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Numbers, 19

1. Yahweh spoke to Moses and Aaron and said:

1. And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,

2. 'This is a decree of the Law which Yahweh has prescribed. Tell the Israelites, they are to bring you a red heifer without fault or blemish that has never borne the yoke.

2. This [is] the ordinance of the law which the LORD hath commanded, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring thee a red heifer without spot, wherein [is] no blemish, [and] upon which never came yoke:

3. You will give it to the priest Eleazar. It will then be taken outside the camp and slaughtered in his presence.

3. And ye shall give her unto Eleazar the priest, that he may bring her forth without the camp, and [one] shall slay her before his face:

4. The priest Eleazar will then take some of the victim's blood on his finger, and sprinkle this blood seven times towards the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.

4. And Eleazar the priest shall take of her blood with his finger, and sprinkle of her blood directly before the tabernacle of the congregation seven times:

5. The heifer will then be burnt while he looks on; its hide, flesh, blood and offal will be burnt.

5. And [one] shall burn the heifer in his sight; her skin, and her flesh, and her blood, with her dung, shall he burn:

6. The priest will then take some cedar wood, hyssop and scarlet material and throw them on the fire where the heifer is burning.

6. And the priest shall take cedar wood, and hyssop, and scarlet, and cast [it] into the midst of the burning of the heifer.

7. He will then wash his clothes and bathe himself; after which he will go back to the camp, though he will remain unclean until evening.

7. Then the priest shall wash his clothes, and he shall bathe his flesh in water, and afterward he shall come into the camp, and the priest shall be unclean until the even.

8. The man who has burnt the heifer will wash his clothes and bathe himself and will remain unclean until evening.

8. And he that burneth her shall wash his clothes in water, and bathe his flesh in water, and shall be unclean until the even.

9. The man who gathers up the ashes of the heifer must be ritually clean; he will deposit them outside the camp, in a clean place. They will be kept for the ritual use of the Israelite community for making water for purification; it is a sacrifice for sin.

9. And a man [that is] clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer, and lay [them] up without the camp in a clean place, and it shall be kept for the congregation of the children of Israel for a water of separation: it [is] a purification for sin.

10. The man who has gathered up the ashes of the heifer will wash his clothes and remain unclean until evening. For the Israelites as for the resident alien, this will be a perpetual decree.

10. 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.

11. 'Anyone who touches the corpse of anyone whatever will be unclean for seven days.

11. He that toucheth the dead body of any man shall be unclean seven days.

12. Such a person must be purified with these waters on the third and seventh day and will then be clean; otherwise he will not be clean.

12. He shall purify himself with it on the third day, and on the seventh day he shall be clean: but if he purify not himself the third day, then the seventh day he shall not be clean.

13. Anyone who touches the corpse of anyone who has died and is not purified, defiles Yahweh's Dwelling; such a person will be outlawed from Israel, since the water for purification has not been sprinkled over him; he is unclean, and his uncleanness remains in him.

13. Whosoever toucheth the dead body of any man that is dead, and purifieth not himself, defileth the tabernacle of the LORD; and that soul shall be cut off from Israel: because the water of separation was not sprinkled upon him, he shall be unclean; his uncleanness [is] yet upon him.

14. 'This is the law when someone dies in a tent. Anyone who goes into the tent, or anyone who is already in it, will be unclean for seven days,

14. This [is] the law, when a man dieth in a tent: all that come into the tent, and all that [is] in the tent, shall be unclean seven days.

15. and every open vessel with no cover tied over it will also be unclean.

15. And every open vessel, which hath no covering bound upon it, [is] unclean.

16. 'Anyone in the open country who touches a murder victim, a corpse, human bones or a grave will be unclean for seven days.

16. And whosoever toucheth one that is slain with a sword in the open fields, or a dead body, or a bone of a man, or a grave, shall be unclean seven days.

17. 'For someone thus unclean, some of the ashes of the victim burnt as a sacrifice for sin will be taken and spring water must be poured over them, in a vessel.

17. And for an unclean [person] they shall take of the ashes of the burnt heifer of purification for sin, and running water shall be put thereto in a vessel:

18. Someone who is ritually clean will then take some hyssop and dip it in the water. This person will then sprinkle the tent, all the vessels and people who were there, and similarly anyone who has touched human bones, a murder victim, a corpse or a grave.

18. And a clean person shall take hyssop, and dip [it] in the water, and sprinkle [it] upon the tent, and upon all the vessels, and upon the persons that were there, and upon him that touched a bone, or one slain, or one dead, or a grave:

19. On the third and the seventh day the clean one will sprinkle the unclean, who on the seventh day will be clean. The latter will then wash his clothes and bathe in water, and in the evening he will be clean.

19. And the clean [person] shall sprinkle upon the unclean on the third day, and on the seventh day: and on the seventh day he shall purify himself, and wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and shall be clean at even.

