Numbers 5:20
New International Version
But if you have gone astray while married to your husband and you have made yourself impure by having sexual relations with a man other than your husband"—

New Living Translation
But if you have gone astray by being unfaithful to your husband, and have defiled yourself by having sex with another man—’

English Standard Version
But if you have gone astray, though you are under your husband’s authority, and if you have defiled yourself, and some man other than your husband has lain with you,

Berean Standard Bible
But if you have gone astray while under your husband’s authority and have defiled yourself and lain carnally with a man other than your husband’—

King James Bible
But if thou hast gone aside to another instead of thy husband, and if thou be defiled, and some man have lain with thee beside thine husband:

New King James Version
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”—

New American Standard Bible
if, however, you have gone astray, though under the authority of your husband, and if you have defiled yourself and a man other than your husband has had sexual intercourse with you”

NASB 1995
if you, however, have gone astray, being under the authority of your husband, and if you have defiled yourself and a man other than your husband has had intercourse with you”

NASB 1977
if you, however, have gone astray, being under the authority of your husband, and if you have defiled yourself and a man other than your husband has had intercourse with you”

Legacy Standard Bible
if you, however, have gone astray, being under the authority of your husband, and if you have defiled yourself, and a man other than your husband has lain with you”

Amplified Bible
but if you have gone astray [while married] and you have defiled yourself and a man other than your husband has been intimate with you”

Christian Standard Bible
But if you have gone astray while under your husband’s authority, if you have defiled yourself and a man other than your husband has slept with you’—

Holman Christian Standard Bible
But if you have gone astray while under your husband’s authority, if you have defiled yourself and a man other than your husband has slept with you—

American Standard Version
But if thou have gone aside, being under thy husband, and if thou be defiled, and some man have lain with thee besides thy husband:

English Revised Version
but if thou hast gone aside, being under thy husband, and if thou be defiled, and some man have lain with thee besides thine husband:

GOD'S WORD® Translation
If, in fact, you have been unfaithful and have had sexual intercourse with another man,

Good News Translation
But if you have committed adultery,

International Standard Version
But if you have become unfaithful to your husband and have become defiled because a man who isn't your husband has had sexual relations with you…'

Majority Standard Bible
But if you have gone astray while under your husband?s authority and have defiled yourself and lain carnally with a man other than your husband??

NET Bible
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 had sexual relations with you. . .."

New Heart English Bible
But if you have gone astray, being under your husband, and if you are defiled, and some man has lain with you besides your husband:'

Webster's Bible Translation
But if thou hast gone aside to another instead of thy husband, and if thou art defiled, and some man hath lain with thee besides thy husband:

World English Bible
But if you have gone astray, being under your husband’s authority, and if you are defiled, and some man has lain with you besides your husband—”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and you, if you have turned aside under your husband, and if you have been defiled, and a man commits his intercourse with you besides your husband—

Young's Literal Translation
and thou, if thou hast turned aside under thy husband, and if thou hast been defiled, and any man doth give his copulation to thee besides thy husband --

Smith's Literal Translation
And if thou didst turn aside instead of thy husband, and if thou wert defiled, and a man gave with thee his bed besides thy husband;
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
But if thou hast gone aside from thy husband, and art defiled, and hast lain with another man:

Catholic Public Domain Version
But if you have turned away from your husband, and also have been defiled, and have lain together with another man,

New American Bible
But if you have gone astray while under the authority of your husband, and if you have defiled yourself and a man other than your husband has had intercourse with you”—

New Revised Standard Version
But if you have gone astray while under your husband’s authority, if you have defiled yourself and some man other than your husband has had intercourse with you,”
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
But if you have done wrong by having lain with another man besides your husband, and if you have defiled yourself, and some other man has lain with you besides your husband;

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
But if you have done wrong outside of your husband and you are defiled and a man other than your husband had sexual intercourse with you.”
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
but if thou hast gone aside, being under thy husband, and if thou be defiled, and some man have lain with thee besides thy husband--

