Numbers 5:26

KJV

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.

KJV (with Strong's)

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}.

Complete Jewish Bible

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.

Berean Standard Bible

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.

American Standard Version

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.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Numbers 5:26 details a pivotal moment in the "Ordeal of the Bitter Water," a unique legal and religious procedure designed to ascertain the guilt or innocence of a woman accused of adultery when no witnesses were present. This verse describes the priest's act of taking a portion of the grain offering, designated as a "memorial," and burning it on the altar, thereby presenting the case directly to God for divine discernment before the accused woman drinks the potentially revealing water.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** Numbers 5:26 is situated within a series of laws concerning ritual purity and holiness in the Israelite camp, specifically from [Numbers 5:11-31](/numbers/5-11 "Numbers 5:11-31 - The Ordeal of the Bitter Water"). This section immediately follows laws concerning the exclusion of the unclean from the camp ([Numbers 5:1-4](/numbers/5-1 "Numbers 5:1-4 - Purity in the Camp")) and restitution for trespasses ([Numbers 5:5-10](/numbers/5-5 "Numbers 5:5-10 - Laws of Restitution")). The "Ordeal of the Bitter Water" stands out as a unique judicial process, distinct from other offerings and legal cases that typically required two or three witnesses ([Deuteronomy 19:15](/deuteronomy/19-15 "Deuteronomy 19:15 - Requirement of Witnesses")). Its placement underscores the sanctity of marriage and the seriousness of covenant fidelity within the community, highlighting a divine intervention when human evidence is insufficient. The ritual itself involves a specific grain offering (barley meal, without oil or frankincense, as noted in [Numbers 5:15](/numbers/5-15 "Numbers 5:15 - The Jealousy Offering")), the writing of curses, the mixing of dust and water, and the subsequent drinking, all leading to a divinely revealed outcome.
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** In ancient Israelite society, marriage was a foundational covenant, crucial for lineage, inheritance, and the stability of the community. Adultery was a grave offense, not merely a private sin but a public transgression that defiled the marriage covenant and potentially introduced impurity into the community. While capital punishment was prescribed for proven adultery ([Leviticus 20:10](/leviticus/20-10 "Leviticus 20:10 - Punishment for Adultery")), the "Ordeal of the Bitter Water" addressed the challenging scenario where a husband suspected his wife but lacked concrete evidence. This situation could lead to ongoing suspicion, marital discord, and public dishonor for the woman, whether guilty or innocent. The ritual provided a divinely sanctioned means to resolve such an unprovable accusation, appealing directly to God as the ultimate judge. It reflects a cultural reliance on divine arbitration in matters beyond human capacity, ensuring that justice, either vindication or condemnation, was ultimately God's prerogative, thereby protecting the innocent from baseless accusations and deterring secret sin.

