Numbers 19:20
in Numbers 19But if a person who is unclean does not purify himself, he will be cut off from the assembly, because he has defiled the sanctuary of the LORD. The water of purification has not been sprinkled on him; he is unclean.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
But the man that shall be unclean, and shall not purify himself, that soul shall be cut off from the midst of the assembly, because he hath defiled the sanctuary of Jehovah: the water for impurity hath not been sprinkled upon him; he is unclean.
KJV
But the man that shall be unclean, and shall not purify himself, that soul shall be cut off from among the congregation, because he hath defiled the sanctuary of the Lord: the water of separation hath not been sprinkled upon him; he is unclean.
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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
The man who is ceremonially clean is to sprinkle the unclean person
on Numbers 19:19-20
No priest appears in this half of the rite. Any clean man sprinkles on the third and seventh days, and the unclean man is clean that evening. The one who refuses is cut off for the neglect rather than the contact, and Henry finds the fault in the contempt of the remedy.
This site's exposition
he will be cut off from the assembly
The sentence of verse 13 is given a second time, cut off now from the assembly. John Wesley limits it to the man who refuses the water presumptuously, since a man who erred in ignorance offered a sacrifice. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown read the cutting off as excommunication.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 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.
But the man that shall be unclean,.... By touching any dead body, bone, or grave: and shall not purify himself; with the water of purification: that soul shall be cut off from among the congregation: See Gill on Num 19:13. because he hath defiled the sanctuary of the Lord: by going into it in his uncleanness: the water of separation hath not been sprinkled upon him, he is unclean; and will remain so, for nothing else could purify him, see Num 19:13.
A slight wound, if neglected, may prove fatal; a sin we call little, if not repented of, will be our ruin, when great sinners that repent shall find mercy. Our uncleanness separates us from God, but it is our being unclean and not purifying ourselves that will separate us for ever from him: it is not the wound that is fatal, so much as the contempt of the remedy.
The words behind it
22 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְאִ֤ישׁ | veish | and a person | H376 → | 1663 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | who | H834 → | 5497 times |
| יִטְמָא֙ | yitma' | he will be unclean | H2930 → | 162 times |
| וְלֹ֣א | velo' | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יִתְחַטָּ֔א | yitchata' | he will purify himself | H2398 → | 238 times |
| וְנִכְרְתָ֛ה | venikhretah | and it will be cut off | H3772 → | 288 times |
| הַנֶּ֥פֶשׁ | hanefesh | the person | H5315 → | 754 times |
| הַהִ֖וא | hahiv' | <the> that | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| מִתּ֣וֹךְ | mitokh | from among | H8432 → | 418 times |
| הַקָּהָ֑ל | hakahal | the assembly | H6951 → | 123 times |
| כִּי֩ | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| מִקְדַּ֨שׁ | mikdash | [the] sanctuary of | H4720 → | 75 times |
| יְהוָ֜ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| טִמֵּ֗א | time' | he has made unclean | H2930 → | 162 times |
| מֵ֥י | mei | water of | H4325 → | 581 times |
| נִדָּ֛ה | nidah | impurity | H5079 → | 29 times |
| לֹא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| זֹרַ֥ק | zorak | it has been sprinkled | H2236 → | 35 times |
| עָלָ֖יו | ʾalav | on him | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| טָמֵ֥א | tame' | [is] unclean | H2931 → | 88 times |
| הֽוּא׃ | hu' | he | H1931 → | 1879 times |
וְאִ֤ישׁand a person
veishH376 →1663 times
אֲשֶׁר־who
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
יִטְמָא֙he will be unclean
yitma'H2930 →162 times
וְלֹ֣אand not
velo'H3808 →5168 times
יִתְחַטָּ֔אhe will purify himself
yitchata'H2398 →238 times
וְנִכְרְתָ֛הand it will be cut off
venikhretahH3772 →288 times
הַנֶּ֥פֶשׁthe person
hanefeshH5315 →754 times
הַהִ֖וא<the> that
hahiv'H1931 →1879 times
מִתּ֣וֹךְfrom among
mitokhH8432 →418 times
הַקָּהָ֑לthe assembly
hakahalH6951 →123 times
כִּי֩for
kiH3588 →4482 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
מִקְדַּ֨שׁ[the] sanctuary of
mikdashH4720 →75 times
יְהוָ֜הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
טִמֵּ֗אhe has made unclean
time'H2930 →162 times
מֵ֥יwater of
meiH4325 →581 times
נִדָּ֛הimpurity
nidahH5079 →29 times
לֹא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
זֹרַ֥קit has been sprinkled
zorakH2236 →35 times
עָלָ֖יוon him
ʾalavH5921 →5755 times
טָמֵ֥א[is] unclean
tame'H2931 →88 times
הֽוּא׃he
hu'H1931 →1879 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
Mark 16:16Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.
it leads to
- John 11:25–26
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me will live, even though he dies.
- John 3:36
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life. Whoever rejects the Son will not see life. Instead, the wrath of God remains on him.”
- Romans 10:9–14
that if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
- John 3:18–19
Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.
- John 3:15–16
that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life.
- John 11:25–26
Through
Revelation 22:11Let the unrighteous continue to be unrighteous, and the vile continue to be vile; let the righteous continue to practice righteousness, and the holy continue to be holy.”
it leads to
- Daniel 12:10
Many will be purified, made spotless, and refined, but the wicked will continue to act wickedly. None of the wicked will understand, but the wise will understand.
- Proverbs 4:18
The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining brighter and brighter until midday.
- Ezekiel 3:27
But when I speak with you, I will open your mouth, and you are to tell them, ‘This is what the Lord GOD says.’ Whoever listens, let him listen; and whoever refuses, let him…
- Daniel 12:10
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; 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.