Numbers 5:27

Numbers 5:27 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And when he hath made her to drink the water, then it shall come to pass, that, if she be defiled, and have done trespass against her husband, that the water that causeth the curse shall enter into her, and become bitter, and her belly shall swell, and her thigh shall rot: and the woman shall be a curse among her people.
• New International Version (NIV)If she has made herself impure and been unfaithful to her husband, this will be the result: When she is made to drink the water that brings a curse and causes bitter suffering, it will enter her, her abdomen will swell and her womb will miscarry, and she will become a curse.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And when he has made her drink the water, then, if she has defiled herself and has broken faith with her husband, the water that brings the curse shall enter into her and cause bitter pain, and her womb shall swell, and her thigh shall fall away, and the woman shall become a curse among her people.
• New King James Version (NKJV)When he has made her drink the water, then it shall be, if she has defiled herself and behaved unfaithfully toward her husband, that the water that brings a curse will enter her and become bitter, and her belly will swell, her thigh will rot, and the woman will become a curse among her people.

Context of Numbers 5:27

25The kohen is to take the jealousy offering from the woman’s hand, wave the offering before Adonai and bring it to the altar. 26The kohen is to take a handful of the grain offering and burn it up in smoke on the altar as a memorial offering. The kohen will then have the woman drink the water. “When she is made to drink the water that carries the curse, if she has defiled herself and been unfaithful to her husband, it will enter her and cause bitterness—her abdomen will swell and her thigh will waste away. She will be accursed among her people. 28If, however, the woman has not defiled herself and is clean, she will be free from guilt and be able to have children. 29“This is the Torah regarding jealousy, when a woman goes astray from her husband and defiles herself,

Numbers 5:27 word by word

וְהִשְׁקָ֣הּ אֶת־הַמַּ֗יִם וְהָיְתָ֣ה אִֽם־נִטְמְאָה֮ וַתִּמְעֹ֣ל מַ֣עַל בְּאִישָׁהּ֒ וּבָ֨אוּ בָ֜הּ הַמַּ֤יִם הַמְאָֽרֲרִים֙ לְמָרִ֔ים וְצָבְתָ֣ה בִטְנָ֔הּ וְנָפְלָ֖ה יְרֵכָ֑הּ וְהָיְתָ֧ה הָאִשָּׁ֛ה לְאָלָ֖ה בְּקֶ֥רֶב עַמָּֽהּ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And when he hath made her to drinkשָׁקָהshâqâh · to water: drinkH8248
• the waterמַיmayim · waterH4325
• if she be defiledטָמֵאţâmê' · to defileH2930
• and have doneמָעַלmâ‛al · be unfaithfulH4603
• trespassמַ֫עַלma‛al · unfaithfulnessH4604
• against her husbandאִישׁ'îysh · man: husbandH376
• that causeth the curseאָרַר'ârar · to curseH779
• shall enterבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• bitterמַרmar mârâh · bitterH4751
• and her bellyבֶּ֫טֶןbeţen · belly: wombH990
• shall swellצָבָהtsâbâh · to swellH6638
• and her thighיָרֵךְyârêk · thighH3409
• shall rotנָפַלnâphal · to fall: fallH5307
• and the womanאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · womanH802
• shall be a curseאָלָה'âlâh · oathH423
• amongקֶ֫רֶבqereb · entrails: amongH7130
• her peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971

Cross-references for Numbers 5:27

• Numbers 5:20If, however, you have gone astray from your husband and if you became impure and had sexual relations with a man other than your husband’—
• Proverbs 5:4But in the end she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a double-edged sword.
• Ecclesiastes 7:26I find more bitter than death the woman who is a snare, whose heart is a trap, and whose hands are chains. He who pleases God will escape her, but a sinner will be captured by her.
• Romans 6:21So then, what outcome did you have that you are now ashamed of? For the end of those things is death.
• 2 Corinthians 2:16to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life. Who is competent for these things?
• Hebrews 10:26For if we keep on sinning willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,
• 2 Peter 2:10especially those who follow after the flesh in its unclean desires and who despise the Lord’s authority. Brazen and arrogant, these people do not tremble while slandering glorious beings;
• Deuteronomy 28:37You will become a horror, a proverb, and a byword—among all the peoples where Adonai will drive you.
• Psalms 83:9even Assyria has joined them, becoming a strong arm for Lot’s sons. Selah
• Isaiah 65:15You will leave your name behind as a curse for My chosen ones, and Adonai Elohim will slay you. But He will call His servants by another name.
• Jeremiah 24:9I will even give them as a horror, as an evil thing, among all the kingdoms of the earth—as a disgrace and a proverb, a taunt and a curse—in all places where I will drive them.
• Jeremiah 29:18I will pursue them with the sword, famine and pestilence, and will make them a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth—a curse and an astonishment, a hissing and a disgrace—among all the nations where I have driven them,
• Jeremiah 42:18For thus says Adonai-Tzva’ot, the God of Israel: “As My anger and My fury were poured out on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so will My fury be poured out on you, if you will enter Egypt. You will be an execration, a horror, a curse, and a disgrace, and you will never see this place again.”
• Zechariah 8:13It will happen that just as you were a curse among the nations, house of Judah and house of Israel, so will I save you and you will be a blessing. Fear not! Let your hands be strong!’

Commentaries on Numbers 5:27

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 11-31Verses 11-31 The trial of jealousy. Since the crime of adultery is especially defiling and destructive of the very foundations of social order, the whole subject is dealt with at a length proportionate to its importance. The process prescribed has lately been strikingly illustrated from an Egyptian “romance,” which refers to the time of Rameses the Great, and may therefore well serve to illustrate the manners and customs of the Mosaic times. This mode of…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 11-31Verses 11-31 This law would make the women of Israel watch against giving cause for suspicion. On the other hand, it would hinder the cruel treatment such suspicions might occasion. It would also hinder the guilty from escaping, and the innocent from coming under just suspicion. When no proof could be brought, the wife was called on to make this solemn appeal to a heart-searching God. No woman, if she were guilty, could say "Amen" to the adjuration, and…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 11-31This detailed test for adultery, a "trial by ordeal," is the only one in the Old Testament. Yet, trial by ordeal was common in the ancient Near East. God had a special interest in protecting marriage. It was the foundation of Hebrew society. The ordeal was intended to promote marital faithfulness. We do not know how often such ordeals actually happened. This procedure relied on God to intervene so that justice occurred when evidence was lacking (see 1…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 11-3112-15. if any man's wife go aside, and commit a trespass against him--This law was given both as a strong discouragement to conjugal infidelity on the part of a wife, and a sufficient protection of her from the consequences of a hasty and groundless suspicion on the part of the husband. His suspicions, however, were sufficient in the absence of witnesses (Le 20:10) to warrant the trial described; and the course of proceeding to be followed was for the…Read the comment

Topics related to Numbers 5:27

• Adultery
• Bitter Water
• Husband
• Jealousy
• Priest
• Self-Incrimination
• Wife
• Women

In the dictionaries

• Adultery
• Close
• Conceive
• Cross
• Curse
• Jealousy, Waters of
• Recompense
• Sinai
• Water of jealousy
• Alexander

Commentaries on Numbers 5

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary