Numbers 5 22

Numbers 5:22 kjv

And this water that causeth the curse shall go into thy bowels, to make thy belly to swell, and thy thigh to rot: And the woman shall say, Amen, amen.

Numbers 5:22 nkjv

and may this water that causes the curse go into your stomach, and make your belly swell and your thigh rot." ' Then the woman shall say, "Amen, so be it."

Numbers 5:22 niv

May this water that brings a curse enter your body so that your abdomen swells or your womb miscarries." "?'Then the woman is to say, "Amen. So be it."

Numbers 5:22 esv

May this water that brings the curse pass into your bowels and make your womb swell and your thigh fall away.' And the woman shall say, 'Amen, Amen.'

Numbers 5:22 nlt

Now may this water that brings the curse enter your body and cause your abdomen to swell and your womb to shrivel. ' And the woman will be required to say, 'Yes, let it be so.'

Numbers 5 verses

Numbers 5 22 Meaning

Numbers 5:22 is a pivotal declaration within the ritual for an accused adulteress, often called the "Ordeal of Bitter Water." This verse outlines the physical consequences promised to the woman if she is guilty of unfaithfulness and has hidden her sin from her husband. The "water that causeth the curse" refers to a sacred potion prepared by the priest, which, if consumed by a guilty woman, would supernaturally cause her "belly to swell" and her "thigh to rot." This physical affliction was divinely administered as proof of guilt and a sign of judgment. The woman's repeated affirmation, "Amen, amen," serves as a solemn vow of acceptance and submission to the declared consequences, whether innocent or guilty. It emphasizes her understanding and agreement to the oath she has taken before God.

Numbers 5 22 Context

Numbers chapter 5 details various laws concerning the maintenance of purity within the Israelite camp, especially after a serious defilement. It begins with instructions for isolating those with uncleanness (leprosy, discharge, contact with dead bodies) from the camp to preserve its holiness, as God dwelt among them. It then moves to laws of restitution for wrongdoings, requiring full restoration plus a fifth, indicating divine expectation of ethical responsibility. The climax of the chapter, verses 11-31, describes the highly specific "Ordeal of Bitter Water," also known as the "jealousy offering." This unique judicial procedure was instituted to address cases of suspected, unproven adultery when a husband had no witnesses but a strong suspicion that his wife had been unfaithful. The ritual involved the accused woman being brought before the priest at the tabernacle. The priest would prepare "holy water" mixed with dust from the tabernacle floor and the ink from the curses he had written on a scroll and then scraped into the water. The woman would undergo an oath and drink this water. Num 5:22 is the crucial moment where the priest articulates the curse linked to the water, and the woman vocally accepts the terms of this divine judgment, thus acknowledging the power and justice of the LORD in revealing the truth.

Historically, this ordeal was a divine provision in a society where female fidelity was paramount, ensuring legitimate lineage and inheritance. It provided a legal and religious framework to resolve accusations of adultery in the absence of human witnesses, preventing vigilante justice or divorce based purely on suspicion, thereby protecting the innocent and revealing the guilty through divine intervention rather than human conjecture. It set Israel apart from pagan nations, where similar ordeals often relied on capricious gods or magic.

