Numbers 19:1-10
Lexham English Bible
Ashes of the Red Heifer
19 And Yahweh spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, 2 “This is the decree of the law that Yahweh has commanded, saying, ‘Speak to the Israelites[a] and let them take to you a red heifer without a physical defect, on which a yoke has not been placed.[b] 3 And you will give it to Eleazar the priest, and it will be brought[c] out to a place outside the camp, and it will be slaughtered[d] in his presence. 4 Then Eleazar the priest will take some of its blood on his finger and spatter it toward the mouth of the tent of assembly seven times. 5 The heifer will be burned[e] in his sight; its skin, its meat, and its blood, in addition to its offal, will burn. 6 The priest will take cedar wood, hyssop, and crimson thread, and he will throw them in the midst of the burning heifer.[f] 7 The priest will wash his garments and his body in the water, and afterward he will come to the camp; the priest will be unclean until the evening. 8 The one who burns it will wash his garments and his body in water; he will be unclean until the evening. 9 A clean man will gather the ashes of the heifer, and he will put them in a clean place outside the camp;[g] it will be for the community of the Israelites[h] as a requirement for waters of impurity; it is a purification offering. 10 The one who gathers the ashes of the heifer will wash his garments; he will be unclean until evening. It will be an eternal decree for the Israelites[i] and for one who dwells as an alien in their midst.
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- Numbers 19:2 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
- Numbers 19:2 Literally “has not gone up”
- Numbers 19:3 Or “he will bring it out”
- Numbers 19:3 Or “he will slaughter it”
- Numbers 19:5 Hebrew “The heifer will burn”
- Numbers 19:6 Literally “the burning of the heifer”
- Numbers 19:9 Literally “an outside place of the camp”
- Numbers 19:9 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
- Numbers 19:10 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
Numbers 19:1-10
New English Translation
The Red Heifer Ritual
19 [a] The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron: 2 “This is the ordinance of the law that the Lord has commanded: ‘Instruct[b] the Israelites to bring[c] you a red[d] heifer[e] without blemish, which has no defect[f] and has never carried a yoke. 3 You must give it to Eleazar the priest so that he can take it outside the camp, and it must be slaughtered before him.[g] 4 Eleazar the priest is to take[h] some of its blood with his finger, and sprinkle some of the blood seven times[i] in the direction of the front of the tent of meeting. 5 Then the heifer must be burned[j] in his sight—its skin, its flesh, its blood, and its offal is to be burned.[k] 6 And the priest must take cedar wood, hyssop,[l] and scarlet wool and throw them into the midst of the fire where the heifer is burning.[m] 7 Then the priest must wash[n] his clothes and bathe himself[o] in water, and afterward he may come[p] into the camp, but the priest will be ceremonially unclean until evening. 8 The one who burns it[q] must wash his clothes in water and bathe himself in water. He will be ceremonially unclean until evening.
9 “‘Then a man who is ceremonially clean must gather up the ashes of the red heifer and put them in a ceremonially clean place outside the camp. They must be kept[r] for the community of the Israelites for use in the water of purification[s]—it is a purification for sin.[t] 10 The one who gathers the ashes of the heifer must wash his clothes and be ceremonially unclean until evening. This will be a permanent ordinance both for the Israelites and the resident foreigner who lives among them.
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- Numbers 19:1 sn In the last chapter the needs of the priests and Levites were addressed. Now the concern is for the people. This provision from the sacrifice of the red heifer is a precaution to ensure that the purity of the tabernacle was not violated by pollutions of impurity or death. This chapter has two main parts, both dealing with ceremonial purity: the ritual of the red heifer (vv. 1-10), and the purification from uncleanness (vv. 11-22). For further study see J. Milgrom, “The Paradox of the Red Cow (Num 19),” VT 31 (1981): 62-72.
- Numbers 19:2 tn Heb “speak to.”
- Numbers 19:2 tn The line literally reads, “speak to the Israelites that [and] they bring [will bring].” The imperfect [or jussive] is subordinated to the imperative either as a purpose clause, or as the object of the instruction—speak to them that they bring, or tell them to bring.
- Numbers 19:2 tn The color is designated as red, although the actual color would be a tanned red-brown color for the animal (see the usage in Isa 1:18 and Song 5:10). The reddish color suggested the blood of ritual purification; see J. Milgrom, “The Paradox of the Red Cow (Num 19),” VT 31 (1981): 62-72.
- Numbers 19:2 sn Some modern commentators prefer “cow” to “heifer,” thinking that the latter came from the influence of the Greek. Young animals were usually prescribed for the ritual, especially here, and so “heifer” is the better translation. A bull could not be given for this purification ritual because that is what was given for the high priests or the community according to Lev 4.
- Numbers 19:2 tn Heb “wherein there is no defect.”
- Numbers 19:3 tc The clause is a little ambiguous. It reads “and he shall slaughter it before him.” It sounds as if someone else will kill the heifer in the priest’s presence. Since no one is named as the subject, it may be translated as a passive. Some commentators simply interpret that Eleazar was to kill the animal personally, but that is a little forced for “before him.” The Greek text gives a third person plural sense to the verb; the Vulgate follows that reading.
- Numbers 19:4 tn The verb is the perfect tense with vav (ו) consecutive; it functions here as the equivalent of the imperfect of instruction.
- Numbers 19:4 sn Seven is a number with religious significance; it is often required in sacrificial ritual for atonement or for purification.
- Numbers 19:5 tn Again, the verb has no expressed subject, and so is given a passive translation.
- Numbers 19:5 tn The imperfect tense is third masculine singular, and so again the verb is to be made passive.
- Numbers 19:6 sn In addition to the general references, see R. K. Harrison, “The Biblical Problem of Hyssop,” EvQ 26 (1954): 218-24.
- Numbers 19:6 sn There is no clear explanation available as to why these items were to be burned with the heifer. N. H. Snaith suggests that in accordance with Babylonian sacrifices they would have enhanced the rites with an aroma (Leviticus and Numbers [NCB], 272). In Lev 14 the wood and the hyssop may have been bound together by the scarlet wool to make a sprinkling device. It may be that the symbolism is what is important here. Cedar wood, for example, is durable; it may have symbolized resistance to future corruption and defilement, an early acquired immunity perhaps (R. K. Harrison, Numbers [WEC], 256).
- Numbers 19:7 tn The sequence continues with the perfect tense and vav (ו) consecutive.
- Numbers 19:7 tn Heb “his flesh.”
- Numbers 19:7 tn This is the imperfect of permission.
- Numbers 19:8 sn Here the text makes clear that he had at least one assistant.
- Numbers 19:9 tn Heb “it will be.”
- Numbers 19:9 tn The expression לְמֵי נִדָּה (leme niddah) is “for waters of impurity.” The genitive must designate the purpose of the waters—they are for cases of impurity, and so serve for cleansing or purifying, thus “water of purification.” The word “impurity” can also mean “abhorrent” because it refers to so many kinds of impurities. It is also called a purification offering; Milgrom notes that this is fitting because the sacrificial ritual involved transfers impurity from the purified to the purifier (pp. 62-72).
- Numbers 19:9 sn The ashes were to be stored somewhere outside the camp to be used in a water portion for cleansing someone who was defiled. This is a ritual that was enacted in the wilderness; it is something of a restoring rite for people alienated from community.
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