But if you have gone astray: For the Hebrew verb rendered have gone astray, see verse 12.

Though you are under your husband’s authority is literally “under your husband,” which means though you are legally married to your husband. The rendering of this expression should correspond with that in verse 19.

And if you have defiled yourself: See verse 13 for the Hebrew verb here. Again, Good News Translation omits this thematic concept of ritual impurity.

And some man other than your husband has lain with you: The Hebrew is just as explicit here about sexual intercourse as in verse 19, but not quite as explicit as verse 13. Languages will differ not only on how explicit they can be at this point, but also regarding how much repetition sounds natural in such procedural and directive texts.

(Let the priest make the woman take the oath of the curse, and say to the woman): The translation of this parenthetical sentence should not give the wrong impression that the woman herself is the one who speaks the words that follow. New International Version avoids this by saying “—here the priest is to put the woman under this curse of the oath—.” New International Version shows clearly that the text is procedural in character. However, this interruption to the oath may have to be expressed as an independent sentence for the sake of clarity or naturalness; for example, verses 20-21a in New International Version may be modified as follows: “20 But if you have gone astray while married to your husband and you have defiled yourself by sleeping with a man other than your husband, 21 then this curse applies [or, will fall] (here the priest is to put the woman under this curse of the oath):….”

Then … the LORD make you an execration and an oath among your people: When the woman is punished for adultery, other people will curse and denounce her. They will use her as an example in future curses. New International Version renders this clause well with “may the LORD cause your people to curse and denounce you,” and so does Bible en français courant with “may the Lord … so that your compatriots quote you as an example when they pronounce a curse” (similarly De Nieuwe Bijbelvertaling). Alternative models are “may the LORD cause others to see that you are a curse” (similarly Today’s New International Version [TNIV] footnote) and “May the people know that the LORD’s curse is upon you” (New Living Translation).

When the LORD makes your thigh fall away and your body swell: The Hebrew word for thigh is often a euphemistic reference to the “genital organs” (Good News Translation), which is true here. Bijbel in Gewone Taal says “womb.” In some languages “lap” (De Nieuwe Bijbelvertaling) or “lower abdomen” (Chewa, Tonga) will be appropriate as a less explicit reference to the genital organs. Fall away may be rendered “shrivel” (New Jerusalem Bible) or “waste away” (New International Version). TNIV translates your thigh fall away as “your womb miscarry” (similarly Revised English Bible), which implies that the woman was pregnant with a child that her husband doubted was his. This curse might also have a future reference, which Contemporary English Version expresses by rendering these two clauses as “you will never be able to give birth to a child.” The Hebrew word for body refers to the belly and internal organs. Good News Translation renders your body swell as “your stomach to swell up.”

Quoted with permission from de Regt, Lénart J. and Wendland, Ernst R. A Handbook on Numbers. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2016. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .