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Myles Coverdale Bible

Numbers 5:24

and shall geue the wife of the bytter cursinge waters to drynke.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Adultery;   Bitter Water;   Husband;   Jealousy;   Oath;   Priest;   Self-Incrimination;   Wife;   Women;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Woman;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Adultery;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Husband;   Oath;   Priest;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Jealousy;   Offerings and Sacrifices;   Priest, Priesthood;   Woman;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Adultery;   Water of Jealousy;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Adultery;   Poetry;   Priest;   Water of Jealousy;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Bitter Water;   Court Systems;   Jealousy;   Jealousy, Ordeal of;   Judge (Office);   Sex, Biblical Teaching on;   Woman;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Jealousy;   Magic, Divination, and Sorcery;   Marriage;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Dropsy;   Nazirite;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Adultery;   Jealousy,;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Elisha;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Adultery;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Water of Jealousy;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Bitter;   Jealousy;   Swell;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Abner of Burgos;   Abrogation of Laws;   Adultery;   'Akabia ben Mahalalel;   Hammurabi;   Hezekiah ben Parnak;   Marriage;   Mishnah;   Nashim;   Ordeal;   Sidra;   Soṭah;   Water;  

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.
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.
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.
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 And the LORDE talked with Moses, and sayde: 12 Speake to the children of Israel, and saye vnto them: Whan eny mans wife goth asyde, and trespaceth agaynst him, 13 & eny ma lye with her fleshlye, and the thinge be yet hyd from his eyes, and is not come to light that she is defiled, and he can brynge no witnesse agaynst her (for she was not take therin) 14 and the sprete of gelousye kyndleth him, so that he is gelous ouer his wife: whether she be vncleane or not vncleane, 15 then shal he brynge her vnto the prest, and brynge an offerynge for her, euen the tenth parte of an Epha of barlye meele, and shal poure no oyle theron, ner put frankensence vpon it: for it is an offerynge of gelousy, and an offeringe of remembraunce, that remembreth synne. 16 Then shall the prest brynge her, and sett her before the LORDE, 17 and take of the holy water in an earthen vessell, and put of ye dust that is on the floore of the habitacion, in to the water. 18 And he shal set the wife before ye LORDE, and vncouer hir heade, and the offeringe of remembraunce which is an offeringe of gelousy, shall he laye vpon hir handes. And the prest shal haue in his hande bytter cursinge water, and shal coniure the wife, & saye vnto her: 19 Yf no man haue lye with the, and thou hast not gone asyde from thy hu?bande, to defyle thy self, then shall not these bytter cursinge waters hurte the. 20 But yf thou hast gone asyde from thy hu?bande, so that thou art defyled, and some other man hath lyen with the besyde thy hu?bande,

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
And his whole age was nyne hundreth and thirtie yeares, and so he dyed.
Genesis 5:6
Seth was an hundreth and fyue yeare olde, and begat Enos:
Genesis 5:22
and led a godly conuersacion thre hundreth yeares therafter, and begat sonnes & doughters.
Genesis 37:30
and came agayne to his brethre and sayde: The lad is not yonder, whyther shal I go?
Genesis 42:36
Then sayde Iacob their father: Ye haue robbed me of my children. Ioseph is awaye, Simeon is awaye, and ye will take Ben Iamin awaye: It goeth all ouer me.
2 Kings 2:1
Whan the LORDE was mynded to take vp Elias in the tempest, Elias and Eliseus wente from Gilgall.
Jeremiah 31:15
Thus saieth the LORDE: The voyce of heuynes, wepynge and lamentacion came vp in to heauen: euen of Rachel mournynge for hir children, and wolde not be comforted, because they were awaye.
Matthew 2:18
On ye hilles was a voyce herde, greate mournynge, wepynge, & lamentacion: Rachel wepynge for her chyldren, and wolde not be conforted, because they were not.
Luke 23:43
And Iesus sayde vnto him: Verely I saye vnto the: To daye shalt thou be with me in Paradyse.
1 John 1:7
But yf we walke in lighte, euen as he is in lighte, then haue we fellishippe together, and the bloude of Iesus Christ his sonne clenseth vs from all synne.

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.


 
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