A Test for Adultery

Numbers 5

11 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 12 "Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: 'If any man's wife goes astray and behaves unfaithfully toward him, 13 'and a man l lies with her carnally, and it is hidden from the eyes of her husband, and it is concealed that she has defiled herself, and there was no witness against her, nor was she m caught - 14 'if the spirit of jealousy comes upon him and he becomes n jealous of his wife, who has defiled herself; or if the spirit of jealousy comes upon him and he becomes jealous of his wife, although she has not defiled herself - 15 'then the man shall bring his wife to the priest. He shall o bring the offering required for her, one-tenth of an ephah of barley meal; he shall pour no oil on it and put no frankincense on it, because it is a grain offering of jealousy, an offering for remembering, for p bringing iniquity to remembrance.

16 'And the priest shall bring her near, and set her before the LORD. 17 'The priest shall take holy water in an earthen vessel, and take some of the dust that is on the floor of the tabernacle and put it into the water. 18 'Then the priest shall stand the woman before the q LORD, uncover the woman's head, and put the offering for remembering in her hands, which is the grain offering of jealousy. And the priest shall have in his hand the bitter water that brings a curse. 19 'And the priest shall put her under oath, and say to the woman, "If no man has lain with you, and if you have not gone astray to uncleanness while under your husband's authority, be free from this bitter water that brings a curse. 20 "But if you have gone astray while under your husband's authority, and if you have defiled yourself and some man other than your husband has lain with you" - 21 'then the priest shall r put the woman under the oath of the curse, and he shall say to the woman - s "the LORD make you a curse and an oath among your people, when the LORD makes your thigh 1 rot and your belly swell; 22 "and may this water that causes the curse t go into your stomach, and make your belly swell and your thigh rot." u Then the woman shall say, "Amen, so be it."

23 'Then the priest shall write these curses in a book, and he shall scrape them off into the bitter water. 24 'And he shall make the woman drink the bitter water that brings a curse, and the water that brings the curse shall enter her to become bitter. 25 v 'Then the priest shall take the grain offering of jealousy from the woman's hand, shall w wave the offering before the LORD, and bring it to the altar; 26 'and the priest shall take a handful of the offering, x as its memorial portion, burn it on the altar, and afterward make the woman drink the water. 27 'When he has made her drink the water, then it shall be, if she has defiled herself and behaved unfaithfully toward her husband, that the water that brings a y curse will enter her and become bitter, and her belly will swell, her thigh will rot, and the woman z will become a curse among her people. 28 'But if the woman has not defiled herself, and is clean, then she shall be free and may conceive children.

29 'This is the law of jealousy, when a wife, while under her husband's authority, a goes astray and defiles herself, 30 'or when the spirit of jealousy comes upon a man, and he becomes jealous of his wife; then he shall stand the woman before the LORD, and the priest shall execute all this law upon her. 31 'Then the man shall be free from 2 iniquity, but that woman b shall bear her 3 guilt.' "

