Numbers 19:9-12

9 “A man who is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer and put them in a ceremonially clean place outside the camp. They are to be kept by the Israelite community for use in the water of cleansing; it is for purification from sin.

10 The man who gathers up the ashes of the heifer must also wash his clothes, and he too will be unclean till evening. This will be a lasting ordinance both for the Israelites and for the foreigners residing among them.

11 “Whoever touches a human corpse will be unclean for seven days.

12 They must purify themselves with the water on the third day and on the seventh day; then they will be clean. But if they do not purify themselves on the third and seventh days, they will not be clean.

Numbers 19:9-12 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO NUMBERS 19

This chapter contains a law for making a water for purification for sin, the ingredients of which are the ashes of a red heifer burnt, about which many things are observed, Nu 19:1-10; the use of the water made of them, to purify such as were unclean by the touch of a dead body, Nu 19:11-13; some rules are given, by which it might be known who were unclean on account of a dead body, Nu 19:14-16; the manner of purifying such persons, Nu 19:17-19; and the punishment of those that should neglect purification, Nu 19:20-22.

Cross References

• 1. Hebrews 9:13
• 2. S Exodus 29:31; S Leviticus 4:12
• 3. ver 13; Numbers 8:7
• 4. S Genesis 35:2
• 5. Leviticus 15:10
• 6. Leviticus 14:46
• 7. Leviticus 3:17
• 8. S Leviticus 22:18
• 9. S Leviticus 21:1; Numbers 5:2
• 10. S Leviticus 8:33; Numbers 31:19
• 11. ver 19; Numbers 31:19
• 12. ver 20; 2 Chronicles 26:21