Numbers 5:24

Easy-to-Read Version

Then the woman must drink the water that brings trouble. This water will enter her and, if she is guilty, it will cause her much suffering.

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
He shall make the woman drink the water of bitterness that causes the curse; and the water that causes the curse shall enter into her and become bitter.

King James Version
And he shall cause the woman to drink the bitter water that causeth the curse: and the water that causeth the curse shall enter into her, and become bitter.

Lexham English Bible
He will make the woman drink the waters of the bitterness that brings a curse, and the waters of bitterness that bring a curse will go into her.

New Century Version
and make the woman drink the bitter water that brings a curse. If she is guilty, the water will make her sick.

New English Translation
He will make the woman drink the bitter water that brings a curse, and the water that brings a curse will enter her to produce bitterness.

Amplified Bible
and he shall make the woman drink the water of bitterness that brings a curse, and the water that brings the curse will go into her and cause bitterness.

New American Standard Bible
'Then he shall make the woman drink the water of bitterness that brings a curse, so that the water which brings a curse will go into her and cause bitterness.

Geneva Bible (1587)
And shal cause the woman to drinke ye bitter and cursed water, and the cursed water, turned into bitternesse, shal enter into her.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then he shall make the woman drink the water of bitterness that brings curses, so that the water which brings a curse will go into her to cause bitterness.

Contemporary English Version
so that when the woman drinks this water, the curses will enter her body.

Complete Jewish Bible
and make the woman drink the water of embitterment and cursing — the water of cursing will enter her and become bitter.

Darby Translation
and he shall cause the woman to drink the bitter water that bringeth the curse, that the water that bringeth the curse may enter into her for bitterness.

English Standard Version
And he shall make the woman drink the water of bitterness that brings the curse, and the water that brings the curse shall enter into her and cause bitter pain.

George Lamsa Translation
And he shall make the woman drink the bitter water of testing; and the water of testing shall enter into her, to try her.

Good News Translation
Before he makes the woman drink the water, which may then cause her bitter pain,

Christian Standard Bible®
He will require the woman to drink the bitter water that brings a curse, and it will enter her to cause bitter suffering.

Literal Translation
And he shall cause the woman to drink the bitter waters which cause the curse. And the waters which cause the curse shall enter into her for bitter things.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
and shall geue the wife of the bytter cursinge waters to drynke.

American Standard Version
and he shall make the woman drink the water of bitterness that causeth the curse; and the water that causeth the curse shall enter into her and become bitter.

Bible in Basic English
And he will give to the woman the bitter water for drink; and the bitter water causing the curse will go into her.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And geue the woman those bitter and cursed waters to drinke, yt those cursed and bitter waters may enter into her.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And he shall make the woman drink the water of bitterness that causeth the curse; and the water that causeth the curse shall enter into her and become bitter.

King James Version (1611)
And he shall cause the woman to drinke the bitter water, that causeth the curse: and the water that causeth the curse shall enter into her, and become bitter.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And he shall cause the woman to drink the water of the conviction that brings the curse; and the water of the conviction that brings the curse shall enter into her.

English Revised Version
and he shall make the woman drink the water of bitterness that causeth the curse: and the water that causeth the curse shall enter into her and become bitter.

Berean Standard Bible
He is to have the woman drink the bitter water that brings a curse, and it will enter her and cause her bitter suffering.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and he schal yyue to hir to drynke. And whanne sche hath drunke tho watris,

Young's Literal Translation
and hath caused the woman to drink the bitter waters which cause the curse, and the waters which cause the curse have entered into her for bitter things.

Update Bible Version
and he shall make the woman drink the water of bitterness that causes the curse; and the water that causes the curse shall enter into her [and become] bitter.

Webster's Bible Translation
And he shall cause the woman to drink the bitter water that causeth the curse: and the water that causeth the curse shall enter into her, [and become] bitter.

World English Bible
He shall make the woman drink the water of bitterness that causes the curse; and the water that causes the curse shall enter into her and become bitter.

New King James Version
And he shall make the woman drink the bitter water that brings a curse, and the water that brings the curse shall enter her to become bitter.

New Living Translation
He will make the woman drink the bitter water that brings on the curse. When the water enters her body, it will cause bitter suffering if she is guilty.

New Life Bible
He will make the woman drink the bitter water that brings a curse. The water that brings a curse will go into her and give her pain.

New Revised Standard
He shall make the woman drink the water of bitterness that brings the curse, and the water that brings the curse shall enter her and cause bitter pain.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
and shall cause the woman to drink the deadly water that causeth a curse, - and the deadly water that causeth a curse shall enter into her.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And he shall give them her to drink. And when she hath drunk them up,

Revised Standard Version
and he shall make the woman drink the water of bitterness that brings the curse, and the water that brings the curse shall enter into her and cause bitter pain.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
'Then he shall make the woman drink the water of bitterness that brings a curse, so that the water which brings a curse will go into her and cause bitterness.

