Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, If any man's wife go aside, and commit a trespass against him,

NUMBERS 5:12KJV
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Numbers 5:12 (KJV)

What does Numbers 5:12 mean?

Numbers 5:12 gives Moses instructions from God to speak to the Israelites about what should happen if a man suspects his wife has been unfaithful to him. The verse introduces a situation where a wife "goes aside" and commits a wrong against her husband, setting up a process for addressing suspicion of adultery.

In this verse, God is speaking to Moses, who is then to relay these instructions to the people of Israel. The context is a set of laws about purity and faithfulness within marriage, specifically dealing with cases where there is suspicion but not clear evidence. The phrase "go aside" signals a departure from marital faithfulness, and "commit a trespass" refers to breaking trust or committing an offense against the husband.

The Hebrew behind Numbers 5:12

  • "Go aside" (שָׂטָה, satáh): This word often means to deviate or turn away, especially in a moral or relational sense. Here, it points to a wife straying from her marital commitment, not just physically but in loyalty.
  • "Commit a trespass" (מַעַל, ma‘al): This term carries the idea of acting unfaithfully or breaking trust. In this context, it highlights that the suspected act is not just a private matter but a breach of the relationship's covenant.

Why Numbers 5:12 matters

  • Numbers 5:12 clarifies that even suspicion of unfaithfulness was taken seriously in ancient Israel, with a specific process to address it rather than leaving it to rumor or private judgment.
  • The verse sets the stage for the following instructions about the ritual for a suspected unfaithful wife, showing the importance of both justice and protecting individuals from false accusations.
  • Understanding the original words for "go aside" and "commit a trespass" helps readers see that the concern is both about physical actions and the deeper issue of broken trust within marriage.

Where else these words appear

“aside” Hebrew H7847 · used in 6 verses

  • 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 4:15 Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away.

“trespass” Hebrew H4604 · used in 29 verses

  • Leviticus 5:15 If a soul commit a trespass, and sin through ignorance, in the holy things of the LORD; then he shall bring for his trespass unto the LORD a ram without blemish out of the flocks, with thy estimation by shekels of silver, after the shekel of the sanctuary, for a trespass offering:
  • Joshua 22:22 The LORD God of gods, the LORD God of gods, he knoweth, and Israel he shall know; if it be in rebellion, or if in transgression against the LORD,(save us not this day,)
  • Ezra 9:4 Then were assembled unto me every one that trembled at the words of the God of Israel, because of the transgression of those that had been carried away; and I sat astonied until the evening sacrifice.

“commit” Hebrew H4603 · used in 35 verses

  • Leviticus 5:15 If a soul commit a trespass, and sin through ignorance, in the holy things of the LORD; then he shall bring for his trespass unto the LORD a ram without blemish out of the flocks, with thy estimation by shekels of silver, after the shekel of the sanctuary, for a trespass offering:
  • 1 Chronicles 5:25 And they transgressed against the God of their fathers, and went a whoring after the gods of the people of the land, whom God destroyed before them.
  • Ezra 10:10 And Ezra the priest stood up, and said unto them, Ye have transgressed, and have taken strange wives, to increase the trespass of Israel.