Numbers 5:23
Numbers 5:23 in Multiple Translations
And the priest shall write these curses on a scroll and wash them off into the bitter water.
And the priest shall write these curses in a book, and he shall blot them out with the bitter water:
And the priest shall write these curses in a book, and he shall blot them out into the water of bitterness:
And the priest will put these curses in a book, washing out the writing with the bitter water;
The priest is to write these curses on a scroll and then wash them off into the bitter water.
After, the Priest shall write these curses in a booke, and shall blot them out with the bitter water,
'And the priest hath written these execrations in a book, and hath blotted [them] out with the bitter waters,
“‘The priest shall write these curses in a book, and he shall wipe them into the water of bitterness.
And the priest shall write these curses in a book, and he shall blot them out with the bitter water:
And the priest shall write these curses in a book, and shall wash them out with the most bitter waters, upon which he hath heaped the curses,
‘Then the priest must write with ink on a small scroll these ◄curses/bad things that will happen to her if she is guilty► and then wash the ink off into the bitter water.
Berean Amplified Bible — Numbers 5:23
BAB
Word Study
Hover over any word to see its amplified meaning. Click a word to explore its full definition and translation comparisons.
Amplified text is generated using scripting to tie together English translations for comparison. Always refer to the core BSB translation and original Hebrew/Greek text for accuracy. Anomalies may occur.
Numbers 5:23 Interlinear (Deep Study)
BIB
HEB
וְ֠/כָתַב
אֶת
הָ/אָלֹ֥ת
הָ/אֵ֛לֶּה
הַ/כֹּהֵ֖ן
בַּ/סֵּ֑פֶר
וּ/מָחָ֖ה
אֶל
מֵ֥י
הַ/מָּרִֽים
וְ֠/כָתַב
kâthab
H3789
to write
Conj | V-Qal-3ms
אֶת
ʼêth
H853
Obj.
DirObjM
הָ/אָלֹ֥ת
ʼâlâh
H423
oath
Art | N-fp
הָ/אֵ֛לֶּה
ʼêl-leh
H428
these
Art | Pron
הַ/כֹּהֵ֖ן
kôhên
H3548
priest
Art | N-ms
בַּ/סֵּ֑פֶר
çêpher
H5612
scroll
Prep | N-ms
וּ/מָחָ֖ה
mâchâh
H4229
to wipe
Conj | V-Qal-3ms
אֶל
ʼêl
H413
to(wards)
Prep
מֵ֥י
mayim
H4325
Water (Gate)
N-mp
הַ/מָּרִֽים
mar
H4751
bitter
Art | Adj
Hebrew Word Study
Select any word above to explore its original meaning, root, and usage across Scripture.
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Hebrew Word Reference — Numbers 5:23
וְ֠/כָתַב
kâthab
H3789
"to write"
Conj | V-Qal-3ms
To write or record something, including inscribing or engraving. It is used in various contexts, such as writing down a decree or subscribing to an agreement. This word is about putting thoughts or ideas into written form.
Definition: 1) to write, record, enrol 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to write, inscribe, engrave, write in, write on 1a2) to write down, describe in writing 1a3) to register, enrol, record 1a4) to decree 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be written 1b2) to be written down, be recorded, be enrolled 1c) (Piel) to continue writing Aramaic equivalent: ke.tav (כְּתַב "to write" H3790)
Usage: Occurs in 212 OT verses. KJV: describe, record, prescribe, subscribe, write(-ing, -ten). See also: Exodus 17:14; 1 Chronicles 9:1; Psalms 40:8.
אֶת
ʼêth
H853
"Obj."
DirObjM
In the original Hebrew, this word points out the object of a verb or preposition, like 'namely' or 'even'. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Exodus. It's not directly translated in English, but helps clarify the meaning of sentences.
Definition: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative Aramaic equivalent: yat (יָת "whom" H3487)
Usage: Occurs in 6782 OT verses. KJV: (as such unrepresented in English). See also: Genesis 1:1; Genesis 10:8; Genesis 19:21.
הָ/אָלֹ֥ת
ʼâlâh
H423
"oath"
Art | N-fp
In the Bible, this word refers to a promise or oath, often with serious consequences. It appears in Genesis 24:8 and Deuteronomy 29:12, describing agreements between God and people.
Definition: 1) oath 2) oath of covenant 3) curse 3a) from God 3b) from men 4) execration
Usage: Occurs in 32 OT verses. KJV: curse, cursing, execration, oath, swearing. See also: Genesis 24:41; Job 31:30; Psalms 10:7.
הָ/אֵ֛לֶּה
ʼêl-leh
H428
"these"
Art | Pron
This Hebrew word is used to point out specific people or things, like saying 'these' or 'those'. It appears in the book of Genesis, where God says 'let there be light' and separates the light from the darkness.
