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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "//www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="//www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" /><title>Numbers 5:21 and the priest shall have the woman swear under the oath of the curse--'then may the LORD make you an attested curse among your people by making your thigh shrivel and your belly swell.</title><link rel="canonical" href="https://biblehub.com/numbers/5-21.htm" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/new9.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><meta property="og:image" content="https://biblehub.com/visuals/18/04_Num_05_21.jpg" /><meta property="og:title" content="Numbers 5:21 - The Adultery Test" /><meta property="og:site_name" content="Bible Hub" /><meta property="og:description" content="and the priest shall have the woman swear under the oath of the curse--'then may the LORD make you an attested curse among your people by making your thigh shrivel and your belly swell." /><script type="application/javascript" src="https://scripts.webcontentassessor.com/scripts/8a2459b64f9cac8122fc7f2eac4409c8555fac9383016db59c4c26e3d5b8b157"></script><script src='https://qd.admetricspro.com/js/biblehub/biblehub-layout-loader-revcatch.js'></script><script id='HyDgbd_1s' src='https://prebidads.revcatch.com/ads.js' type='text/javascript' async></script><script>(function(w,d,b,s,i){var cts=d.createElement(s);cts.async=true;cts.id='catchscript'; 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<a href="/nkjv/numbers/5.htm">New King James Version</a> then the priest shall put the woman under the oath of the curse, and he shall say to the woman—“the LORD make you a curse and an oath among your people, when the LORD makes your thigh rot and your belly swell; <a href="/nasb_/numbers/5.htm">New American Standard Bible</a> (then the priest shall have the woman swear with the oath of the curse, and the priest shall say to the woman), “may the LORD make you a curse and an oath among your people by the LORD’S making your thigh shriveled and your belly swollen; <a href="/nasb/numbers/5.htm">NASB 1995</a> (then the priest shall have the woman swear with the oath of the curse, and the priest shall say to the woman), &#8220the LORD make you a curse and an oath among your people by the LORD&#8217S making your thigh waste away and your abdomen swell; <a href="/nasb77/numbers/5.htm">NASB 1977 </a> (then the priest shall have the woman swear with the oath of the curse, and the priest shall say to the woman), “the LORD make you a curse and an oath among your people by the LORD’S making your thigh waste away and your abdomen swell; <a href="/lsb/numbers/5.htm">Legacy Standard Bible </a> (then the priest shall have the woman swear with the oath of the curse, and the priest shall say to the woman), “Yahweh make you a curse and an oath among your people by Yahweh making your thigh fall away and your abdomen swell; <a href="/amp/numbers/5.htm">Amplified Bible</a> (then the priest shall have the woman swear the oath of the curse, and say to the woman), “The LORD make you a curse and an oath among your people when the LORD makes your thigh waste away and your abdomen swell; <a href="/csb/numbers/5.htm">Christian Standard Bible</a> at this point the priest will make the woman take the oath with the sworn curse, and he is to say to her—‘May the LORD make you into an object of your people’s cursing and swearing when he makes your womb shrivel and your belly swell. <a href="/hcsb/numbers/5.htm">Holman Christian Standard Bible</a> at this point the priest must make the woman take the oath with the sworn curse, and he is to say to her—&#8217May the LORD make you into an object of your people&#8217s cursing and swearing when He makes your thigh shrivel and your belly swell. <a href="/asv/numbers/5.htm">American Standard Version</a> then the priest shall cause the woman to swear with the oath of cursing, and the priest shall say unto the woman, Jehovah make thee a curse and an oath among thy people, when Jehovah doth make thy thigh to fall away, and thy body to swell; <a href="/erv/numbers/5.htm">English Revised Version</a> then the priest shall cause the woman to swear with the oath of cursing, and the priest shall say unto the woman, The LORD make thee a curse and an oath among thy people, when the LORD doth make thy thigh to fall away, and thy belly to swell; <a href="/gwt/numbers/5.htm">GOD'S WORD® Translation</a> may the LORD make you an example for your people to see what happens when the curse of this oath comes true: The LORD will make your uterus drop and your stomach swell.' "Then the priest will administer the oath and the curse by saying: <a href="/gnt/numbers/5.htm">Good News Translation</a> may the LORD make your name a curse among your people. May he cause your genital organs to shrink and your stomach to swell up. <a href="/isv/numbers/5.htm">International Standard Version</a> then the priest is to have the woman commit to an oath by saying to the woman, 'May the LORD make you a curse and a curse among your people. When the LORD makes your thigh waste away and your abdomen swell <a href="/msb/numbers/5.htm">Majority Standard Bible</a> and the priest shall have the woman swear under the oath of the curse??then may the LORD make you an attested curse among your people by making your thigh shrivel and your belly swell. <a href="/net/numbers/5.htm">NET Bible</a> Then the priest will put the woman under the oath of the curse and will say to the her, "The LORD make you an attested curse among your people, if the LORD makes your thigh fall away and your abdomen swell; <a href="/nheb/numbers/5.htm">New Heart English Bible</a> then the priest shall cause the woman to swear with the oath of cursing, and the priest shall tell the woman, 'The LORD make you a curse and an oath among your people, when the LORD allows your thigh to fall away, and your body to swell; <a href="/wbt/numbers/5.htm">Webster's Bible Translation</a> Then the priest shall charge the woman with an oath of cursing, and the priest shall say to the woman, The LORD make thee a curse and an oath among thy people, when the LORD doth make thy thigh to perish, and thy belly to swell; <a href="/web/numbers/5.htm">World English Bible</a> then the priest shall cause the woman to swear with the oath of cursing, and the priest shall tell the woman, “May Yahweh make you a curse and an oath among your people, when Yahweh allows your thigh to fall away, and your body to swell; <div class="vheading2">Literal Translations</div><a href="/lsv/numbers/5.htm">Literal Standard Version</a> then the priest has caused the woman to swear with an oath of execration, and the priest has said to the woman—YHWH gives you for an execration and for a curse in the midst of your people, in YHWH’s giving your thigh to fall and your belly to swell, <a href="/ylt/numbers/5.htm">Young's Literal Translation</a> (then the priest hath caused the woman to swear with an oath of execration, and the priest hath said to the woman) -- Jehovah doth give thee for an execration, and for a curse, in the midst of thy people, in Jehovah's giving thy thigh to fall, and thy belly to swell, <a href="/slt/numbers/5.htm">Smith's Literal Translation</a> And the priest bound the woman by an oath in these curses, and the priest said to the woman, Jehovah will give thee for a curse, and for an oath in the midst of thy people, in Jehovah's giving thy thigh to fall, and thy belly to go forth.<div class="vheading2">Catholic Translations</div><a href="/drb/numbers/5.htm">Douay-Rheims Bible</a> These curses shall light upon thee: The Lord make thee a curse, and an example for all among his people: may he make thy thigh to rot, and may thy belly swell and burst asunder. <a href="/cpdv/numbers/5.htm">Catholic Public Domain Version</a> these curses shall be thrown upon you: May the Lord turn you into a curse and an example among all his people. May he cause your thigh to rot, and may your abdomen swell up and burst out. <a href="/nabre/numbers/5.htm">New American Bible</a> so shall the priest adjure the woman with this imprecation—“may the LORD make you a curse and malediction among your people by causing your uterus to fall and your belly to swell! <a href="/nrsvce/numbers/5.htm">New Revised Standard Version</a> —let the priest make the woman take the oath of the curse and say to the woman—“the LORD make you an execration and an oath among your people, when the LORD makes your uterus drop, your womb discharge;<div class="vheading2">Translations from Aramaic</div><a href="/lamsa/numbers/5.htm">Lamsa Bible</a> Then the priest shall adjure the woman with the oaths of cursing, and the priest shall say to the woman, The LORD make you a curse and an oath among your people, when the LORD makes your thigh to rot and your belly to swell; <a href="/hpbt/numbers/5.htm">Peshitta Holy Bible Translated</a> The Priest shall put the woman under oath in the oath of a curse and the Priest shall say to the Woman: "LORD JEHOVAH shall give you a curse and an oath within your people; LORD JEHOVAH shall rot your thigh; your belly shall swell up.