Numbers 19 15

Numbers 19:15 kjv

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

Numbers 19:15 nkjv

and every open vessel, which has no cover fastened on it, is unclean.

Numbers 19:15 niv

and every open container without a lid fastened on it will be unclean.

Numbers 19:15 esv

And every open vessel that has no cover fastened on it is unclean.

Numbers 19:15 nlt

Any open container in the tent that was not covered with a lid is also defiled.

Numbers 19 verses

Numbers 19 15 Meaning

Numbers 19:15 dictates a specific law regarding ritual purity: any vessel within a dwelling or tent where a dead body lies becomes ritually unclean if it does not have a tightly sealed covering. This impurity is due to the potent defilement emanating from a corpse, requiring purification for the vessel before it can be used for sacred purposes or within the holy camp.

Numbers 19 15 Context

Numbers chapter 19 outlines the specific regulations for dealing with the severest form of ritual impurity: defilement by a human corpse. This chapter details the elaborate ritual of the red heifer, whose ashes mixed with water formed the "water of purification" (mei niddah) necessary to cleanse someone or something contaminated by death. The underlying purpose was to ensure the continued holiness of the Israelite camp, where God's Tabernacle resided. Any defilement, especially from death, was contrary to God's life-giving presence and therefore had to be meticulously removed before access to the sacred was permitted. Verse 15 specifically addresses how objects within a space containing a dead body are affected, emphasizing the potent and pervasive nature of corpse defilement and the meticulous requirements for ritual purity to protect the holy space.

Numbers 19 15 Word analysis

• And every: This conjunction emphasizes the comprehensive nature of the law, indicating that all such vessels, without exception, are affected by this ruling. It signifies a universal application within the specified conditions.
• open vessel:
  • Hebrew: kĕli patuaḥ (כְּלִי פָתוּחַ).
  • Kĕli (כְּלִי): A broad term for "vessel," "article," or "implement." It refers to various kinds of containers or tools made from different materials (e.g., pottery, wood, metal, cloth), all susceptible to defilement.
  • Patuaḥ (פָתוּחַ): Meaning "open" or "uncovered." This implies a vessel that is not sealed, allowing air, dust, or, in this ritual sense, unseen impurity to enter.
  • Significance: Highlights the vulnerability of such containers to pervasive ritual defilement emanating from the dead. It suggests impurity could be seen as a pervasive presence that can enter unprotected spaces.
• which hath no covering bound upon it:
  • Hebrew: ’ašer ’eyn-tsamīd patîl ‘ālāyw (אֲשֶׁר אֵין-צָמִיד פָּתִיל עָלָיו).
  • Tsamīd (צָמִיד): Often means a bracelet or armlet, suggesting something that tightly encloses or fastens. Here, it refers to a tightly fitted lid or cover.
  • Patîl (פָתִיל): Meaning a "thread," "cord," or "string." This implies a means of binding or sealing the lid securely, beyond merely resting it on top. It signifies a true, unbroken seal.
  • Significance: This precise phrasing defines the absence of a secure, sealed closure. The emphasis is on a complete lack of protective barrier. This detail highlights that a casual lid is insufficient; a tight, binding seal is required to keep the impurity out. It illustrates the intensity and penetrative power attributed to the impurity of death.
• is unclean:
  • Hebrew: ṭāmē’ (טָמֵא).
  • Meaning: Ritually impure or defiled. This is a state of ceremonial uncleanness that prevents participation in cultic activities or access to the Tabernacle. It is not a moral sin, but a ritual status requiring purification.
  • Significance: The consequence of the specified condition. The defilement by death is so potent that it automatically renders exposed vessels unclean, necessitating specific purification rites, such as those involving the water of purification from the red heifer ashes.

Words-group analysis:

• Every open vessel: This combination highlights the comprehensive application. Any type of container, if left unsecured, falls under this law, signifying the pervasive reach of death-impurity.
• which hath no covering bound upon it: This phrase defines the specific condition of vulnerability. The absence of a properly sealed cover means the vessel is not isolated from the contaminating presence of the corpse. This detail is crucial for discerning purity from impurity in the context of the defiled dwelling.
• is unclean: This short declaration pronounces the immediate ritual state. The defilement is automatic upon exposure under the given conditions, underscoring the serious and inescapable nature of death's impurity within the divine economy of holiness.

Numbers 19 15 Bonus section

The strictness concerning open vessels reflects the pervasive and invisible nature of death's defilement, analogous to an airborne contaminant or a subtle, spiritual corruption. It emphasizes that proximity to death, the ultimate enemy of life and divine order, carried significant ritual consequences. This prefigures the profound spiritual truth that sin, which brings death, renders all creation imperfect and requires a profound and comprehensive cleansing. The elaborate system of purity laws, of which Numbers 19:15 is a part, served not only to separate Israel from pagan practices (where death might be less feared or even venerated) but also to constantly remind them of God's absolute holiness and the pervasive presence of death's taint in a fallen world, ultimately pointing to a need for a cleansing beyond ritual – the blood of Christ.

Numbers 19 15 Commentary

Numbers 19:15 illustrates the extreme contagion of defilement from death in the Israelite sacrificial system. Within the space where a person had died, the "holiness deficit" of death was considered so potent that it pervaded the immediate environment, affecting even inanimate objects. An "open vessel" meant any container without a securely bound lid was susceptible, implicitly suggesting that impurity could "settle" upon or enter such items, making them unsuitable for any holy purpose or within the presence of God. This meticulously detailed law underscored the gravity of ritual impurity, not as a moral failing, but as a condition that rendered individuals and objects separate from God's holiness. It emphasized God's meticulous concern for His presence within the camp, requiring scrupulous purity to maintain the covenant relationship. This physical meticulousness pointed to the ultimate need for radical spiritual cleansing from sin, which, like death, brings separation from God.