Numbers 19:16 kjv
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.
Numbers 19:16 nkjv
Whoever in the open field touches one who is slain by a sword or who has died, or a bone of a man, or a grave, shall be unclean seven days.
Numbers 19:16 niv
"Anyone out in the open who touches someone who has been killed with a sword or someone who has died a natural death, or anyone who touches a human bone or a grave, will be unclean for seven days.
Numbers 19:16 esv
Whoever in the open field touches someone who was killed with a sword or who died naturally, or touches a human bone or a grave, shall be unclean seven days.
Numbers 19:16 nlt
And if someone in an open field touches the corpse of someone who was killed with a sword or who died a natural death, or if someone touches a human bone or a grave, that person will be defiled for seven days.
Numbers 19 16 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Num 5:2 | "Command the people of Israel that they put out of the camp every leper, and everyone having a discharge, and everyone unclean through contact with a dead body," | General law for putting unclean out of camp. |
| Num 19:11 | "Whoever touches a dead human body shall be unclean seven days." | Broader rule on death defilement. |
| Num 19:17-19 | "For the unclean person, they shall take some of the ashes... and running water...sprinkle on him...third day and on the seventh day..." | Ritual purification using Red Heifer ashes. |
| Num 31:19 | "And you, encamp outside the camp seven days. Whoever has killed any person...shall purify himself...on the third day and on the seventh day." | Purity for those in war; emphasis on 7 days. |
| Lev 11:24-28 | Laws on contact with dead animals also cause defilement, albeit usually shorter duration. | Defilement by other dead things (animals). |
| Lev 15:31 | "Thus you shall keep the people of Israel separate from their uncleanness, lest they die in their uncleanness by defiling my tabernacle that is among them." | Purpose of purity laws: preventing divine wrath. |
| Lev 21:11 | "he shall not go in to any dead body nor make himself unclean for his father or for his mother;" | High Priest specific, stricter defilement rules. |
| Lev 22:4 | "No one of the offspring of Aaron who has a discharge or who has a discharge or who is unclean through contact with a dead body...may eat of the holy things." | Priests unable to partake holy things when unclean. |
| Hag 2:13 | "If someone who is unclean by contact with a dead body touches any of these, does it become unclean?’ The priests answered and said, ‘It does become unclean.’" | Contamination transfer: unholiness spreads. |
| Luke 11:44 | "Woe to you! For you are like unmarked graves, and people walk over them without knowing it." | Jesus' metaphor, highlighting hidden defilement from graves. |
| Matt 23:27 | "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones..." | Hypocrisy likened to beautiful but defiling tombs. |
| Rom 5:12 | "Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—" | Connection of death to sin and defilement. |
| Rom 6:23 | "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." | Death as consequence of sin, spiritual perspective. |
| Eph 2:1 | "And you were dead in the trespasses and sins" | Spiritual death due to sin. |
| Heb 9:13-14 | "For if the blood of goats and bulls, and sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ..." | Red Heifer purification as a type for Christ's sacrifice. |
| Heb 9:27 | "And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment," | Death as universal consequence of sin. |
| 1 Pet 1:18-19 | "knowing that you were ransomed...not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot." | Purification by Christ's perfect blood. |
| 1 Cor 15:54-57 | "Death is swallowed up in victory...Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." | Victory over death through Christ. |
| Rev 21:4 | "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." | New creation where death no longer exists. |
| Luke 7:11-17 | Jesus raises the widow's son; physically touches the bier. | Jesus demonstrates authority over defilement/death. |
| Mark 5:35-43 | Jesus takes Jairus's daughter by the hand to raise her. | Jesus touching and raising the dead without defilement. |
| John 11:38-44 | Jesus commands Lazarus to come out of the tomb and raises him from the dead. | Jesus as Life, conquering the domain of death. |
| Matt 8:21-22 | "Lord, let me first go and bury my father.’ But Jesus said to him, ‘Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead." | Spiritual deadness vs. physical death and duty. |
Numbers 19 verses
Numbers 19 16 Meaning
This verse outlines specific ways an individual could become ritually unclean for seven days by coming into contact with a dead human body. It explicitly identifies four scenarios: touching one slain by a sword, touching a dead body (from any cause), touching a human bone, or touching a grave. Such defilement necessitated a prescribed purification ritual, detailed elsewhere in Numbers 19, involving the ashes of the Red Heifer, to restore the defiled person to a state of ritual purity, enabling their participation in community life and worship.
Numbers 19 16 Context
Numbers chapter 19 describes the unique and comprehensive ritual for purification from corpse defilement, known as the Red Heifer ceremony (Hebrew: Parah Adumah). This specific law was crucial because direct or indirect contact with death rendered an Israelite ritually unclean (tame), making them unable to participate in the communal worship and interaction with God at the Tabernacle. This status was highly disruptive within the camp of Israel, where the holy presence of God resided. The broader context of Numbers underscores Israel's journey through the wilderness, emphasizing their distinct separation as a holy people from other nations and their need to maintain purity in God's presence to avoid His righteous judgment. The detailed and severe consequences of death defilement reflect the antithetical nature of death—the ultimate consequence of sin—to the life-giving holiness of God, who dwells among His people. This law, unlike many others, provides for inadvertent defilement and highlights the pervasive nature of impurity linked to mortality.
Numbers 19 16 Word analysis
- And whoever: Implies a universal application to any individual Israelite, regardless of status or intention. The defilement is automatic upon contact.
- in the open field: Not necessarily just outdoors, but refers to unexpected encounters with death outside of designated burial areas, perhaps casualties from battle (implied by "slain by a sword") or wanderers, indicating that death's defiling power is pervasive and can be encountered anywhere. This distinguishes it from controlled burial rites.
- touches: (Hebrew: נָגַע, naga') Signifies physical contact. Even a slight touch or brushing against causes immediate ritual defilement. This highlights the potency and ease of acquiring defilement from death.
- one who is slain by a sword: (Hebrew: חָלָל, chalal) Specifically refers to a "pierced one" or "slain," often implying a violent, unnatural death (e.g., in battle). This particularity underscores that all forms of human death, whether natural or violent, convey profound ritual impurity.
- or a dead body: (Hebrew: מֵת, meth) A general term for any deceased human being, encompassing all other types of death not specified by "slain by a sword." This broadens the scope of defilement to any human corpse.
- or a bone of a human: (Hebrew: עֶצֶם אָדָם, etzem adam) Emphasizes the potent and lasting defilement associated with death. Even a single, dried bone—a mere fragment of what was once a living human—carries the full measure of impurity. This demonstrates death's deep, pervasive, and persistent contaminating nature.
- or a grave: (Hebrew: קֶבֶר, qever) Refers to a burial place, which inherently contains a dead body or remains. This implies that defilement can occur not just through direct contact with a corpse or bone, but also by contact with the place where death resides, even if no direct bodily contact is made. It likely includes even walking over an unmarked grave, underscoring the unseen spread of ritual impurity.
- shall be unclean: (Hebrew: טָמֵא, tame) Denotes a state of ritual impurity. This is not a moral failing but a cultic status that prohibited the individual from participating in sacred activities or entering the Tabernacle/Temple area. It necessitated purification to restore access to God's holy presence.
- seven days: A fixed period of defilement. The number seven in Hebrew thought signifies completion, fullness, or perfection. The full seven-day period, ending with ritual cleansing on the seventh day, points to a complete restoration from the profound impurity of death contact, culminating in readiness for sacred fellowship.
Numbers 19 16 Bonus section
The concept of ritual defilement from death goes beyond mere hygiene; it speaks to the theological truth that death is a profound alien entity in God's created order, being a direct result and symbol of sin (Rom 5:12, 6:23). In ancient Israel, maintaining ritual purity was essential for the corporate health of the community and the continued dwelling of God's holy presence in their midst. The strictness surrounding corpse defilement serves as a constant reminder that humanity lives under the dominion of sin and its outcome. The necessity of a unique, continuous purification ritual (the Red Heifer ashes) underscores that such pervasive defilement could not be cleansed by ordinary means or merely by time; it required a divinely ordained, powerful intervention. This pointed forward to a future, perfect cleansing agent capable of addressing the root cause of death's dominion, found ultimately in the sacrificial death and resurrection of Christ, who perfectly defeated death's power and purifies us for fellowship with the Living God. The law also implies that Israelites were expected to bury their dead promptly, preventing lingering exposure that could contaminate many.
Numbers 19 16 Commentary
Numbers 19:16 provides a crucial detail regarding the various forms of corpse defilement within the Old Testament purification system. This law highlights the absolute incompatibility of death with God's perfect life and holiness. The four enumerated instances—touching a slain person, a dead body, a human bone, or a grave—demonstrate the comprehensive nature of defilement stemming from human mortality. The defiling power of death was so profound that even a residual bone or the ground covering a grave transmitted impurity, emphasizing the radical opposition between God, the Author of Life, and death, the consequence of sin. The stringent seven-day uncleanness and the elaborate purification ritual (the Red Heifer water of purification) underscored the severity of this defilement and the painstaking effort required for an Israelite to return to a state suitable for communion with the Holy God dwelling among them. Spiritually, this served as a stark reminder of sin's consequence (death) and pointed forward to the perfect sacrifice of Christ, whose blood uniquely purifies from the ultimate defilement of sin, enabling true fellowship with a holy God.