Numbers 5:12-13
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This passage highlights that the "trespass" isn't about absolute, proven adultery, but rather about a husband's deep suspicion that his wife has "broken faith" with him, a breach of their covenant that troubles his peace. This ritual, therefore, addresses not just the act of infidelity itself, but the profound relational and spiritual damage caused by suspicion and doubt within a marriage.
“Speak to the people of Israel, If any man’s wife goes astray and breaks faith with him, if a man lies with her sexually, and it is hidden from the eyes of her husband, and she is undetected though she has defiled herself, and there is no witness against her, since she was not taken in the act,
English Standard Version (ESV)
This passage introduces a specific legal procedure for dealing with a husband's suspicion that his wife has been unfaithful. It's not about proven adultery, but rather a situation where a man is consumed by jealousy and believes his wife has broken faith with him, potentially causing significant family and social disruption. The verses that follow detail a unique ritual involving the priest, bitter water, and an offering, designed to reveal the truth and bring either vindication or judgment.
What happens when a marriage is rocked by doubt? This ancient law was designed for precisely these uncertain situations.
The instruction in Numbers 5:12 isn't for cases where adultery is proven. In fact, if the wife's guilt was certain, she faced a far more severe punishment (Leviticus 20:10) and there would be no need for this specific trial.
This law is specifically for when a husband suspects his wife has 'gone astray' and 'broken faith.' It addresses the distress and turmoil caused by doubt and uncertainty, where proof is lacking but suspicion is heavy. The goal is to bring a hidden matter into the light, under God's judgment, when human eyes cannot fully see the truth.
Adultery wasn't just a personal betrayal; it was a violation of something much larger.
The phrase 'commit a trespass against him' goes beyond a simple broken promise. In the Old Testament context, marriage was a covenant. When a wife committed adultery, she was not only betraying her husband's trust and love, but also violating the sacred covenant established between them before God.
This act brought dishonor not just to the man, but to his family, his name, and potentially introduced confusion about lineage and inheritance. It was a disruption of the social and spiritual order God had established for Israel.
Understand the original words
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ma'al · Hebrew Verb
A biblical term often used for adultery or spiritual unfaithfulness, referring to a turning away from established commitments, loyalty, or duty. It implies a betrayal of a covenant bond, whether between humans or between humanity and God.
tame' · Hebrew Verb
In the Old Testament, this refers to becoming ritually or morally impure. It involves a corruption or desecration that makes a person or object unfit to stand in the presence of a holy God or participate in sacred communal life.
This passage shows the severe punishment for adultery in the Old Testament, highlighting the gravity of the 'trespass' mentioned in Numbers 5:12.
Proverbs 6:20-33This section powerfully describes the devastating consequences of adultery, painting a vivid picture of the 'trespass' and its bitter results, similar to the trial in Numbers 5.
Song of Solomon 8:6-7This passage speaks of love being as fierce as death, emphasizing its exclusive and unbreakable nature, contrasting with the 'going astray' and breaking faith described in Numbers 5.
Matthew 5:27-28Jesus raises the standard of purity by stating that even lustful thoughts are a form of adultery, broadening the concept of 'going astray' beyond the physical act.
1 Corinthians 6:18-20This passage teaches that believers' bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, reinforcing the idea that sexual immorality is a grave offense against God and oneself, a spiritual trespass.
pulpitNumbers 5:12: "Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, If any man's wife go aside, and commit a trespass against him,"
Verse 12. - If any man's wife... commit a trespass against him. The adultery of the wife is here regarded only from a social point of view; the injury to the husband, the destruction of his peace of mind, even by the bare suspicion, and the consequent troubling of Israel, is the thing dwelt upon. The punishment of adultery as a sin had been already prescribed (Le…
calvinNumbers 5:11-31: "And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,"
Et transierit super eum spiritus zelotypiae, zelatusque fuerit uxorem suam, et ipsa polluta fuerit: vel transierit super eum spiritus zelotypiae, zelatusque fuerit uxorem suam, et ipsa non fuerit polluta:
Then shall the man bring his wife unto the priest, and he shall bring her offering for her, the tenth part of an ephah of barley meal; he shall pour no oil upon it, nor put frankincense thereon; for it is an offering of jealous…
This passage highlights that the "trespass" isn't about absolute, proven adultery, but rather about a husband's deep suspicion that his wife has "broken faith" with him, a breach of their covenant that troubles his peace. This ritual, therefore, addresses not just the act of infidelity itself, but the profound relational and spiritual damage caused by suspicion and doubt within a marriage.
This passage introduces a specific legal procedure for dealing with a husband's suspicion that his wife has been unfaithful. It's not about proven adultery, but rather a situation where a man is consumed by jealousy and believes his wife has broken faith with him, potentially causing significant family and social disruption. The verses that follow detail a unique ritual involving the priest, bitter water, and an offering, designed to reveal the truth and bring either vindication or judgment.
This passage introduces a specific legal procedure for dealing with a husband's suspicion that his wife has been unfaithful. It's not about proven adultery, but rather a situation where a man is consumed by jealousy and believes his wife has broken faith with him, potentially causing significant family and social disruption. The verses that follow detail a unique ritual involving the priest, bitter water, and an offering, designed to reveal the truth and bring either vindication or judgment.
"“Speak to the people of Israel, If any man’s wife goes astray and breaks faith with him, if a man lies with her sexually, and it is hidden from the eyes of her husband, and she is undetected though she has defiled herself, and there is no…" — This passage highlights that the "trespass" isn't about absolute, proven adultery, but rather about a husband's deep suspicion that his wife has "broken faith" with him, a breach of their covenant th…
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Last reviewed October 2026
