Numbers 19 21

Numbers 19:21 kjv

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.

Numbers 19:21 nkjv

It shall be a perpetual statute for them. He who sprinkles the water of purification shall wash his clothes; and he who touches the water of purification shall be unclean until evening.

Numbers 19:21 niv

This is a lasting ordinance for them. "The man who sprinkles the water of cleansing must also wash his clothes, and anyone who touches the water of cleansing will be unclean till evening.

Numbers 19:21 esv

And it shall be a statute forever for them. The one who sprinkles the water for impurity shall wash his clothes, and the one who touches the water for impurity shall be unclean until evening.

Numbers 19:21 nlt

This is a permanent law for the people. Those who sprinkle the water of purification must afterward wash their clothes, and anyone who then touches the water used for purification will remain defiled until evening.

Numbers 19 verses

Numbers 19 21 Meaning

Numbers 19:21 outlines a specific and perpetual ordinance related to the "water of purification" (mei hanniddah), used for cleansing from corpse defilement. It stipulates that individuals involved in handling this water, specifically the one who sprinkles it, must wash their clothes, and anyone who touches it becomes ritually unclean until evening. This law underscored the pervasive nature of impurity associated with death and the sacred requirement for meticulous separation and cleansing under the Old Covenant. Even those administering purification had to undergo a minor cleansing, highlighting the unique potency of defilement from death.

Numbers 19 21 Context

Numbers Chapter 19 details the unique purification ritual involving the "red heifer" (Para Adumah). This ceremony provided ashes used to create the "water of purification" (mei niddah) specifically designed to cleanse someone defiled by contact with a dead body (a form of defilement so potent that it required special measures). This ritual was distinctive because it involved the sacrifice of a flawless red heifer outside the camp, its complete burning, and the collection of its ashes. The paradox presented in verse 21 (where the clean person administering purification or touching the water becomes unclean) highlights the extraordinary impurity of death, emphasizing that even the holy elements designated for cleansing impart a lesser, temporary defilement due to their association with such potent uncleanness. This chapter, within the larger book of Numbers, stresses God's holy requirements for maintaining ritual purity within the Israelite camp, essential for God's dwelling presence among His people.

Numbers 19 21 Word analysis

• And it shall be (וְהָיְתָה - ve-hayeta): Indicates continuation and establishment, making this a decreed state or law.

• perpetual statute (לְחֻקַּת עוֹלָם - l'chukkat olam):

  • chukkat: A prescribed ordinance, often unalterable, established by divine authority; something "engraved."
  • olam: Enduring, perpetual, everlasting; signifying its timeless applicability within the Old Covenant. It's a foundational, enduring law.

• unto them (לָהֶם - lahem): Refers to the Israelites generally, but specifically those involved in the ritual process.

• that he who sprinkles (הַמֹּזֶה - hamozeh): The person actively performing the sprinkling of the water, a clean individual applying purification.

• the water of purification (מֵי הַנִּדָּה - mei hanniddah):

  • mei: Water of.
  • niddah: Derived from a root meaning "to separate," "to repel." It refers to something set apart due to uncleanness (like menstruation, Lev 15). Here, it specifically means "water for purification from impurity" or "water of separation." This water causes ritual separation, preparing the unclean person for re-entry into the camp.

• shall wash his clothes (יְכַבֵּס בְּגָדָיו - yekhabbes bigdav): A standard requirement for many ritual impurities, indicating a lesser, temporary defilement that needs a simple washing. It's a symbolic cleansing for someone dealing with the mechanics of purity related to death.

• and he who touches (הַנֹּגֵעַ - hannoge'a): The person making direct contact with the prepared water, perhaps in handling the basin or apparatus.

• shall be unclean until the even (יִטְמָא עַד הָעָרֶב - yitma 'ad ha'arev):

  • yitma: He shall become unclean or defiled.
  • ad ha'arev: Until the evening. This phrase signifies a temporary, ritual impurity that concludes at sunset, after which the person is restored to full ritual purity, often requiring a prior bath (though not explicitly stated in this verse, implied by broader purity laws).

• Words-group Analysis:

  • "perpetual statute unto them": Emphasizes the divine origin and non-negotiable, lasting nature of this command for Israel.
  • "he who sprinkles the water of purification shall wash his clothes": Highlights the paradoxical nature: someone clean performing a purifying act incurs a minor impurity. This shows the potent nature of death/sin and that handling it, even for purification, carries a cost.
  • "he who touches the water of purification shall be unclean until the even": Reinforces the immediate and temporary defilement from contact with this highly potent, yet paradoxically defiling, purifying agent. This immediate impurity for handling elements of purification related to the highest defilement (death) sets this apart from common impurities.

Numbers 19 21 Bonus section

The uniqueness of the red heifer sacrifice, as opposed to other animal sacrifices that cleansed minor impurities, signals its special function against the deep defilement of death. The paradox presented in Num 19:21 also serves as a pedagogical tool: it teaches the Israelite how truly polluting death and sin are. Unlike a superficial dirt that can be washed away easily, death requires a profound, Divinely ordained counter-action that even impacts the pure. The ashes of the red heifer were unique in that they conveyed impurity (to the handler) and purification (to the defiled). This "contaminating purity" indicates the "holiness of judgment" associated with sin and death, which is weighty and dangerous, yet effective when administered by God's decree.

Numbers 19 21 Commentary

Numbers 19:21 unveils a profound theological truth about the pervasive nature of sin and death. The red heifer ritual, unique in its application and paradoxical effects, highlights that death defilement was the gravest form of ritual impurity, capable of rendering even the agents of purification temporarily unclean. The requirement to wash clothes and remain unclean "until the evening" was a common Mosaic provision for minor ritual impurities. However, its application here to those handling the purification waters themselves underscores a vital principle: even when God provides the means of cleansing from sin/death, the contact with the consequence of that sin (death) still carries a cost or temporary separation. This illustrates the infinite purity of God versus the profound defilement caused by death as a result of sin. This paradox perfectly prefigures the work of Christ: He "became sin" for us (2 Cor 5:21) and was sacrificed "outside the camp" (Heb 13:11-12) to purify us. While bearing our sin, He did not become permanently defiled; instead, He conquered death and defilement completely, offering an everlasting and perfect cleansing where no temporary impurity is transferred to the purified, and no further self-cleansing is required beyond His work.