  1. Cross References
    Leviticus 18:20
    Moreover you shall not lie carnally with your neighbor's wife, to defile yourself with her.
    Leviticus 20:10
    The man who commits adultery with another man's wife, he who commits adultery with his neighbor's wife, the adulterer and the adulteress, shall surely be put to death.
  2. Cross References
    John 8:4
    They said to Him, "Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act.
  3. Cross References
    Proverbs 6:34
    For jealousy is a husband's fury; Therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance.
    Song of Solomon 8:6
    Set me as a seal upon your heart, As a seal upon your arm; For love is as strong as death, Jealousy as cruel as the grave; Its flames are flames of fire, A most vehement flame.
  4. Cross References
    Leviticus 5:11
    But if he is not able to bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons, then he who sinned shall bring for his offering one-tenth of an ephah of fine flour as a sin offering. He shall put no oil on it, nor shall he put frankincense on it, for it is a sin offering.
  5. Cross References
    1 Kings 17:18
    So she said to Elijah, "What have I to do with you, O man of God? Have you come to me to bring my sin to remembrance, and to kill my son?
    Ezekiel 29:16
    "No longer shall it be the confidence of the house of Israel, but will remind them of their iniquity when they turned to follow them. Then they shall know that I am the Lord GOD." '"
    Hebrews 10:3
    But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year.
  6. Cross References
    Hebrews 13:4
    Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge.
  7. Cross References
    Joshua 6:26
    Then Joshua charged them at that time, saying, "Cursed be the man before the LORD who rises up and builds this city Jericho; he shall lay its foundation with his firstborn, and with his youngest he shall set up its gates.
    1 Samuel 14:24
    And the men of Israel were distressed that day, for Saul had placed the people under oath, saying, "Cursed is the man who eats any food until evening, before I have taken vengeance on my enemies." So none of the people tasted food.
    Nehemiah 10:29
    These joined with their brethren, their nobles, and entered into a curse and an oath to walk in God's Law, which was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the LORD our Lord, and His ordinances and His statutes:
  8. Cross References
    Jeremiah 29:22
    And because of them a curse shall be taken up by all the captivity of Judah who are in Babylon, saying, "The LORD make you like Zedekiah and Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire".
  9. Cross References
    Psalms 109:18
    As he clothed himself with cursing as with his garment, So let it enter his body like water, And like oil into his bones.
  10. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 27:15 - 26
    'Cursed is the one who makes a carved or molded image, an abomination to the LORD, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and sets it up in secret.' "And all the people shall answer and say, 'Amen!'
  11. Cross References
    Leviticus 8:27
    And he put all these in Aaron's hands and in his sons' hands, and waved them as a wave offering before the LORD.
  12. Cross References
    Leviticus 2:2
    He shall bring it to Aaron's sons, the priests, one of whom shall take from it his handful of fine flour and oil with all the frankincense. And the priest shall burn it as a memorial on the altar, an offering made by fire, a sweet aroma to the LORD.
    Leviticus 2:9
    Then the priest shall take from the grain offering a memorial portion, and burn it on the altar. It is an offering made by fire, a sweet aroma to the LORD.
  13. Cross References
    Leviticus 2:2
    He shall bring it to Aaron's sons, the priests, one of whom shall take from it his handful of fine flour and oil with all the frankincense. And the priest shall burn it as a memorial on the altar, an offering made by fire, a sweet aroma to the LORD.
    Leviticus 2:9
    Then the priest shall take from the grain offering a memorial portion, and burn it on the altar. It is an offering made by fire, a sweet aroma to the LORD.
  14. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 28:37
    And you shall become an astonishment, a proverb...
    Isaiah 65:15
    You shall leave your name as a curse to My chos...
    Jeremiah 24:9
    I will deliver them to trouble into all the kin...
    Jeremiah 29:18
    And I will pursue them with the sword, with fam...
    Jeremiah 29:22
    And because of them a curse shall be taken up b...
    Jeremiah 42:18
    "For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Is...
  15. Cross References
    Numbers 5:21
    Then the priest shall put the woman under the oath of the curse, and he shall say to the woman - "the LORD make you a curse and an oath among your people, when the LORD makes your thigh rot and your belly swell.
  16. Cross References
    Numbers 5:19
    And the priest shall put her under oath, and say to the woman, "If no man has lain with you, and if you have not gone astray to uncleanness while under your husband's authority, be free from this bitter water that brings a curse.
  17. Cross References
    Leviticus 20:17
    If a man takes his sister, his father's daughter or his mother's daughter, and sees her nakedness and she sees his nakedness, it is a wicked thing. And they shall be cut off in the sight of their people. He has uncovered his sister's nakedness. He shall bear his guilt.
    Leviticus 20:19
    You shall not uncover the nakedness of your mother's sister nor of your father's sister, for that would uncover his near of kin. They shall bear their guilt.
    Leviticus 20:20
    If a man lies with his uncle's wife, he has uncovered his uncle's nakedness. They shall bear their sin; they shall die childless.
New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
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