Numbers 5 22 Word analysis

• And this water: The "water" is not ordinary water but specifically prepared holy water mixed with dust from the tabernacle floor and dissolved ink containing written curses. It signifies divine examination.
• that causeth the curse (מֵי הַמָּרִים מְאָרְרִים, mei ha'marim me'ar'arim): Literally "waters of bitterness causing a curse" or "waters that bring a curse." This phrase highlights the purpose of the water: to be the divine instrument of judgment and revelation for sin that otherwise remains hidden. It carries the weight of a divine decree.
• shall go into thy bowels (בְּמֵעַיִךְ, b'mei'ayikh): Refers to the internal organs or the abdominal cavity. The curse is meant to impact the woman internally, striking at the very core of her being, a symbolic and physical counterpoint to an act of secret betrayal.
• to make thy belly to swell (לִצְבּוֹת בִּטְנֵךְ, litsbot bitnekh): "Belly" here (beten) refers to the abdomen, womb, or literally "the place of bearing children." The swelling signifies an unnatural bloating or distension, a reversal of a healthy state or pregnancy. It could also refer to a pathological condition causing distention and disease.
• and thy thigh to rot (לְנַפֵּל יֶרֶךְ, lenapēl yerekh): "Thigh" (yerekh) is a biblical euphemism often used for the loins, generative organs, or reproductive capacity, as it is the place from which children come forth (Gen 46:26, Exod 1:5). "Rot" (napal) here implies falling away, languishing, shriveling, or becoming diseased, particularly rendering the woman barren or incapable of childbearing. This specific punishment targets the site of the alleged transgression and symbolizes the destruction of her lineage if the accusation is true. This divine act contrasts sharply with pagan curses that might involve a physical, outward transformation, focusing instead on internal decay.
• And the woman shall say: This indicates her direct, personal involvement and consent to the proceedings, ensuring she fully understood and acknowledged the potential outcomes.
• Amen, amen (אָמֵן אָמֵן, amen, amen): This double affirmation is highly significant. "Amen" means "so be it," "truly," "it is certain," or "let it be confirmed." Repeating it emphasizes absolute and solemn agreement to the entire oath and its terms, including the consequences if found guilty. It functions as a binding self-curse in the context of the ordeal, similar to the communal "Amen" in Deut 27, where Israel affirmed various curses for disobedience. It means she either accepts the validity of the divine test (if innocent) or resigns herself to the inevitable judgment (if guilty).

Numbers 5 22 Bonus section

The "Ordeal of Bitter Water" as described in Numbers 5 is unique in the ancient world for several reasons. Unlike many pagan ordeals that involved unpredictable or arbitrary methods to discern guilt (like trial by fire or drowning, often resulting in death regardless of guilt), the Israelite ordeal uniquely focused on a specific, non-lethal, physiological outcome as the proof of guilt or innocence, administered through priestly mediation. This implied a direct, miraculous intervention by YHWH. The lack of eyewitnesses or physical evidence highlights God's omniscience and omnipotence; He sees the hidden sins that human courts cannot detect. In later Jewish tradition, particularly during the Second Temple period, the frequency of this ritual declined, and it was eventually suspended by the Sanhedrin about 40 years before the destruction of the Temple (c. 30 CE). This was due to various factors, including an increase in male adultery (making it seem hypocritical to only apply the test to women) and a perceived decline in societal righteousness, which they believed rendered the ritual ineffective or irreverent. This reflects the Rabbinic understanding that the ritual’s efficacy was tied to the spiritual state of the community and the divine presence among them. The ritual highlights the intense value placed on marital fidelity, female chastity, and pure lineage within ancient Israelite society, all seen as reflections of the purity of the covenant relationship with God. The spiritual lesson for all believers today is that hidden sin, though it may escape human detection, can never escape God's scrutiny, and His justice will ultimately prevail.

Numbers 5 22 Commentary

Numbers 5:22 culminates the judicial ritual of the bitter waters, laying out the explicit, physical consequences of guilt, verified not by human witness but by divine intervention. This ordeal served as God's unique provision for situations where a husband suspected adultery but lacked direct evidence, preventing wrongful accusations or unjust violence. The severity of the declared curse—affecting the belly and thigh—is highly symbolic, targeting the reproductive organs, the very place of life and lineage, which would have been violated by adultery. It underscores the sanctity of marriage and purity within the covenant community, demonstrating God's unwavering commitment to moral order and truth. The woman's double "Amen" signifies her full, binding consent to the terms of the oath and her acknowledgment that the LORD would reveal her truth. It reveals the extraordinary nature of God's justice, which could pierce through hidden deceit and expose guilt through supernatural means. This divine oversight established a standard of accountability far beyond human capability. This ordeal underscores the principle that sin, particularly secret sin, will not remain hidden indefinitely from God, who judges both outward actions and the hidden intentions of the heart. For believers in the New Covenant, while such physical ordeals are obsolete, the spiritual principle remains: God sees all sin, and there are inherent consequences for actions, though now believers find cleansing and forgiveness in Christ.