Water that Brings a Curse, Water of Bitterness, Water of Jealousy

The water that brings a curse (also called the water of bitterness or the water of jealousy) was part of a ritual used in ancient Israel when a husband suspected his wife of adultery but had no proof. This ceremony is described in Numbers 5:11–31. Some scholars classify this as a form of trial by ordeal, a procedure in which divine intervention was expected to reveal guilt or innocence. In such trials, the accused faced a physical test to determine guilt or innocence, with the outcome believed to be controlled by a higher power who knew the truth.

In ancient Israel, like many old societies, women had few rights. An Israelite husband could use this test when he had no proof of his wife being unfaithful but simply had a “feeling of jealousy” concerning her (Numbers 5:11–14). Most likely, a pregnant wife would be tested if her husband thought the baby might not be his.

The suspicious husband would bring his wife to the priest with a special offering of rough barley meal (Numbers 5:15; compare Leviticus 2; 5:11). The priest would:

1. bring the woman to stand "before the LORD,"

2. mix "holy water" (probably from the tabernacle water basin) with dirt from the tabernacle floor,

3. untie the woman's hair (possibly to show shame), and

4. place some of the barley meal offering in her hands (Numbers 5:16–18).

Then the priest made her take an oath and she would drink the "water that brings a curse." If she had been unfaithful, the water would bring a curse upon her. She agreed by saying "Amen, Amen" (verses 19–22). After writing the words of the curse, the priest would wash them off into the water. After making a ceremonial offering of a handful of barley meal, the priest made the woman drink the water (verses 23–26). If she were guilty, the result would be bitter suffering, causing the woman to become unable to have children (verse 27).