"Bitter water" as a means for abortion in the Old Testament

[Samnrli]

Hello everyone!
I was recently having a conversation with someone online, and they brought up the verse in the Old Testament regarding the use of ‘bitter water’ and the implication that it was used to promote abortion. Specifically, they said this:

“I find the Catholic idea strange given that the Bible includes the Old Testament (which is the Jewish Torah in effect). In the Old Testament (as in the Koran which also has Jewish and Christian ideas included) have very strong admonisions against abstinance and require that both partners in a marriage have an obligation to sexually satisfy their partner with no mention against working to avoid pregnancies. In fact the OT talks of ‘bitter water’ administered by priests at the Temple as a means of effecting miscarriage/abortion (Numbers 5:11–31)”.

I am a bit unsure about how best to reply in a manner that is both specific, kind, and understandable. This person covers a wide swath of issues that aren’t necessarily related, though he seems to believe they are. The verse in Numbers has little to do with “an obligation to sexually satisfy their partner”, for example. What approach would you recommend to straighten things out? Thanks for your help!

 

[Dan_Defender]

Point out to your friend that he/she is jumping to conclusions in the interpretation of this verse. The punishment for the adulterous woman was not necessarily miscarriage. It may be that she became barren after drinking the bitter waters or that she became disfigured in some way. The verse does not disclose the punishment in great detail so there is room for speculation.

 

[straykat]

It has nothing to do with abortion. It was a test called the Sotah… and it killed (and was only used after repeated interrogation first).

The abortion interpretation is modern gibberish.

 

[Kei]

Simply correct her or him.

For instance, the water wouldn’t cause the miscarriage. It was to test to see if they cheated. God would be in control.

 

[mythbuster1]

According to Jewish scholars, this ordeal would only work by miracle. If the woman was innocent or her husband had engaged in any kind of forbidden relations ever, the water would do no harm; indeed, the woman would conceive and bear a son soon after (at least in the case of innocence). If, however, the woman was guilty of adultery and her husband was chaste, her belly would swell and her thigh rot, and she would die from this curse, and the same fate would befall her paramour.

 

[straykat]

I haven’t read that the Church ever adopted it. But I saw a recent TV series (the Last Kingdom) where a priest did this in King Alfred’s time. I wonder if there was anything to it.

 

[Dan_Defender]

That interpretation makes sense except for the last part. The verse says ‘and the woman shall become an execration among her people’. Doesn’t say she dies, but I guess it is a possibility.

 

[Guest1]

have very strong admonisions against abstinance and require that both partners in a marriage have an obligation to sexually satisfy their partner with no mention against working to avoid pregnancies.

Genesis 38 Onan.

I’m not sure what the Catholic interpretation would be though on this story of Onan. If its to be an example against avoiding pregnancy.

 

[Guest1]

Let’s say the scripture is talking about causing a miscarriage…

Couldn’t this be in the same category about genocide in the Old Testament? Maybe the answer would be only God is the one who could take life.

Humans have the thou shall not kill commandment in the 10 commandments.

 

[Zaccheus]

In fact the OT talks of ‘bitter water’ administered by priests at the Temple as a means of effecting miscarriage/abortion (Numbers 5:11–31)”.

The person you spoke with has misinterpreted those verses.

Those verses do not speak of bitter waters being offered for the purpose of producing an abortion or of contraception.
They speak of a test for adultery.

A woman accused of adultery shall take part in this ritual to prove her innocence. If she’s guilty then (part of verse 27) “her belly swelling, her thigh shall rot: and the woman shall be a curse, and an example to all the people.”

That is, if she’s guilty of adultery she will suffer a curse.

 

[straykat]

It’s supernatural. Not poisonous or causing miscarriages. Not to get hoaky, but it’s the equivalent of priests using holy water on vampires.

Just like the priests used the “thummim” and “urim” as talismans of sorts.