Numbers 19:17

17 And they shall take of the ashes of the burning, and of the sin (offering), that is, of the cow offered for sin, and they shall put quick waters into a vessel, upon those ashes; (And they shall take some of the ashes from the burning of that sin offering, that is, some of the ashes of the cow offered for sin, and they shall put those ashes into a vessel with fresh water;)

Numbers 19:17 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 19:17

And for an unclean person
Defiled by any of the above means:

they shall take of the ashes of the burnt heifer of purification for
sin;
from the place where they were laid up for this use; (See Gill on Numbers 19:9) and some have thought that they were laid up in various cities and places in the country, as well as at Jerusalem, that they might be come at easily upon occasion; otherwise they could not be had without great trouble and expense, and in some places not so soon as the law required for their purification, namely, on the third day after their defilement:

and running water shall be put thereto in a vessel;
the Targum Jonathan is,

``fountain water in the midst of earthen vessel;''

for no water but fountain, spring, or river water, was made use of; and it should seem by what is said that ashes were first put into the vessel, and then the running water was put to them; and yet the Jewish writers say ^F19, that if the ashes were put in first, and then the water, it was not right; and the meaning of what is said here is, that the water and ashes should be mixed together; for it is urged from the words: "running water in a vessel", that it is plain, that the water is put in the vessel and not to the ashes; and therefore that which is said, "shall be put thereto", is to caution the person, that after he has put the ashes upon the water, that he mixes them well with his finger, and cause the water below to rise above ^F20.

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FOOTNOTES:

F19 Maimon. Milchot, Parah Adumah, c. 9. sect. 1.
F20 Bartenora in Misn. Temurah, c. 1. sect. 5.

Numbers 19:17 In-Context

15 A vessel that hath not a covering, neither a binding above, shall be unclean. (Any open vessel there, that hath not a cover, or a lid on top of it, shall be unclean.)

16 If any man toucheth the dead body of a man slain in the field, either dead by himself, either a bone of him, either his sepulchre, he shall be unclean by seven days. (If anyone toucheth the dead body of someone killed in the field, that is, outside, or who hath died naturally, or who toucheth one of their bones, or their grave, or their tomb, they shall be unclean for seven days.)

17 And they shall take of the ashes of the burning, and of the sin (offering), that is, of the cow offered for sin, and they shall put quick waters into a vessel, upon those ashes; (And they shall take some of the ashes from the burning of that sin offering, that is, some of the ashes of the cow offered for sin, and they shall put those ashes into a vessel with fresh water;)

18 in which when a clean man hath dipped hyssop, he shall sprinkle therewith the tent, and all the purtenance of the household, and the men also defouled with such defouling (and also anyone defiled with such defilement).

19 And in this manner a clean man shall cleanse an unclean thing, in the third (day) and in the seventh day; and he shall be cleansed in the seventh day. And he shall wash himself, and his clothes, and he shall be unclean till to eventide. (And in this manner a clean man shall sprinkle an unclean thing on the third day, and on the seventh day; and it shall be clean on the seventh day. And then he shall wash himself, and his clothes, but he shall be unclean until the evening.)