And every open vessel ,.... An earthen one, as the Targum of Jonathan; and so Jarchi interprets it; and Maimonides F18 In Misn. Cholin, c. 1. sect. 6. observes, that this is only to be understood of an earthen vessel: which hath no covering bound upon it ; a linen or a woollen cloth wrapped and tied about it: is unclean ; the air of the house getting into it by its being uncovered. read more
And whosoever toucheth one that is slain with a sword in the open fields ,.... That is killed by another, that dies a violent death, either by the sword or other means; one that touched such an one was unclean, or that touched the sword with which he was slain, as the Targum of Jonathan adds: "or a dead body": that dies a natural death, or suddenly, or in any way: or a bone off a man ; dug out of a grave, and lying by itself: or a grave ; the Targum adds, either the covering or side... read more
And for an unclean person ,.... Defiled by any of the above means: they shall take of the ashes of the burnt heifer of purification for sin ; from the place where they were laid up for this use; See Gill on Numbers 19:9 and some have thought that they were laid up in various cities and places in the country, as well as at Jerusalem, that they might be come at easily upon occasion; otherwise they could not be had without great trouble and expense, and in some places not so soon as the... read more
And a clean person shall take hyssop, and dip it in the water ,.... Three stalks of hyssop bound together, as the Targum of Jonathan, and this man was to be a clean priest, according to the same; but it does not seem necessary that he should be a priest, but that anyone free from ceremonial pollution might do it: and sprinkle it upon the tent ; where there was a dead body: but this, we are told, is to be understood not of a tent made of wood, or stone, or clay, but made of anything... read more
And the clean person shall sprinkle upon the unclean ,.... The clean priest shall sprinkle upon the unclean man, as the Targum of Jonathan; that is, he shall sprinkle the water of purification upon him that is unclean in any of the above ways: on the third day, and on the seventh day ; See Gill on Numbers 19:12 , and on the seventh day he shall purify himself ; either the unclean person, who shall perfect his purification, as Jarchi interprets it, that is, by doing what follows; or... read more
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 Numbers 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 Numbers 19:13 . read more
And it shall be a perpetual statute unto them ,.... To the children of Israel, throughout their generations, unto the coming of the Messiah, when the ceremonial law, which stood in divers washings and purifications, was abolished: that he that sprinkleth the water of separation shall wash his clothes ; the priest that sprinkled, according to the Targum of Jonathan, or any other person that did it; so that the same purifying water, which made an unclean person clean, defiled a clean one;... read more
And whatsoever the unclean person toucheth shall be unclean ,.... Not the person unclean by sprinkling, or touching the water of purification, but the unclean person spoken of throughout the chapter, that was unclean by touching a dead body, bone, or grave; whatever that man touched, any vessel or thing, that was unclean also; or "whomsoever", any person, man or woman, for it respects both persons and things: and the soul that toucheth it ; that which the unclean person hath touched; or... read more
For a water of separation - That is, the ashes were to be kept, in order to be mixed with water, Numbers 19:17 , and sprinkled on those who had contracted any legal defilement. read more
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John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Numbers 19:14
This is the law when a man dieth in a tent ,.... A tent is only mentioned, because the Israelites now dwelt in tents, as Aben Ezra remarks; otherwise the law holds equally good of an house as of a tent: all that come into the tent, and all that is in the tent, shall be unclean seven days ; the meaning of which is, that all persons that come into a tent or house where a dead body is are equally unclean as those that were in it when it died; and the same is to be supposed of all vessels... read more