Numbers 5 · Verse 22

Numbers 5:22

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.
Numbers 5:22, King James Version

Numbers 5:22 in other translations

BSBMay 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.’
WEBand 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.”
ASVand 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.
YLTand 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.
DARBYand 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.
BBEAnd 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.
WebsterAnd 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.

What does Numbers 5:22 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
22. the woman shall say, Amen, Amen--The Israelites were accustomed, instead of formally repeating the words of an oath merely to say, "Amen," a "so be it" to the imprecations it contained. The reduplication of the word was designed as an evidence of the woman's innocence, and a willingness that God would do to her according to her desert.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 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, etc., were used among the Hebrews delicately to express the parts which nature conceals, (see Gen 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 1Cor 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 Psa 109:18, and in Dan 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.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Numbers 5:11-31

This law would make the women of Israel watch against giving cause for suspicion. On the other hand, it would hinder the cruel treatment such suspicions might occasion. It would also hinder the guilty from escaping, and the innocent from coming under just suspicion. When no proof could be brought, the wife was called on to make this solemn appeal to a heart-searching God. No woman, if she were guilty, could say…

Read the full comment on Numbers 5:11-31 →

Numbers 5:22 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וּ֠בָאוּU.va.'uand they will goH935
הַמַּ֨יִםha.Ma.yimthe watersH4325
הַמְאָרְרִ֤יםham.'a.re.Rimwhich bring a curseH779
הָאֵ֙לֶּה֙ha.'E.leh<the> theseH428
בְּֽמֵעַ֔יִךְbe.me.'A.yikhin inward parts yourH4578
לַצְבּ֥וֹתlatz.Botto make swellH6638
בֶּ֖טֶןBe.tena bellyH990
וְלַנְפִּ֣לve.lan.Piland to make fallH5307
יָרֵ֑ךְya.Rekha thighH3409
וְאָמְרָ֥הve.'a.me.Rahand she will sayH559
הָאִשָּׁ֖הha.'i.Shahthe womanH802
אָמֵ֥ן\׀'a.MenamenH543
אָמֵֽן\׃'a.MenamenH543

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Numbers 5:22

  • Psalms 109:18

    As he clothed himself with cursing like as with his garment, so let it come into his bowels like water, and like oil into his bones.

  • Proverbs 1:31

    Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.

  • Psalms 41:13

    Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting, and to everlasting. Amen, and Amen.

  • John 3:3

    Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

  • Job 31:21-22

    If I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless, when I saw my help in the gate: Then let mine arm fall from my shoulder blade, and mine arm be broken from the bone.

  • Job 31:39-40

    If I have eaten the fruits thereof without money, or have caused the owners thereof to lose their life: Let thistles grow instead of wheat, and cockle instead of barley. The words of Job are ended.

  • John 6:53

    Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.

  • Deuteronomy 27:15-26

    Cursed be the man that maketh any graven or molten image, an abomination unto the Lord, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and putteth it in a secret place. And all the people shall answer and say, Amen. Cursed be he that setteth light by his father or his mother. And all the people shall say, Amen. Cursed be he that removeth his neighbour’s landmark. And all the people shall say, Amen. Cursed be he that maketh the blind to wander out of the way. And all the people shall say, Amen. …

  • John 3:11

    Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness.

  • John 5:24-25

    Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.

  • Psalms 72:19

    And blessed be his glorious name for ever: and let the whole earth be filled with his glory; Amen, and Amen.

  • Ezekiel 3:3

    And he said unto me, Son of man, cause thy belly to eat, and fill thy bowels with this roll that I give thee. Then did I eat it; and it was in my mouth as honey for sweetness.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
go into.
27; Ps 109:18; Pr 1:31; Eze 3:3
the woman.
De 27:15-26; Job 31:21,22,39,40; Ps 7:4,5
Amen.
Ps 41:13; 72:19; 89:52; Joh 3:3,11; 5:24,25; 6:53; *Gr:

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Numbers 5:21

    Then the priest shall charge the woman with an oath of cursing, and the priest shall say unto the woman, The Lord make thee a curse and an oath among thy people, when the Lord doth make thy thigh to rot, and thy belly to swell;

  • Numbers 5:22

    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.

  • Numbers 5:23

    And the priest shall write these curses in a book, and he shall blot them out with the bitter water:

Read all of Numbers 5

Numbers 5:22 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y estas aguas que dan maldición entren en tus entrañas, y hagan hinchar tu vientre y caer tu muslo. Y la mujer dirá: Amén, amén.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		et ces eaux qui apportent la malédiction entreront dans tes entrailles pour te faire enfler le ventre et pour faire dessécher ta hanche. Et la femme dira: Amen! amen!
German
Elberfelder 1871		und es komme dieses fluchbringende Wasser in deine Eingeweide, um den Bauch schwellen und die Hüfte schwinden zu machen! Und das Weib soll sagen: Amen, Amen!
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Ingrediantur aquæ maledictæ in ventrem tuum, et utero tumescente putrescat femur. Et respondebit mulier: Amen, amen.