<div class="vheading2">OT Translations</div><a href="/jps/numbers/5.htm">JPS Tanakh 1917</a> then the priest shall cause the woman to swear with the oath of cursing, and the priest shall say unto the woman--the LORD make thee a curse and an oath among thy people, when the LORD doth make thy thigh to fall away, and thy belly to swell; <a href="/sep/numbers/5.htm">Brenton Septuagint Translation</a> then the priest shall adjure the woman by the oaths of this curse, and the priest shall say to the woman, The Lord bring thee into a curse and under an oath in the midst of thy people, in that the Lord should cause thy thigh to rot and thy belly to swell; <a href="/parallel/numbers/5-21.htm">Additional Translations ...</a></div></div></div><div id="centbox"><div class="padcent"><a name="audio" id="audio"></a><div class="vheadingv">Audio Bible</div><iframe width="100%" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yauBFvKLNNo?start=1643" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe> <div class="vheadingv">Context</div><a href="/bsb/numbers/5.htm">The Adultery Test</a> …20But if you have gone astray while under your husband’s authority and have defiled yourself and lain carnally with a man other than your husband’— 21<a href="/hebrew/3548.htm" title="3548: hak·kō·hên (Art:: N-ms) -- Priest. Active participle of kahan; literally, one officiating, a priest; also an acting priest.">and the priest</a> <a href="/hebrew/853.htm" title="853: ’eṯ- (DirObjM) -- Apparent contracted from 'owth in the demonstrative sense of entity; properly, self."></a> <a href="/hebrew/802.htm" title="802: hā·’iš·šāh (Art:: N-fs) -- Woman, wife, female. Feminine of 'iysh or 'enowsh; irregular plural, nashiym; a woman.">shall have the woman</a> <a href="/hebrew/7650.htm" title="7650: wə·hiš·bî·a‘ (Conj-w:: V-Hifil-ConjPerf-3ms) -- A primitive root; propr. To be complete, but used only as a denominative from sheba'; to seven oneself, i.e. Swear.">swear</a> <a href="/hebrew/7621.htm" title="7621: biš·ḇu·‘aṯ (Prep-b:: N-fsc) -- An oath, curse. Feminine passive participle of shaba'; properly, something sworn, i.e. An oath.">under the oath</a> <a href="/hebrew/423.htm" title="423: hā·’ā·lāh (Art:: N-fs) -- An oath. From 'alah; an imprecation.">of the curse</a> <a href="/hebrew/3548.htm" title="3548: hak·kō·hên (Art:: N-ms) -- Priest. Active participle of kahan; literally, one officiating, a priest; also an acting priest."></a> <a href="/hebrew/559.htm" title="559: wə·’ā·mar (Conj-w:: V-Qal-ConjPerf-3ms) -- To utter, say. A primitive root; to say."></a> <a href="/hebrew/802.htm" title="802: lā·’iš·šāh (Prep-l, Art:: N-fs) -- Woman, wife, female. Feminine of 'iysh or 'enowsh; irregular plural, nashiym; a woman.">—</a> <a href="/hebrew/3068.htm" title="3068: Yah·weh (N-proper-ms) -- The proper name of the God of Israel. From hayah; self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish national name of God.">‘then may the LORD</a> <a href="/hebrew/5414.htm" title="5414: yit·tên (V-Qal-Imperf-3ms) -- To give, put, set. A primitive root; to give, used with greatest latitude of application.">make</a> <a href="/hebrew/853.htm" title="853: ’ō·w·ṯāḵ (DirObjM:: 2fs) -- Apparent contracted from 'owth in the demonstrative sense of entity; properly, self.">you</a> <a href="/hebrew/423.htm" title="423: lə·’ā·lāh (Prep-l:: N-fs) -- An oath. From 'alah; an imprecation.">an attested</a> <a href="/hebrew/7621.htm" title="7621: wə·liš·ḇu·‘āh (Conj-w, Prep-l:: N-fs) -- An oath, curse. Feminine passive participle of shaba'; properly, something sworn, i.e. An oath.">curse</a> <a href="/hebrew/8432.htm" title="8432: bə·ṯō·wḵ (Prep-b:: N-msc) -- Midst. From an unused root meaning to sever; a bisection, i.e. the centre.">among</a> <a href="/hebrew/5971.htm" title="5971: ‘am·mêḵ (N-msc:: 2fs) -- From amam; a people; specifically, a tribe; hence troops or attendants; figuratively, a flock.">your people</a> <a href="/hebrew/3068.htm" title="3068: Yah·weh (N-proper-ms) -- The proper name of the God of Israel. From hayah; self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish national name of God."