King James Version
Numbers 19
22 verses with commentary
The Water of Purification
And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
The red heifer ceremony provided purification from corpse contamination—the ultimate ritual uncleanness. This elaborate procedure involving a flawless animal, specific burning materials, and careful application of ashes demonstrates that removing death's defilement requires extraordinary measures. The writer of Hebrews (9:13-14) explicitly connects this to Christ's superior purification from sin.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**40-45. they rose up early in the morning, and gat them up into the top of the mountain--**Notwithstanding the tidings that Moses communicated and which diffused a general feeling of melancholy and grief throughout the camp, the impression was of very brief continuance. They rushed from one extreme of rashness and perversity to another, and the obstinacy of their rebellious spirit was evinced by ...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 19
Chapter Outline
The ashes of a heifer.(1-10)
Used to purify the unclean.(11-22)
**Verses 1-10**
The heifer was to be wholly burned. This typified the painful sufferings of our Lord Jesus, both in soul and body, as a sacrifice made by fire, to satisfy God's justice for man's sin. These ashes are said to be laid up as a purification for sin, because, though they were onl...
Read full commentary →This is the ordinance of the law which the LORD hath commanded, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring thee a red heifer without spot, wherein is no blemish, and upon which never came yoke:
View commentary (2 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
The red heifer ordinance presents a unique paradox in Levitical law: the purifying agent itself causes ceremonial uncleanness to those who prepare it (v.7-8). This foreshadows Christ's paradoxical work - He who knew no sin became sin for us (2 Cor 5:21). The Hebrew 'parah adummah' (red heifer) must be completely red, without blemish, and never yoked - symbolizing the sinless, unblemished Christ wh...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 19
Chapter Outline
The ashes of a heifer.(1-10)
Used to purify the unclean.(11-22)
**Verses 1-10**
The heifer was to be wholly burned. This typified the painful sufferings of our Lord Jesus, both in soul and body, as a sacrifice made by fire, to satisfy God's justice for man's sin. These ashes are said to be laid up as a purification for sin, because, though they were onl...
Read full commentary →And ye shall give her unto Eleazar the priest, that he may bring her forth without the camp, and one shall slay her before his face:
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
The heifer was brought 'without the camp' for slaughter—outside the holy precinct. This detail prefigures Christ's crucifixion 'outside the gate' (Hebrews 13:11-13), where He bore our uncleanness. The paradox: what purifies must itself be treated as unclean. Christ became sin for us (2 Corinthians 5:21), bearing contamination to provide cleansing.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
CHAPTER 15 Nu 15:1-41. The Law of Sundry Offerings.
**1-2. The Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel--**Some infer from Nu 15:23 that the date of this communication must be fixed towards the close of the wanderings in the wilderness; and, also, that all the sacrifices prescribed in the law were to be offered only after the settlement in Canaan.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 19
Chapter Outline
The ashes of a heifer.(1-10)
Used to purify the unclean.(11-22)
**Verses 1-10**
The heifer was to be wholly burned. This typified the painful sufferings of our Lord Jesus, both in soul and body, as a sacrifice made by fire, to satisfy God's justice for man's sin. These ashes are said to be laid up as a purification for sin, because, though they were onl...
Read full commentary →And Eleazar the priest shall take of her blood with his finger, and sprinkle of her blood directly before the tabernacle of the congregation seven times:
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
Eleazar the priest took blood and sprinkled it 'directly before the tabernacle' seven times. Though slaughtered outside the camp, the blood was presented toward God's dwelling—connecting purification to divine presence. Seven sprinklin gs symbolized completeness. This ritual taught that cleansing from death required blood applied in God's sight, anticipating Christ's blood presented in heaven's tr...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(4) **And Eleazar the priest shall take of her blood . . . —**The appointed rites were to be discharged by Eleazar, not by Aaron, who would otherwise have been temporarily disqualified by legal impurity from the discharge of his high-priestly functions.
**Before the tabernacle of the congregation . . . —***i.e., *opposite to the entrance of the Tabernacle, but, as stated in the preceding verse, ou...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
CHAPTER 15 Nu 15:1-41. The Law of Sundry Offerings.
**1-2. The Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel--**Some infer from Nu 15:23 that the date of this communication must be fixed towards the close of the wanderings in the wilderness; and, also, that all the sacrifices prescribed in the law were to be offered only after the settlement in Canaan.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 19
Chapter Outline
The ashes of a heifer.(1-10)
Used to purify the unclean.(11-22)
**Verses 1-10**
The heifer was to be wholly burned. This typified the painful sufferings of our Lord Jesus, both in soul and body, as a sacrifice made by fire, to satisfy God's justice for man's sin. These ashes are said to be laid up as a purification for sin, because, though they were onl...
Read full commentary →And one shall burn the heifer in his sight; her skin, and her flesh, and her blood, with her dung, shall he burn:
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
The entire heifer—hide, flesh, blood, and dung—was burned in the priest's sight. Nothing was eaten or offered on the altar; complete consumption by fire was required. This total destruction differed from standard offerings, suggesting judgment and complete removal of contamination. The fire's thoroughness pictures how completely Christ's sacrifice dealt with sin's defilement.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**3. make an offering by fire unto the Lord, a burnt offering--**It is evident that a peace offering is referred to because this term is frequently used in such a sense (Ex 18:12; Le 17:5).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 19
Chapter Outline
The ashes of a heifer.(1-10)
Used to purify the unclean.(11-22)
**Verses 1-10**
The heifer was to be wholly burned. This typified the painful sufferings of our Lord Jesus, both in soul and body, as a sacrifice made by fire, to satisfy God's justice for man's sin. These ashes are said to be laid up as a purification for sin, because, though they were onl...
Read full commentary →And the priest shall take cedar wood, and hyssop, and scarlet , and cast it into the midst of the burning of the heifer.
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
Cedar wood, hyssop, and scarlet were cast into the burning heifer. Each element had symbolic significance: cedar for durability/incorruption, hyssop for cleansing (Psalm 51:7), scarlet possibly for blood/sin. These additions transformed the ashes into powerful purification agent. Multiple symbolic elements combined to address death's multifaceted pollution.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(6) **And the priest shall take cedar wood, and hyssop, and scarlet.—**According to the Targum of Jonathan, another priest was to do this, but the reference seems to be to Eleazar. Cedar-wood may be regarded as the emblem of fragrance and incorruption; hyssop as the emblem of purification; and scarlet (or crimson) wool or cloth may be regarded as emblematical both of sin, which is compared to it i...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**4. tenth deal--**that is, an omer, the tenth part of an ephah (Ex 16:36).
**fourth part of an hin of oil--**This element shows it to have been different from such meat offerings as were made by themselves, and not merely accompaniments of other sacrifices.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 19
Chapter Outline
The ashes of a heifer.(1-10)
Used to purify the unclean.(11-22)
**Verses 1-10**
The heifer was to be wholly burned. This typified the painful sufferings of our Lord Jesus, both in soul and body, as a sacrifice made by fire, to satisfy God's justice for man's sin. These ashes are said to be laid up as a purification for sin, because, though they were onl...
Read full commentary →Then the priest shall wash his clothes, and he shall bathe his flesh in water, and afterward he shall come into the camp, and the priest shall be unclean until the even.
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
The priest who conducted the ceremony became unclean until evening despite his holy service. This paradox—the purifying agent contaminating those who handle it—reveals that Old Covenant rituals could not permanently resolve death's pollution. Christ alone, as priest who offered Himself, remained undefiled while bearing our uncleanness (Hebrews 7:26).
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(7) **Then the priest . . . —**The Targum of Jonathan refers these words to the priest who killed the heifer, and Ibn Ezra to the priest who burnt it; but the reference is more probably, as in the preceding verse, to Eleazar.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 19
Chapter Outline
The ashes of a heifer.(1-10)
Used to purify the unclean.(11-22)
**Verses 1-10**
The heifer was to be wholly burned. This typified the painful sufferings of our Lord Jesus, both in soul and body, as a sacrifice made by fire, to satisfy God's justice for man's sin. These ashes are said to be laid up as a purification for sin, because, though they were onl...
