(The Lord speaking is red text)
And the priest shall take an handful of the offering, [even] the memorial thereof, and burn [it] upon the altar, and afterward shall cause the woman to drink the water.
The cohen is to take a handful of the grain offering as its reminder portion and make it go up in smoke on the altar; afterwards, he is to make the woman drink the water.
Then the priest is to take a handful of the grain offering as a memorial portion and burn it on the altar; after that he is to have the woman drink the water.
and the priest shall take a handful of the meal-offering, as the memorial thereof, and burn it upon the altar, and afterward shall make the woman drink the water.
And the priest{H3548} shall take an handful{H7061} of the offering{H4503}, even the memorial{H234} thereof, and burn{H6999} it upon the altar{H4196}, and afterward{H310} shall cause the woman{H802} to drink{H8248} the water{H4325}.
Numbers 5:26 is part of a larger section in the book of Numbers that deals with the law concerning the jealousy offering and the trial by ordeal for a woman suspected of adultery, known as the "sotah" ritual. This ritual was to be performed by the priest when a husband suspected his wife of unfaithfulness without having any witnesses. The verse itself describes a specific action within this ritual.
In the historical context, the Israelites were wandering in the wilderness after their exodus from Egypt, and God was providing Moses with detailed laws and rituals to govern the community. The themes of this verse include ritual purity, justice, and the sanctity of marriage. The priest's role was central in mediating between God and the people, and he was responsible for administering the ritual to determine the woman's guilt or innocence.
The verse outlines the procedure where the priest takes a handful of the grain offering—which symbolizes the wife's life and is a means of atonement—and burns it on the altar as a first step in the ritual. This act serves as a memorial before God, acknowledging the seriousness of the accusation and the need for divine judgment. Following this, the woman is made to drink "the water," which is a mixture of holy water and dust from the tabernacle floor, along with the words of a curse written in a scroll and then washed off into the water. The reaction of her body to this potion was believed to indicate her guilt or innocence, with physical affliction signifying guilt.
This verse reflects the ancient Israelite legal practices and the belief in divine intervention in matters of personal morality. It also underscores the gravity with which the community regarded marital fidelity and the role of religious authorities in maintaining social order.
*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model
Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)