Numbers 5:21

Numbers 5:21

19 And the priest shall put her under oath, and say to the woman, “If no man has lain with you, and if you have not gone astray to uncleanness while under your husband’s authority, be free from this bitter water that brings a curse.

20 But if you have gone astray while under your husband’s authority, and if you have defiled yourself and some man other than your husband has lain with you”—

21 then the priest shall ^aput the woman under the oath of the curse, and he shall say to the woman—^b“the Lord make you a curse and an oath among your people, when the Lord makes your thigh¹ rot and your belly swell;

22 and may this water that causes the curse ^ago into your stomach, and make your belly swell and your thigh rot.” ‘^bThen the woman shall say, “Amen, so be it.”

23 ‘Then the priest shall write these curses in a book, and he shall scrape them off into the bitter water.

24 And he shall make the woman drink the bitter water that brings a curse, and the water that brings the curse shall enter her to become bitter.

Commentaries:

John Wesley's Notes

<< Numbers 5:20

Numbers 5:22 >>

An oath - That is, a form of cursing, that when they would curse a person, they may wish that they may be as miserable as thou wast. Thy thigh - A modest expression, used both in scripture, as Genesis 46:26, Exodus 1:5, and other authors. To rot - Heb. to fall, that is, to die or waste away. To swell - Suddenly and violently till it burst, which the Jews note was frequent in this case. And it was a clear evidence of the truth of their religion.

<< Numbers 5:20

Numbers 5:22 >>

DISCLAIMER: Church of the Great God (CGG) provides these resources to aid the individual in studying the Bible. However, it is up to the individual to "prove all things, and hold fast to that which is good" (I Thessalonians 5:21). The content of these resources does not necessarily reflect the views of CGG. They are provided for information purposes only.