Numbers 19:5 kjv
And one shall burn the heifer in his sight; her skin, and her flesh, and her blood, with her dung, shall he burn:
Numbers 19:5 nkjv
Then the heifer shall be burned in his sight: its hide, its flesh, its blood, and its offal shall be burned.
Numbers 19:5 niv
While he watches, the heifer is to be burned?its hide, flesh, blood and intestines.
Numbers 19:5 esv
And the heifer shall be burned in his sight. Its skin, its flesh, and its blood, with its dung, shall be burned.
Numbers 19:5 nlt
As Eleazar watches, the heifer must be burned ? its hide, meat, blood, and dung.
Numbers 19 5 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Num 19:1-2 | The LORD spoke... tell the people of Israel to bring you a red heifer... | Introduction to the red heifer. |
| Num 19:3 | And you shall give her to Eleazar the priest, and he shall take her outside | The priest's role and ritual location. |
| Lev 4:11-12 | But the hide of the bull and all its flesh... he shall carry outside the camp | Sin offering burned outside the camp. |
| Lev 4:20 | The priest shall make atonement for them, and they shall be forgiven. | Purpose of sin offering: atonement. |
| Lev 16:27 | The bull for the sin offering... he shall carry outside the camp and burn | Annual Day of Atonement offering burned out. |
| Deut 21:23 | his body shall not remain all night... for a hanged man is cursed by God | Impurity/curse requiring removal. |
| Isa 1:18 | "Come now, let us reason together... though your sins are like scarlet... | Cleansing from sin. |
| Jer 23:29 | Is not my word like fire?" declares the LORD... | God's word as a refining fire. |
| Mal 3:2 | But who can endure the day of his coming?... he is like a refiner's fire | God as a refiner and purifier. |
| Heb 9:13 | For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons | Old Testament animal sacrifices for cleansing. |
| Heb 9:14 | how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit | Christ's superior, perfect sacrifice. |
| Heb 9:19 | when Moses had declared every commandment... he took the blood of calves | Blood for cleansing and covenant. |
| Heb 9:22 | Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood... without | Necessity of blood for purification. |
| Heb 13:11-12 | For the bodies of those animals... are burned outside the camp... So Jesus | Jesus crucified outside the gate, echoing types. |
| 1 Pet 1:18-19 | you were ransomed... with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb | Redemption through Christ's perfect blood. |
| Rom 8:3 | For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. | Law's inability to perfectly cleanse. |
| 2 Cor 5:21 | For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might | Christ became sin for us. |
| Gal 3:13 | Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, | Christ's sacrifice removes the curse of sin. |
| Eph 5:2 | Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice | Christ as a total sacrifice. |
| Col 2:13-14 | when you were dead in your trespasses... he made you alive together with him | Forgiveness and spiritual cleansing. |
| Tit 2:14 | he gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify | Christ's purifying work. |
| 1 John 1:7 | the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. | Continual cleansing by Christ's blood. |
Numbers 19 verses
Numbers 19 5 Meaning
Numbers 19:5 describes a specific, crucial step in the purification ritual of the red heifer. It mandates the complete burning of the heifer by a designated person under priestly supervision. Every part of the animal, including its skin, flesh, blood, and even its dung, was to be entirely consumed by fire. This comprehensive burning outside the camp signifies a thorough destruction of the elements representing sin and impurity, producing the purifying ashes for cleansing from death defilement.
Numbers 19 5 Context
Numbers chapter 19 details the unique law of the red heifer, which provides for purification from defilement by a dead body. This ritual was distinct from other sin offerings, as it concerned ritual impurity (tumah) that disqualified Israelites from Tabernacle worship, rather than moral transgression (chet). The defilement by death was considered highly polluting and widespread in a community where death was common. The ashes produced from this burnt heifer, mixed with living water, formed the "water of impurity" (Hebrew: mei niddah), which was essential for sprinkling to restore ritual purity. Verse 5 is a critical instruction on the method of preparing these unique purification ashes. Historically, this ritual provided a perpetual, readily available means for a defiled Israelite to become ritually clean and re-enter the worshipping community without the continuous need for fresh animal sacrifices for each instance of death contact. Its nature (outside the camp, involving blood and dung, leading to paradoxical defilement for participants) underscored the profound pollution of death and the extraordinary nature of God's provision for cleansing.
