Numbers 5:22

Bishop's Bible

These cursed waters go into the bowels of thee, that they may make thy belly swell, and thy thigh to rotte. And let the woman say, Amen amen.

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
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, 'Amein, Amein.'

King James Version
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.

Lexham English Bible
and these waters that bring a curse will go into your intestines to cause your womb to swell and to make your hip fall away." And the women will say, "Amen. Amen."

New Century Version
This water that brings a curse will go inside you and make your body unable to give birth to another baby." "‘The woman must say, "I agree."

New English Translation
and this water that causes the curse will go into your stomach, and make your abdomen swell and your thigh rot." Then the woman must say, "Amen, amen."

Amplified Bible
and this water that brings a curse shall go into your stomach, and make your abdomen swell and your thigh waste away." And the woman shall say, "Amen. Amen (so let it be)."

New American Standard Bible
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."

Geneva Bible (1587)
And that this cursed water may goe into thy bowels, to cause thy belly to swell, and thy thigh to rot. Then the woman shall answere, Amen, Amen.

Legacy Standard Bible
and this water that brings curses shall go into your stomach and make your abdomen swell and your thigh fall away." And the woman shall say, "Amen. Amen."

Complete Jewish Bible
May this water that causes the curse go into your inner parts and make your abdomen swell and your private parts shrivel up!" — and the woman is to respond, "Amen! Amen!"

Darby Translation
and this water that bringeth the curse shall enter into thy bowels, to make the belly to swell, and the thigh to shrink. And the woman shall say, Amen, amen.

Easy-to-Read Version
The priest must say, ‘You must drink this water that causes trouble. If you have sinned, you will not be able to have children. Any baby you have will die before it is born.' And the woman should say, ‘I agree to do as you say.'

English Standard Version
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.'

George Lamsa Translation
And this water of testing shall go into your belly and make your belly to swell and your thighs to rot; and the woman shall say, Amen, amen.

Good News Translation
May this water enter your stomach and cause it to swell up and your genital organs to shrink." The woman shall respond, "I agree; may the Lord do so."

Christian Standard Bible®
May this water that brings a curse enter your stomach, causing your belly to swell and your womb to shrivel.’

Literal Translation
And these waters which cause the curse shall go into your bowels to cause the belly to swell, and the thigh to fall. And the woman shall say, Amen, amen.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
So go this cursed water in to thy body, that yi wombe berst, and thy thye rotte. And the wife shal saye: Amen Amen.

American Standard Version
and this water that causeth the curse shall go into thy bowels, and make thy body to swell, and thy thigh to fall away. And the woman shall say, Amen, Amen.

Bible in Basic English
And this water of the curse will go into your body, causing disease of your stomach and wasting of your legs: and the woman will say, So be it.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
and this water that causeth the curse shall go into thy bowels, and make thy belly to swell, and thy thigh to fall away'; and the woman shall say: 'Amen, Amen.'

King James Version (1611)
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.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
and this water bringing the curse shall enter into thy womb to cause thy belly to swell, and thy thigh to rot. And the woman shall say, So be it, So be it.

English Revised Version
and this water that causeth the curse shall go into thy bowels, and make thy belly to swell, and thy thigh to fall away: and the woman shall say, Amen, Amen.

Berean Standard Bible
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.'

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
cursid watris entre in to thi wombe, and while the wombe swellith, thin hipe wexe rotun. And the womman schal answere, Amen! amen!

Young's Literal Translation
and these waters which cause the curse have gone into thy bowels, to cause the belly to swell, and the thigh to fall; and the woman hath said, Amen, Amen.

Update Bible Version
and this water that causes the curse shall go into your insides, and make your body to swell, and your thigh to fall away. And the woman shall say, Amen, Amen.

Webster's Bible Translation
And this water that causeth the curse shall go into thy bowels, to make [thy] belly to swell, and [thy] thigh to perish. And the woman shall say, Amen, amen.

World English Bible
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.'

New King James Version
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."

New Living Translation
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.'

New Life Bible
This water that brings a curse will go into your stomach and make it grow bigger and your leg to waste away." And the woman will say, "Let it be so. Let it be so."

