Números 5:18

18 Y hará el sacerdote estar en pie a la mujer delante del SEÑOR, y descubrirá la cabeza de la mujer, y pondrá sobre sus manos el presente de la recordación, que es el presente de celos; y el sacerdote tendrá en la mano las aguas amargas que acarrean maldición

Números 5:18 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 5:18

And the priest shall set the woman before the Lord
In the east of the tabernacle, with her face to the west, where was the holy of holies, so Ben Gersom; but not immediately for they had her from place to place, as Jarchi says, till she was weary, and her mind disturbed, that she might confess; and if she said, I am defiled, she rent the writing of her dowry, and went out; but if she said, I am pure, they brought her to the eastern gate, the gate of Nicanor, for there they made women suspected of adultery to drink the waters ^F20:

and uncover the woman's head;
as a token of her immodesty and non-subjection to her husband, and that she might be seen by all, to cause shame in her: according to the Misnah ^F21, the priest took off her clothes, and loosed her hair--if she was clothed with white garments, he clothed her with black; if she had on her ornaments of gold, chains, earrings, or rings, he took them away from her, that she might be unseemly, and whoever would might come and look at her:

and put the offering of memorial into her hands, which [is] the
jealousy offering;
to weary her, as Jarchi says, that if perhaps her mind was disturbed she would confess; and so in the Misnah ^F23 it is said, that her husband put this offering into her hands to weary her; but the true reason here seems to be, that it might appear to be her own offering:

and the priest shall have in his hand the bitter water that causeth
the curse;
not that the water was bitter of itself, for it was the water out of the laver, and had nothing in it but the dust of the floor of the tabernacle; though some think some bitter thing was put into it, so Ben Gersom, as wormwood; but it is so called from the effects of it on those that were guilty; it produced sad effects in them, bitter and distressing, and made them appear to be accursed ones, for it was not bitter till it entered, ( Numbers 5:24 ) ; whereas it was not so to the innocent, nor attended with any such consequence to them; so that there was nothing in the water itself, but its efficacy was divine and supernatural.

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FOOTNOTES:

F20 Sotah, c. 1. sect. 5.
F21 Sotah, c. 1. sect. 5, 6.
F23 Sotah, c. 2. sect. 1.

Números 5:18 In-Context

16 Y el sacerdote la hará acercar, y la hará poner delante del SEÑOR

17 Luego tomará el sacerdote del agua santa en un vaso de barro; tomará también el sacerdote del polvo que hubiere en el suelo del tabernáculo, y lo echará en el agua

18 Y hará el sacerdote estar en pie a la mujer delante del SEÑOR, y descubrirá la cabeza de la mujer, y pondrá sobre sus manos el presente de la recordación, que es el presente de celos; y el sacerdote tendrá en la mano las aguas amargas que acarrean maldición

19 Y el sacerdote la conjurará, y dirá a la mujer: Si ninguno hubiere dormido contigo, y si no te has apartado de tu marido a inmundicia, limpia seas de estas aguas amargas que traen maldición

20 Mas si te has apartado de tu marido, y te has contaminado, y alguno hubiere puesto en ti su simiente, fuera de tu marido