Numbers 19 5 Word analysis
And: (Heb. וְ - ve-) A simple conjunction connecting this instruction to the previous steps of bringing the heifer and its oversight by Eleazar. It signals a continuation in the sequential process.
one: (Heb. אִישׁ - ish) This refers to a man, a specific individual, chosen or appointed for this task. While Eleazar supervises, an appointed clean man performs the burning (v. 3). This highlights a dedicated agent for the act.
shall burn: (Heb. וְשָׂרַף - ve-saraph) This verb indicates complete incineration. The same verb is used for other sin offerings or dedicated items that must be totally destroyed by fire. The action signifies a thorough eradication of the object.
the heifer: (Heb. אֶת־הַפָּרָה - et-ha-parah) Refers specifically to the "red heifer" introduced in v. 2, an unblemished female cow, never yoked. Its specific qualities are vital to its unique ritual function.
in his sight: (Heb. לְעֵינָיו - le'einav) "Before his eyes," referring to Eleazar the priest, as established in verse 4. This signifies the necessary priestly oversight, ensuring the ritual is performed precisely according to divine instruction and maintaining its efficacy. The priest's direct observation confers legitimacy on the burning.
her skin: (Heb. אֶת־עֹרָהּ - et-'orah) The outer covering of the animal. Unlike some sacrifices where the skin might be removed and given to the priest, here it is burned, indicating that nothing from the heifer is to be salvaged or retained.
and her flesh: (Heb. וְאֶת־בְּשָׂרָהּ - ve'et-besarah) All the muscular tissue. Again, unlike offerings where parts are eaten by priests or offerers, here all the edible parts are consumed by fire, emphasizing its function as a purity sacrifice, not for sustenance or priestly portion.
and her blood: (Heb. וְאֶת־דָּמָהּ - ve'et-damah) This is a highly significant inclusion. In many sin offerings, blood was carefully drained and applied to the altar or sanctuary; spilling or burning it was forbidden because "the life of the flesh is in the blood" (Lev 17:11). Burning the blood here, with the entire animal, is unusual and profound. It emphasizes the total destruction of the animal's life as a representation of impurity. The life of the defiling entity, which had brought uncleanness, is completely nullified.
with her dung: (Heb. וְאֶת־פִּרְשָׁהּ - ve'et-pirshah) The waste material, the most vile and impure part of the animal. Including the dung for burning highlights the absolute, comprehensive nature of the destruction. It signifies that even the basest elements associated with the impurity must be consumed by the fire, leaving no trace of defilement whatsoever. This points to the utter loathsomeness of death-related impurity in God's sight.
shall he burn: (Heb. יִשְׂרֹף - yisrof) Repetition of the verb for burning, reinforcing the complete and necessary action. It reiterates the command for absolute destruction by fire.
Words-group analysis:
- "one shall burn... in his sight": This phrase underlines the ritual's formality, necessity for proper authority, and execution by an appointed, pure person under strict priestly supervision. It highlights order and accountability.
- "her skin, and her flesh, and her blood, with her dung": This detailed list emphasizes the utter totality of the consumption. Every component, from the external covering to the life-force (blood) and even the most impure waste (dung), must be destroyed. This completeness underscores the gravity of the defilement (death) and the absolute nature of the purification provided by God. It leaves nothing to defile or to remain impure.
Numbers 19 5 Bonus section
The specific color, "red" (Num 19:2), and its absolute purity ("without blemish, in which is no defect, and on which a yoke has never come") for the red heifer is integral to the complete destruction process in verse 5. The perfect nature implies a flawless offering, anticipating the unblemished Christ (1 Pet 1:19). The paradox of the ritual—those involved in burning the heifer (v. 7-8) becoming ritually defiled even as they prepared the means of purification for others—highlights the intense spiritual pollution of sin and death and God's extraordinary, often counter-intuitive, means of holiness. It underscores that only God's prescribed means can effectively deal with profound defilement. The enduring power of the ashes from this burning (Num 19:9) points to the singular and perpetual efficacy of Christ's sacrifice, effective for all time.
Numbers 19 5 Commentary
Numbers 19:5 outlines the full combustion of the red heifer, an essential step in preparing the purification ashes for those defiled by contact with death. The uniqueness of this command lies in the comprehensive burning of the entire animal—skin, flesh, blood, and dung—outside the camp, unlike most sacrifices where portions were consecrated, blood was handled specifically, or skins might be priests' dues. The act of burning everything, including the blood, underscores a complete eradication of what represented defilement, contrasting with sacrifices where blood purified an altar or atoned. This total consumption, especially of the blood and dung, symbolizes the absolute repugnance of death-impurity to God and the radical provision needed for its removal. The entire process, from selecting the pure red heifer to its complete destruction, foreshadows Christ's ultimate, once-for-all sacrifice (Heb 9:13-14, 13:11-12). Just as the heifer's sacrifice occurred outside the camp to address defilement comprehensively, Jesus suffered "outside the gate" (Heb 13:12) to purify humanity from the deep defilement of sin and its ultimate consequence, spiritual death. The ashes, born of this thorough consumption, signify an enduring power for cleansing across generations.