and may this water that causes the curse go into your stomach, and make your belly swell and your thigh rot.” ‘Then the woman shall say, “Amen, so be it.”
Parallel translations
- WEB and this water that brings a curse will go into your bowels, and make your body swell, and your thigh fall away.” The woman shall say, “Amen, Amen.”
- KJV 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.
- BSB May 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.’
- NASB and this water that brings a curse shall go into your stomach, to make your belly swell up and your thigh shrivel.” And the woman shall say, “Amen, Amen.”
- NLT Now may this water that brings the curse enter your body and cause your abdomen to swell and your womb to shrivel.’ And the woman will be required to say, ‘Yes, let it be so.’
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The cursed water would bring affliction if she is guilty, and the woman affirms the oath with 'Amen, Amen.' She submits to God's judgment of the hidden truth.
Overview
The woman's double 'Amen' is her solemn agreement to accept whatever verdict God renders, trusting Him to reveal the truth. The whole procedure entrusted a matter beyond human proof to the all-knowing God, protecting the innocent and exposing the guilty. Her submission models the reverent acknowledgment that God alone judges the secrets of the heart.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 15
- Ps 109:18He clothed himself also with cursing as with his garment. It came into his inward parts like water, like oil into his bones.
- Prov 1:31Therefore they will eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own schemes.
- Deut 27:15–26‘Cursed is the man who makes an engraved or molten image, an abomination to Yahweh, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and sets it up in secret.’ All the people shall answer and say, ‘Amen.’
- Ezek 3:3He said to me, “Son of man, cause your belly to eat, and fill your bowels with this scroll that I give you.” Then I ate it; and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth.
- Num 5:27When he has made her drink the water, then it shall happen, if she is defiled, and has committed a trespass against her husband, that the water that causes the curse will enter into her and become bitter, and her body will swell, and her thigh will fall away: and the woman will be a curse among her people.
- John 6:53Jesus therefore said to them, “Most certainly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you don’t have life in yourselves.
- John 5:24–25“Most certainly I tell you, he who hears my word, and believes him who sent me, has eternal life, and doesn’t come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.
- John 3:11Most certainly I tell you, we speak that which we know, and testify of that which we have seen, and you don’t receive our witness.
- Job 31:39–40if I have eaten its fruits without money, or have caused its owners to lose their life,
- John 3:3Jesus answered him, “Most certainly, I tell you, unless one is born anew, he can’t see God’s Kingdom.”
- Ps 7:4–5if I have rewarded evil to him who was at peace with me (yes, if I have delivered him who without cause was my adversary),
- Ps 41:13Blessed be Yahweh, the God of Israel, from everlasting and to everlasting! Amen and amen.
- Ps 89:52Blessed be Yahweh forever more. Amen, and Amen.
- Ps 72:19Blessed be his glorious name forever! Let the whole earth be filled with his glory! Amen and amen.
- Job 31:21–22if I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless, because I saw my help in the gate,
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
In the wilderness Christ is the water from the rock, the bronze serpent lifted up that the dying might look and live (John 3:14), and the star and scepter that Balaam saw rising out of Jacob.
How Numbers 5:22 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.