Numbers 19:7-17

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;)

Numbers 19:7-17 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.

Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.