Numbers 5:31
New International Version
The husband will be innocent of any wrongdoing, but the woman will bear the consequences of her sin.’”

New Living Translation
The husband will be innocent of any guilt in this matter, but his wife will be held accountable for her sin.”

English Standard Version
The man shall be free from iniquity, but the woman shall bear her iniquity.”

Berean Standard Bible
The husband will be free from guilt, but the woman shall bear her iniquity.”

King James Bible
Then shall the man be guiltless from iniquity, and this woman shall bear her iniquity.

New King James Version
Then the man shall be free from iniquity, but that woman shall bear her guilt.’ ”

New American Standard Bible
The man, moreover, will be free of guilt, but that woman shall bear the consequences of her guilt.’”

NASB 1995
‘Moreover, the man will be free from guilt, but that woman shall bear her guilt.’”

NASB 1977
‘Moreover, the man shall be free from guilt, but that woman shall bear her guilt.’”

Legacy Standard Bible
Moreover, the man will be free from guilt, but that woman shall bear her guilt.’”

Amplified Bible
Further, the husband will be free from guilt, but that woman [if guilty] shall bear her guilt.’”

Christian Standard Bible
The husband will be free of guilt, but that woman will bear her iniquity.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
The husband will be free of guilt, but that woman will bear the consequences of her guilt.”

American Standard Version
And the man shall be free from iniquity, and that woman shall bear her iniquity.

Contemporary English Version
If the husband is wrong, he will not be punished; but if his wife is guilty, she will be punished.

English Revised Version
And the man shall be free from iniquity, and that woman shall bear her iniquity.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The husband isn't guilty of doing anything wrong, but the woman will suffer the consequences of her sin."

Good News Translation
The husband shall be free of guilt, but the woman, if guilty, must suffer the consequences.

International Standard Version
The husband will be free from guilt, but the wife is to bear the punishment of her iniquity."

Majority Standard Bible
The husband will be free from guilt, but the woman shall bear her iniquity.?

NET Bible
Then the man will be free from iniquity, but that woman will bear the consequences of her iniquity.'"

New Heart English Bible
The man shall be free from iniquity, and that woman shall bear her iniquity."

Webster's Bible Translation
Then shall the man be guiltless from iniquity, and this woman shall bear her iniquity.

World English Bible
The man shall be free from iniquity, and that woman shall bear her iniquity.’”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and the man has been acquitted from iniquity, and that woman bears her iniquity.”

Young's Literal Translation
and the man hath been acquitted from iniquity, and that woman doth bear her iniquity.'

Smith's Literal Translation
And the man was clean from iniquity, and this woman shall bear her iniquity.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
The husband shall be blameless, and she shall bear her iniquity.

Catholic Public Domain Version
then the husband shall be without guilt, and she shall bear her iniquity.”

New American Bible
The man shall be free from punishment, but the woman shall bear her punishment.

New Revised Standard Version
The man shall be free from iniquity, but the woman shall bear her iniquity.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Then the man shall be blameless from guilt, but the woman shall bear her iniquity.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And that man will be absolved from sin and that woman shall carry her sin.’”
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And the man shall be clear from iniquity, and that woman shall bear her iniquity.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Then the man shall be clear from sin, and that woman shall bear her sin.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Adultery Test
30or when a feeling of jealousy comes over a husband and he suspects his wife. He is to have the woman stand before the LORD, and the priest is to apply to her this entire law. 31The husband will be free from guilt, but the woman shall bear her iniquity.”

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.

John 8:3-11
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 5:32
But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, brings adultery upon her. And he who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

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.

Proverbs 6:32-35
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. / For jealousy enrages a husband, and he will show no mercy in the day of vengeance. ...

Leviticus 18:20
You must not lie carnally with your neighbor’s wife and thus defile yourself with her.

Deuteronomy 24:1-4
If a man marries a woman, but she becomes displeasing to him because he finds some indecency in her, he may write her a certificate of divorce, hand it to her, and send her away from his house. / If, after leaving his house, she goes and becomes another man’s wife, / and the second man hates her, writes her a certificate of divorce, hands it to her, and sends her away from his house, or if he dies, ...