Definition: 1) these 1a) used before antecedent 1b) used following antecedent Aramaic equivalent: el.leh (אֵלֶּה "these" H0429)
Usage: Occurs in 697 OT verses. KJV: an-(the) other; one sort, so, some, such, them, these (same), they, this, those, thus, which, who(-m). See also: Genesis 2:4; Exodus 35:1; Deuteronomy 1:35.
הַ/כֹּהֵ֖ן
kôhên
H3548
"priest"
Art | N-ms
In the Bible, a priest is a person who serves God and leads others in worship, like the Levitical priests in Exodus. They were responsible for making sacrifices and following God's laws. This term is also used to describe Jesus as a priest-king.
Definition: 1) priest, principal officer or chief ruler 1a) priest-king (Melchizedek, Messiah) 1b) pagan priests 1c) priests of Jehovah 1d) Levitical priests 1e) Zadokite priests 1f) Aaronic priests 1g) the high priest Aramaic equivalent: ka.hen (כָּהֵן "priest" H3549)
Usage: Occurs in 653 OT verses. KJV: chief ruler, [idiom] own, priest, prince, principal officer. See also: Genesis 14:18; Leviticus 13:33; Numbers 17:2.
בַּ/סֵּ֑פֶר
çêpher
H5612
"scroll"
Prep | N-ms
This word means a written document, like a scroll or book, used to record important events or messages. It appears in books like Isaiah and Matthew, referring to written records.
Definition: : document 1) missive, document, writing, book 1a) missive 1a1) letter (of instruction), written order, commission, request, written decree 1b) legal document, certificate of divorce, deed of purchase, indictment, sign 1c) book, scroll 1c1) book of prophecies 1c2) genealogical register 1c3) law-book 1c4) book (of poems) 1c5) book (of kings) 1c6) books of the canon, scripture 1c7) record book (of God) 1d) book-learning, writing 1d1) be able to read (after verb 'to know')
Usage: Occurs in 174 OT verses. KJV: bill, book, evidence, [idiom] learn(-ed) (-ing), letter, register, scroll. See also: Genesis 5:1; 2 Chronicles 17:9; Psalms 40:8.
וּ/מָחָ֖ה
mâchâh
H4229
"to wipe"
Conj | V-Qal-3ms
This verb means to erase or wipe something away. In Psalm 51:1, David asks God to blot out his sins. It can also mean to reach out or touch something.
Definition: 1) to wipe, wipe out 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to wipe 1a2) to blot out, obliterate 1a3) to blot out, exterminate 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be wiped out 1b2) to be blotted out 1b3) to be exterminated 1c) (Hiphil) to blot out (from memory)
Usage: Occurs in 32 OT verses. KJV: abolish, blot out, destroy, full of marrow, put out, reach unto, [idiom] utterly, wipe (away, out). See also: Genesis 6:7; Nehemiah 13:14; Psalms 9:6.
אֶל
ʼêl
H413
"to(wards)"
Prep
This Hebrew word means 'to' or 'toward', showing direction or movement. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Exodus, to indicate where someone is going. The KJV translates it in various ways, like 'about', 'according to', or 'against'.
Definition: 1) to, toward, unto (of motion) 2) into (limit is actually entered) 2a) in among 3) toward (of direction, not necessarily physical motion) 4) against (motion or direction of a hostile character) 5) in addition to, to 6) concerning, in regard to, in reference to, on account of 7) according to (rule or standard) 8) at, by, against (of one's presence) 9) in between, in within, to within, unto (idea of motion to)
Usage: Occurs in 4205 OT verses. KJV: about, according to, after, against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and, by, concerning, for, from, [idiom] hath, in(-to), near, (out) of, over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether, with(-in). See also: Genesis 1:9; Genesis 21:14; Genesis 31:13.
מֵ֥י
mayim
H4325
"Water (Gate)"
N-mp
This word means water, referring to a liquid or a source of refreshment. It appears in the Bible as a literal and figurative term, including references to wasting or urine. The word is used in various contexts, such as in Genesis and Leviticus.
Definition: This name means water, refreshment
Usage: Occurs in 525 OT verses. KJV: [phrase] piss, wasting, water(-ing, (-course, -flood, -spring)). See also: Genesis 1:2; Leviticus 14:9; Joshua 18:15.
הַ/מָּרִֽים
mar
H4751
"bitter"
Art | Adj
Mar means bitter, describing something that tastes bad or is unpleasant. It can also describe emotional pain or discontent, like being angry or chafed.