Read full commentary →And he that burneth her shall wash his clothes in water, and bathe his flesh in water, and shall be unclean until the even.
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
Even the one who burned the heifer became unclean, must wash, and remain unclean until evening. The contaminating nature of death extended to all who handled its purification, showing sin's pervasive pollution. Yet these unclean participants produced ashes that would purify others—a profound picture of substitutionary work that costs the substitute dearly.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**6-12. two tenth deals--**The quantity of flour was increased because the sacrifice was of superior value to the former. The accessory sacrifices were always increased in proportion to the greater worth and magnitude of its principal.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 19
Chapter Outline
The ashes of a heifer.(1-10)
Used to purify the unclean.(11-22)
**Verses 1-10**
The heifer was to be wholly burned. This typified the painful sufferings of our Lord Jesus, both in soul and body, as a sacrifice made by fire, to satisfy God's justice for man's sin. These ashes are said to be laid up as a purification for sin, because, though they were onl...
Read full commentary →And a man that is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer, and lay them up without the camp in a clean place, and it shall be kept for the congregation of the children of Israel for a water of separation: it is a purification for sin.
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
The preservation of the red heifer's ashes for 'water of separation' (Hebrew 'mei niddah') established a permanent purification system for Israel. This represents God's provision for ongoing cleansing from defilement. The phrase 'it is a purification for sin' (Hebrew 'chattat hi') uses the same word for sin offering, connecting ceremonial uncleanness with moral guilt. The ashes' preservation antic...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**6-12. two tenth deals--**The quantity of flour was increased because the sacrifice was of superior value to the former. The accessory sacrifices were always increased in proportion to the greater worth and magnitude of its principal.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 19
Chapter Outline
The ashes of a heifer.(1-10)
Used to purify the unclean.(11-22)
**Verses 1-10**
The heifer was to be wholly burned. This typified the painful sufferings of our Lord Jesus, both in soul and body, as a sacrifice made by fire, to satisfy God's justice for man's sin. These ashes are said to be laid up as a purification for sin, because, though they were onl...
Read full commentary →And he that gathereth the ashes of the heifer shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even: and it shall be unto the children of Israel, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among them, for a statute for ever.
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
The gathered ashes were kept for 'a water of separation: it is a purification for sin.' These ashes, mixed with water, provided ongoing cleansing for corpse contamination throughout Israel's wandering. One sacrifice thus served repeatedly for the whole community. This anticipates Christ's one sacrifice providing perpetual cleansing for all believers across all time.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(10) **And it shall be unto the children of Israel, and unto the stranger . . . —**So the promise of the remission of sins through Christ Jesus was not only to the Jews and to their children, but also to all that were afar off. (See Acts 2:39.)
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**6-12. two tenth deals--**The quantity of flour was increased because the sacrifice was of superior value to the former. The accessory sacrifices were always increased in proportion to the greater worth and magnitude of its principal.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 19
Chapter Outline
The ashes of a heifer.(1-10)
Used to purify the unclean.(11-22)
**Verses 1-10**
The heifer was to be wholly burned. This typified the painful sufferings of our Lord Jesus, both in soul and body, as a sacrifice made by fire, to satisfy God's justice for man's sin. These ashes are said to be laid up as a purification for sin, because, though they were onl...