New Revised Standard
now may this water that brings the curse enter your bowels and make your womb discharge, your uterus drop!" And the woman shall say, "Amen. Amen."

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
so shall this water that causeth a curse enter into thy body, causing womb to swell and thigh to fall away. And the woman shall say, Amen, Amen.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Let the cursed waters enter into thy belly, and may thy womb swell and thy thigh rot. And the woman shall answer, Amen, amen.

Revised Standard Version
may this water that brings the curse pass into your bowels and make your body swell and your thigh fall away.' And the woman shall say, 'Amen, Amen.'

New American Standard Bible (1995)
and this water that brings a curse shall go into your stomach, and make your abdomen swell and your thigh waste away." And the woman shall say, "Amen. Amen."

Contextual Overview

¹¹ And the Lorde spake vnto Moyses, saying: ¹² Speake vnto the children of Israel, and say vnto them: If any mans wyfe go aside, and trespasse agaynst hym, ¹³ So that another man lye with her fleshly, and it be hid from the eyes of her husbande, and is kept close that she is defyled, and there is no witnesse against her, neither she taken with the maner, ¹⁴ And the spirite of gelousie commeth vpon hym, so that he is gelous ouer his wyfe which is defyled: or if the spirite of gelousie come vpon hym, so that he is gelous ouer his wyfe which is yet vndefyled: ¹⁵ Then let the man bring his wyfe vnto the priest, and bring her offeryng with her, the tenth part of an Epha of barly meale: but let hym put no oyle vpon it, nor put frankensence theron, for it is an offeryng of gelousie, an offeryng for a remembraunce, causyng the sinne to be thought vpon. ¹⁶ And the priest shall bryng her, and set her before the Lorde. ¹⁷ And the priest shall take holy water in an earthen vessel, and of the dust that is in the floore of the tabernacle, the priest shal take it, and put it into ye water. ¹⁸ And let the priest set the woman before the Lorde, and vncouer the womans head, and put the offering of memoriall in her handes, which is the gelousie offeryng: and the priest shall haue bytter and cursed water in his hande. ¹⁹ And the priest shall charge her by an othe, and say vnto the woman: If no man haue lyen with thee, neither hast gone aside to vncleannesse without thy husbande, then haue thou no harme of this bitter and cursed waters. ²⁰ But and if thou hast gone aside from thyne husbande, and art defiled, and some man hath lyen with thee beside thyne husbande:

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

go into: Numbers 5:27, Psalms 109:18, Proverbs 1:31, Ezekiel 3:3

the woman: Deuteronomy 27:15-26, Job 31:21, Job 31:22, Job 31:39, Job 31:40, Psalms 7:4, Psalms 7:5

Amen: Psalms 41:13, Psalms 72:19, Psalms 89:52, John 3:3, John 3:11, John 5:24, John 5:25, John 6:53,*Gr.

Reciprocal: Numbers 5:18 - the bitter water Deuteronomy 22:22 - General Nehemiah 5:13 - Amen Jeremiah 28:6 - Amen Matthew 6:13 - Amen 1 Corinthians 14:16 - Amen

Cross-References

Genesis 5:5
And all the dayes that Adam lyued were nine hundreth and thirtie yeres, and he dyed.

Genesis 5:6
Seth lyued an hundreth & fyue yeres, and begat Enos.

Genesis 5:24
And Henoch walked with God: and he was no more seene, for God toke him away.

Genesis 6:9
These are the generations of Noah: Noah [was] a iust man, and perfect in his generations: And Noah walked with God.

Genesis 17:1
When Abram was ninetie yere olde and nine, the Lorde appeared to hym, and sayde vnto hym: I am the almightie God, walke before me, and be thou perfect.

Genesis 24:40
And he answered me: the Lord before whom I walke, wyll sende his angell with thee, and prosper thy iourney, and thou shalt take a wyfe for my sonne of my kinred, and of my fathers house.

Genesis 48:15
And he blessed Ioseph, and sayde: God in whose syght my fathers Abraham & Isahac dyd walke, God which hath fedde me al my lyfe long vnto this day,

Exodus 16:4
Then sayde the Lorde vnto Moyses: Beholde, I wyll rayne bread from heauen to you, and the people shall go out & gather a certaine rate euery day, that I may proue them whether they wyll walke in my lawe, or no.

