KJV ORIGINAL
And the priest shall write these curses in a book, and he shall blot them out with the bitter water:
Close to the original. Clear modern English.
✦ MADE SIMPLE
The priest shall write these curses on a scroll, and then he shall wash them off into the bitter water.
⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE
The priest is writing down the curses and then dissolving the ink into the water that the woman will drink.
📚 Historical Context
This verse is part of the ritual for testing a wife suspected of adultery, known as the ordeal of the bitter water. In ancient Israel, when a husband suspected his wife of unfaithfulness but had no proof, this ceremonial test was prescribed by God through Moses. The priest would write specific curses on a scroll and then wash the ink into holy water mixed with dust from the tabernacle floor.
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