Numbers 5:22
And this water that causeth the curse shall go into thy bowels, to make thy belly to swell, and thy thigh to rot: And the woman shall say, Amen, amen. And this water that causeth the curse shall go into thy bowels, to make thy belly to swell, and thy thigh to rot: And the woman shall say, Amen, amen.
The verse stands among the laws concerning jealousy in Numbers 5 and 6, a portion that also contains the laws concerning the Nazarites and closes with the blessing the priests were to place upon the children of Israel. It belongs to the test of bitter water administered when a husband suspected his wife of unproved unfaithfulness. The water served to expose hidden guilt, causing no harm if the woman was innocent, but bringing upon her if guilty a dreadful bodily condition leading to death.
The woman's answer of Amen twice was her spoken assent to the words pronounced over her, illustrating the people's spoken response of agreement to words given in worship or religious ceremony. Rightly understood, the verse reveals God's abhorrence of sin and warns readers to shun its ruinous paths and fearful end. The test shows that sin is not limited to an outward act but can arise from an inward condition of the heart and character. The verse is not wise reading before every public audience.