></a> <a href="/hebrew/853.htm" title="853: ’eṯ- (DirObjM) -- Apparent contracted from 'owth in the demonstrative sense of entity; properly, self."></a> <a href="/hebrew/5414.htm" title="5414: bə·ṯêṯ (Prep-b:: V-Qal-Inf) -- To give, put, set. A primitive root; to give, used with greatest latitude of application.">by making</a> <a href="/hebrew/3409.htm" title="3409: yə·rê·ḵêḵ (N-fsc:: 2fs) -- From an unused root meaning to be soft; the thigh; by euphem. The generative parts; figuratively, a shank, flank, side.">your thigh</a> <a href="/hebrew/5307.htm" title="5307: nō·p̄e·leṯ (V-Qal-Prtcpl-fs) -- To fall, lie. A primitive root; to fall, in a great variety of applications.">shrivel</a> <a href="/hebrew/853.htm" title="853: wə·’eṯ- (Conj-w:: DirObjM) -- Apparent contracted from 'owth in the demonstrative sense of entity; properly, self."></a> <a href="/hebrew/990.htm" title="990: biṭ·nêḵ (N-fsc:: 2fs) -- From an unused root probably meaning to be hollow; the belly, especially the womb; also the bosom or body of anything.">and your belly</a> <a href="/hebrew/6639.htm" title="6639: ṣā·ḇāh (Adj-fs) -- Swelling, swollen. From tsabah; turgid.">swell.</a> 22May this water that brings a curse enter your stomach and cause your belly to swell and your thigh to shrivel.’ Then the woman is to say, ‘Amen, Amen.’…<div class="cred"><a href="//berean.bible">Berean Standard Bible</a> · <a href="//berean.bible/downloads.htm">Download</a></div> <a name="crossref" id="crossref"></a><div class="vheading">Cross References</div><div id="crf"><a href="/deuteronomy/28-15.htm">Deuteronomy 28:15-68</a> If, however, you do not obey the LORD your God by carefully following all His commandments and statutes I am giving you today, all these curses will come upon you and overtake you: / You will be cursed in the city and cursed in the country. / Your basket and kneading bowl will be cursed. ... <a href="/leviticus/20-10.htm">Leviticus 20:10</a> If a man commits adultery with another man’s wife—with the wife of his neighbor—both the adulterer and the adulteress must surely be put to death. <a href="/proverbs/5-4.htm">Proverbs 5:4-5</a> in the end she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a double-edged sword. / Her feet go down to death; her steps lead straight to Sheol. <a href="/jeremiah/29-18.htm">Jeremiah 29:18</a> I will pursue them with sword and famine and plague. I will make them a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth—a curse, a desolation, and an object of scorn and reproach among all the nations to which I banish them. <a href="/ezekiel/16-38.htm">Ezekiel 16:38-42</a> And I will sentence you to the punishment of women who commit adultery and those who shed blood; so I will bring upon you the wrath of your bloodshed and jealousy. / Then I will deliver you into the hands of your lovers, and they will level your mounds and tear down your lofty shrines. They will strip off your clothes, take your fine jewelry, and leave you naked and bare. / They will bring a mob against you, who will stone you and cut you to pieces with their swords. ... <a href="/1_corinthians/6-9.htm">1 Corinthians 6:9-10</a> Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who submit to or perform homosexual acts, / nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor verbal abusers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. <a href="/galatians/5-19.htm">Galatians 5:19-21</a> The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, and debauchery; / idolatry and sorcery; hatred, discord, jealousy, and rage; rivalries, divisions, factions, / and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. <a href="/revelation/21-8.htm">Revelation 21:8</a> But to the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and sexually immoral and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. This is the second death.” <a href="/matthew/5-27.htm">Matthew 5:27-28</a> You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ / But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. <a href="/john/8-3.htm">John 8:3-11</a> The scribes and Pharisees, however, brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before them / and said, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. / In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such a woman. So what do You say?” ... <a href="/1_thessalonians/4-3.htm">1 Thessalonians 4:3-7</a> For it is God’s will that you should be holy: You must abstain from sexual immorality; / each of you must know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, / not in lustful passion like the Gentiles who do not know God; ... <a href="/hebrews/13-4.htm">Hebrews 13:4</a> Marriage should be honored by all and the marriage bed kept undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers. <a href="/romans/1-24.htm">Romans 1:24-27</a> Therefore God gave them over in the desires of their hearts to impurity for the dishonoring of their bodies with one another. / They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is forever worthy of praise! Amen. / For this reason God gave them over to dishonorable passions. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. ... <a href="/2_peter/2-14.htm">2 Peter 2:14</a> Their eyes are full of adultery; their desire for sin is never satisfied; they seduce the unstable. They are accursed children with hearts trained in greed. <a href="/hosea/4-14.htm">Hosea 4:14</a> I will not punish your daughters when they prostitute themselves, nor your daughters-in-law when they commit adultery. For the men themselves go off with prostitutes and offer sacrifices with shrine prostitutes. So a people without understanding will come to ruin.</div> <a name="tsk" id="tsk"><div class="vheading">Treasury of Scripture</div>Then the priest shall charge the woman with an oath of cursing, and the priest shall say to the woman, The LORD make you a curse and an oath among your people, when the LORD does make your thigh to rot, and your belly to swell;an oath<a href="/joshua/6-26.htm">Joshua 6:26</a> And Joshua adjured them at that time, saying, Cursed be the man before the LORD, that riseth up and buildeth this city Jericho: he shall lay the foundation thereof in his firstborn, and in his youngest son shall he set up the gates of it.<a href="/1_samuel/14-24.htm">1 Samuel 14:24</a> And the men of Israel were distressed that day: for Saul had adjured the people, saying, Cursed be the man that eateth any food until evening, that I may be avenged on mine enemies. So none of the people tasted any food.<a href="/nehemiah/10-29.htm">Nehemiah 10:29</a> They clave to their brethren, their nobles, and entered into a curse, and into an oath, to walk in God's law, which was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the LORD our Lord, and his judgments and his statutes;The Lord make<a href="/isaiah/65-15.htm">Isaiah 65:15</a> And ye shall leave your name for a curse unto my chosen: for the Lord GOD shall slay thee, and call his servants by another name:<a href="/jeremiah/29-22.htm">Jeremiah 29:22</a> And of them shall be taken up a curse by all the captivity of Judah which are in Babylon, saying, The LORD make thee like Zedekiah and like Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire;rot.<a href="/2_chronicles/21-15.htm">2 Chronicles 21:15</a> And thou shalt have great sickness by disease of thy bowels, until thy bowels fall out by reason of the sickness day by day.<a href="/proverbs/10-7.htm">Proverbs 10:7</a> The memory of the just is blessed: but the name of the wicked shall rot.<div class="vheading">Jump to Previous</div><a href="/leviticus/15-3.htm">Allows</a> <a href="/leviticus/11-42.htm">Belly</a> <a href="/numbers/5-2.htm">Body</a> <a href="/numbers/5-19.htm">Cause</a> <a href="/numbers/5-19.htm">Charge</a> <a href="/numbers/5-19.htm">Curse</a> <a href="/leviticus/24-23.htm">Cursing</a> <a href="/numbers/1-53.htm">Fall</a> <a href="/numbers/5-8.htm">LORD'S</a> <a href="/leviticus/27-8.htm">Making</a> <a href="/numbers/5-19.htm">Oath</a> <a href="/exodus/21-26.htm">Perish</a> <a href="/numbers/5-18.htm">Priest</a> <a href="/leviticus/26-39.htm">Rot</a> <a href="/numbers/5-19.htm">Swear</a> <a href="/acts/28-6.htm">Swell</a> <a href="/john/4-25.htm">The</a> <a href="/leviticus/10-15.htm">Thigh</a> <a href="/numbers/4-13.htm">Waste</a><div class="vheading2">Jump to Next</div><a href="/2_kings/10-24.htm">Allows</a> <a href="/numbers/5-22.htm">Belly</a> <a href="/numbers/5-22.htm">Body</a> <a href="/numbers/5-22.htm">Cause</a> <a href="/numbers/7-2.htm">Charge</a> <a href="/numbers/5-22.htm">Curse</a> <a