Read full commentary →He that toucheth the dead body of any man shall be unclean seven days. man: Heb. soul of man
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
The law states: 'He that toucheth the dead body of any man shall be unclean seven days.' Contact with death brought ceremonial uncleanness, requiring purification via red heifer ashes mixed with water (v.17-19). The Hebrew 'tame' (unclean) indicates unfitness for worship and community. This teaches that death - sin's consequence - pollutes and separates from holy God. The seven-day period with pur...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(11) **He that toucheth the dead body . . . —**The defilement caused by touching the dead body of a beast lasted only until *the *evening (Leviticus 11:24). The death of man was the wages of sin; and hence contact with the dead body of a man was attended by ceremonial defilement of longer duration.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**6-12. two tenth deals--**The quantity of flour was increased because the sacrifice was of superior value to the former. The accessory sacrifices were always increased in proportion to the greater worth and magnitude of its principal.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 11-22**
Why did the law make a corpse a defiling thing? Because death is the wages of sin, which entered into the world by it, and reigns by the power of it. The law could not conquer death, nor abolish it, as the gospel does, by bringing life and immortality to light, and so introducing a better hope. As the ashes of the heifer signified the merit of Christ, so the running water sign...
Read full commentary →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.
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
<strong>He shall purify himself with it on the third day, and on the seventh day he shall be clean</strong>—The purification ritual required sprinkling with water mixed with ashes of the red heifer (described in vv. 1-10) on both the third and seventh days. The verb "purify" (<em>chata</em>, חָטָא) is the same word meaning "to sin" but in its Piel form means "to purify from sin" or "to de-sin." Th...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(12) **He shall purify himself . . . —**The verse may be rendered thus: *He shall purify himself with it on the third day and on the seventh day; *so *shall he be clean; but if he purify not himself on the third day and on the seventh day, *then *he shall not be clean: *so the LXX. and Vulg. (See Numbers 19:19.)
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**6-12. two tenth deals--**The quantity of flour was increased because the sacrifice was of superior value to the former. The accessory sacrifices were always increased in proportion to the greater worth and magnitude of its principal.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 11-22**
Why did the law make a corpse a defiling thing? Because death is the wages of sin, which entered into the world by it, and reigns by the power of it. The law could not conquer death, nor abolish it, as the gospel does, by bringing life and immortality to light, and so introducing a better hope. As the ashes of the heifer signified the merit of Christ, so the running water sign...
Read full commentary →Whosoever toucheth the dead body of any man that is dead, and purifieth not himself, defileth the tabernacle of the LORD; and that soul shall be cut off from Israel: because the water of separation was not sprinkled upon him, he shall be unclean; his uncleanness is yet upon him.
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
This verse reveals the gravity of remaining ceremonially unclean: 'he hath defiled the tabernacle of the LORD' and 'that soul shall be cut off from Israel.' The defiled person's presence threatened the holy congregation and God's dwelling among them. The phrase 'cut off' (Hebrew 'karat') could mean excommunication or, in severe cases, divine judgment unto death. This underscores that unconfessed, ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**6-12. two tenth deals--**The quantity of flour was increased because the sacrifice was of superior value to the former. The accessory sacrifices were always increased in proportion to the greater worth and magnitude of its principal.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 11-22**
Why did the law make a corpse a defiling thing? Because death is the wages of sin, which entered into the world by it, and reigns by the power of it. The law could not conquer death, nor abolish it, as the gospel does, by bringing life and immortality to light, and so introducing a better hope. As the ashes of the heifer signified the merit of Christ, so the running water sign...
Read full commentary →This is the law, when a man dieth in a tent: all that come into the tent, and all that is in the tent, shall be unclean seven days.
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
<strong>This is the law, when a man dieth in a tent: all that come into the tent, and all that is in the tent, shall be unclean seven days</strong>—Death's contaminating power extended to everyone and everything in proximity. The Hebrew <em>torah</em> (תּוֹרָה, law/instruction) indicates this is authoritative divine teaching governing ritual purity. The tent, Israel's basic dwelling unit, became a...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**6-12. two tenth deals--**The quantity of flour was increased because the sacrifice was of superior value to the former. The accessory sacrifices were always increased in proportion to the greater worth and magnitude of its principal.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 11-22**
Why did the law make a corpse a defiling thing? Because death is the wages of sin, which entered into the world by it, and reigns by the power of it. The law could not conquer death, nor abolish it, as the gospel does, by bringing life and immortality to light, and so introducing a better hope. As the ashes of the heifer signified the merit of Christ, so the running water sign...
Read full commentary →And every open vessel, which hath no covering bound upon it, is unclean.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And every open vessel, which hath no covering bound upon it, is unclean</strong>—Even inanimate objects in the contaminated space became unclean, extending death's defiling reach. The phrase "no covering bound upon it" (<em>tsamid patil</em>, צָמִיד פָּתִיל, lit. "tight fastening") indicates that only sealed vessels escaped contamination. An open vessel absorbed the spiritual defilement pe...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**13-16. a stranger--**one who had become a proselyte. There were scarcely any of the national privileges of the Israelites, in which the Gentile stranger might not, on conforming to certain conditions, fully participate.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 11-22**
Why did the law make a corpse a defiling thing? Because death is the wages of sin, which entered into the world by it, and reigns by the power of it. The law could not conquer death, nor abolish it, as the gospel does, by bringing life and immortality to light, and so introducing a better hope. As the ashes of the heifer signified the merit of Christ, so the running water sign...
Read full commentary →And whosoever toucheth one that is slain with a sword in the open fields, or a dead body, or a bone of a man, or a grave, shall be unclean seven days.
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And whosoever toucheth one that is slain with a sword in the open fields, or a dead body, or a bone of a man, or a grave, shall be unclean seven days</strong>—This extends the contamination principle beyond tent-deaths to various death-contact scenarios. "Slain with a sword" (<em>chalal cherev</em>, חֲלַל חֶרֶב) refers to violent death in battle. The progression—whole body, partial remains...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**13-16. a stranger--**one who had become a proselyte. There were scarcely any of the national privileges of the Israelites, in which the Gentile stranger might not, on conforming to certain conditions, fully participate.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 11-22**
Why did the law make a corpse a defiling thing? Because death is the wages of sin, which entered into the world by it, and reigns by the power of it. The law could not conquer death, nor abolish it, as the gospel does, by bringing life and immortality to light, and so introducing a better hope. As the ashes of the heifer signified the merit of Christ, so the running water sign...
Read full commentary →And for an unclean person they shall take of the ashes of the burnt heifer of purification for sin, and running water shall be put thereto in a vessel: ashes: Heb. dust running: Heb. living waters shall be given
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KJV Study Commentary
For purification, 'they shall take of the ashes of the burnt heifer of purification for sin, and running water shall be put thereto in a vessel.' The red heifer's ashes mixed with 'living water' (mayim chayim) created 'water of separation' for cleansing. The Hebrew 'mayim chayim' (running/living water) suggests fresh, flowing water symbolizing life. This purification combined sacrifice (ashes) wit...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(17) **of the ashes of the burnt heifer of purification for sin.**—Better, *of the ashes of the burnt sin-offering; *literally, *of the burning of the sin-offering.*
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**13-16. a stranger--**one who had become a proselyte. There were scarcely any of the national privileges of the Israelites, in which the Gentile stranger might not, on conforming to certain conditions, fully participate.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 11-22**
Why did the law make a corpse a defiling thing? Because death is the wages of sin, which entered into the world by it, and reigns by the power of it. The law could not conquer death, nor abolish it, as the gospel does, by bringing life and immortality to light, and so introducing a better hope. As the ashes of the heifer signified the merit of Christ, so the running water sign...
Read full commentary →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:
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
<strong>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</strong>—The purification required a ceremonially clean person as mediator, prefiguring Christ's sinless mediation. Hyssop (<em>ezov</em>, אֵזוֹב), a small bushy plant, served as the aspergillum (sprinkling device). Hyssop's use connec...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**13-16. a stranger--**one who had become a proselyte. There were scarcely any of the national privileges of the Israelites, in which the Gentile stranger might not, on conforming to certain conditions, fully participate.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 11-22**
Why did the law make a corpse a defiling thing? Because death is the wages of sin, which entered into the world by it, and reigns by the power of it. The law could not conquer death, nor abolish it, as the gospel does, by bringing life and immortality to light, and so introducing a better hope. As the ashes of the heifer signified the merit of Christ, so the running water sign...
Read full commentary →And the clean person shall sprinkle upon the unclean on the third day, and on the seventh day: and on the seventh day he shall purify himself, and wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and shall be clean at even.
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And the clean person shall sprinkle upon the unclean on the third day, and on the seventh day: and on the seventh day he shall purify himself, and wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and shall be clean at even</strong>—The dual sprinkling (third and seventh days) followed by washing, bathing, and waiting until evening completed purification. The verb "purify" (<em>chata</em>, חָט...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(19) **He shall purify himself, and wash . . . —**The rendering should be, *he *(*i.e., *the clean person) *shall purify him *(*i.e., *the unclean person), and *he *(the unclean person) *shall wash *. . .
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers
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Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 11-22**
Why did the law make a corpse a defiling thing? Because death is the wages of sin, which entered into the world by it, and reigns by the power of it. The law could not conquer death, nor abolish it, as the gospel does, by bringing life and immortality to light, and so introducing a better hope. As the ashes of the heifer signified the merit of Christ, so the running water sign...
Read full commentary →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.
View commentary (2 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
This verse pronounces judgment on willful uncleanness: the defiled person who refuses purification 'shall be cut off from among the congregation.' The Hebrew emphasizes deliberate refusal - knowing the remedy yet rejecting it. This foreshadows the unforgivable sin: not that any sin is too great for God's grace, but that persistent rejection of the Holy Spirit's conviction removes one from the mean...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 11-22**
Why did the law make a corpse a defiling thing? Because death is the wages of sin, which entered into the world by it, and reigns by the power of it. The law could not conquer death, nor abolish it, as the gospel does, by bringing life and immortality to light, and so introducing a better hope. As the ashes of the heifer signified the merit of Christ, so the running water sign...
Read full commentary →And it shall be a perpetual statute unto them, that he that sprinkleth the water of separation shall wash his clothes; and he that toucheth the water of separation shall be unclean until even.
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
The law states: 'he that sprinkleth the water of separation shall wash his clothes; and he that toucheth the water of separation shall be unclean until even.' This paradox - the purifying agent causes uncleanness to those handling it - foreshadows Christ's work. He who knew no sin became sin for us (2 Cor 5:21). The priests preparing purification became defiled, but those purified became clean. Th...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**19. when ye eat of the bread of the land, ye shall offer up an heave offering--**The offering prescribed was to precede the act of eating.
**unto the Lord--**that is, the priests of the Lord (Eze 44:30).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 11-22**
Why did the law make a corpse a defiling thing? Because death is the wages of sin, which entered into the world by it, and reigns by the power of it. The law could not conquer death, nor abolish it, as the gospel does, by bringing life and immortality to light, and so introducing a better hope. As the ashes of the heifer signified the merit of Christ, so the running water sign...
Read full commentary →And whatsoever the unclean person toucheth shall be unclean; and the soul that toucheth it shall be unclean until even.
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And whatsoever the unclean person toucheth shall be unclean; and the soul that toucheth it shall be unclean until the even</strong>—The contagious nature of ritual uncleanness (טָמֵא <em>tame</em>) is emphasized by the double use of <strong>unclean</strong>—both the object touched and the person touching become defiled. The phrase <strong>until the even</strong> (עַד־הָעָרֶב <em>ad-ha'arev...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**20. heave offering of the threshing-floor--**meaning the corn on the threshing-floor; that is, after harvest.
**so shall ye heave it--**to the priests accompanying the ceremony with the same rites.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 11-22**
Why did the law make a corpse a defiling thing? Because death is the wages of sin, which entered into the world by it, and reigns by the power of it. The law could not conquer death, nor abolish it, as the gospel does, by bringing life and immortality to light, and so introducing a better hope. As the ashes of the heifer signified the merit of Christ, so the running water sign...
Read full commentary →