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;
Then the priest will make the woman take a solemn oath that calls down a curse, and the priest will say to the woman, 'May the LORD make you a warning and example among your people, causing your body to waste away and your stomach to swell if you are guilty.'
The priest is pronouncing a conditional curse that would physically afflict the woman if she had been unfaithful to her husband.
📚 Historical Context
In the time of Moses, the Israelites were wandering in the desert after their exodus from Egypt, and God was giving them laws through the priesthood to maintain purity and order in the community. This verse is part of a ritual described in Numbers 5, where a husband suspected his wife of unfaithfulness, and the priest would administer an oath and a potential curse to reveal the truth through divine intervention. It reflects the ancient Israelite emphasis on marital fidelity and God's role in upholding justice within family structures.
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