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.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — The priest addresses the suspected woman after she stands before the LORD and receives her jealousy grain offering. He administers a conditional oath regarding her fidelity before introducing the ritual water.

The words — הַ/כֹּהֵ֗ן (ha./ko.Hen) identifies the priest who executes the rite, and וְ/הִשְׁבִּ֨יעַ (ve./hish.Bi.a') means he will make her swear, establishing the legal framework of the declaration.

The thread — The procedure mirrors the jealousy accusation in Numbers 5:12, the marital bond principle in Romans 7:2, and the formal oath administration seen in Matthew 26:63.

Why it lands — The text requires the reader to recognize that divine judgment operates through prescribed legal procedures rather than arbitrary force. It demands acknowledgment that truth is established through sworn testimony and ritual verification.

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

King James Version

And the priest shall charge her by an oath, and say unto the woman, If no man have lain with thee, and if thou hast not gone aside to uncleanness with another instead of thy husband, be thou free from this bitter water that causeth the curse:

Cross-references

Numbers 5:12 “Speak to the Israelites and tell them that if any man’s wife goes astray and is unfaithful to him
Romans 7:2 For instance, a married woman is bound by law to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is released from the law of marriage.
Matthew 26:63 But Jesus remained silent. Then the high priest said to Him, “I charge You under oath by the living God: Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God.”