Keraia
Numbers 19

Numbers 19:10

The Red Heifer · Numbers 19:1–10
Read Numbers 19

Translations

Modern
The man who has gathered up the ashes of the heifer must also wash his clothes, and he will be ceremonially unclean until evening. This is a permanent statute for the Israelites and for the foreigner residing among them.
Traditional
And he that gathereth the ashes of the heifer shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even: and it shall be unto the children of Israel, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among them, for a statute for ever.
Literal
And the one who gathers the ashes of the heifer shall wash his clothes and be unclean until the evening. And it shall be a statute forever for the sons of Israel and for the sojourner who is sojourning in their midst.
Latin
Cumque laverit qui vaccæ portaverat cineres vestimenta sua, immundus erit usque ad vesperum. Habebunt hoc filii Israël, et advenæ qui habitant inter eos, sanctum jure perpetuo.

Original

Hebrew
English
The man who has gathered up the ashes of the heifer must also wash his clothes, and he will be ceremonially unclean until evening. This is a permanent statute for the Israelites and for the foreigner residing among them.

Notes

Numbers 19:7–10

It required three people to produce and collect the heifer’s ashes. These were Eleazar, the person who burned the animal, and the person who gathered its ashes. All three became ceremonially impure for a day because of this process. The same was true for the person who used the finished product. This was a potion made from the ash dust and water (compare 19:21). This potion had the same defiling effect as blood associated with sacrifices (Leviticus 6:27–28).

Numbers 19:1–10

They made the water for the purification ceremony with ashes of the red heifer (19:9). It might be the same as the water of purification in 8:7 (see also 31:19–24). This ceremony needed the ashes of a red heifer. The color probably represented blood (compare Hebrews 9:13–14).

Numbers 19:1–22

This section explains how ordinary Israelites can become ceremonially clean again after touching a corpse and avoid defiling the Tent of Meeting (see 9:4–12; Leviticus 17:15; 21:1–4, 11–12). God's holiness demands that the place of his presence remains pure and separate from pollution (compare 1 Corinthians 6:9–11, 18–20).

Theme notes and profiles

Clean, Unclean, and Holy

People

Israel: Patriarch, son of Isaac, father of twelve tribes

Glossary

Biblical Concept of Law Cleanness and Uncleanness, Regulations Concerning Deuteronomy, Book of Hyssop John the Baptist Numbers, Book of Red Heifer Water of Separation

Topics

Ablution of Priests Ashes: Uses of, in Purification Defilement of Priests Defilement: Ceremonial Caused by Gathering the Ashes of the Red Heifer Purifications or Baptisms of Individuals Who Were Ceremonially Unclean The Red Heifer: Communicated Uncleanness to The Man Who Gathered the Ashes Water of Separation