Is Numbers 5:11-31 referring to God causing an abortion?
Numbers 5:11 - 31
ESV - 11 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying. 12 Speak to the people of Israel, If any man's wife goes astray and breaks faith with him.
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Asked January 09 2022
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Jack Gutknecht
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Shirley H
No. This portion of scripture is about infidelity. In ancient days, a woman's purpose was to bear children. If she was barren, it was considered a curse. In a sense this law about an unfaithful wife ameliorated the harsh reality of a woman's life. A husband could put a wife away without any reason, only a suspicion! So, she had an opportunity to prove her innocence. Verse 21, "Your thigh rot and your belly swell," speaks of the miscarriage (of an illegitimate child), if the woman was pregnant, and also the inability to conceive. The priest’s ritual was a way of limiting undue accusations. This was to show how serious infidelity was. It is interesting to note that in the Bible, infidelity is usually in reference to worshipping other gods. Also interesting is that man was created before woman. This passage brings to mind the stories of these characters: Abraham, Sarai, and Hagar; Jacob, Leah, and Rachel; and Kind David, Bathsheba, and Uriah!
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