Brenton Septuagint Translation
But if being a married woman thou hast transgressed, or been polluted, and any one has lain with thee, beside thy husband:

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Adultery Test
19And he is to put the woman under oath and say to her, ‘If no other man has slept with you and you have not gone astray and become defiled while under your husband’s authority, may you be immune to this bitter water that brings a curse. 20But if you have gone astray while under your husband’s authority and have defiled yourself and lain carnally with a man other than your husband’— 21and the priest shall have the woman swear under the oath of the curse—‘then may the LORD make you an attested curse among your people by making your thigh shrivel and your belly swell.…

Cross References
Leviticus 20:10
If a man commits adultery with another man’s wife—with the wife of his neighbor—both the adulterer and the adulteress must surely be put to death.

Deuteronomy 22:22
If a man is found lying with another man’s wife, both the man who slept with her and the woman must die. You must purge the evil from Israel.

Proverbs 6:32-33
He who commits adultery lacks judgment; whoever does so destroys himself. / Wounds and dishonor will befall him, and his reproach will never be wiped away.

John 8:3-5
The scribes and Pharisees, however, brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before them / and said, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. / In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such a woman. So what do You say?”

Matthew 5:27-28
You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ / But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

1 Corinthians 6:9-10
Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who submit to or perform homosexual acts, / nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor verbal abusers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.

Hebrews 13:4
Marriage should be honored by all and the marriage bed kept undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers.

Exodus 20:14
You shall not commit adultery.

2 Samuel 11:2-5
One evening David got up from his bed and strolled around on the roof of the palace. And from the roof he saw a woman bathing—a very beautiful woman. / So David sent and inquired about the woman, and he was told, “This is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite.” / Then David sent messengers to get her, and when she came to him, he slept with her. (Now she had just purified herself from her uncleanness.) Then she returned home. ...

Hosea 4:2
Cursing and lying, murder and stealing, and adultery are rampant; one act of bloodshed follows another.

Jeremiah 3:8-9
She saw that because faithless Israel had committed adultery, I gave her a certificate of divorce and sent her away. Yet that unfaithful sister Judah had no fear and prostituted herself as well. / Indifferent to her own infidelity, Israel had defiled the land and committed adultery with stones and trees.

Ezekiel 16:38
And I will sentence you to the punishment of women who commit adultery and those who shed blood; so I will bring upon you the wrath of your bloodshed and jealousy.

Malachi 3:5
“Then I will draw near to you for judgment. And I will be a swift witness against sorcerers and adulterers and perjurers, against oppressors of the widowed and fatherless, and against those who defraud laborers of their wages and deny justice to the foreigner but do not fear Me,” says the LORD of Hosts.

Romans 7:2-3
For instance, a married woman is bound by law to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is released from the law of marriage. / So then, if she is joined to another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from that law and is not an adulteress if she marries another man.

James 4:4
You adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore, whoever chooses to be a friend of the world renders himself an enemy of God.


Treasury of Scripture

But if you have gone aside to another instead of your husband, and if you be defiled, and some man have lain with you beside your husband:

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Astray Authority Besides Copulation Defiled However Husband Husband's Instead Intercourse Lain Married Sleeping Thou Turned Unclean
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Astray Authority Besides Copulation Defiled However Husband Husband's Instead Intercourse Lain Married Sleeping Thou Turned Unclean
Numbers 5
1. The unclean are removed out of camp
5. Restitution is to be made in trespass
11. The trial of jealously














But if you have gone astray
This phrase addresses the possibility of a wife being unfaithful, which was a serious accusation in ancient Israelite society. The concept of "going astray" is often used in the Bible to describe unfaithfulness to God, as seen in Hosea 4:12, where Israel is described as a wife who has gone astray from her husband, God. This reflects the covenant relationship between God and His people, paralleling the marriage covenant.

