Numbers 19:18
in Numbers 19Then a man who is ceremonially clean is to take some hyssop, dip it in the water, and sprinkle the tent, all the furnishings, and the people who were there. He is also to sprinkle the one who touched a bone, a grave, or a person who has died or been slain.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and a clean person shall take hyssop, and dip it in the water, and sprinkle it upon the tent, and upon all the vessels, and upon the persons that were there, and upon him that touched the bone, or the slain, or the dead, or the grave:
KJV
And a clean person shall take hyssop, and dip it in the water, and sprinkle it upon the tent, and upon all the vessels, and upon the persons that were there, and upon him that touched a bone, or one slain, or one dead, or a grave:
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This verse in Numbers 19
Commentary
6 notes on this verseA 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.
This site's exposition
they shall take of the ashes of the burnt heifer
on Numbers 19:17-18
Ashes from the burnt heifer go into a vessel and running water is poured on them, water taken living from a spring or a stream rather than standing water out of a cistern. A clean person takes hyssop to sprinkle it, the same plant that carried the blood to the doorposts at Exodus 12:22 and the one David asks for at Psalm 51:7. What is sprinkled is the tent, the vessels and the people, so the house is treated along with the man who was in it.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
And that this ceremonial purification was a type and figure of the cleansing of the consciences of believers from the pollutions of sin appears by the apostle's discourse, Heb. ix. 13, 14 , where he compares the efficacy of the blood of Christ with the sanctifying virtue that was in "the ashes of a heifer sprinkling the unclean." The Ashes of Purification.
In allusion to this application of the water of separation by sprinkling, the blood of Christ is said to be the blood of sprinkling ( Heb. xii. 24 ), and with it were are said to be sprinkled from an evil conscience ( Heb. x. 22 ), that is, we are freed from the uneasiness that arises from a sense of our guilt.
And a clean person shall take hyssop, and dip it in the water,....
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.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
The meaning thereof is not that he should first put the ashes [of the Red Heifer] into the vessel and then put the water upon the ashes, for our Rabbis have taught. Sotah 16b.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 6 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
26 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְלָקַ֨ח | velakach | and he will take | H3947 → | 966 times |
| אֵז֜וֹב | ʾezov | hyssop | H231 → | |
| וְטָבַ֣ל | vetaval | and he will dip [it] | H2881 → | |
| בַּמַּיִם֮ | bamayim | in the water | H4325 → | 581 times |
| אִ֣ישׁ | ʾish | a person | H376 → | 1663 times |
| טָהוֹר֒ | tahor | clean | H2889 → | 94 times |
| וְהִזָּ֤ה | vehizah | and he will spatter [it] | H5137 → | 24 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| הָאֹ֙הֶל֙ | haohel | the tent | H168 → | 345 times |
| וְעַל־ | veal- | and on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הַכֵּלִ֔ים | hakelim | the vessels | H3627 → | 325 times |
| וְעַל־ | veal- | and on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| הַנְּפָשׁ֖וֹת | hanefashot | the people | H5315 → | 754 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | who | H834 → | 5497 times |
| הָֽיוּ־ | hayu- | they were | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| שָׁ֑ם | sham | there | H8033 → | 834 times |
| וְעַל־ | veal- | and on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| הַנֹּגֵ֗עַ | hanogea' | the [one who] touched | H5060 → | 150 times |
| בַּעֶ֙צֶם֙ | baetzem | <in> the bone | H6106 → | 126 times |
| א֣וֹ | ʾo | or | H176 → | 321 times |
| בֶֽחָלָ֔ל | vechalal | <in> the [one] slain | H2491 → | 94 times |
| א֥וֹ | ʾo | or | H176 → | 321 times |
| בַמֵּ֖ת | vamet | <in> the dead [body] | H4191 → | 839 times |
| א֥וֹ | ʾo | or | H176 → | 321 times |
| בַקָּֽבֶר׃ | vakaver | <in> the grave | H6913 → |
וְלָקַ֨חand he will take
velakachH3947 →966 times
אֵז֜וֹבhyssop
ʾezovH231 →
וְטָבַ֣לand he will dip [it]
vetavalH2881 →
בַּמַּיִם֮in the water
bamayimH4325 →581 times
אִ֣ישׁa person
ʾishH376 →1663 times
טָהוֹר֒clean
tahorH2889 →94 times
וְהִזָּ֤הand he will spatter [it]
vehizahH5137 →24 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
הָאֹ֙הֶל֙the tent
haohelH168 →345 times
וְעַל־and on
veal-H5921 →5755 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
הַכֵּלִ֔יםthe vessels
hakelimH3627 →325 times
וְעַל־and on
veal-H5921 →5755 times
הַנְּפָשׁ֖וֹתthe people
hanefashotH5315 →754 times
אֲשֶׁ֣רwho
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
הָֽיוּ־they were
hayu-H1961 →3559 times
שָׁ֑םthere
shamH8033 →834 times
וְעַל־and on
veal-H5921 →5755 times
הַנֹּגֵ֗עַthe [one who] touched
hanogea'H5060 →150 times
בַּעֶ֙צֶם֙<in> the bone
baetzemH6106 →126 times
א֣וֹor
ʾoH176 →321 times
בֶֽחָלָ֔ל<in> the [one] slain
vechalalH2491 →94 times
א֥וֹor
ʾoH176 →321 times
בַמֵּ֖ת<in> the dead [body]
vametH4191 →839 times
א֥וֹor
ʾoH176 →321 times
בַקָּֽבֶר׃<in> the grave
vakaverH6913 →
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
Hebrews 9:14how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself unblemished to God, purify our consciences from works of death, so that we may serve the living God!
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.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Hebrews 10:22
let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
- 1 Peter 1:19
but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or spot.
- Hebrews 9:12
He did not enter by the blood of goats and calves, but He entered the Most Holy Place once for all by His own blood, thus securing eternal redemption.
- 1 Peter 2:24
He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. “By His stripes you are healed.”
- 1 John 1:7
Through
1 Corinthians 1:30It is because of Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God: our righteousness, holiness, and redemption.
it leads to
- Ephesians 1:7
In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace
- Philippians 3:9
and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God on the basis of faith.
- Romans 8:1
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
- Ephesians 1:7
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies2
About Numbers
This page draws on Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.