Numbers 19:9

King James Version:

(The Lord speaking is red text)

And a man [that is] clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer, and lay [them] up without the camp in a clean place, and it shall be kept for the congregation of the children of Israel for a water of separation: it [is] a purification for sin.

Complete Jewish Bible:

A man who is clean is to collect the ashes of the heifer and store them outside the camp in a clean place. They are to be kept for the community of the people of Isra'el to prepare water for purification from sin.

Berean Standard Bible:

Then a man who is ceremonially clean is to gather up the ashes of the heifer and store them in a ceremonially clean place outside the camp. They must be kept by the congregation of Israel for preparing the water of purification; this is for purification from sin.

American Standard Version:

And a man that is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer, and lay them up without the camp in a clean place; and it shall be kept for the congregation of the children of Israel for a water for impurity: it is a sin-offering.

KJV with Strong’s Numbers:

And a man^{H376} that is clean^{H2889} shall gather^{H622} up the ashes^{H665} of the heifer^{H6510}, and lay them up^{H3240} without^{H2351} the camp^{H4264} in a clean^{H2889} place^{H4725}, and it shall be kept^{H4931} for the congregation^{H5712} of the children^{H1121} of Israel^{H3478} for a water^{H4325} of separation^{H5079}: it is a purification for sin^{H2403}.

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Commentary for Numbers 19:9

Numbers 19:9 is part of a larger section in the book of Numbers that deals with the ritual of the red heifer, also known as the "parah adumah" in Hebrew. This ritual is unique in that it is one of the few rituals in the Torah specifically designated for the purification from the ritual impurity that comes from contact with a dead body.

In the context of Numbers, the Israelites are wandering in the wilderness after their exodus from Egypt, and God is establishing the laws and rituals that will govern their religious and communal life. The verse itself describes a process where a clean person, one who is ritually pure, is to collect the ashes of a specially prepared red heifer that has been burned outside the camp. These ashes are to be stored in a clean place outside the camp and are to be used for the preparation of water that has the power to purify those who have become ritually unclean due to contact with a corpse.

The themes present in this verse include ritual purity, community responsibility, and the idea of a substitutionary purification offering. The ritual emphasizes the importance of maintaining a state of purity within the community, especially for those who would enter the sanctuary or participate in religious ceremonies. The ashes of the heifer serve as a means of restoring purity and allowing individuals to reintegrate into the community. The ceremony also prefigures the Christian concept of Christ's sacrifice as a means of purification from sin, with the red heifer sometimes seen as a typological reference to Jesus, who is referred to as the "Lamb of God" in the New Testament.

Historically, this ritual was taken very seriously by the Israelites and later by the Jewish people, with the ashes being carefully preserved and used as prescribed. The exact location for storing the ashes and the details of the ritual were matters of significant importance in Second Temple Judaism and remain a subject of interest in contemporary Judaism, particularly among those who anticipate the reestablishment of the Temple service in Jerusalem.

*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model

Strong's Numbers and Definitions:

Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)

1. Strong's Number: H376
   There are 1507 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: אִישׁ
   Transliteration: ʼîysh
   Pronunciation: eesh
   Description: contracted for אֱנוֹשׁ (or perhaps rather from an unused root meaning to be extant); a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation); also, another, any (man), a certain, [phrase] champion, consent, each, every (one), fellow, (foot-, husband-) man, (good-, great, mighty) man, he, high (degree), him (that is), husband, man(-kind), [phrase] none, one, people, person, [phrase] steward, what (man) soever, whoso(-ever), worthy. Compare אִשָּׁה.
   
2. Strong's Number: H2889
   There are 87 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: טָהוֹר
   Transliteration: ṭâhôwr
   Pronunciation: taw-hore'
   Description: or טָהֹר; from טָהֵר; pure (in a physical, chemical, ceremonial or moral sense); clean, fair, pure(-ness).
   
3. Strong's Number: H622
   There are 281 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: אָסַף
   Transliteration: ʼâçaph
   Pronunciation: aw-saf'
   Description: a primitive root; to gather for any purpose; hence, to receive, take away, i.e. remove (destroy, leave behind, put up, restore, etc.); assemble, bring, consume, destroy, felch, gather (in, together, up again), [idiom] generally, get (him), lose, put all together, receive, recover (another from leprosy), (be) rereward, [idiom] surely, take (away, into, up), [idiom] utterly, withdraw.
   
4. Strong's Number: H665
   There are 118 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: אֵפֶר
   Transliteration: ʼêpher
   Pronunciation: ay'-fer
   Description: from an unused root meaning to bestrew; ashes; ashes.
   
5. Strong's Number: H6510
   There are 22 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: פָּרָה
   Transliteration: pârâh
   Pronunciation: paw-raw'
   Description: feminine of פַּר; a heifer; cow, heifer, kine.
   
