This is the law in cases of jealousy …: The instructions for such cases of a husband’s jealousy do not begin here. Rather, verses 29-31 summarize verses 12-28. Some translations convey this well by beginning verse 29 with “This, then, is the law of jealousy…” (New International Version) or “Such is the law for cases of jealousy…” (Revised English Bible). New Jerusalem Bible and New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh render the Hebrew word for law (torah) as “ritual,” which fits this context well. The general meaning of torah is “instruction, teaching, direction.”

When a wife, though under her husband’s authority, goes astray and defiles herself, or when the spirit of jealousy comes upon a man and he is jealous of his wife: See verses 12-14 and 19. The text here is speaking about adultery at first (verse 29b) and then about a husband who suspects adultery that has not taken place (verse 30a). New Living Translation makes this clear by saying “If a woman goes astray and defiles herself while under her husband’s authority, or if a man becomes jealous and is suspicious that his wife has been unfaithful.” Good News Translation seems to omit the first option (that adultery took place) by saying simply “where a man is jealous and becomes suspicious that his wife has committed adultery” (similarly Contemporary English Version).

Then he shall set the woman before the LORD: See verse 16 even though there is a slight difference here. In verse 30 the husband must present his wife to the LORD, while in verse 16 the priest must do it. Here in verse 30 Bible en français courant makes it explicit that the husband is the subject. This distinction should be kept in translation, since it may carry the implication that a jealous husband has initiated this action.

And the priest shall execute upon her all this law means the priest must conduct the ritual described in verses 16-28. Law renders the Hebrew word torah again.

Quoted with permission from de Regt, Lénart J. and Wendland, Ernst R. A Handbook on Numbers. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2016. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .