Numbers 5:19-20
Then the priest shall make her take an oath, saying, ‘If no man has lain with you, and if you have not turned aside to uncleanness while you were under your husband’s authority, be free from this water of bitterness that brings the curse. But if you have gone astray, though you are under your husband’s authority, and if you have defiled yourself, and some man other than your husband has lain with you,
English Standard Version (ESV)
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This passage highlights that the "uncleanness" being tested for isn't just any sexual sin, but specifically adultery committed while under her husband's authority. The oath's wording implies that the bond of marriage itself creates a specific context for this particular sin, emphasizing God's concern for the sanctity of the marital covenant.
This passage is part of a detailed ritual God prescribed for a husband suspecting his wife of adultery, especially when the suspected offense is concealed. The priest prepares a mixture of water and dust from the Tabernacle floor, into which a written curse is dissolved, to be given to the woman to drink. This ordeal is the culmination of a process initiated by a husband's jealousy, designed to reveal hidden unfaithfulness and uphold the sanctity of marriage.
This ancient ritual begins not with guilt, but with a husband's deep anxiety. What does it reveal about God's concern for marriage?
This passage describes a unique legal process in ancient Israel, designed to address a husband's suspicion of his wife's infidelity. It's crucial to understand that the priest doesn't bring the woman to this ritual based on proven guilt. Instead, it's initiated by the husband's 'spirit of jealousy.'
God's Response to Anxiety
God Himself institutes this process, showing His deep concern for the sanctity of marriage and the protection of wives from baseless accusations. It's a way for husbands to find relief from agonizing suspicion, by appealing to God's ultimate judgment when human certainty is impossible. The offering made by the husband is described as an 'offering of memorial, bringing iniquity to remembrance,' highlighting that even in suspicion, the potential for sin is acknowledged.
The oath spoken to the woman isn't just a question; it's a profound declaration of two possible outcomes. What does this reveal about God's justice?
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The oath the priest administers to the woman has two clear paths: innocence or guilt.
The Condition of Freedom
If the woman has remained faithful ('no man has lain with you, and if you have not turned aside to uncleanness...'), she is declared 'free from this water of bitterness that brings the curse.' This signifies her vindication and God's blessing upon her faithfulness.
The Consequence of Guilt
Conversely, if she has been unfaithful, the 'bitter water' would lead to a curse, described as her belly swelling and thigh rotting – a physical manifestation of divine judgment. This stark contrast underscores the seriousness of marital vows and God's role as the ultimate judge of hidden sins. The wording 'under your husband's authority' emphasizes that this sin is a violation within the covenant of marriage.
Understand the original words
shevu'ah · Hebrew Noun
A solemn invocation of God as witness to the truthfulness of a statement or a promise to perform an action, often including self-imprecation if the oath is broken.
tum'ah · Hebrew Noun
A state of moral or ceremonial impurity that separates an individual from the holiness of God and the holy assembly of Israel.
shagah · Hebrew Verb
To wander from the right way, either physically or morally, often used metaphorically for breaking covenant, especially in marital or spiritual infidelity.
tame' · Hebrew Verb
To make morally impure or profane, particularly through sexual immorality or ritual violation, thereby rendering something or someone unfit for God's presence.
This passage shows God intervening to prevent adultery even when a husband, like Abraham, makes a false claim about his wife's marital status, echoing the concern for marital fidelity seen in Numbers 5.
Proverbs 6:32This proverb highlights the severe consequence of adultery, paralleling the 'bitter water that causeth the curse' in Numbers 5 by stating that an adulterer 'lacketh heart' and will face punishment.
Jeremiah 3:1This verse uses the imagery of a wife turning to other lovers as a metaphor for Israel's unfaithfulness to God, demonstrating the profound spiritual implications of marital infidelity that the Numbers passage addresses on a physical level.
Ezekiel 23:5This passage describes the unfaithfulness of Samaria (as Oholibah) with Assyrians and Babylonians, using the same concept of being 'under her husband' as the basis for her defilement, which is central to the oath in Numbers 5:19.
Romans 7:2The apostle Paul uses the analogy of a married woman being bound to her husband by law, but freed by his death, to explain our relationship with the law and Christ. This connects to the idea of legal bonds and their dissolution, present in the ritualistic 'law' of jealousy.
gillNumbers 5:19: "And the priest shall charge her by an oath, and say unto the woman, If no man have lain with thee, and if thou hast not gone aside to uncleanness with another instead of thy husband, be thou free from this bitter water that causeth the curse:"
And the priest shall charge her by an oath,.... Or give her her oath: and say unto the woman, if no man hath lain with thee: besides her husband: and thou hast not gone aside to uncleanness with another instead of thy husband; which is but…
pulpitNumbers 5:19: "And the priest shall charge her by an oath, and say unto the woman, If no man have lain with thee, and if thou hast not gone aside to uncleanness with another instead of thy husband, be thou free from this bitter water that causeth the curse:"
Verse 19. - If no man. The oath presupposed her innocence. With another instead of thy husband. Hebrew, "under thy husband, i.e., as a wife subject to a husband (Ezekiel 23:5; Hosea 4:12). "Υπανδρος οῦσα, Septuagint. It was only as a femme…
This passage highlights that the "uncleanness" being tested for isn't just any sexual sin, but specifically adultery committed while under her husband's authority. The oath's wording implies that the bond of marriage itself creates a specific context for this particular sin, emphasizing God's concern for the sanctity of the marital covenant.
This passage is part of a detailed ritual God prescribed for a husband suspecting his wife of adultery, especially when the suspected offense is concealed. The priest prepares a mixture of water and dust from the Tabernacle floor, into which a written curse is dissolved, to be given to the woman to drink. This ordeal is the culmination of a process initiated by a husband's jealousy, designed to reveal hidden unfaithfulness and uphold the sanctity of marriage.
This passage is part of a detailed ritual God prescribed for a husband suspecting his wife of adultery, especially when the suspected offense is concealed. The priest prepares a mixture of water and dust from the Tabernacle floor, into which a written curse is dissolved, to be given to the woman to drink. This ordeal is the culmination of a process initiated by a husband's jealousy, designed to reveal hidden unfaithfulness and uphold the sanctity of marriage.
"Then the priest shall make her take an oath, saying, ‘If no man has lain with you, and if you have not turned aside to uncleanness while you were under your husband’s authority, be free from this water of bitterness that brings the curse.…" — This passage highlights that the "uncleanness" being tested for isn't just any sexual sin, but specifically adultery committed while under her husband's authority. The oath's wording implies that t…
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