Leviticus 26:12
I wyll walke among you, and wilbe your God, and ye shalbe my people.

Deuteronomy 5:33
But walke in all the wayes which the Lorde your God hath comaunded you, that ye may lyue, and that it may go well with you, and that ye may prolong your dayes in the lande which ye shall possesse.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And this water that causeth the curse,.... Upon the drinking of which the curse follows, if guilty:

shall go into thy bowels; and there operate and produce the above effects, which are repeated again to inject terror:

to make [thy] belly to swell, and [thy] thigh to rot; here ends the form of the oath, which begins Numbers 5:19;

and the woman shall say, amen, amen; so be it; let it be as pronounced, if I am guilty; which, as Aben Ezra observes, is repeated for the sake of confirmation; though the Jewish writers commonly understand it as respecting various things, the oath and the curse, the thing charged with, and the persons suspected of x.

x Misn. ib. sect. 5. Targum Jon. & Jerus. & Jarchi in loc.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

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 trial, like several other ordinances, was adopted by Moses from existing and probably very ancient and widely spread institutions.

Numbers 5:15

The offering was to be of the cheapest and coarsest kind, barley (compare 2 Kings 7:1, 2 Kings 7:16, 2 Kings 7:18), representing the abused condition of the suspected woman. It was, like the sin-offering Leviticus 5:11, to be made without oil and frankincense, the symbols of grace and acceptableness. The woman herself stood with head uncovered Numbers 5:18, in token of her shame.

Numbers 5:17

The dust that is in the floor of the tabernacle - To set forth the fact that the water was endued with extraordinary power by Him who dwelt in the tabernacle. Dust is an emblem of a state of condemnation Genesis 3:14; Micah 7:17.

Numbers 5:19

Gone aside ... - literally, “gone astray from” thy husband by uncleanness; compare Hosea 4:12.

Numbers 5:23

Blot them out with the bitter water - In order to transfer the curses to the water. The action was symbolic. Travelers speak of the natives of Africa as still habitually seeking to obtain the full force of a written charm by drinking the water into which they have washed it.

Numbers 5:24

Shall cause the woman to drink - Thus was symbolised both her full acceptance of the hypothetical curse (compare Ezekiel 3:1-3; Jeremiah 15:16; Revelation 10:9), and its actual operation upon her if she should be guilty (compare Psalms 109:18).

Numbers 5:26

The memorial thereof - See the marginal reference. “Memorial” here is not the same as “memorial” in Numbers 5:15.

Numbers 5:27

Of itself, the drink was not noxious; and could only produce the effects here described by a special interposition of God. We do not read of any instance in which this ordeal was resorted to: a fact which may be explained either (with the Jews) as a proof of its efficacy, since the guilty could not be brought to face its terrors at all, and avoided them by confession; or more probably by the license of divorce tolerated by the law of Moses. Since a husband could put away his wife at pleasure, a jealous man would naturally prefer to take this course with a suspected wife rather than to call public attention to his own shame by having recourse to the trial of jealousy. The trial by red water, which bears a general resemblance to that here prescribed by Moses, is still in use among the tribes of Western Africa.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Numbers 5:22. 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, c., were used among the Hebrews delicately to express the parts which nature conceals, (see Genesis 46:26), the expression here is probably to be understood in this sense and the falling down of the thigh here must mean something similar to the prolapsus uteri, or falling down of the womb, which might be a natural effect of the preternatural distension of the abdomen. In 1 Corinthians 11:29, St. Paul seems to allude to the case of the guilty woman drinking the bitter cursed waters that caused her destruction: He who eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation (κριμα, condemnation or judgment) to himself; and there is probably a reference to the same thing in Psalms 109:18, and in Daniel 9:11.

And the woman shall say, Amen, amen. — This is the first place where this word occurs in the common form of a concluding wish in prayer. The root אמן aman signifies to be steady, true, permanent. And in prayer it signifies let it be so - make it steady - let it be ratified. Some have supposed that it is composed of the initial letters of אדני מלך נאמן Adonai Melech Neeman, My Lord the faithful King, but this derivation is both far-fetched and unnecessary.