New International Reader s Version - NIrV - 1996
Numbers 19
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The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron. He said,
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"Here is what the law I have commanded requires. Tell the people of Israel to bring you a young red cow. It must not have any flaws at all. It must never have pulled a load.
Reference
3
"Give it to the priest Eleazar. It must be taken outside the camp and killed in front of him.
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4
Then the priest Eleazar must put some of its blood on his finger. He must sprinkle the blood toward the front of the Tent of Meeting. He must do it seven times.
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5
"While he watches, the young cow must be burned. Its hide, meat, blood and guts must be burned.
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Parallel theme
Exodus 29:14
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The priest must get some cedar wood, branches of a hyssop plant, and bright red wool. He must throw them on the young cow as it burns.
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7
"After that, the priest must wash his clothes. He must also take a bath. Then he can come into the camp. But he will be 'unclean' until evening.
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Parallel theme
Leviticus 11:25
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"The man who burns the young cow must wash his clothes. He must also take a bath. He too will be 'unclean' until evening.
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"A man who is 'clean' will gather up the ashes of the young cow. He must put them in a place that is 'clean.' The place must be outside the camp. The ashes will be kept by the community of Israel. They will be added to the special water. The water will be used to make people pure from their sin.
Reference
10
"The man who gathers up the ashes of the young cow must wash his clothes. He too will be 'unclean' until evening. That law is for the people of Israel. It is also for the outsiders who are living among them. The law will last for all time to come.
12
He must make himself pure and clean with the special water. He must do it on the third day. He must also do it on the seventh day. Then he will be 'clean.' "But suppose he does not make himself pure and clean on the third and seventh days. Then he will not be 'clean.'
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Parallel theme
Numbers 31:19
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Anyone who touches a dead person's body and does not make himself pure and clean makes my holy tent 'unclean.' He must be cut off from Israel. The special water has not been sprinkled on him. So he is 'unclean.' And he remains 'unclean.'
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14
"Here is the law that applies when a person dies in a tent. Anyone who enters the tent will be 'unclean' for seven days. Anyone who is in the tent will also be 'unclean' for seven days.
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"Suppose someone is out in the country. And suppose he touches someone who has been killed with a sword. Or he touches someone who has died a natural death. Or he touches a human bone or a grave. Then anyone who touches any of those things will be 'unclean' for seven days.
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17
"Here is what I want you to do for someone who is not 'clean.' Put some ashes from the burned young cow into a jar. Pour fresh water on the ashes.
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Then a man who is 'clean' must dip branches of a hyssop plant in the water. He must sprinkle the tent with it. Everything that belongs to the tent must be sprinkled with it. The people who were in the tent must also be sprinkled. Anyone who has touched a human bone or a grave must be sprinkled. So must anyone who has touched someone who has been killed. So must anyone who has touched someone who has died a natural death.
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19
"The man who is 'clean' must sprinkle the person who is not. That must be done on the third and seventh days. On the seventh day the person who is not 'clean' must be made pure and clean. The one who is being made 'clean' must wash his clothes. He must take a bath. Then that evening he will be 'clean.'
Reference
20
"But what if a person who is 'unclean' does not make himself pure and clean? Then he must be cut off from the community. He has made my holy tent 'unclean.' The special water has not been sprinkled on him. He is not 'clean.'
Reference
21
That law will apply to all of those people for all time to come. "The man who sprinkles the special water must also wash his clothes. Anyone who touches the water will be 'unclean' until evening.
Reference
Parallel theme
Hebrews 10:4
Chapter Summary
Numbers 19 makes clear provisions for the Israelites’ purification from contact with death. The chapter describes the red heifer, whose ashes shall be used to make the purifying water. The instructions concern the ceremonial laws and should be followed meticulously by the Israelites camping around the tabernacle.
God instructs Moses and Aaron to take a red heifer that has not been used for any work and has not had a yoke put on it. The animal should be brought to Eleazar, the priest’s son, who shall kill it in his presence and throw some of its blood against the front of the tabernacle.
Its carcass should be burned along with cedar wood, hyssop, and scarlet stuff; the priest who burns it should wash his clothes after throwing them into the flame. Additionally, Eleazar and the one taking up the ashes should wash their clothes and be unclean until evening. All of the above points show that this procedure is considered ceremonially dirty.
The chapter mentions that the ashes of the red heifer shall be kept in a clean place outside the camp, mixed with water, and used in making the water of separation. It means that the Israelites would have an annual source of water to ceremonially cleanse themselves from being unclean.
The Israelites should follow detailed instructions concerning their contact with death. Touching a dead person or having a dead person in one’s tent makes them unclean for a week. A priest who touches a dead body should sprinkle some of the water of purification on it and declare it clean. Moreover, any vessel that does not have a lid and is, therefore, usually unclean becomes ceremonially unclean if a dead person is in this tent.
