Numbers 19 3

Numbers 19:3 kjv

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:

Numbers 19:3 nkjv

You shall give it to Eleazar the priest, that he may take it outside the camp, and it shall be slaughtered before him;

Numbers 19:3 niv

Give it to Eleazar the priest; it is to be taken outside the camp and slaughtered in his presence.

Numbers 19:3 esv

And you shall give it to Eleazar the priest, and it shall be taken outside the camp and slaughtered before him.

Numbers 19:3 nlt

Give it to Eleazar the priest, and it will be taken outside the camp and slaughtered in his presence.

Numbers 19 verses

Numbers 19 3 Meaning

Numbers 19:3 details the initial steps for the purification ritual involving the red heifer. It specifies that the red heifer is to be given to Eleazar the priest, who will then take it outside the camp of Israel. There, in Eleazar's direct presence and under his oversight, the heifer is to be slaughtered. This verse establishes the authority, location, and immediate action required for this unique cleansing sacrifice, which deals with defilement by death.

Numbers 19 3 Context

Numbers chapter 19 outlines the specific and unique purification ritual of the red heifer, intended to provide ceremonial cleanness for those who become defiled by touching a dead body or anything related to death. In Israelite society, contact with death was the highest form of ritual impurity, rendering a person ceremonially unclean and excluded from the community's holy activities until purified. This law is distinct as it offers a continuous source of cleansing water for widespread defilement that death causes. The giving of this law after Korah's rebellion and the subsequent plague, which involved many deaths, emphasizes the need for an efficient means of purification from death-related uncleanness. Unlike most sacrifices made at the Tabernacle altar, the red heifer was slaughtered and burned outside the camp, underscoring its unique nature as a comprehensive impurity offering and highlighting the separation of sin/death from the holy presence of God within the camp.

Numbers 19 3 Word analysis

• You shall give her: (וְנָתַתָּהּ - wənātatāh). "You" refers to Moses, indicating God's direct instruction and delegation of authority. It signifies divine command and the necessity of obedient action. The active verb "give" (from nātan, to give/place/appoint) highlights the purposeful transfer of responsibility and the initiation of the sacred ritual.
• to Eleazar: Eleazar, the son of Aaron, held a pivotal role as a chief priest and later succeeded Aaron as the High Priest (Num 20:28). His involvement signifies the priestly mediation required for this ritual, establishing its divine authority and sacral importance. It underscores the Aaronic priesthood's unique function in facilitating purity and maintaining the sanctity of the camp.
• the priest: This title reaffirms Eleazar's divine appointment and office. It denotes his authorized role as an intermediary between God and the people, possessing the specific spiritual authority to conduct holy rituals according to divine law.
• and he shall take her: (וְלָקַח - wəlāqaḥ). Emphasizes Eleazar's direct, personal action and involvement in leading the heifer, rather than delegating the primary transport to others. This highlights the weight and particularity of his role in every step.
• outside the camp: (חוּץ לַמַּחֲנֶה - khutz lammaḥaneh). This location is profoundly significant. It denotes the symbolic removal of sin and defilement from the holy dwelling place of God and His people. Things supremely unclean, such as the entire sin offering, were often burned outside the camp to separate them from the pure presence of God (Lev 4:12, 21, Lev 16:27). This foreshadows the truth that ultimate purification and redemption must occur "outside" the domain of human holiness or righteousness.
• and slaughter her: (וְשָׁחַט - weshachat). The verb indicates a decisive and ritualistic killing, specific to animal sacrifice in the Tabernacle/Temple cult. It points to the shedding of blood, central to atonement and purification in the Old Covenant (Heb 9:22), even if the blood of the red heifer was not primarily for atonement in the same way as other sin offerings. It signifies the death of a spotless substitute.
• before his face: (לְפָנָיו - ləp̄ānāw). Literally "before him" or "in his presence." This phrase stresses the direct and personal observation of Eleazar over the slaughter. It implies his full oversight, accountability, and the public confirmation of the correct procedure. It means the act must be witnessed and confirmed by the one holding authority, leaving no doubt about the legitimacy and integrity of the sacrifice.

• You shall give her to Eleazar the priest: This phrase highlights the divine ordination of priestly authority and responsibility for managing holy matters, ensuring proper ceremonial conduct. It points to a structured system of divine delegation.
• and he shall take her outside the camp, and slaughter her: This combination emphasizes the priest's active role in removing uncleanness. It combines physical separation with a ritualistic act of death, indicating that dealing with profound defilement requires both an outward removal and an inward (sacrificial) shedding of life.
• outside the camp, and slaughter her before his face: This entire phrase strongly links the concepts of impurity, removal, sacrifice, and priestly oversight. The act "outside the camp" symbolizes Jesus' crucifixion "outside the gate" (Heb 13:12), bearing away sin where human laws and structures of "holiness" held no sway. The direct priestly witness authenticates the sacrifice.

Numbers 19 3 Bonus section

The ritual of the red heifer is highly unusual because it is one of the few offerings not made on the Tabernacle altar. Its ashes, mixed with living water, constituted the "water for impurity" (Num 19:9), which could cleanse individuals indirectly defiled by death. This indirect and broad application of its purification, rather than direct atonement for a specific sin, highlights its role as a continual resource for maintaining communal holiness in a fallen world filled with death. Scholars note its "once for all" character in producing ashes for future use, mirroring the single, ultimate sacrifice of Christ. Furthermore, Rabbinic tradition considers the red heifer as a paradox, making the one who performs the ritual unclean while cleansing others, symbolizing the transfer of defilement. This paradox further emphasizes the ultimate burden of defilement that Christ took upon Himself.

Numbers 19 3 Commentary

Numbers 19:3 is a foundational instruction for the unique purification ritual of the red heifer, distinguishing it from all other sacrifices. The precise delegation to Eleazar, a priest of high standing, emphasizes the divine origin and sacred nature of the commandment. The mandated location "outside the camp" symbolically removes the defilement associated with death far from God's holy dwelling place within Israel, demonstrating that ultimate cleansing requires a separation from defiled space. The immediate instruction for Eleazar to "slaughter her before his face" ensures priestly accountability and confirms the act of sacrifice, pointing to the essential role of shed blood in biblical purification, even if the ashes, not the blood, of the heifer formed the basis of the water of purification. This passage is a crucial foreshadowing of Christ, who, as our High Priest (Heb 9:11), was sacrificed outside the gates of Jerusalem (Heb 13:12) to bear our sin and provide ultimate and permanent cleansing from spiritual death and impurity. The ritual illustrates that sin's defiling power demands a life to be taken, an external act to internal cleansing.