Contextual Overview

¹¹ Then the Lord said to Moses, ¹² "Tell the Israelites this: A man's wife might be unfaithful to him. ¹³ She might have sexual relations with another man and hide this from her husband. And there might not be anyone to tell him that his wife committed this sin. Her husband might never know about the wrong thing she did, and she might not tell her husband about her sin. ¹⁴ But the husband might begin to think that his wife sinned against him, whether she has or not. He might become jealous. He might begin to believe that she is not pure and true to him. ¹⁵ If that happens, he must take his wife to the priest. The husband must also take an offering of 8 cups of barley flour. He must not pour oil or incense on the barley flour. This barley flour is a grain offering to the Lord that is given because the husband is jealous. This offering will show that he thinks his wife has been unfaithful to him. ¹⁶ "The priest will take the woman before the Lord and make her stand there. ¹⁷ Then he will take some special water and put it in a clay jar. He will put some dirt from the floor of the Holy Tent into the water. ¹⁸ He will force the woman to stand before the Lord . Then he will loosen her hair and put the grain offering in her hand. This is the barley flour that her husband gave because he was jealous. At the same time, he will hold the clay jar of special water. This is the special water that can bring trouble to the woman. ¹⁹ "Then the priest will make the woman promise to tell the truth and say to her: ‘If you have not slept with another man, and if you have not sinned against your husband while you were married to him, then this water that causes trouble will not hurt you. ²⁰ But if you have sinned against your husband—if you had sexual relations with a man who is not your husband—then you are not pure.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Zechariah 5:3, Zechariah 5:4, Malachi 3:5

Reciprocal: Numbers 5:18 - the bitter water

Cross-References

Genesis 5:5
So Adam lived a total of 930 years; then he died.

Genesis 5:6
After Seth was 105 years old, he had a son named Enosh.

Genesis 5:22
After Methuselah was born, Enoch walked with God for 300 years and had other sons and daughters.

Genesis 37:30
Reuben went to the brothers and said, "The boy is not in the well! What will I do?"

Genesis 42:36
Jacob said to them, "Do you want me to lose all of my children? Joseph is gone. Simeon is gone, and now you want to take Benjamin away too!"

2 Kings 2:1
It was near the time for the Lord to take Elijah by a whirlwind up into heaven. Elijah and Elisha started to leave Gilgal.

Jeremiah 31:15
This is what the Lord says: "A sound is heard in Ramah— bitter crying and great sadness. Rachel cries for her children, and she refuses to be comforted, because her children are gone."

Matthew 2:18
"A sound was heard in Ramah— bitter crying and great sadness. Rachel cries for her children, and she cannot be comforted, because her children are gone."

Luke 23:43
Then Jesus said to him, "I promise you, today you will be with me in paradise."

1 John 1:7
We should live in the light, where God is. If we live in the light, we have fellowship with each other, and the blood sacrifice of Jesus, God's Son, washes away every sin and makes us clean.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And he shall cause the woman to drink the bitter water that causeth the curse,..... Having the curse imprecated upon herself, if guilty, scraped into it; and this she was obliged to drink, whether she would or not; so it is said, if the roll is blotted out, and she says I am defiled, the water is poured out, and her offering is scattered in the place of ashes; if the roll is blotted out, and she says I will not drink, then force her, and make her drink whether she will or no z:

and the water that causeth the curse shall enter into her, [and become] bitter; produce the sad and bitter effects mentioned.

z Misnah, ut supra, (Sotah) c. 3. sect. 3.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The trial of jealousy. Since the crime of adultery is especially defiling and destructive of the very foundations of social order, the whole subject is dealt with at a length proportionate to its importance. The process prescribed has lately been strikingly illustrated from an Egyptian “romance,” which refers to the time of Rameses the Great, and may therefore well serve to illustrate the manners and customs of the Mosaic times. This mode of trial, like several other ordinances, was adopted by Moses from existing and probably very ancient and widely spread institutions.

Numbers 5:15

The offering was to be of the cheapest and coarsest kind, barley (compare 2 Kings 7:1, 2 Kings 7:16, 2 Kings 7:18), representing the abused condition of the suspected woman. It was, like the sin-offering Leviticus 5:11, to be made without oil and frankincense, the symbols of grace and acceptableness. The woman herself stood with head uncovered Numbers 5:18, in token of her shame.

Numbers 5:17

The dust that is in the floor of the tabernacle - To set forth the fact that the water was endued with extraordinary power by Him who dwelt in the tabernacle. Dust is an emblem of a state of condemnation Genesis 3:14; Micah 7:17.

Numbers 5:19

Gone aside ... - literally, “gone astray from” thy husband by uncleanness; compare Hosea 4:12.

Numbers 5:23

Blot them out with the bitter water - In order to transfer the curses to the water. The action was symbolic. Travelers speak of the natives of Africa as still habitually seeking to obtain the full force of a written charm by drinking the water into which they have washed it.

Numbers 5:24

Shall cause the woman to drink - Thus was symbolised both her full acceptance of the hypothetical curse (compare Ezekiel 3:1-3; Jeremiah 15:16; Revelation 10:9), and its actual operation upon her if she should be guilty (compare Psalms 109:18).

Numbers 5:26

The memorial thereof - See the marginal reference. “Memorial” here is not the same as “memorial” in Numbers 5:15.

Numbers 5:27

Of itself, the drink was not noxious; and could only produce the effects here described by a special interposition of God. We do not read of any instance in which this ordeal was resorted to: a fact which may be explained either (with the Jews) as a proof of its efficacy, since the guilty could not be brought to face its terrors at all, and avoided them by confession; or more probably by the license of divorce tolerated by the law of Moses. Since a husband could put away his wife at pleasure, a jealous man would naturally prefer to take this course with a suspected wife rather than to call public attention to his own shame by having recourse to the trial of jealousy. The trial by red water, which bears a general resemblance to that here prescribed by Moses, is still in use among the tribes of Western Africa.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Numbers 5:24. The bitter water that causeth the curse — Though the rabbins think that the priest put some bitter substance in the water, yet as nothing of the kind is intimated by Moses, we may consider the word as used here metaphorically for affliction, death, c. These waters were afflicting and deadly to her who drank them, being guilty. In this sense afflictions are said to be bitter, Isaiah 38:17 so also is death, 1 Samuel 15:32: Ecclesiastes 7:26.