Numbers 9:10
in Numbers 9“Tell the Israelites: ‘When any one of you or your descendants is unclean because of a dead body, or is away on a journey, he may still observe the Passover to the LORD.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If any man of you or of your generations shall be unclean by reason of a dead body, or be on a journey afar off, yet he shall keep the passover unto Jehovah.
KJV
Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If any man of you or of your posterity shall be unclean by reason of a dead body, or be in a journey afar off, yet he shall keep the passover unto the Lord.
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This verse in Numbers 9
Commentary
5 notes on this verseUnclean or in a journey - Under these two instances the Hebrews think that other hindrances of like nature are comprehended; as if one be hindered by a disease, or by any other such kind of uncleanness; which may seem probable both from the nature of the thing, and the reason of the law which is the same in other cases.
This site's exposition
Then the LORD said to Moses
on Numbers 9:9-10
The answer covers the men who asked and adds a case nobody had raised, the man far from home. It reaches “any one of you or your descendants”, so a question a few men brought becomes standing law.
This site's exposition
he may still observe the Passover to the LORD
Albert Barnes notes a month's delay gave the unclean time to purify and most travellers time to come home. Matthew Henry reads the rule as allowing a duty to be postponed for good cause while the duty itself still stood, and compares Matthew 5:23-24. The traveller had a second date.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
This secondary passover was to be kept on the same day of the month with the first, because the ordinance was a memorial of their deliverance on that day of the month.
Speak unto the children of Israel, saying,....
How the passage was read
On Numbers 9:1-14On Numbers 9:1-14
The make-up Passover
This passage creates something rare in the Law: a second chance at a feast. Anyone unclean or far away at Passover could keep it exactly one month later, on the 14th of the second month. Jewish tradition calls it Pesach Sheni, “Second Passover,” and it is still marked lightly today (some eat a piece of matzah on the day). Israel's kings used the provision at national scale: Hezekiah's great Passover was held in the second month on exactly this ground (2 Chronicles 30).
What the Jewish commentators add
B’DERECH R’CHOKAH’ Rashi commented [that the meaning of this expression — literally “on a distant way” — is] “that he was outside the threshold of the Sanctuary Court during the whole time prescribed for slaughtering [the Passover-offering].
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.
Sources: Mishnah Pesachim 9:1 (who keeps the Second Passover) · 2 Chronicles 30 (the provision used nationally)
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 4 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
20 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| דַּבֵּ֛ר | daber | speak | H1696 → | 1141 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| בְּנֵ֥י | benei | [the] people of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| לֵאמֹ֑ר | lemor | <to> saying | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אִ֣ישׁ | ʾish | a man | H376 → | 1663 times |
| אִ֣ישׁ | ʾish | a man | H376 → | 1663 times |
| כִּי־ | ki- | if | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| יִהְיֶֽה־ | yihyeh- | he will be | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| טָמֵ֣א׀ | tame' | unclean | H2931 → | 88 times |
| לָנֶ֡פֶשׁ | lanefesh | to a corpse | H5315 → | 754 times |
| אוֹ֩ | ʾo | or | H176 → | 321 times |
| בְדֶ֨רֶךְ | vederekh | on a journey | H1870 → | 707 times |
| רְחֹקָ֜הׄ | rechokah | distant | H7350 → | |
| לָכֶ֗ם | lakhem | to you | ||
| א֚וֹ | ʾo | or | H176 → | 321 times |
| לְדֹרֹ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם | ledoroteikhem | to generations your | H1755 → | 167 times |
| וְעָ֥שָׂה | veasah | and he will observe | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| פֶ֖סַח | fesach | a passover | H6453 → | 49 times |
| לַיהוָֽה׃ | layahweh | to Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
דַּבֵּ֛רspeak
daberH1696 →1141 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
בְּנֵ֥י[the] people of
beneiH1121 →4930 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֖לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
לֵאמֹ֑ר<to> saying
lemorH559 →5305 times
אִ֣ישׁa man
ʾishH376 →1663 times
אִ֣ישׁa man
ʾishH376 →1663 times
כִּי־if
ki-H3588 →4482 times
יִהְיֶֽה־he will be
yihyeh-H1961 →3559 times
טָמֵ֣א׀unclean
tame'H2931 →88 times
לָנֶ֡פֶשׁto a corpse
lanefeshH5315 →754 times
אוֹ֩or
ʾoH176 →321 times
בְדֶ֨רֶךְon a journey
vederekhH1870 →707 times
רְחֹקָ֜הׄdistant
rechokahH7350 →
לָכֶ֗םto you
lakhem
א֚וֹor
ʾoH176 →321 times
לְדֹרֹ֣תֵיכֶ֔םto generations your
ledoroteikhemH1755 →167 times
וְעָ֥שָׂהand he will observe
veasahH6213 →2628 times
פֶ֖סַחa passover
fesachH6453 →49 times
לַיהוָֽה׃to Yahweh
layahwehH3068 →6520 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
5 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
Matthew 5:24leave your gift there before the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.
it leads to
- James 5:16
Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man has great power to prevail.
- Romans 12:17–18
Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Carefully consider what is right in the eyes of everybody.
- Matthew 18:15–17
If your brother sins against you, go and confront him privately. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over.
- Proverbs 25:9
Argue your case with your neighbor without betraying another’s confidence,
- 1 Peter 3:7–8
Husbands, in the same way, treat your wives with consideration as a delicate vessel, and with honor as fellow heirs of the gracious gift of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.
- James 5:16
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies6
About Numbers
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; 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.