6. Strong's Number: H3240
   There are 73 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: יָנַח
   Transliteration: yânach
   Pronunciation: yaw-nakh'
   Description: a primitive root; to deposit; by implication, to allow to stay; bestow, cast down, lay (down, up), leave (off), let alone (remain), pacify, place, put, set (down), suffer, withdraw, withhold. (The Hiphil forms with the dagesh are here referred to, in accordance with the older grammarians; but if any distinction of the kind is to be made, these should rather be referred to נוּחַ, and the others here.)
   
7. Strong's Number: H2351
   There are 159 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: חוּץ
   Transliteration: chûwts
   Pronunciation: khoots
   Description: or (shortened) חֻץ; (both forms feminine in the plural) from an unused root meaning to sever; properly, separate by awall, i.e. outside, outdoors; abroad, field, forth, highway, more, out(-side, -ward), street, without.
   
8. Strong's Number: H4264
   There are 190 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: מַחֲנֶה
   Transliteration: machăneh
   Pronunciation: makh-an-eh'
   Description: from חָנָה; an encampment (of travellers or troops); hence, an army, whether literal (of soldiers) or figurative (of dancers, angels, cattle, locusts, stars; or even the sacred courts); army, band, battle, camp, company, drove, host, tents.
   
9. Strong's Number: H4725
   There are 379 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: מָקוֹם
   Transliteration: mâqôwm
   Pronunciation: maw-kome'
   Description: or מָקֹם; also (feminine) מְקוֹמָה; or מְקֹמָה; from קוּם; properly, a standing, i.e. a spot; but used widely of a locality (general or specific); also (figuratively) of a condition (of body or mind); country, [idiom] home, [idiom] open, place, room, space, [idiom] whither(-soever).
   
10. Strong's Number: H4931
    There are 69 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: מִשְׁמֶרֶת
    Transliteration: mishmereth
    Pronunciation: mish-mer'-reth
    Description: feminine of מִשְׁמָר; watch, i.e. the act (custody), or (concretely) the sentry, the post; objectively preservation, or (concretely) safe; figuratively observance, i.e. (abstractly) duty or (objectively) a usage or party; charge, keep, or to be kept, office, ordinace, safeguard, ward, watch.
    
11. Strong's Number: H5712
    There are 140 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: עֵדָה
    Transliteration: ʻêdâh
    Pronunciation: ay-daw'
    Description: feminine of עֵד in the original sense of fixture; a stated assemblage (specifically, a concourse, or generally, a family or crowd); assembly, company, congregation, multitude, people, swarm. Compare עֵדָה.
    
12. Strong's Number: H1121
    There are 3654 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: בֵּן
    Transliteration: bên
    Pronunciation: bane
    Description: from בָּנָה; a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.); [phrase] afflicted, age, (Ahoh-) (Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-) ite, (anoint-) ed one, appointed to, ([phrase]) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-) ian, one born, bough, branch, breed, [phrase] (young) bullock, [phrase] (young) calf, [idiom] came up in, child, colt, [idiom] common, [idiom] corn, daughter, [idiom] of first, [phrase] firstborn, foal, [phrase] very fruitful, [phrase] postage, [idiom] in, [phrase] kid, [phrase] lamb, ([phrase]) man, meet, [phrase] mighty, [phrase] nephew, old, ([phrase]) people, [phrase] rebel, [phrase] robber, [idiom] servant born, [idiom] soldier, son, [phrase] spark, [phrase] steward, [phrase] stranger, [idiom] surely, them of, [phrase] tumultuous one, [phrase] valiant(-est), whelp, worthy, young (one), youth.
    
13. Strong's Number: H3478
    There are 2229 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: יִשְׂרָאֵל
    Transliteration: Yisrâʼêl
    Pronunciation: yis-raw-ale'
    Description: from שָׂרָה and אֵל; he will rule as God; Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterity; Israel.
    
14. Strong's Number: H4325
    There are 525 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: מַיִם
    Transliteration: mayim
    Pronunciation: mah'-yim
    Description: dual of a primitive noun (but used in a singular sense); water; figuratively, juice; by euphemism, urine, semen; [phrase] piss, wasting, water(-ing, (-course, -flood, -spring)).
    
15. Strong's Number: H5079
    There are 24 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: נִדָּה
    Transliteration: niddâh
    Pronunciation: nid-daw'
    Description: from נָדַד; properly, rejection; by implication, impurity, especially personal (menstruation) or moral (idolatry, incest); [idiom] far, filthiness, [idiom] flowers, menstruous (woman), put apart, [idiom] removed (woman), separation, set apart, unclean(-ness, thing, with filthiness).
    
16. Strong's Number: H2403
    There are 272 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: חַטָּאָה
    Transliteration: chaṭṭâʼâh
    Pronunciation: khat-taw-aw'
    Description: or חַטָּאת; from חָטָא; an offence (sometimes habitual sinfulness), and its penalty, occasion, sacrifice, or expiation; also (concretely) an offender; punishment (of sin), purifying(-fication for sin), sin(-ner, offering).