 Nachmanides points out that of all the 613 commandments, it is only the "sotah" law that requires God's specific co-operation to make it work.The bitter waters can only be effective miraculously.The text specifies that the potion should be made from water and dust; in the masoretic text, the water used for the potion must be "holy water", and the Targum interprets it as water from the "Molten Sea", but the Septuagint instead requires "running water".