This is the law of jealousy when a wife goes astray and defiles herself while under her husband’s authority,
Parallel translations
- WEB “‘This is the law of jealousy, when a wife, being under her husband, goes astray, and is defiled;
- KJV This is the law of jealousies, when a wife goeth aside to another instead of her husband, and is defiled;
- NKJV ‘This is the law of jealousy, when a wife, while under her husband’s authority, goes astray and defiles herself,
- NASB ‘This is the law of jealousy: when a wife, who is under the authority of her husband, goes astray and defiles herself,
- NLT “This is the ritual law for dealing with suspicion. If a woman goes astray and defiles herself while under her husband’s authority,
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
This sums up the 'law of jealousy' for cases where a wife may have gone astray.
Overview
Verses 29-31 conclude the passage by labeling it the law of jealousy, providing a fixed procedure rather than arbitrary response. It addresses the real damage of suspicion within marriage by giving the matter a God-ordained resolution. The covenant seriousness of marriage points forward to Christ and the church (Eph 5).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- Num 5:19And he is to put the woman under oath and say to her, ‘If no other man has slept with you and you have not gone astray and become defiled while under your husband’s authority, may you be immune to this bitter water that brings a curse.
- Num 5:12“Speak to the Israelites and tell them that if any man’s wife goes astray and is unfaithful to him
- Lev 7:11Now this is the law of the peace offering that one may present to the LORD:
- Lev 13:59This is the law concerning a mildew contamination in wool or linen fabric, weave, or knit, or any leather article, for pronouncing it clean or unclean.”
- Lev 11:46This is the law regarding animals, birds, all living creatures that move in the water, and all creatures that crawl along the ground.
- Isa 5:7–8For the vineyard of the LORD of Hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are the plant of His delight. He looked for justice, but saw bloodshed; for righteousness, but heard a cry of distress.
- Num 5:15then he is to bring his wife to the priest. He must also bring for her an offering of a tenth of an ephah of barley flour. He is not to pour oil over it or put frankincense on it, because it is a grain offering for jealousy, an offering of memorial as a reminder of iniquity.
- Lev 15:32–33This is the law of him who has a discharge, of the man who has an emission of semen whereby he is unclean,
- Lev 14:54–57This is the law for any infectious skin disease, for a scaly outbreak,
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 5:29 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.