Chapter 19

1 The water of separation made of the ashes of a red heifer. 11 The law for the use of it in purification of the unclean.

1. Unto Moses and unto Aaron. Both men were concerned with the instruction that follows, Moses as the mediator to give the instruction, and Aaron as the agent to carry it out.

2. The ordinance of the law. The children of Israel were in fear of losing their lives because of ceremonial pollution (chs. 16:49; 17:12, 13). This law is provided to show how they might be purified from pollution.

A red heifer. Symbolically, the red color suggests blood as an instrument of purification; also, fire.

Without spot. Literally, “faultless,” “sound,” “healthy.”

No blemish. No physical defect (see Lev. 22:20–22).

Never came yoke. Since this animal was selected for a special purpose, it must be one that had not been used for ordinary domestic work (see Deut. 21:3; 1 Sam. 6:7).

3. Unto Eleazar. Inasmuch as the sacrifice of the heifer was for a most important matter, no ordinary priest was to kill her. Eleazar was next to Aaron in rank and eventually succeeded him in office. It was not fitting that Aaron, as high priest, should so defile himself and thus become temporarily unfit for his sacred duties (v. 7).

Without the camp. Compare Ex. 29:14; Lev. 4:12, 21; 16:27; Heb. 13:11, 12. As a sacrifice for uncleanness, the animal was to be slain some distance from the sanctuary.

Slay her. Eleazar supervised the sacrifice, but another actually slew the animal. The presence of Eleazar emphasized that it was a sacrifice for God’s service, though offered at a distance from the altar of the tabernacle.

4. Sprinkle of her blood. Eleazar took of the blood as in an expiatory sacrifice (Lev. 4:6), and then sprinkled it in the direction of the tabernacle, toward the presence of God.

Seven times. The number of perfection (see Lev. 4:17), and thereby symbolically denoting the perfection of the expiation. The “dead works” of Heb. 9:13, 14 may be a reference to the frequent use of the ashes of the dead heifer to cleanse defilement. “Dead works” are a weight removed by true repentance. There is no spiritual life in them, and one cannot serve a living God with “dead works,” the fruitsof spiritual death. “Dead works” must be cleansed by the blood of Christ, and His life accepted as a renewing agency.

5. Burn the heifer. All was consumed to ashes after the sprinkling of the blood (see Ex. 29:14). This is the only sacrifice in which the blood is consumed with the rest of the sacrifice instead of being poured out at the altar. Some have suggested that the reason was the lack of a consecrated place away from the altar, where the earth could receive the blood.

6. Cedar wood, and hyssop, and scarlet. These very items were used in the cleansing of the leper (Lev. 14:4, 6, 49, 51). Cast upon the still-burning heifer, they were thus mixed with the ashes of the carcass to form ingredients of cleansing. Both cedar and hyssop were credited by the ancients with various medicinal properties. The scarlet thread matched the color of the heifer. Cedar wood was regarded as an emblem of fragrance and incorruption, the hyssop as a symbol of purification. Scarlet was a symbol of sin (Isa. 1:18). In all three there was a typical reference to the shedding of the blood of Christ (see Heb. 9:13, 14).

7. The priest shall wash. Inasmuch as Eleazar had come in contact with the carcass of the red heifer and had touched its blood, he became ceremonially unclean. He was therefore obligated to go through ceremonial cleansing before he returned to camp (see Lev. 16:24).

Unclean until the even. Every detail here enjoined was given to make plain the virulent and fatal effect of spiritual uncleanness. Such details can be properly appreciated only as a foreshadowing of the atoning work of Jesus Christ on the cross (see Lev. 11:24-27, 31, 39; 14:46; 15; 17:15).

8. He that burneth her. This person was to do exactly as the man who led the scapegoat into the wilderness (Lev. 16:26), but he must remain unclean until evening.

9. A man that is clean. That is, free from ceremonial impurity. He must be another person than the man who burned the heifer.

Gather up the ashes. That is, of the heifer, the cedar, the hyssop, and the scarlet thread, blended together.

Lay them up. For mixing with running water, as needed, to supply water for the cleansing of ceremonial impurity (v. 17). Compare this with the ashes of the golden calf (Ex. 32:20).

It shall be kept. That is, the ashes. The Hebrew word is singular in number.

For a water of separation. That is, for the purification of men who, having become unclean, were separated or banished, as it were, from the congregation. The Hebrew word translated “separation” signifies anything loathsome, such as idolatry or immorality. It is also rendered “filthiness” (2 Chron. 29:5) and “uncleaness” (Ezra 9:11; Zech. 13:1).