God commands to treat both humans and objects with equal respect and warns that unclean people should not participate in ceremonies in the tabernacle. If a priest becomes unclean through touching a dead person, he brings dishonor upon the Lord’s tabernacle and should be cut off from the camp of Israel since his impurity is not removed by the water of separation yet. Similarly, any object may be purified by sprinkling it with the water of purification from the ashes of the red heifer burned to death.
The same is true for people: if they become unclean by touching either a dead person or a human bone, they should sprinkle the water of purification and consider themselves ceremonially clean from the third day after contact with death. However, if a person touches a dead body and fails to sprinkle the water of purification on the next day after death, they stay unclean till the evening of the seventh day.
They should be sprinkled with the water of purification once on a third day and again on a seventh day after contact with death. After sprinkling, they should wash their clothes and bodies in running water to consider themselves clean from the evening of the seventh day after contact with death. Additionally, any person or thing that becomes unclean should be purified by the water of separation to remain clean.
The chapter narrates that if a person refuses to be purified from death, they dishonor the Lord’s tabernacle by participating in the ceremonies with their impurity. This rule applies not only to the people but also to objects that have become unclean through contact with death.
However, the one performing the sprinkling should put on clean clothes if they touch either an unclean person or an object that has become unclean through contact with the dead. The same rule applies if someone touches the water of purification; they should be considered unclean till the evening of the day they have touched an impure thing.
The instructions narrate that one may make water of purification on the morning of the first day of the year and sprinkle some of it on the tabernacle and vessels of the Lord. The water should be sprinkled on people and objects that have become unclean through contact with the dead to consider them pure.
Numbers 19 interprets death as the most detestable source of ceremonium uncleanness. The Israelites living near the tabernacle should be purified by the source of water and sprinkled with the mixture of ashes, water, and scarlet stuff. The Israelites should respect the holiness of the tabernacle by not allowing any uncleanness to disturb them while in the camp. Therefore, the chapter narrates the detailed procedure of purification from death and sprinkling the water of separation.
God instructs Moses and Aaron to take a red heifer that has not been used for any work and has not had a yoke put on it. The animal should be brought to Eleazar, the priest’s son, who shall kill it in his presence and throw some of its blood against the front of the tabernacle.
Its carcass should be burned along with cedar wood, hyssop, and scarlet stuff; the priest who burns it should wash his clothes after throwing them into the flame. Additionally, Eleazar and the one taking up the ashes should wash their clothes and be unclean until evening. All of the above points show that this procedure is considered ceremonially dirty.
The chapter mentions that the ashes of the red heifer shall be kept in a clean place outside the camp, mixed with water, and used in making the water of separation. It means that the Israelites would have an annual source of water to ceremonially cleanse themselves from being unclean.
The Israelites should follow detailed instructions concerning their contact with death. Touching a dead person or having a dead person in one’s tent makes them unclean for a week. A priest who touches a dead body should sprinkle some of the water of purification on it and declare it clean. Moreover, any vessel that does not have a lid and is, therefore, usually unclean becomes ceremonially unclean if a dead person is in this tent.
God commands to treat both humans and objects with equal respect and warns that unclean people should not participate in ceremonies in the tabernacle. If a priest becomes unclean through touching a dead person, he brings dishonor upon the Lord’s tabernacle and should be cut off from the camp of Israel since his impurity is not removed by the water of separation yet. Similarly, any object may be purified by sprinkling it with the water of purification from the ashes of the red heifer burned to death.
The same is true for people: if they become unclean by touching either a dead person or a human bone, they should sprinkle the water of purification and consider themselves ceremonially clean from the third day after contact with death. However, if a person touches a dead body and fails to sprinkle the water of purification on the next day after death, they stay unclean till the evening of the seventh day.
They should be sprinkled with the water of purification once on a third day and again on a seventh day after contact with death. After sprinkling, they should wash their clothes and bodies in running water to consider themselves clean from the evening of the seventh day after contact with death. Additionally, any person or thing that becomes unclean should be purified by the water of separation to remain clean.
The chapter narrates that if a person refuses to be purified from death, they dishonor the Lord’s tabernacle by participating in the ceremonies with their impurity. This rule applies not only to the people but also to objects that have become unclean through contact with death.
However, the one performing the sprinkling should put on clean clothes if they touch either an unclean person or an object that has become unclean through contact with the dead. The same rule applies if someone touches the water of purification; they should be considered unclean till the evening of the day they have touched an impure thing.
The instructions narrate that one may make water of purification on the morning of the first day of the year and sprinkle some of it on the tabernacle and vessels of the Lord. The water should be sprinkled on people and objects that have become unclean through contact with the dead to consider them pure.
Numbers 19 interprets death as the most detestable source of ceremonium uncleanness. The Israelites living near the tabernacle should be purified by the source of water and sprinkled with the mixture of ashes, water, and scarlet stuff. The Israelites should respect the holiness of the tabernacle by not allowing any uncleanness to disturb them while in the camp. Therefore, the chapter narrates the detailed procedure of purification from death and sprinkling the water of separation.