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.

Matthew 19:9
Now I tell you that whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.”

1 Corinthians 7:10-11
To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband. / But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife.

Hosea 4:14
I will not punish your daughters when they prostitute themselves, nor your daughters-in-law when they commit adultery. For the men themselves go off with prostitutes and offer sacrifices with shrine prostitutes. So a people without understanding will come to ruin.

Jeremiah 3:8
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.

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 2:14-16
Yet you ask, “Why?” It is because the LORD has been a witness between you and the wife of your youth, against whom you have broken faith, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant. / Has not the LORD made them one, having a portion of the Spirit? And why one? Because He seeks godly offspring. So guard yourselves in your spirit and do not break faith with the wife of your youth. / “For I hate divorce,” says the LORD, the God of Israel. “He who divorces his wife covers his garment with violence,” says the LORD of Hosts. So guard yourselves in your spirit and do not break faith.


Treasury of Scripture

Then shall the man be guiltless from iniquity, and this woman shall bear her iniquity.

be guiltless

Psalm 37:6
And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.

bear

Numbers 9:13
But the man that is clean, and is not in a journey, and forbeareth to keep the passover, even the same soul shall be cut off from among his people: because he brought not the offering of the LORD in his appointed season, that man shall bear his sin.

Leviticus 20:10,17-20
And the man that committeth adultery with another man's wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbour's wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death…

Ezekiel 18:4
Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.

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Acquitted Bear Clear Consequences Free Guilt Guiltless Husband Iniquity Innocent Moreover Sin Woman's Wrong Wrongdoing
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Numbers 5
1. The unclean are removed out of camp
5. Restitution is to be made in trespass
11. The trial of jealously














The husband will be free from guilt
This phrase underscores the patriarchal context of ancient Israelite society, where the husband held significant authority and responsibility within the family unit. The Hebrew word for "guilt" here is "עָוֹן" (avon), which often refers to iniquity or moral wrongdoing. In this context, the husband is absolved of any wrongdoing in the situation described in the preceding verses, which detail the ritual for a woman suspected of adultery. This reflects the societal norms and legal structures of the time, where the husband's role was both protective and judicial. Theologically, this can be seen as a representation of divine justice, where God ensures that the innocent are not punished for the sins of others.

but the woman shall bear her iniquity
The phrase "shall bear her iniquity" uses the Hebrew word "נָשָׂא" (nasa), meaning to carry or bear a burden. This indicates that the woman, if guilty, must face the consequences of her actions. The ritual described earlier in Numbers 5 is a test of fidelity, and if the woman is found guilty, she must bear the moral and social repercussions. This reflects the seriousness with which marital fidelity was regarded in ancient Israel. From a conservative Christian perspective, this can be seen as a call to personal responsibility and the importance of maintaining the sanctity of marriage. It also highlights the belief in divine justice, where God is the ultimate judge of human actions. Theologically, it serves as a reminder of the need for repentance and the hope for redemption through God's grace.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
The husband
הָאִ֖ישׁ (hā·’îš)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person

will be free
וְנִקָּ֥ה (wə·niq·qāh)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5352: To be, clean, to be bare, extirpated

from guilt,
מֵעָוֺ֑ן (mê·‘ā·wōn)
Preposition-m | Noun - common singular
Strong's 5771: Iniquity, guilt, punishment for iniquity

but the
הַהִ֔וא (ha·hi·w)
Article | Pronoun - third person feminine singular
Strong's 1931: He, self, the same, this, that, as, are

woman
וְהָאִשָּׁ֣ה (wə·hā·’iš·šāh)
Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 802: Woman, wife, female

shall bear
תִּשָּׂ֖א (tiś·śā)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 5375: To lift, carry, take

her
אֶת־ (’eṯ-)
Direct object marker
Strong's 853: Untranslatable mark of the accusative case

iniquity.”
עֲוֺנָֽהּ׃ (‘ă·wō·nāh)
Noun - common singular construct | third person feminine singular
Strong's 5771: Iniquity, guilt, punishment for iniquity


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OT Law: Numbers 5:31 The man shall be free from iniquity (Nu Num.)
Numbers 5:30
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