Numbers 19

1 And the Lord spake to Moses and to Aaron, and said,

2 This is the religion of sacrifice, which the Lord ordained. Command thou to the sons of Israel, that they bring to thee a red cow of whole colour, in which is no wem, neither she hath borne (a) yoke. (This is the law of sacrifice, which the Lord hath ordained. Command thou to the Israelites, that they bring to thee a red cow of whole colour, in which there is no blemish, or fault, nor hath she ever borne a yoke.)

3 And ye shall betake her to Eleazar, the priest, that shall offer her, led out of the tents, in the sight of all men. (And ye shall give her to Eleazar, the priest, and when she is led away from the tents, he shall offer her in the sight of all the people.)

4 And he shall dip his finger in the blood thereof, and shall sprinkle (it) seven times against the gates of the tabernacle. (And he shall dip his finger in her blood, and he shall sprinkle it seven times towards the front of the Tabernacle.)

5 And he shall burn that cow, while all men see; and he shall give as well the skin, and the flesh thereof, as the blood, and the dung, to [the] burning. (And then a man shall burn that cow, in front of Eleazar; and he shall put its skin, and flesh, and blood, and dung, in the fire.)

6 Also the priest shall put cedar wood (And the priest shall put cedar wood), and hyssop, and red thread dyed twice, into the fire, that burneth the cow.

7 And then at the last, when the priest's clothes and his body be washed, he shall enter into the tents, and he shall be defouled, or unclean, till to eventide. (And then, after the priest hath washed his clothes, and his body, he shall return to the tents, but he shall be defiled, or unclean, until the evening.)

8 But also he that burnt the cow, shall wash his clothes, and his body, and he shall be unclean till to eventide. (And the man who burned the cow, shall also wash his clothes, and his body, and he shall also be unclean until the evening.)

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.)

14 This is the law of a man that dieth in the tabernacle; all that enter into his tent, and all the vessels that be there, shall be defouled by seven days. (This is the law for anyone who dieth in a tent; all who enter into his tent, and all the vessels that be there, shall be defiled, or unclean, for seven days.)

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.)

20 If any man is not cleansed by this custom, (or rite,) the soul of him shall perish from the midst of the church (that person shall be cut off, or shall be put out, from among the congregation); for he defouleth the saintuary of the Lord, and he is not sprinkled with the water of cleansing.

21 This behest shall be a lawful thing everlasting. Also he that shall sprinkle the waters (of cleansing) shall wash his clothes; each man that toucheth the waters of cleansing, shall be unclean till to eventide. (This rule shall be an everlasting law. He who shall sprinkle the water of cleansing shall wash his clothes; and anyone who toucheth the water of cleansing shall be unclean until the evening.)

22 Whatever thing an unclean man toucheth, he shall make unclean; and a soul that toucheth any of these things defouled so, shall be unclean till to eventide. (Whatever thing an unclean person toucheth, they shall make that unclean; and anyone who toucheth any of these things that be so defiled, shall be unclean until the evening.)

Numbers 19 Commentary

Chapter 19

The ashes of a heifer. (1-10) Used to purify the unclean. (11-22)

Verses 1-10 The heifer was to be wholly burned. This typified the painful sufferings of our Lord Jesus, both in soul and body, as a sacrifice made by fire, to satisfy God's justice for man's sin. These ashes are said to be laid up as a purification for sin, because, though they were only to purify from ceremonial uncleanness, yet they were a type of that purification for sin which our Lord Jesus made by his death. The blood of Christ is laid up for us in the word and sacraments, as a fountain of merit, to which by faith we may have constant recourse, for cleansing our consciences.

Verses 11-22 Why did the law make a corpse a defiling thing? Because death is the wages of sin, which entered into the world by it, and reigns by the power of it. The law could not conquer death, nor abolish it, as the gospel does, by bringing life and immortality to light, and so introducing a better hope. As the ashes of the heifer signified the merit of Christ, so the running water signified the power and grace of the blessed Spirit, who is compared to rivers of living water; and it is by his work that the righteousness of Christ is applied to us for our cleansing. Those who promise themselves benefit by the righteousness of Christ, while they submit not to the grace and influence of the Holy Spirit, do but deceive themselves; we cannot be purified by the ashes, otherwise than in the running water. What use could there be in these appointments, if they do not refer to the doctrines concerning the sacrifice of Christ? But comparing them with the New Testament, the knowledge to be got from them is evident. The true state of fallen man is shown in these institutions. Here we learn the defiling nature of sin, and are warned to avoid evil communications.

Chapter Summary

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.