What is the meaning of Numbers 5:27?

When he has made her drink the water

• The priest’s act (Numbers 5:24) is the climactic moment of the ritual: the woman personally receives God’s searching judgment.

• There is no human jury; the LORD Himself discerns and reveals truth (1 Samuel 16:7; Hebrews 4:13).

• The water is ordinary in appearance but set apart by the spoken curse and the dust from the tabernacle floor (Numbers 5:17)—a tangible reminder that holiness judges impurity (Leviticus 10:3).

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if she has defiled herself and been unfaithful to her husband

• God treats marital faithfulness as a covenant reflection of His own faithfulness to Israel (Hosea 2:19-20; Ephesians 5:25-32).

• “Defiled” underscores objective moral guilt, not merely suspicion (Leviticus 18:20).

• The conditional clause assures the innocent woman of safety—God never punishes the righteous with the wicked (Genesis 18:25; Proverbs 17:15).

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then the water that brings a curse will enter her and cause bitter suffering

• Divine judgment is direct and physical, leaving no doubt as to guilt (Deuteronomy 29:20-21).

• “Bitter” echoes the moral bitterness of betrayal (Proverbs 5:3-4).

• The curse reverses the blessing of fertility promised to the faithful (Deuteronomy 28:4 versus Deuteronomy 28:18).

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her belly will swell

• A visible, unmistakable sign—God exposes secret sin (Psalm 90:8; Luke 12:2-3).

• Emphasizes that adultery, which often seeks hidden gratification, results in public disgrace (Proverbs 6:32-33).

• The womb that might have carried an illegitimate life instead bears judgment, underscoring God’s concern for lineage purity (Deuteronomy 23:2).

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her thigh will shrivel

• The “thigh” symbolized reproductive capacity and covenant oath (Genesis 24:2; 47:29).

• Withering signifies loss of future fertility, mirroring covenant curses on disobedience (Deuteronomy 28:22).

• Physical deterioration teaches that sin cripples what was meant for blessing (Romans 6:21).

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she will become accursed among her people

• Community verdict rests on God’s revealed judgment, maintaining corporate holiness (Deuteronomy 13:5; 1 Corinthians 5:6-7).

• “Accursed” (literally “a curse”) makes her a living warning, deterring others from adultery (Deuteronomy 19:20).

• Separation from fellowship mirrors spiritual alienation that unrepented sin always brings (Isaiah 59:2; 1 John 1:6).

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summary

Numbers 5:27 shows God personally vindicating marital faithfulness and guarding covenant purity. If the woman is guilty, the consecrated water becomes an instrument of unmistakable, physical judgment—swollen belly, withered thigh, and public disgrace. Each effect demonstrates that secret sin cannot hide from the LORD, that He defends the innocent, and that covenant unfaithfulness invites swift, visible consequences.