Numbers 19:11

11 He that toucheth a dead body of a man, and is unclean for this by seven days, (He who toucheth someone's dead body, is made unclean by this for seven days,)

Numbers 19:11 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 19:11

He that toucheth the dead body of any man
A man and not a beast, as Aben Ezra observes; for he that touched the dead body of a beast was unclean only until evening, ( Leviticus 11:24 ) ; any man, Jew or Gentile, as the same writer notes: this is instanced in, as being the principal pollution, though not the only one, yet so some think, for which the water of purification made of the ashes of the burnt heifer was appointed:

shall be unclean seven days;
the reason of which is, because death is the fruit of sin, which is of a defiling nature, and to show that all that are dead in sins are defiled and defiling, and are not to be touched, or to have communion and fellowship held with them but to be abstained from.

Numbers 19:11 In-Context

9 Soothly a clean man shall gather the ashes of the cow, and he shall pour them out without the tents, in a place most clean, that those ashes be to the multitude of the sons of Israel into keeping, and into water of sprinkling; for that cow is burnt for sin. (And a man who is clean shall gather up the cow's ashes, and he shall pour them out away from the tents, in a most clean place, so that those ashes can be used for the multitude of the Israelites to make the water of cleansing, or of purification; for that cow is burnt as a sin offering.)

10 And when he that bare out the ashes of the cow, hath washed his clothes, he shall be unclean till to eventide. And the sons of Israel, and the comelings that dwell among them, shall have, or hold, this (to be) holy by (an) everlasting law.

11 He that toucheth a dead body of a man, and is unclean for this by seven days, (He who toucheth someone's dead body, is made unclean by this for seven days,)

12 shall be sprinkled of this water in the third [day], and in the seventh day; and so he shall be cleansed. If he is not sprinkled in the third day, he shall not be able to be cleansed in the seventh day. (and he shall be sprinkled with the water of cleansing, or of purification, on the third day, and on the seventh day; and then he shall be clean again. If he is not sprinkled on both the third day, and on the seventh day, he shall not be made clean.)

13 Each that toucheth the dead body by itself of (a) man's soul, and is not sprinkled with this meddling (of water and ashes), defouleth the tabernacle of the Lord, and he shall perish from Israel; for he is not sprinkled with the water of cleansing, he shall be unclean, and his filth shall dwell upon him. (Anyone who toucheth a dead body, and is not sprinkled with this mixture of water and ashes, defileth the Tabernacle of the Lord, and he shall be cut off, or be put out, from Israel; and because he is not sprinkled with the water of cleansing, he shall remain unclean, and his filth shall remain upon him.)