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
#### Key Word Analysis
* **Handful (Hebrew, _qōmeṣ_):** This term refers to the specific portion of the grain offering that the priest takes. In the context of offerings, taking a "handful" often signifies the part consecrated to the Lord, representing the whole offering and serving as a "memorial" portion. It is the part that is burned on the altar, symbolizing the offering's ascent to God.
* **Memorial (Hebrew, _ʾazkārâ_):** Derived from the root _zākar_ (to remember), _ʾazkārâ_ literally means "remembrance" or "bringing to mind." In the context of offerings, it denotes a portion of the sacrifice that serves to bring the offerer or the matter at hand to God's attention. Here, it emphasizes that the offering is not for atonement but to prompt divine remembrance and discernment regarding the woman's fidelity. It is a direct appeal to God to "remember" the accusation and reveal the truth.
* **Altar (Hebrew, _mizbēaḥ_):** The altar was the central place of sacrifice and communion with God in the Tabernacle. Burning the memorial portion on the altar signifies the presentation of the case directly to God. It underscores that the entire ordeal is a sacred act, inviting God's immediate presence and judgment into a deeply personal and potentially hidden matter.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"And the priest shall take an handful of the offering":** This phrase initiates the specific ritual act by the priest, who serves as the mediator between the accusing husband, the accused wife, and God. The "offering" here is the barley meal without oil or frankincense, a plain offering reflecting the solemn and investigative nature of the situation, rather than a joyful or celebratory one. The act of taking a "handful" is a prescribed ritual gesture, setting apart a portion specifically for God.
* **"[even] the memorial thereof, and burn [it] upon the altar":** This clause clarifies the purpose of the handful: it is the "memorial" portion, intended to bring the matter to God's remembrance and attention. Burning it on the altar consecrates it to the Lord, transforming the physical offering into a spiritual appeal. This act is crucial as it formally invokes God's divine presence and judgment into the proceedings, establishing God as the ultimate arbiter in a case where human evidence is absent.
* **"and afterward shall cause the woman to drink the water":** This final clause outlines the climactic investigative act. "Afterward" indicates the sequence of events, emphasizing that the divine appeal through the memorial offering precedes the physical ordeal. The drinking of the "bitter water" (which, as detailed in preceding verses, was mixed with dust from the Tabernacle floor and the ink of written curses) is the mechanism through which God's judgment would manifest, either through affliction for the guilty or vindication for the innocent.

#### Literary Devices
The passage employs several significant literary devices. **Ritual** is paramount, as the entire "Ordeal of the Bitter Water" is a highly structured, step-by-step ceremonial process designed to achieve a specific outcome through divine intervention. Each action, from the offering to the drinking of the water, is prescribed and symbolic. **Symbolism** is also heavily utilized: the plain barley offering symbolizes the solemnity and lack of joy in the situation; the "memorial" portion symbolizes bringing the hidden matter to God's remembrance; the altar symbolizes God's presence and judgment; and the "bitter water" itself symbolizes the potential for divine curses or vindication to manifest physically. The narrative also relies on **Divine Intervention**, as the resolution of the accusation is not based on human testimony or evidence but on God's direct, supernatural action. This highlights the **Theological Significance** of God as the omniscient and righteous judge, capable of revealing hidden truths and upholding justice even in the most ambiguous circumstances.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Numbers 5:26 profoundly illustrates God's unwavering commitment to truth and justice, particularly within the sacred covenant of marriage. The ritual underscores the gravity of marital infidelity, not just as a personal betrayal but as a violation that could defile the community and disrupt the divinely ordained social order. By providing a mechanism for divine arbitration when human evidence was lacking, God demonstrated His omniscience and His concern for the sanctity of relationships, offering both a deterrent to secret sin and a means of vindication for the falsely accused. This passage reveals a God who sees all things, even the hidden intentions of the heart, and who will ultimately bring every secret thing into the light.

* [Deuteronomy 22:22](/deuteronomy/22-22 "Deuteronomy 22:22 - Punishment for Adultery")
* [Malachi 2:14-16](/malachi/2-14 "Malachi 2:14-16 - God Hates Divorce")
* [Proverbs 5:21](/proverbs/5-21 "Proverbs 5:21 - God Sees All Paths")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
While the specific ritual of the "Ordeal of the Bitter Water" is not practiced today, the enduring principles it reveals about God's character and His regard for human relationships remain profoundly relevant. This passage calls us to reflect on the divine value of fidelity, integrity, and truthfulness in all our covenants, especially marriage. It reminds us that God is a God of justice who sees and knows all things, even when human understanding or evidence is incomplete or absent. This truth can bring both comfort and conviction: comfort in knowing that God will ultimately vindicate the innocent and bring justice to light, and conviction to live lives of transparency and faithfulness, knowing that nothing is hidden from His sight. It encourages us to trust in God's ultimate discernment and to seek His wisdom in resolving conflicts, rather than relying solely on human judgment or manipulation.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **How does this passage reveal God's concern for truth and justice in our relationships?**
* **What does the "Ordeal of the Bitter Water" teach us about the sanctity of marriage as a covenant?**
* **In what ways can we, as believers, trust in God's ultimate discernment when human evidence is lacking or ambiguous?**

### FAQ
**Is the Ordeal of the Bitter Water practiced today?**

Answer: No, the "Ordeal of the Bitter Water" is not practiced today. It was a specific ritual prescribed under the Mosaic Covenant for ancient Israel, designed for a unique historical and cultural context where divine intervention was sought in the absence of human witnesses for a serious accusation. With the coming of Christ, the Old Covenant sacrificial and ritual laws have been fulfilled and superseded. The New Covenant emphasizes spiritual discernment and the direct work of the Holy Spirit, rather than physical rituals, to reveal truth and guide believers.

**Why was such a harsh ritual necessary?**

Answer: This ritual was deemed necessary due to the severe societal implications of adultery in ancient Israel and the absence of witnesses. Adultery threatened the purity of the Israelite community, disrupted lineage, and violated the sacred marriage covenant. Without human witnesses, there was no legal recourse to either confirm guilt or establish innocence, leaving the accused woman under a cloud of suspicion and potentially impacting her ability to bear children and secure her family's future. The ordeal served as a divine mechanism to resolve this impasse, appealing directly to God for judgment. It also functioned as a powerful deterrent against secret infidelity and offered a public means for a falsely accused woman to be vindicated, restoring her honor and protecting her from baseless suspicion, as indicated in [Numbers 5:28](/numbers/5-28 "Numbers 5:28 - The Outcome for the Innocent").

**What does "memorial offering" mean in this context?**

Answer: In the context of [Numbers 5:26](/numbers/5-26 "Numbers 5:26 - The Memorial Offering"), the "memorial offering" (Hebrew: _ʾazkārâ_) signifies a portion of the offering specifically intended to bring the matter at hand to God's remembrance or attention. It's not an offering for atonement of sin in the typical sense, but rather an appeal to God's omniscience and justice. By burning this portion on the altar, the priest formally presented the accusation and the woman's situation before the Lord, invoking His divine discernment and judgment to reveal the hidden truth of her guilt or innocence.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
The "Ordeal of the Bitter Water" in Numbers 5:26, with its appeal to God for divine judgment in the face of hidden sin, foreshadows the ultimate and perfect revelation of truth and justice found in Jesus Christ. While the Old Covenant ritual sought to expose a specific sin through a physical ordeal, Christ Himself is the embodiment of divine truth and the ultimate Judge of all hearts. The desperate need for a "memorial" to bring a matter to God's remembrance is fulfilled in Christ's once-for-all sacrifice, which permanently brings our sins to God's attention, not for condemnation, but for forgiveness and cleansing. The "bitter water" of judgment and curses, which the accused woman faced, finds its ultimate fulfillment in the cup of God's wrath that Jesus willingly drank on the cross, taking upon Himself the full penalty for humanity's sin ([Matthew 26:39](/matthew/26-39 "Matthew 26:39 - Jesus Prays in Gethsemane")). Because Christ bore that judgment, those who are in Him face no condemnation ([Romans 8:1](/romans/8-1 "Romans 8:1 - No Condemnation in Christ Jesus")). He is the true Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world ([John 1:29](/john/1-29 "John 1:29 - Jesus, the Lamb of God")), and through His perfect sacrifice, He has made a way for us to be declared righteous and pure, not by an ordeal, but by grace through faith ([Ephesians 2:8-9](/ephesians/2-8 "Ephesians 2:8-9 - Salvation by Grace Through Faith")). In Christ, the hidden things of the heart are revealed not for condemnation, but for redemption and transformation, as He offers living water that truly satisfies and cleanses ([John 4:10-14](/john/4-10 "John 4:10-14 - Jesus Offers Living Water")).

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.