Numbers 5:17

Then he is to take some holy water in a clay jar and put some of the dust from the tabernacle floor into the water.

Berean Standard Bible

Study note

Setting — The priest acts in the sanctuary after bringing the suspected wife to stand before the LORD, preparing the ritual components for the jealousy ordeal.

The words — The text specifies the priest takes (לָקַ֧ח) holy (קְדֹשִׁ֖ים) water (מַ֥יִם) into an earthenware (חָ֑רֶשׂ) vessel (כְלִי) and adds dust (עָפָ֗ר) from the floor.

The thread — This mixture of water and dust parallels the ritual cleansing waters in Exodus 30:18 and Numbers 19:2, while the use of floor dust anticipates the ground-writing motif in John 8:6.

Why it lands — The instruction demands precise physical preparation of a sacred mixture, requiring the priest to follow exact ritual steps before any judgment or blessing occurs.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וְלָקַ֧חve./la.Kachand/ he will take הַכֹּהֵ֛ןha./ko.Henthe/ priest מַ֥יִםMa.yimwater קְדֹשִׁ֖יםke.do.Shimholy בִּכְלִי־bi/kh.li-in/ a vessel of חָ֑רֶשׂCha.researthenware וּמִן־u./min-and/ some of הֶֽעָפָ֗רhe./'a.Farthe/ dust אֲשֶׁ֤ר'a.Sherwhich יִהְיֶה֙yih.Yehit will be בְּקַרְקַ֣עbe./kar.Ka'on/ [the] floor of הַמִּשְׁכָּ֔ןha./mish.Kanthe/ tabernacle יִקַּ֥חyi.Kachhe will take הַכֹּהֵ֖ןha./ko.Henthe/ priest וְנָתַ֥ןve./na.Tanand/ he will put [it]אֶל־'el-into הַמָּֽיִם׃ha./Ma.yimthe/ water

King James Version

And the priest shall take holy water in an earthen vessel; and of the dust that is in the floor of the tabernacle the priest shall take, and put it into the water:

Cross-references

Exodus 30:18 “You are to make a bronze basin with a bronze stand for washing. Set it between the Tent of Meeting and the altar, and put water in it,
John 8:6 They said this to test Him, in order to have a basis for accusing Him. But Jesus bent down and began to write on the ground with His finger.
Numbers 19:2 “This is the statute of the law that the LORD has commanded: Instruct the Israelites to bring you an unblemished red heifer that has no defect and has never been placed under a yoke.
Job 2:12 When they lifted up their eyes from afar, they could barely recognize Job. They began to weep aloud, and each man tore his robe and threw dust in the air over his head.
Jeremiah 17:13 O LORD, the hope of Israel, all who abandon You will be put to shame. All who turn away will be written in the dust, for they have abandoned the LORD, the fountain of living water.
Lamentations 3:29 Let him bury his face in the dust—perhaps there is still hope.
John 8:8 And again He bent down and wrote on the ground.