Numbers 5:14and the spirit of jealousy comes on him, and he is jealous of his wife, and she is defiled: or if the spirit of jealousy comes on him, and he is jealous of his wife, and she isn't defiled:
The setting
Sinai Peninsula wilderness, ~1440 BC. The tabernacle court where Moses receives laws for the suspicious husband's ordeal...
The emotion here: recording divine justice with soberness about human weakness
The original word
qin'ah (קִנְאָה) — burning jealousy, from root meaning 'to be red with passion'
Why it matters
This is the only trial by ordeal prescribed in biblical law
Read with care
What most readers miss in Numbers 5:14
The 'spirit of jealousy' could mean either justified suspicion OR paranoid delusion
Common misconceptionPeople think this promotes suspicion of women, but it actually protects innocent wives from ongoing false accusations by providing a definitive test.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Numbers 5:14
Bible Genome reading
Numbers 5:14 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Numbers 5:14 comes from the book of Numbers, written during the exodus period. These words are attributed to God. The dominant emotion in this verse is angry, with a comfort power of 10% and a tone that is commanding. It belongs to the law genre of biblical literature. Key themes include jealousy, marital suspicion. Notable phrases: spirit of jealousy; jealous of his wife.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same angry
“Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning hooks into spears. Let the weak say, 'I am strong.'”
— Joel 3:10
“You blind guides, who strain out a gnat, and swallow a camel!”
— Matthew 23:24
“Listen to this word, you cows of Bashan, who are on the mountain of Samaria, who oppress the poor, who crush the needy, who tell their husba…”
— Amos 4:1
“I hate, I despise your feasts, and I can't stand your solemn assemblies.”
— Amos 5:21
“Your eyes shall not pity; life shall go for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.”
— Deuteronomy 19:21
Your reflection
What does Numbers 5:14 mean to you, today?
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