while under your husband’s authority
In the cultural and historical context of ancient Israel, the husband was considered the head of the household, and the wife was under his authority. This reflects the patriarchal structure of society at the time, as seen in Genesis 3:16, where God tells Eve that her husband will rule over her. This authority was not only social but also legal, as the husband had certain rights and responsibilities over his wife.

and have defiled yourself
Defilement in this context refers to ritual and moral impurity. In Leviticus 18:20, adultery is explicitly mentioned as an act that defiles a person. The concept of defilement is significant in the Old Testament, as it often required purification rituals to restore a person to a state of cleanliness before God. This reflects the holiness code that governed Israelite life, emphasizing the need for purity in the community.

and lain carnally with a man other than your husband
This phrase specifies the act of adultery, which is condemned in the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:14). Adultery was not only a personal sin but also a social one, as it threatened the stability of the family unit and, by extension, the community. The act of lying carnally with another man is a direct violation of the marriage covenant, which is a type of the covenant between God and His people. In the New Testament, Jesus expands on the concept of adultery, teaching that even lustful thoughts are equivalent to the act itself (Matthew 5:28), thus emphasizing the importance of inner purity.

Persons / Places / Events
1. The Israelite Woman
The passage refers to a woman suspected of adultery, highlighting the societal and religious expectations of marital fidelity in ancient Israel.

2. The Husband
He is the one who brings the suspicion of infidelity to the priest, reflecting the patriarchal structure of the society.

3. The Priest
Acts as a mediator in the ritual of the "water of bitterness," which is a test for the accused woman.

4. The Tabernacle
The place where the ritual takes place, symbolizing God's presence and the seriousness of the covenantal laws.

5. The Ritual of the Bitter Water
A ceremonial test to determine the guilt or innocence of the woman, reflecting the legal and spiritual practices of the time.
Teaching Points
The Sanctity of Marriage
Marriage is a sacred covenant before God, and fidelity is a crucial aspect of this covenant. The passage underscores the importance of trust and faithfulness in marriage.

God's Justice and Mercy
While the law provides a means to address suspicions of infidelity, it also points to the need for justice tempered with mercy, as seen in the broader biblical account.

The Role of Community and Accountability
The involvement of the priest and the community in the ritual highlights the role of accountability within the faith community.

The Consequences of Sin
The passage serves as a reminder of the serious consequences of sin, not only for the individual but also for the community and family.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
But if
כִּ֥י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

you
וְאַ֗תְּ (wə·’at)
Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - second person feminine singular
Strong's 859: Thou and thee, ye and you

have gone astray
שָׂטִ֛ית (śā·ṭîṯ)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person feminine singular
Strong's 7847: To deviate from duty

while under
תַּ֥חַת (ta·ḥaṯ)
Preposition
Strong's 8478: The bottom, below, in lieu of

your husband’s authority
אִישֵׁ֖ךְ (’î·šêḵ)
Noun - masculine singular construct | second person feminine singular
Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person

and
וְכִ֣י (wə·ḵî)
Conjunctive waw | Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

defiled yourself
נִטְמֵ֑את (niṭ·mêṯ)
Verb - Nifal - Perfect - second person feminine singular
Strong's 2930: To be or become unclean

with a man
אִ֥ישׁ (’îš)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person

other than
מִֽבַּלְעֲדֵ֖י (mib·bal·‘ă·ḏê)
Preposition-m
Strong's 1107: Apart from, except, without

your husband
אִישֵֽׁךְ׃ (’î·šêḵ)
Noun - masculine singular construct | second person feminine singular
Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person

who has slept
וַיִּתֵּ֨ן (way·yit·tên)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5414: To give, put, set

with you’—
שְׁכָבְתּ֔וֹ (šə·ḵā·ḇə·tōw)
Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 7903: A, lying with


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OT Law: Numbers 5:20 But if you have gone astray being (Nu Num.)
Numbers 5:19
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