href="/deuteronomy/28-20.htm">Cursing</a> <a href="/numbers/5-22.htm">Fall</a> <a href="/numbers/9-14.htm">LORD'S</a> <a href="/numbers/14-27.htm">Making</a> <a href="/numbers/6-2.htm">Oath</a> <a href="/numbers/5-22.htm">Perish</a> <a href="/numbers/5-30.htm">Priest</a> <a href="/numbers/5-22.htm">Rot</a> <a href="/numbers/11-12.htm">Swear</a> <a href="/numbers/5-22.htm">Swell</a> <a href="/jeremiah/23-36.htm">The</a> <a href="/numbers/5-22.htm">Thigh</a> <a href="/numbers/5-22.htm">Waste</a><div class="vheading2">Numbers 5</div>1. <a href="/numbers/5-1.htm">The unclean are removed out of camp</a> 5. <a href="/numbers/5-5.htm">Restitution is to be made in trespass</a> 11. <a href="/numbers/5-11.htm">The trial of jealously</a> </div></div><div id="mdd"><div align="center"><div class="bot2"><table align="center" width="100%"><tr><td><div align="center"> <script id="3d27ed63fc4348d5b062c4527ae09445"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=51ce25d5-1a8c-424a-8695-4bd48c750f35&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script> <script id="b817b7107f1d4a7997da1b3c33457e03"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=cb0edd8b-b416-47eb-8c6d-3cc96561f7e8&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script>  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-2'> </div>  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-0' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div>  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-3'> </div>  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-1' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div>  <div align="center" id='div-gpt-ad-1531425649696-0'> </div> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:inline-block;width:200px;height:200px" data-ad-client="ca-pub-3753401421161123" data-ad-slot="3592799687"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); </script> </div> </td></tr></table></div></div></div><div id="combox"><div class="padcom"><a name="study" id="study"></a><div class="vheading"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="99%" valign="top"><a href="/study/numbers/5.htm">Study Bible</a></td><td width="1%" valign="top"><a href="/study/numbers/" title="Book Summary and Study">Book ◦</a> <a href="/study/chapters/numbers/5.htm" title="Chapter summary and Study">Chapter </a></tr></table></div>and the priest shall have the woman swear under the oath of the curse— In ancient Israel, the priest played a crucial role in mediating between God and the people. This phrase indicates a formal and solemn procedure, where the woman is required to take an oath. The context is a ritual for determining the guilt or innocence of a woman suspected of adultery, known as the "ordeal of jealousy." The oath of the curse is a serious invocation, reflecting the gravity of the situation. Oaths were binding and sacred, often invoking divine judgment if broken. This reflects the cultural and religious importance of truth and fidelity in marriage, as well as the community's reliance on divine justice.‘then may the LORD make you an attested curse among your people The invocation of the LORD's name signifies the seriousness of the curse. In ancient Israel, being a curse among one's people meant being publicly shamed and ostracized. This reflects the communal nature of Israelite society, where individual actions affected the entire community. The phrase "attested curse" implies a visible and undeniable sign of divine judgment, serving as a warning to others. This concept is echoed in <a href="/deuteronomy/28.htm">Deuteronomy 28</a>, where blessings and curses are pronounced based on obedience to God's law. The communal aspect underscores the importance of maintaining purity and faithfulness within the covenant community.by making your thigh shrivel and your belly swell. The physical symptoms described are symbolic of divine judgment. The "thigh" and "belly" are euphemistic references to reproductive organs, indicating a curse on fertility and the ability to bear children. In the cultural context, fertility was highly valued, and barrenness was seen as a sign of divine disfavor. The specific symptoms serve as a tangible sign of guilt, contrasting with the blessings of health and prosperity promised to the obedient. This reflects the broader biblical theme of blessings and curses tied to covenant faithfulness, as seen in <a href="/leviticus/26.htm">Leviticus 26</a> and <a href="/deuteronomy/28.htm">Deuteronomy 28</a>. The physical manifestation of the curse also serves as a type of divine justice, prefiguring the ultimate judgment and redemption through Jesus Christ, who bore the curse of sin on behalf of humanity.