Numbers 5 23

Numbers 5:23 kjv

And the priest shall write these curses in a book, and he shall blot them out with the bitter water:

Numbers 5:23 nkjv

'Then the priest shall write these curses in a book, and he shall scrape them off into the bitter water.

Numbers 5:23 niv

"?'The priest is to write these curses on a scroll and then wash them off into the bitter water.

Numbers 5:23 esv

"Then the priest shall write these curses in a book and wash them off into the water of bitterness.

Numbers 5:23 nlt

And the priest will write these curses on a piece of leather and wash them off into the bitter water.

Numbers 5 verses

Numbers 5 23 Meaning

Numbers 5:23 describes a critical step in the "Ordeal of Jealousy," a priestly ritual designed to determine the innocence or guilt of a wife accused of infidelity by her husband without witnesses. The verse instructs the priest to record the conditional curses for disloyalty onto a scroll, and then literally wash or erase these written curses off the scroll directly into a vessel containing the "bitter water" that the woman will drink. This action symbolizes the transference of the potential curse from the written word into the water, and subsequently, into the woman herself, making the divine judgment tangible through her physical reaction if she is guilty.

Numbers 5 23 Context

Numbers chapter 5 details laws concerning ritual purity and community holiness. The preceding verses outline procedures for expelling the ceremonially unclean from the camp (Num 5:1-4) and making restitution for sin (Num 5:5-10). Verses 11-31, where verse 23 is found, introduce the "Ordeal of Jealousy," a unique legal and spiritual procedure designed by God for a husband who suspects his wife of infidelity but lacks direct proof. This ritual, presided over by the priest, served to bring divine justice and clarity in matters where human testimony was insufficient, aiming to preserve the purity of the marital covenant and the overall holiness of the Israelite camp. It provided a pathway for an innocent woman to be vindicated and a guilty one to be exposed, emphasizing God's role in discerning truth in secret matters within the community.

Numbers 5 23 Word analysis

• And the priest - "The priest" (hakohen): Refers specifically to the designated priestly lineage of Aaron, authorized by God to perform sacred rituals and mediate between God and the people. This highlights the ritual's divine sanction and formal nature.
• shall write - (katav, כתב): Implies recording, inscribing, or formally documenting. This act makes the curses concrete, legally binding, and formally part of the ritual. It is not just a verbal proclamation, but a written declaration.
• these curses - (ha'alot ha'elleh, האלה האלה): Specifically refers to the conditional curses previously recited by the priest in Numbers 5:21-22. Alah (אָלָה) denotes an oath or an imprecation, a conditional curse sworn to or called down upon oneself if an act (like infidelity) has been committed. These are not generic curses but precise consequences for defilement within the specific marital covenant.
• in a book - (b’sefer, בספר): Refers to a scroll or document, implying a formal and perhaps temporary record for this specific procedure. It emphasizes the authoritative and formal nature of the ritual; the curses are not merely spoken but enshrined in a tangible form.
• and he shall blot them out - (u-machah, ומחה): The verb machah (מחה) means to wipe, erase, obliterate, or blot out. This is a highly significant action. It literally means dissolving the ink from the written words of the curses. Symbolically, it means transferring the "curse potential" from the scroll into the water, and thus into the woman upon consumption. It carries connotations of removal and annihilation.
• with the bitter water - (b’mei ham-marim, במי המרים): "With the water of bitterness." This water is made "bitter" or "causing bitterness" not just in taste (potentially from dust from the Tabernacle floor, see Num 5:17), but primarily in its intended effect – bringing bitterness of affliction, suffering, or judgment to the guilty. The action of blotting out the curses directly into this water underscores its role as the vehicle for divine judgment or vindication.

Words-group analysis

• "And the priest shall write these curses in a book": This phrase highlights the formal, documented nature of the divine judgment. The priest acts as an administrator of divine law, not arbitrary judgment. Writing the curses makes them fixed and observable, ensuring fairness in the proceedings by declaring the specific potential consequences before the water is administered. It demonstrates God's ordered process, even for hidden sin.
• "and he shall blot them out with the bitter water": This phrase describes the symbolic and spiritual core of the ordeal. The physical act of washing the ink (the physical manifestation of the curse) into the water is profound. It implies that the curse itself becomes absorbed into the medium to be consumed. The "bitter water" then serves as the literal and symbolic vehicle for conveying either judgment (bitterness, sickness for the guilty) or vindication (no effect for the innocent), making God's verdict immanent and directly experienced. This literal "dissolving" and re-ingestion of the curse shows the severity and directness of God's judicial process.

Numbers 5 23 Bonus section

The concept of "blotting out" (machah) in Scripture extends far beyond this ritual. It frequently appears in contexts of erasing sin from God's memory, annihilating nations, or striking names from a book (like the Book of Life). Here, it applies to conditional curses, transforming them into a tangible judgment-medium. The Israelite "ordeal" also stands distinct from similar practices in the ancient Near East by relying solely on God's miraculous intervention rather than sorcery, physical mutilation, or life-threatening measures for the innocent. It was designed to expose spiritual guilt directly from the Sovereign Lord, signifying the uniqueness of the covenant with Yahweh. This process implicitly demonstrates God's patience and provision for uncovering truth, valuing marital faithfulness as a core tenet of national holiness.

Numbers 5 23 Commentary

Numbers 5:23 describes a profound symbolic action within the unique Ordeal of Jealousy. The literal act of the priest writing specific curses in a book and then blotting them out into "bitter water" means these curses are not merely words spoken into the air, but formal, recorded imprecations that are physically transferred into the medium of divine testing. This transfer makes the potential curse an active, tangible component of the "bitter water" that the accused woman must drink.

This procedure was not magic, but a profound appeal to God's omniscience and direct intervention, particularly where human evidence was absent. It functioned as a potent deterrent against hidden adultery, ensuring the sanctity of the marital covenant, which symbolically reflects God's covenant with Israel. Furthermore, it provided a compassionate recourse for a woman unjustly suspected, offering a means of divine vindication. The ritual highlights God's demand for purity within His community and His unwavering commitment to truth and justice, even in secret matters. It underscores that God sees and knows all, and He is faithful to reveal truth according to His perfect will.