Numbers 19:2

Laws of Purification

1 Now the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying,

2 “This is the¹ ordinance of the law which the Lord has commanded, saying: ‘Speak to the children of Israel, that they bring you a red heifer without² blemish, in which there is no ^adefect ^band on which a yoke has never come.

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

4 and Eleazar the priest shall take some of its blood with his finger, and ^asprinkle some of its blood seven times directly in front of the tabernacle of meeting.

5 Then the heifer shall be burned in his sight: ^aits hide, its flesh, its blood, and its offal shall be burned.

6 And the priest shall take ^acedar wood and ^bhyssop and scarlet, and cast them into the midst of the fire burning the heifer.

7 ^aThen the priest shall wash his clothes, he shall bathe in water, and afterward he shall come into the camp; the priest shall be unclean until evening.

8 And the one who burns it shall wash his clothes in water, bathe in water, and shall be unclean until evening.

9 Then a man who is clean shall gather up ^athe ashes of the heifer, and store them outside the camp in a clean place; and they shall be kept for the congregation of the children of Israel ^bfor the water of purification; it is for purifying from sin.

10 And the one who gathers the ashes of the heifer shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until evening. It shall be a statute forever to the children of Israel and to the stranger who dwells among them.

11 ^a‘He who touches the dead¹ body of anyone shall be unclean seven days.

Commentaries:

Barnes' Notes

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Numbers 19:2

A red heifer - Red, in order to shadow forth man' s earthly body, even as the name Adam bears allusion to the red earth of which man' s body was fashioned.

Without spot, wherein is no blemish - As with sin-offerings generally Leviticus 4:3.

Upon which never came yoke - So here and elsewhere (see the marginal references), in the case of female victims.

**Other Barnes' Notes entries containing Numbers 19:2:**

Hebrews 9:13

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