King James Version:
(The Lord speaking is red text)
Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, If any man's wife go aside, and commit a trespass against him,
Complete Jewish Bible:
"Tell the people of Isra'el, 'If a man's wife goes astray and is unfaithful to him;
Berean Standard Bible:
“Speak to the Israelites and tell them that if any man’s wife goes astray and is unfaithful to him
American Standard Version:
Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, If any man’s wife go aside, and commit a trespass against him,
KJV with Strong’s Numbers:
Speak{H1696} unto the children{H1121} of Israel{H3478}, and say{H559} unto them, If any{H376} man's{H376} wife{H802} go aside{H7847}, and commit{H4603} a trespass{H4604} against him,
Cross-References (KJV):
Numbers 5:19
- 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:
Numbers 5:20
- 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:
Proverbs 2:16
- To deliver thee from the strange woman, [even] from the stranger [which] flattereth with her words;
Proverbs 2:17
- Which forsaketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the covenant of her God.
Explore This Verse Across Other Resources:
Commentary for Numbers 5:12
1. **Themes:**
- **Marital Fidelity:** The verse emphasizes the importance of fidelity within marriage in the Israelite community.
- **Laws and Consequences:** It introduces a legal framework to address suspected cases of adultery, reflecting the theme of divine law governing personal conduct.
- **Purity and Holiness:** The broader context of Numbers 5 deals with issues of ritual purity and holiness, which are central to Israel's identity as a people set apart for God.
2. **Historical Context:**
- **Time Period:** The Book of Numbers is set during the wilderness wanderings of the Israelites after their exodus from Egypt, which biblical scholars typically date to the late 2nd millennium BCE (around 1400-1200 BCE).
- **Societal Structure:** Israelite society was patriarchal, with laws reflecting the concerns of a male-dominated society, including the protection of a man's paternity and property rights.
- **Covenantal Relationship:** The laws given to the Israelites were part of their covenantal relationship with God, who had delivered them from slavery and was leading them to the Promised Land. The laws served to maintain the covenant's integrity.
- **Cultic Procedures:** The chapter outlines a ritual for dealing with a suspected adulteress, which involves bringing her before a priest and administering a form of 'bitter water' as a test for her guilt or innocence. This reflects the religious and cultic practices of the time, where priests played a central role in community life and the administration of justice.
In summary, Numbers 5:12 is part of a legal code designed to maintain social order and purity within the Israelite community during their formative years in the wilderness, with a particular focus on the sanctity of marriage and the legal processes surrounding suspected infidelity.
*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model
Strong's Numbers and Definitions:
Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)
- Strong's Number: H1696
There are 1050 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: דָבַר
Transliteration: dâbar
Pronunciation: daw-bar'
Description: a primitive root; perhaps properly, to arrange; but used figuratively (of words), to speak; rarely (in a destructive sense) to subdue; answer, appoint, bid, command, commune, declare, destroy, give, name, promise, pronounce, rehearse, say, speak, be spokesman, subdue, talk, teach, tell, think, use (entreaties), utter, [idiom] well, [idiom] work. - Strong's Number: H1121
There are 3654 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: בֵּן
Transliteration: bên
Pronunciation: bane
Description: from בָּנָה; a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.); [phrase] afflicted, age, (Ahoh-) (Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-) ite, (anoint-) ed one, appointed to, ([phrase]) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-) ian, one born, bough, branch, breed, [phrase] (young) bullock, [phrase] (young) calf, [idiom] came up in, child, colt, [idiom] common, [idiom] corn, daughter, [idiom] of first, [phrase] firstborn, foal, [phrase] very fruitful, [phrase] postage, [idiom] in, [phrase] kid, [phrase] lamb, ([phrase]) man, meet, [phrase] mighty, [phrase] nephew, old, ([phrase]) people, [phrase] rebel, [phrase] robber, [idiom] servant born, [idiom] soldier, son, [phrase] spark, [phrase] steward, [phrase] stranger, [idiom] surely, them of, [phrase] tumultuous one, [phrase] valiant(-est), whelp, worthy, young (one), youth. - Strong's Number: H3478
There are 2229 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: יִשְׂרָאֵל
Transliteration: Yisrâʼêl
Pronunciation: yis-raw-ale'
Description: from שָׂרָה and אֵל; he will rule as God; Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterity; Israel. - Strong's Number: H559
There are 4434 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אָמַר
Transliteration: ʼâmar
Pronunciation: aw-mar'
Description: a primitive root; to say (used with great latitude); answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [idiom] plainly, promise, publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), [idiom] still, [idiom] suppose, talk, tell, term, [idiom] that is, [idiom] think, use (speech), utter, [idiom] verily, [idiom] yet. - Strong's Number: H376
There are 1507 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אִישׁ
Transliteration: ʼîysh
Pronunciation: eesh
Description: contracted for אֱנוֹשׁ (or perhaps rather from an unused root meaning to be extant); a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation); also, another, any (man), a certain, [phrase] champion, consent, each, every (one), fellow, (foot-, husband-) man, (good-, great, mighty) man, he, high (degree), him (that is), husband, man(-kind), [phrase] none, one, people, person, [phrase] steward, what (man) soever, whoso(-ever), worthy. Compare אִשָּׁה. - Strong's Number: H802
There are 729 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אִשָּׁה
Transliteration: ʼishshâh
Pronunciation: ish-shaw'
Description: feminine of אִישׁ or אֱנוֹשׁ; irregular plural, נָשִׁים;(used in the same wide sense as אֱנוֹשׁ); a woman; (adulter) ess, each, every, female, [idiom] many, [phrase] none, one, [phrase] together, wife, woman. Often unexpressed in English. - Strong's Number: H7847
There are 6 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: שָׂטָה
Transliteration: sâṭâh
Pronunciation: saw-taw'
Description: a primitive root; to deviate from duty; decline, go aside, turn. - Strong's Number: H4603
There are 35 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: מָעַל
Transliteration: mâʻal
Pronunciation: maw-al'
Description: a primitive root; properly, to cover up; used only figuratively, to act covertly, i.e. treacherously; transgress, (commit, do a) trespass(-ing). - Strong's Number: H4604
There are 29 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: מַעַל
Transliteration: maʻal
Pronunciation: mah'-al
Description: from מָעַל; treachery, i.e. sin; falsehood, grievously, sore, transgression, trespass, [idiom] very.