<div class="vheading2">Persons / Places / Events</div>1. <a href="/topical/t/the_priest.htm">The Priest</a> A religious leader responsible for administering the oath and the ritual described in this passage. The priest acts as an intermediary between God and the people. 2. <a href="/topical/t/the_woman.htm">The Woman</a> The subject of the ritual, suspected of infidelity. She is brought before the priest to undergo a test of her faithfulness. 3. <a href="/topical/t/the_lord.htm">The LORD (Yahweh)</a> The covenant God of Israel, who is invoked in the oath. His involvement underscores the seriousness of the ritual and the divine judgment it represents. 4. <a href="/topical/t/the_oath_of_the_curse.htm">The Oath of the Curse</a> A solemn declaration invoking divine judgment if the woman is guilty. It is a formalized ritual meant to reveal truth and maintain community purity. 5. <a href="/topical/t/the_israelite_community.htm">The Israelite Community</a> The broader context in which this event takes place, emphasizing communal holiness and the social implications of personal sin.<div class="vheading2">Teaching Points</div><a href="/topical/t/the_seriousness_of_sin.htm">The Seriousness of Sin</a> Sin, particularly adultery, is taken seriously in the community of Israel. It affects not only the individuals involved but the entire community's holiness. <a href="/topical/t/the_role_of_the_priest.htm">The Role of the Priest</a> The priest serves as a mediator, highlighting the need for spiritual leadership and guidance in resolving conflicts and maintaining community standards. <a href="/topical/d/divine_justice_and_mercy.htm">Divine Justice and Mercy</a> While the passage emphasizes divine justice, it also points to the need for mercy and forgiveness, as seen in the broader biblical account. <a href="/topical/c/community_responsibility.htm">Community Responsibility</a> The community is responsible for upholding God's standards, emphasizing the importance of accountability and support within the body of believers. <a href="/topical/f/faith_and_trust_in_god.htm">Faith and Trust in God</a> The ritual underscores the need for faith and trust in God's justice, encouraging believers to rely on Him for truth and vindication.<div class="vheading2">Lists and Questions</div><a href="/top10/lessons_from_numbers_5.htm">Top 10 Lessons from Numbers 5</a> <a href="/q/evidence_of_numbers_5_trial_by_ordeal.htm">Is there any historical or archaeological evidence that this trial by ordeal was actually used (Numbers 5)?</a> <a href="/q/is_numbers_5_about_an_abortion_ritual.htm">Does Numbers 5 describe a ritual related to abortion?</a> <a href="/q/what_foods_are_mentioned_in_the_bible.htm">What foods are mentioned in the Bible?</a> <a href="/q/does_numbers_5_show_god_ordering_abortion.htm">Does Numbers 5 depict God commanding abortion?</a><a name="commentary" id="commentary"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/pulpit/numbers/5.htm">Pulpit Commentary</a></div>Verse 21. - Then the priest shall say unto the woman. These words are parenthetical, just as in <a href="/matthew/9-6.htm">Matthew 9:6</a>. The latter part of the oath is called "an oath of cursing," because it contained the imprecations on the guilty. To rot. Hebrew, "to fall." Τὸν μηρόν σου διαπεπτωκότα,, Septuagint. To swell. The Hebrew zabeh is not of quite certain meaning, but probably this. <a href="/commentaries/numbers/5-21.htm">Parallel Commentaries ...