20. Anyone who fails to be purified in this way will be outlawed from the community, and would defile Yahweh's sanctuary. Such a person is unclean, not having been sprinkled with the water for purification.

20. But the man that shall be unclean, and shall not purify himself, that soul shall be cut off from among the congregation, because he hath defiled the sanctuary of the LORD: the water of separation hath not been sprinkled upon him; he [is] unclean.

21. 'This will be a perpetual decree for them. The person who sprinkles the water for purification will wash his clothes, and anyone who touches the water for purification will be unclean until evening.

21. And it shall be a perpetual statute unto them, that he that sprinkleth the water of separation shall wash his clothes; and he that toucheth the water of separation shall be unclean until even.

22. Anything that an unclean person touches will be unclean, and anyone who touches it will be unclean until evening.'

22. And whatsoever the unclean [person] toucheth shall be unclean; and the soul that toucheth [it] shall be unclean until even.



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Notas al pie:

19:1-10 - The law regarding the red heifer is given for the purification of the impure. The water mixed with the heifer's ashes symbolizes purification from sin and impurity. This ritual points to the concept of spiritual purification (see also Hebrews 9:13-14 and 1 John 1:7).

19:11-13 - Anyone who touches a dead body will be considered unclean for seven days, and the water of purification must be used for cleansing. This reinforces the seriousness of impurity and the need for purification to maintain fellowship with God (see also Leviticus 11:31-32 and Ezekiel 36:25).

19:14-16 - Any person or object found in a tent where someone has died is also considered unclean. This highlights how uncleanness spreads, just as sin spreads and affects others (see also Numbers 5:2 and 1 Corinthians 5:6).

19:17-19 - The unclean person must be sprinkled with the water of purification on the third and seventh days. This process symbolizes the gradual cleansing of sin and the need to obey God's commands to be restored to purity (see also Titus 3:5 and Ezekiel 36:26).

19:20-22 - Anyone who refuses to purify himself will be cut off from among the people. This shows the seriousness of rejecting God's way of purification and holiness (see also Leviticus 7:20 and Hebrews 12:14).

Versos relacionados con Numbers, 19:

Numbers chapter 19 details the ritual of the red heifer. What is the meaning of this unique ceremony? This crucial text describes the preparation of the heifer's ashes for ritual purification, touching on themes of holiness and cleansing. The chapter establishes regulations for dealing with impurity caused by contact with dead bodies, emphasizing the importance of purity in the Israelite camp. Numbers 19 offers insights into God's holiness and the need for spiritual purification. Examine with us five biblical passages that illuminate the eternal principles of this symbolic ritual.

Hebrews 9:13-14: "Now if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them, so that they become outwardly pure, how much more does the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself immaculately to God will purify our conscience from acts that lead to death, so that we can serve the living God!" - The author of Hebrews references the red heifer ritual of Numbers 19, contrasting it with the superior efficacy of Christ's sacrifice.

1 Peter 1:2: "Elected according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and the sprinkling of his blood: Grace and peace be multiplied to you." - Peter alludes to the sprinkling of the purifying water of Numbers 19, applying it metaphorically to the blood of Christ.

Ephesians 5:26: "To sanctify it, having cleansed it by the washing of water through the word," - Paul may be alluding to the cleansing water of Numbers 19, applying it metaphorically to Christ's cleansing of the church.

Titus 2:14: "He gave himself for us in order to redeem us from all evil and purify for himself a people particularly his, dedicated to the practice of good works." - The purification language used by Paul may be evoking the purification rituals of Numbers 19.

Psalms 51:7: "Purify me with hyssop, and I will be pure; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow." - David uses purification language that evokes the rituals of Numbers 19, applying it to spiritual purification.

FAQ:

What is the red heifer mentioned in Numbers 19?

The red heifer was sacrificed outside the camp, and its ashes were mixed with water to purify those who were unclean from contact with dead bodies. (Numbers 19:2-10)

How were the ashes of the red heifer used for purification?

The ashes of the red heifer were mixed with water and sprinkled on unclean people to purify them from any defilement caused by a dead body. (Numbers 19:9, 17)

What was the importance of the water of purification in Numbers 19?

Purifying water was essential to cleanse the impurity caused by contact with the dead. Without this purification, a person remained unclean and excluded from the camp. (Numbers 19:20)

What happened to those who did not purify themselves after touching a corpse?

Anyone who did not purify himself after touching a dead body was cut off from Israel, for he defiled the Lord's tabernacle and remained unclean. (Numbers 19:13)

Why is the sacrifice of the red heifer considered important?

The sacrifice of the red heifer is important because its ashes were used to purify those who had become ritually unclean, ensuring the sanctity of the camp. (Numbers 19:2-10)


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