Questions From Readers

● In accord with the Mosaic law about jealousy, if a husband suspected his wife of unfaithfulness she was to drink bitter water and if she was guilty of adultery her thigh was to fall away and her belly was to swell. Was this result miraculous or can it be explained in a natural way? Also, could this be called a trial by ordeal?—G. B., Lebanon.

This law about jealousy is recorded at Numbers 5:12-31. If a man suspected his wife of unfaithfulness he was to bring her to the priest. The priest made her stand before Jehovah, took some holy water or pure, fresh water, sprinkled into it some dust from the tabernacle floor, and washed or wiped into it the cursings he had written down. What these cursings were is shown in Nu 5 verses 19-22 (NW): “Then the priest must make her swear and he must say to the woman, ‘If no man has cohabited with you and if while under your husband you have not turned aside in any uncleanness, be free of the effect of this bitter water that brings a curse. But you, in case you have turned aside while under your husband and in case you have defiled yourself and some man has put in you his seminal emission, besides your husband,—’ The priest must now make the woman swear with an oath involving cursing, and the priest must say to the woman: ‘May Jehovah set you for a cursing and an oath in the midst of your people by Jehovah’s letting your thigh fall away, and your belly swell. And this water that brings a curse must enter into your bowels to cause your belly to swell and the thigh to fall away.’ To this the woman must say, ‘So be it! So be it!’” The woman drank the water and if guilty her thigh fell away and her belly swelled, but if she was innocent she was unharmed by the water: “She must be free from such punishment and she must be made pregnant with semen.”—Nu 5 Vs. 28, NW.

Just what is meant by the swelling of the belly and the falling away of the thigh is not certain. It is quite evident, however, that thigh as here used is a euphemism or a delicate way of referring to the sexual organs, as is the case at Genesis 46:26, NW. It is logical that if any bodily parts be afflicted it should be the ones committing the wrong, as is the case when Jesus figuratively spoke of ridding yourself of a body member that hindered your entry into the Kingdom. (Mark 9:43-47) The expression “fall away” is understood to mean “waste away” (CB), “shrink” (Da) or “shrivel” (Mo), and hence would suggest that the sex organs atrophied and that there was a loss of fertility and ability to conceive. This view harmonizes with the statement that if the woman was innocent she was to be made pregnant, implying that if she was guilty any future pregnancy would be denied her. Her belly would swell because of the curse, but not due to the blessing of pregnancy.

There was actually nothing in the water that was drunk to bring on such affliction and no innocent woman would be harmed by it, but it was holy water and had in it holy ground or dust and the writing of the cursings washed off in it, and hence it contained potent symbolisms, and it was drunk before Jehovah and with a solemn oath to him. He was involved and acted as judge, and he knew whether the woman was innocent or guilty, and if she was guilty he would cause the drink to have miraculous potency to produce the deserved result. So there was not this power in the drink by itself, and this factor eliminates it as any trial by ordeal as practiced during the Dark Ages. Those torturous trials were not prescribed by the Bible and they had power in themselves to injure seriously or kill. Whereas the law about jealousy required a miracle to bring about the punishment, the trials by ordeal during the Dark Ages required a miracle to deliver from punishment. In effect, you were guilty till proved innocent.

● What is the “fiery flying serpent” mentioned at Isaiah 14:29?—V. Y., United States.

Isaiah 14:28, 29 (Da) reads: “In the year of the death of king Ahaz was this burden: Rejoice not thou, Philistia, all of thee, because the rod that smote thee is broken; for out of the serpent’s root shall come forth a viper, and his fruit shall be a fiery flying serpent.” The “serpent” or the “rod that smote” Philistia was King Uzziah of Judah, for of him it is recorded: “He went out and fought against the Philistines, and broke down the wall of Gath and the wall of Jabneh and the wall of Ashdod and built cities among the Philistines; for God helped him against the Philistines.” When Uzziah died the rod that smote Philistia was broken. During the reign of his grandson Ahaz troubles with Syria and Ephraim enfeebled Judah and the Philistines took advantage of this, waging successful warfare: “The Philistines also had raided the cities of the lowland and the South of Judah and had captured Bethshemesh, Aijalon, Gederoth, Soco with its towns, Timnah with its towns, and Gimzo with its towns, and were living there.” When Ahaz died Philistia may have thought that with the coming of a new and inexperienced king to the throne of Judah even more inroads might be made.—2 Chron. 26:6, 7; 28:18, AT.

But Isaiah’s prophecy told Philistia not to rejoice in such thinking, for from the root of Uzziah would come a “viper,” the fruit of Uzziah would be like a “fiery flying serpent.” Uzziah was likened to a serpent that had bitten Philistia, but now there was to come, not relief, but even more serious injury, for a viper or fiery flying serpent was more dangerous, was highly poisonous and its bite inflicted a burning inflammation. This figurative viper or fiery flying serpent proved to be Uzziah’s great-grandson Hezekiah, who succeeded Ahaz to the throne of Judah. Hezekiah did prove to be a more devastating enemy than Uzziah was: “He conquered the Philistines as far as Gaza and its territory from the watchtower to the fortified city.” (2 Ki. 18:8, AT) Isaiah’s prophecy continued to declare that the poor and needy in Judah would feed unmolested and lie down in safety, while the power of the Philistines, who had invaded and pillaged Judah, would be broken. So instead of rejoicing Philistia should howl and wail, for from the north would come the smoke of an army, meaning that from Judah would come warriors raising dust clouds that could be seen from afar and would be advance notice of coming disaster.—Isa. 14:30, 31.