Numbers 19:12
in Numbers 19He must purify himself with the water on the third day and on the seventh day; then he will be clean. But if he does not purify himself on the third and seventh days, he will not be clean.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
the same shall purify himself therewith on the third day, and on the seventh day he shall be clean: but if he purify not himself the third day, then the seventh day he shall not be clean.
KJV
He shall purify himself with it on the third day, and on the seventh day he shall be clean: but if he purify not himself the third day, then the seventh day he shall not be clean.
⋯
This verse in Numbers 19
Commentary
7 notes on this verseHe shall purify himself with it - יתחטא בו yithchatta bo, literally, he shall sin himself with it. This Hebrew form of speech is common enough among us in other matters. Thus to fleece, to bark, and to skin, do not signify to add a fleece, another bark, or a skin, but to take one away; therefore, to sin himself, in the Hebrew idiom, is not to add sin, but to take it away, to purify. The verb חטא chata signifies to miss the mark, to sin, to purify from sin, and to make a sin-offering.
This site's exposition
He that toucheth the dead body of any man
on Numbers 19:11-12
Touching a dead body puts a man outside the camp life for seven days, and Barnes points at one practical effect, that bodies were buried early rather than left in the open for the beasts. The remedy runs on a clock, sprinkling on the third day and on the seventh, and the man who misses the third is still unclean on the seventh. Clarke works the Hebrew of purify himself, yithchatta bo, literally he shall sin himself with it, since the verb behind sin also carries the sense of removing sin and of making a sin offering.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
With it - With the water of separation. On the third day - To typify Christ's resurrection on that day by which we are cleansed or sanctified.
He shall purify himself with it,.... That is, with the ashes of the water of purification made of them: and this was to be done first on the third day; from the time of his touching the dead body.
Then, and then only, we may with comfort apply Christ's merit to our souls, when we have forsaken sin, and cease all fellowship with the unfruitful works of death and darkness. The repetition of the sprinkling teaches us often to renew the actings of repentance and faith, wash as Naaman, seven times; we need to do that often which is so necessary to be well done.
As the ashes of the heifer signified the merit of Christ, so the running water signified the power and grace of the blessed Spirit, who is compared to rivers of living water; and it is by his operation that the righteousness of Christ is applied to us for our cleansing.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
To afford the necessary supply of the cleansing mixture, the Jewish writers say that a red heifer was sacrificed every year, and that the ashes, mingled with the sprinkling ingredients, were distributed through all the cities and towns of Israel.
The words behind it
17 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ה֣וּא | hu' | he | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| יִתְחַטָּא־ | yitchata'- | he will purify himself | H2398 → | 238 times |
| ב֞וֹ | vo | with <the> it | ||
| בַּיּ֧וֹם | baiyom | on the day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֛י | hashelishi | <the> third | H7992 → | 107 times |
| וּבַיּ֥וֹם | uvaiyom | and on the day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| הַשְּׁבִיעִ֖י | hashevii | <the> seventh | H7637 → | 98 times |
| יִטְהָ֑ר | yithar | he will be pure | H2891 → | 94 times |
| וְאִם־ | veim- | and if | H518 → | 1069 times |
| לֹ֨א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יִתְחַטָּ֜א | yitchata' | he will purify himself | H2398 → | 238 times |
| בַּיּ֧וֹם | baiyom | on the day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֛י | hashelishi | <the> third | H7992 → | 107 times |
| וּבַיּ֥וֹם | uvaiyom | and on the day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| הַשְּׁבִיעִ֖י | hashevii | <the> seventh | H7637 → | 98 times |
| לֹ֥א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יִטְהָֽר׃ | yithar | he will be pure | H2891 → | 94 times |
ה֣וּאhe
hu'H1931 →1879 times
יִתְחַטָּא־he will purify himself
yitchata'-H2398 →238 times
ב֞וֹwith <the> it
vo
בַּיּ֧וֹםon the day
baiyomH3117 →2304 times
הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֛י<the> third
hashelishiH7992 →107 times
וּבַיּ֥וֹםand on the day
uvaiyomH3117 →2304 times
הַשְּׁבִיעִ֖י<the> seventh
hasheviiH7637 →98 times
יִטְהָ֑רhe will be pure
yitharH2891 →94 times
וְאִם־and if
veim-H518 →1069 times
לֹ֨אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
יִתְחַטָּ֜אhe will purify himself
yitchata'H2398 →238 times
בַּיּ֧וֹםon the day
baiyomH3117 →2304 times
הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֛י<the> third
hashelishiH7992 →107 times
וּבַיּ֥וֹםand on the day
uvaiyomH3117 →2304 times
הַשְּׁבִיעִ֖י<the> seventh
hasheviiH7637 →98 times
לֹ֥אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
יִטְהָֽר׃he will be pure
yitharH2891 →94 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Revelation 7:14“Sir,” I answered, “you know.” So he replied, “These are the ones who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the…
it leads to
- 1 John 1:7
But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.
- Revelation 22:14
Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and may enter the city by its gates.
- Hebrews 13:12
And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate, to sanctify the people by His own blood.
- Revelation 1:5
and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and has released us from our sins by…
- Revelation 12:11
They have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony. And they did not love their lives so as to shy away from death.
- 1 John 1:7
Through
Exodus 19:11and be prepared by the third day, for on the third day the LORD will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people.
it leads to
- Exodus 19:16
On the third day, when morning came, there was thunder and lightning. A thick cloud was upon the mountain, and a very loud blast of the ram’s horn went out, so that all the…
- Exodus 19:16
Through
Exodus 19:15“Be prepared for the third day,” he said to the people. “Do not draw near to a woman.”
it leads to
- 1 Corinthians 7:5
Do not deprive each other, except by mutual consent and for a time, so you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again, so that Satan will not tempt you through your lack…
- Exodus 19:11
and be prepared by the third day, for on the third day the LORD will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people.
- 1 Corinthians 7:5
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies2
About Numbers
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.