And when he hath made her to drink the water, then it shall come to pass, that, if she be defiled, and have done trespass against her husband, that the water that causeth the curse shall enter into her, and become bitter, and her belly shall swell, and her thigh shall rot: and the woman shall be a curse among her people.
When she drinks the water, if she has been unfaithful and betrayed her husband, then the curse-bringing water will enter her body and become bitter. Her stomach will swell up, her body will waste away, and she will become a warning to her people.
This verse describes the believed physical consequences that would happen to a woman who was unfaithful to her husband after drinking the bitter water in an ancient trial.
📚 Historical Context
This verse is part of an ancient Israelite ritual called the 'trial of the bitter water' used when a husband suspected his wife of adultery but had no proof. The woman would drink special water mixed with dust from the tabernacle floor while under oath. Ancient societies often used ritual ordeals to determine guilt or innocence when evidence was lacking.
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