Definition: adj 1) bitter, bitterness 1a) of water or food 1b) of harlot's end, end of wickedness, cry (fig.) 1c) of pain (subst) adv 2) bitterly
Usage: Occurs in 36 OT verses. KJV: [phrase] angry, bitter(-ly, -ness), chafed, discontented, [idiom] great, heavy. See also: Genesis 27:34; Psalms 64:4; Proverbs 5:4.
Study Notes — Numbers 5:23
Show Verse Quote Highlights
- Context
- Cross References
- Numbers 5:23 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Numbers 5:23
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Numbers 5:23
- Matthew Poole's Commentary on Numbers 5:23
- Trapp's Commentary on Numbers 5:23
- Adam Clarke's Commentary on Numbers 5:23
- Cambridge Bible on Numbers 5:23
- Whedon's Commentary on Numbers 5:23
- Sermons on Numbers 5:23
Context — The Adultery Test
21and the priest shall have the woman swear under the oath of the curse—‘then may the LORD make you an attested curse among your people by making your thigh shrivel and your belly swell.
22May this water that brings a curse enter your stomach and cause your belly to swell and your thigh to shrivel.’ Then the woman is to say, ‘Amen, Amen.’
23And the priest shall write these curses on a scroll and wash them off into the bitter water.
24He is to have the woman drink the bitter water that brings a curse, and it will enter her and may cause her bitter suffering. 25The priest shall take from her hand the grain offering for jealousy, wave it before the LORD, and bring it to the altar.Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Acts 3:19 | Repent, then, and turn back, so that your sins may be wiped away, |
| 2 | Psalms 51:1 | Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your loving devotion; according to Your great compassion, blot out my transgressions. |
| 3 | Psalms 51:9 | Hide Your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquities. |
| 4 | Deuteronomy 31:19 | Now therefore, write down for yourselves this song and teach it to the Israelites; have them recite it, so that it may be a witness for Me against them. |
| 5 | 1 Corinthians 16:21–22 | This greeting is in my own hand—Paul. If anyone does not love the Lord, let him be under a curse. Come, O Lord! |
| 6 | Job 31:35 | (Oh, that I had one to hear me! Here is my signature. Let the Almighty answer me; let my accuser compose an indictment. |
| 7 | Isaiah 44:22 | I have blotted out your transgressions like a cloud, and your sins like a mist. Return to Me, for I have redeemed you. |
| 8 | Isaiah 43:25 | I, yes I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake and remembers your sins no more. |
| 9 | 2 Chronicles 34:24 | that this is what the LORD says: I am about to bring calamity on this place and on its people, according to all the curses written in the book that has been read in the presence of the king of Judah, |
| 10 | Revelation 20:12 | And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne. And there were open books, and one of them was the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their deeds, as recorded in the books. |
Numbers 5:23 Summary
In Numbers 5:23, the priest writes down the curses that the woman may face if she is guilty, and then washes them off into the bitter water, which she will drink. This ritual is a physical representation of the consequences of sin and the importance of seeking God's forgiveness, as seen in (1 John 1:9). Just like the woman had to trust in God's judgment, we can trust in God's sovereignty and justice, even when we don't understand our circumstances, knowing that He is a merciful God who desires our good, as written in (Psalm 103:8-10). By trusting in God's Word and promises, we can 'wash away' our own sins and mistakes through repentance and faith.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the purpose of writing the curses on a scroll in Numbers 5:23?
The purpose of writing the curses on a scroll is to physically represent the woman's potential guilt and the consequences that come with it, as seen in Numbers 5:23, and it is also a symbol of God's judgment, similar to what is written in Deuteronomy 29:20-21.
Why does the priest wash the curses off into the bitter water?
The priest washes the curses off into the bitter water to mix the written judgment with the water that the woman will drink, making it a physical representation of the curse entering her body, as described in Numbers 5:24, and this act can be compared to the way God's Word is used to judge and cleanse us, as mentioned in Ephesians 5:26.
Is this ritual still practiced today and what can we learn from it?
This ritual is not practiced today, but it teaches us about the seriousness of sin and the importance of seeking God's forgiveness, as seen in 1 John 1:9, and it also shows us how God's laws and rituals in the Old Testament point to the coming of Jesus Christ, who would ultimately bear the curse for our sins, as written in Galatians 3:13.
How does this verse relate to the concept of God's justice and mercy?
This verse shows us that God is a just God who takes sin seriously, but He is also a merciful God who provides a way for us to be forgiven and cleansed, as seen in Psalm 103:8-10, and this balance between justice and mercy is ultimately fulfilled in the person and work of Jesus Christ, as mentioned in Romans 3:25-26.
Reflection Questions
- What does this verse reveal about God's character and how He deals with sin?
- How can I apply the concept of God's judgment and mercy in my own life, especially when I sin or face difficult circumstances?
