequently hidden, and this fact had become known to her husband.