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:
The priest will make her swear an oath and say to the woman, 'If no man has slept with you, and if you have not been unfaithful to your husband by being with another man, then this bitter water that brings a curse will not harm you.'
The priest is telling the woman that if she has been faithful to her husband, the bitter water used in this trial will not hurt her.
📚 Historical Context
This verse is part of an ancient ritual called the 'trial of bitter waters' used when a husband suspected his wife of adultery but had no proof. In ancient Israel, adultery was considered a serious crime that could destroy family lines and inheritance rights. The ritual was designed to let God determine guilt or innocence when human witnesses weren't available.
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