- What does the act of washing the curses off into the bitter water symbolize in my own walk with God, and how can I 'wash away' my own sins and mistakes through repentance and faith?
- In what ways can I trust in God's sovereignty and justice, even when I don't understand the circumstances of my life, just like the woman in this passage had to trust in God's judgment?
Gill's Exposition on Numbers 5:23
And the priest shall write these curses in a book,.... The above curses imprecated on herself by an oath; the words and the letters of them were written at length, in a scroll of parchment; and, as
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Numbers 5:23
And the priest shall write these curses in a book, and he shall blot them out with the bitter water: Write these curses in a book.
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Numbers 5:23
These curses, wherewith she cursed herself, to which peradventure her name was added. In a book, i.e. in a scroll of parchment, which the Hebrews commonly call a book, as . Blot them out with the bitter water, or, rase or scourge them out, and cast then into the bitter water. Whereby it was signified, that if she was innocent, the curses should be blotted out and come to nothing, and if she were guilty, she should find in her the effects of this water which she drunk, after the words of this curse; had been scraped and put in.
Trapp's Commentary on Numbers 5:23
Numbers 5:23 And the priest shall write these curses in a book, and he shall blot [them] out with the bitter water:Ver. 23. Shall write these curses in a book.] To show, that the word written should cause the water thus to work, according to the cleanness or uncleanness of the party. See 2 Corinthians 2:16.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on Numbers 5:23
Verse 23. The priest shall write these curses - and he shall blot them out] It appears that the curses which were written down with a kind of ink prepared for the purpose, as some of the rabbins think, without any calx of iron or other material that could make a permanent dye, were washed off the parchment into the water which the woman was obliged to drink, so that she drank the very words of the execration. The ink used in the East is almost all of this kind - a wet sponge will completely efface the finest of their writings. The rabbins say that the trial by the waters of jealousy was omitted after the Babylonish captivity, because adulteries were so frequent amongst them, that they were afraid of having the name of the Lord profaned by being so frequently appealed to! This is a most humiliating confession. "Though," says pious Bishop Wilson, "this judgment is not executed now on adulteresses, yet they have reason from this to conclude that a more terrible vengeance will await them hereafter without a bitter repentance; these being only a shadow of heavenly things, i. e., of what the Gospel requires of its professors, viz., a strict purity, or a severe repentance." The pious bishop would not preclude the necessity of pardon through the blood of the cross, for without this the severest repentance would be of no avail.
Cambridge Bible on Numbers 5:23
23. a book] The Heb. term sçpher denotes anything which can receive writing, e.g. a strip of parchment. Here it is something from which the written words of the curse can be washed or wiped out into the water. The curse is considered to be in this manner literally conveyed to the potion. The eating of written charms is a frequent practice in Thibet and India for the cure of disease. In Egypt ‘the most approved mode of charming away sickness or disease is to write certain passages of the Korân on the inner surface of an earthenware cup or bowl; then to pour in some water, and stir it until the writing is quite washed off: when the water, with the sacred words thus infused in it, is to be drunk by the patient’ (Waddell, The Buddhism of Tibet, quoted by Gray, p. 54).
Whedon's Commentary on Numbers 5:23
23. Write these curses in a book — Hebrew, the book, as if there were a particular scroll on which curses were written. Blot them… with… bitter water — Hebrew, Wipe them into the bitter water.
Sermons on Numbers 5:23
| Sermon | Description | |
|---|---|---|
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Great Commission by John Stott | In this sermon, the speaker discusses the Great Commission as recorded by Matthew, Luke, and John. The five aspects of the Great Commission, as summarized by Luke, are: proclamatio |
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(Messages) Repentance by Basilea Schlink | During World War II, many German people experienced suffering and developed a hunger for the word of God. The speaker received numerous requests for Bible studies and lectures, whi |
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The Role of Prayer in Spiritual Awakening by J. Edwin Orr | In this sermon, the pastor emphasizes four important steps for spiritual growth. First, he urges the audience to put away any doubtful habits from their lives. Second, he emphasize |
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A Place to Hide by Jim Cymbala | Jim Cymbala emphasizes the priceless nature of God's unfailing love and the refuge it provides, likening God to a protective bird under whose wings we can find safety. He explains |
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(Covenant Word Ministries) Servant of Sin by Keith Daniel | In this sermon, the preacher recounts a rainy day when he was surprised to find a church full of people despite the bad weather. As he began to preach, a drunk man desperately trie |
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Americas Only Hope by Keith Daniel | In this sermon, the preacher expresses deep concern and sorrow for the state of the country and the erosion of freedom of speech. He recounts a powerful experience where he witness |
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Bless Me Father by Alan Redpath | In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the importance of seeking spiritual recovery and not making false steps in life. He uses the story of Esau from the Bible as an example of s |