</a> <a name="lexicon" id="lexicon"></a><div class="vheading">Hebrew</div>then the priest הַכֹּהֵ֥ן (hak·kō·hên) Article | Noun - masculine singular <a href="/hebrew/strongs_3548.htm">Strong's 3548: </a> Priest shall have the woman הָֽאִשָּׁה֮ (hā·’iš·šāh) Article | Noun - feminine singular <a href="/hebrew/strongs_802.htm">Strong's 802: </a> Woman, wife, female swear וְהִשְׁבִּ֨יעַ (wə·hiš·bî·a‘) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular <a href="/hebrew/strongs_7650.htm">Strong's 7650: </a> To seven oneself, swear under the oath בִּשְׁבֻעַ֣ת (biš·ḇu·‘aṯ) Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct <a href="/hebrew/strongs_7621.htm">Strong's 7621: </a> Something sworn, an oath of the curse— הָאָלָה֒ (hā·’ā·lāh) Article | Noun - feminine singular <a href="/hebrew/strongs_423.htm">Strong's 423: </a> An imprecation ‘May the LORD יְהוָ֥ה (Yah·weh) Noun - proper - masculine singular <a href="/hebrew/strongs_3068.htm">Strong's 3068: </a> LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel make יִתֵּ֨ן (yit·tên) Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular <a href="/hebrew/strongs_5414.htm">Strong's 5414: </a> To give, put, set you אוֹתָ֛ךְ (’ō·w·ṯāḵ) Direct object marker | second person feminine singular <a href="/hebrew/strongs_853.htm">Strong's 853: </a> Untranslatable mark of the accusative case an attested לְאָלָ֥ה (lə·’ā·lāh) Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular <a href="/hebrew/strongs_423.htm">Strong's 423: </a> An imprecation curse וְלִשְׁבֻעָ֖ה (wə·liš·ḇu·‘āh) Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular <a href="/hebrew/strongs_7621.htm">Strong's 7621: </a> Something sworn, an oath among בְּת֣וֹךְ (bə·ṯō·wḵ) Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct <a href="/hebrew/strongs_8432.htm">Strong's 8432: </a> A bisection, the centre your people עַמֵּ֑ךְ (‘am·mêḵ) Noun - masculine singular construct | second person feminine singular <a href="/hebrew/strongs_5971.htm">Strong's 5971: </a> A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock if [He] יְהוָ֤ה (Yah·weh) Noun - proper - masculine singular <a href="/hebrew/strongs_3068.htm">Strong's 3068: </a> LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel makes בְּתֵ֨ת (bə·ṯêṯ) Preposition-b | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct <a href="/hebrew/strongs_5414.htm">Strong's 5414: </a> To give, put, set your thigh יְרֵכֵךְ֙ (yə·rê·ḵêḵ) Noun - feminine singular construct | second person feminine singular <a href="/hebrew/strongs_3409.htm">Strong's 3409: </a> Thigh,loin, flank, side shrivel נֹפֶ֔לֶת (nō·p̄e·leṯ) Verb - Qal - Participle - feminine singular <a href="/hebrew/strongs_5307.htm">Strong's 5307: </a> To fall, lie and your belly בִּטְנֵ֖ךְ (biṭ·nêḵ) Noun - feminine singular construct | second person feminine singular <a href="/hebrew/strongs_990.htm">Strong's 990: </a> The belly, the womb, the bosom, body of anything swell. צָבָֽה׃ (ṣā·ḇāh) Adjective - feminine singular <a href="/hebrew/strongs_6638.htm">Strong's 6638: </a> To amass, grow turgid, to array an army against <div class="vheading">Links</div><a href="/niv/numbers/5-21.htm">Numbers 5:21 NIV</a> <a href="/nlt/numbers/5-21.htm">Numbers 5:21 NLT</a> <a href="/esv/numbers/5-21.htm">Numbers 5:21 ESV</a> <a href="/nasb/numbers/5-21.htm">Numbers 5:21 NASB</a> <a href="/kjv/numbers/5-21.htm">Numbers 5:21 KJV</a> <a href="//bibleapps.com/numbers/5-21.htm">Numbers 5:21 BibleApps.com</a> <a href="//bibliaparalela.com/numbers/5-21.htm">Numbers 5:21 Biblia Paralela</a> <a href="//holybible.com.cn/numbers/5-21.htm">Numbers 5:21 Chinese Bible</a> <a href="//saintebible.com/numbers/5-21.htm">Numbers 5:21 French Bible</a> <a href="/catholic/numbers/5-21.htm">Numbers 5:21 Catholic Bible</a> <a href="/numbers/5-21.htm">OT Law: Numbers 5:21 Then the priest shall cause the woman (Nu Num.) </a></div></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="left"><a href="/numbers/5-20.htm" onmouseover='lft.src="/leftgif.png"' onmouseout='lft.src="/left.png"' title="Numbers 5:20"><img src="/left.png" name="lft" border="0" alt="Numbers 5:20" /></a></div><div id="right"><a href="/numbers/5-22.htm" onmouseover='rght.src="/rightgif.png"' onmouseout='rght.src="/right.png"' title="Numbers 5:22"><img src="/right.png" name="rght" border="0" alt="Numbers 5:22" /></a></div><div id="botleft"><a href="#" onmouseover='botleft.src="/botleftgif.png"' onmouseout='botleft.src="/botleft.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botleft.png" name="botleft" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="botright"><a href="#" onmouseover='botright.src="/botrightgif.png"' onmouseout='botright.src="/botright.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botright.png" name="botright" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="bot"><iframe width="100%" height="1500" scrolling="no" src="/botmenubhnew2.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></td></tr></table></div></body></html>