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.’
English Standard Version (ESV)
The phrase "Amen, Amen" isn't just a simple "so be it." By doubling it, the woman intensifies her declaration, essentially saying, "Let it truly, absolutely be so if I am guilty," laying bare her deepest desire for God's judgment to confirm her innocence. This ancient, powerful response highlights how, even in the face of devastating curses, a pure heart can confidently invoke God's truth.
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.’
English Standard Version (ESV)
This passage describes a legal ritual for a woman suspected of adultery but without proof. The priest prepares a special mixture of water, dust from the tabernacle floor, and the written curses, which the accused wife must drink. If she is innocent, the water will have no ill effect, but if guilty, she is to suffer severe physical consequences, a curse pronounced upon her body.
Ever feel like infidelity is hidden or gets away with it? This ancient ritual reveals that God sees all, especially within the marriage covenant.
This passage describes a unique ceremony designed to address suspected infidelity. It wasn't just a legal process; it was a profound statement about God's role.
God's Direct Involvement
The ritual was initiated when a husband suspected his wife. The priest would prepare 'bitter water' mixed with dust from the Tabernacle floor and the written curse. This wasn't just symbolic water; it was a vessel through which God Himself would act.
Protecting the Covenant
As Calvin notes, God established this to prevent women from abandoning chastity out of a belief they could escape punishment. It also served to protect against baseless jealousy. God declared Himself the 'guardian and avenger of conjugal fidelity.' He was personally intervening to uphold the sanctity of marriage.
What did it mean for the 'thigh to fall away'? This ritual's consequences were terrifyingly specific, pointing to a deeper truth about sin.
The physical afflictions described – a swelling belly and a rotting thigh – were not arbitrary.
The Organs of Sin, The Seat of Punishment
Commentators like Pulpit point out the principle: 'the organs of sin are the seat of the plague.' The implied sexual infidelity was to be judged in the very body that was defiled. It served as a stark, physical manifestation of the internal corruption and guilt.
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A Symbol of Utter Devastation
The 'swelling belly' could imply barrenness or a public, grotesque display of corruption, while the 'rotting thigh' suggests a loss of function, ability, and perhaps even life itself. As Clarke suggests, 'thy thigh to fall' might allude to a prolapse of the womb, a deeply personal and debilitating condition. The effects were designed to be a direct, and possibly fatal, consequence of the sin and the broken covenant.
She says 'Amen, Amen.' Is this a cry of desperation, a defiant challenge, or something else entirely?
The woman's response, 'Amen, Amen,' is packed with meaning, especially in its repetition.
Affirming the Curse, Invoking God's Justice
This 'Amen' (from a root meaning 'steadfast,' 'true,' or 'reliable') was more than just a polite agreement. It was an active acceptance of the curse. If she was guilty, she was willingly calling down this horrific judgment upon herself. As Wesley and Poole explain, the doubling of 'Amen' signifies her intense desire for God's justice to be executed according to her true state.
A Test of True Innocence
For an innocent woman, saying 'Amen' was an act of profound faith. She was trusting that God, who saw her heart, would vindicate her, even through this terrifying ordeal. If she was guilty, her 'Amen' was essentially sealing her own doom, declaring her acceptance of the punishment she deserved. It was a high-stakes appeal directly to God's sovereign judgment.
Understand the original words
amen · Hebrew Interjection
A Hebrew term of affirmation, agreement, and commitment, used to confirm the truth of a statement or to accept the terms of an oath or blessing. It implies "it is true" or "may it be so."
This psalm describes imprecations against an enemy, with a verse that directly parallels the physical consequences mentioned in Numbers 5:22, illustrating the concept of curses returning to the one who uttered them.
1 Corinthians 11:29The Apostle Paul uses language that strongly echoes the concept of 'eating and drinking judgment' to oneself, suggesting a spiritual parallel to the physical judgment described in this passage for the unworthy.
Galatians 3:10This verse states that all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, providing a theological backdrop for understanding the severe consequences of breaking God's law, as powerfully illustrated by this ritual.
Hebrews 12:16This passage warns against immorality and godlessness, likening them to the 'godless' Esau who sold his 'birthright for a single meal,' reflecting the profound spiritual and physical loss that can follow sin and disobedience.
clarkeNumbers 5:22: "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."
Thy belly to swell, and thy thigh to rot - What is meant by these expressions cannot be easily ascertained. לנפל ירך lanpel yarech signifies literally thy thigh to fall. As the thigh, feet, etc., were used among the Hebrews delicately to express the parts which nature conceals, (see Genesis 46:26 ), the expression here is probabl…
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…
The phrase "Amen, Amen" isn't just a simple "so be it." By doubling it, the woman intensifies her declaration, essentially saying, "Let it truly, absolutely be so if I am guilty," laying bare her deepest desire for God's judgment to confirm her innocence. This ancient, powerful response highlights how, even in the face of devastating curses, a pure heart can confidently invoke God's truth.
This passage describes a legal ritual for a woman suspected of adultery but without proof. The priest prepares a special mixture of water, dust from the tabernacle floor, and the written curses, which the accused wife must drink. If she is innocent, the water will have no ill effect, but if guilty, she is to suffer severe physical consequences, a curse pronounced upon her body.
This passage describes a legal ritual for a woman suspected of adultery but without proof. The priest prepares a special mixture of water, dust from the tabernacle floor, and the written curses, which the accused wife must drink. If she is innocent, the water will have no ill effect, but if guilty, she is to suffer severe physical consequences, a curse pronounced upon her body.
"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.’" — The phrase "Amen, Amen" isn't just a simple "so be it." By doubling it, the woman intensifies her declaration, essentially saying, "Let it truly, absolutely be so if I am guilty," laying bare her dee…
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Last reviewed October 2026