Numbers 5:12

“Speak to the Israelites and tell them that if any man’s wife goes astray and is unfaithful to him

Berean Standard Bible

Study note

Setting — The LORD commands Moses to address the Israelites regarding a specific legal scenario involving marital conduct.

The words — The Hebrew דַּבֵּר (da.Ber) issues a direct command to "speak," while the repeated term אִישׁ (ish) explicitly identifies the husband in the conditional case.

The thread — This opening command introduces the investigative procedure in Numbers 5:13 and 5:19, while Proverbs 2:16 references the broader category of seductive behavior that triggers such cases.

Why it lands — The text establishes a formal, witness-dependent protocol for determining guilt when a husband suspects his wife's unfaithfulness.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

דַּבֵּר֙da.Berspeak אֶל־'el-to בְּנֵ֣יbe.Nei[the] people of יִשְׂרָאֵ֔לYis.ra.'ElIsrael וְאָמַרְתָּ֖ve./'a.mar.Taand/ you will say אֲלֵהֶ֑ם'a.le./Hemto/ them אִ֥ישׁ'isha man אִישׁ֙'isha man כִּֽי־ki-if תִשְׂטֶ֣הtis.Tehshe will turn aside אִשְׁתּ֔וֹ'ish.T/owife/ his וּמָעֲלָ֥הu./ma.'a.Lahand/ she will act unfaithfullyב֖וֹv/oagainst <the>/ himמָֽעַל׃Ma.'alunfaithfulness

King James Version

Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, If any man’s wife go aside, and commit a trespass against him,

Cross-references

Numbers 5:19 And 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.
Proverbs 2:16 It will rescue you from the forbidden woman, from the stranger with seductive words