10. He that gathereth the ashes. The ashes were a purifying means for the repentant one who used them, but a defiling agent to the one who gathered them together.

Unto the stranger. The law of purity applied also to the non-Israelite. Similarly, the remission of sins through Jesus Christ was also for the “stranger” who was “afar off” (Acts 2:39).

11. The dead body of any man. To touch the carcass of an unclean animal entailed uncleanness till evening (Lev. 11:24). The same was true of one who touched the bed of a person that had an issue (Lev. 15:5). But the longer period of seven days was required in the case of contact with a dead person (see Lev. 21:1; Num. 5:2; 6:6; 9:6).

12. Shall purify himself. Literally, “He shall unsin himself.”

With it. That is, with the water of separation. (v. 9).

Third day. Compare ch. 31:19.

13. Defileth the tabernacle. If the polluted person approached the tabernacle without having used the water of separation, he defiled the sanctuary (see Ex. 25:8; Lev. 15:31). If, however, the transgression was done in ignorance, a sacrifice was accepted for an atonement (Lev. 5:3, 6, 17, 18).

14. This is the law. The rule laid down concerning such defilement incurred by contact with a dead person. The Hebrew word here translated “law” is torah. Obviously, as here, torah does not apply only to the Ten Commandments. As a matter of fact, it has many applications. It isused of the instruction of a mother (Prov. 1:8; 6:20) or a father (Prov. 3:1; 4:2; 7:2), of wise people (Prov. 13:14; 28:4, 7, 9; 29:18), of a poet (Ps. 78:1), and of a wise wife (Prov. 31:26). It is from a verb meaning “to throw,” “to shoot,” and therefore implies giving direction or instruction to someone.

In a tent. Especially applicable to the time of the wilderness sojourn. Nevertheless, the LXX has “in a house,” thus suggesting that the law was to remain in force after the people had settled in the Holy Land.

15. Every open vessel. The lack of a cover was held to expose the contents of the vessel to pollution resulting from death (Lev. 11:32, 33).

16. Slain with a sword. Thus, one who dies a violent death.

A bone. That is, taken from a grave, or unearthed by a beast.

Or a grave. Hence the custom of white-washing the outside of tombs to make them conspicuous (see Matt. 23:27; Luke 11:44).

Seven days. The same period as prescribed if a dead human body was touched.

17. Ashes of the burnt heifer. Literally, “the ashes of the burning of the sin.” This indicates that the ashes of the burnt heifer were regarded as having in some respects the virtues of a sin offering. Nothing is said as to the quantity of ashes required. Probably a very small amount was deemed sufficient.

As to the nature and purpose of the “purification” (vs. 9, 17) that was accomplished by the sprinkling of the “water of separation [from uncleanness]” (vs. 9, 21), two questions may be asked: (1) What was the nature of the “sin” (vs. 9, 17) or “uncleanness” (v. 13) thus purified? (2) What was the nature of the act of “purification”?

1.   The water was “a purification for sin” (vs. 9, 17) contracted by touching a dead person or dead unclean animal, or any part thereof (vs. 11–13), or by entering a house where death had occurred, or by touching a grave (vs. 14–16), whether intentionally or by accident. Contact with death was obviously not an infraction of the moral but of the ceremonial code; yet it is referred to as “sin.” In what sense is the word “sin” thus used?

The word here translated “sin” is chattaХth, which means literally “a misstep,” “a slip of the foot.” Thus, according to Prov. 13:6, “sin overthrows the wicked” (RSV), that is, it trips him up. In the KJV Prov. 19:2 reads in part, “he that hasteth with his feet sinneth,” but the RSV, “he who makes haste with his feet misses his way,” that is, he wanders from it. ChattaХth also means “blame.” In Gen. 43:9 Judah offered to “bear the blame for ever,” literally, “be a sinner forever,” should he return without Benjamin. He purposed to do his best, but if he failed he would “bear the blame,” literally, the “sin,” of it.

2.         The ceremonial nature of the purification effected by the “water of separation” is evident from its use to “purify” material objects (Num. 31:22, 23). In the case of death the tent itself where the man had died and its contents became unclean and must be purified (ch. 19:14–17). This was certainly not from any moral defilement attaching to them, but solely from ceremonial defilement. Another evidence of the ceremonial nature of the cleansing effected is the fact that after the sprinkling of the water the person still remained “unclean” till nightfall, or even for days afterward (vs. 10-12, 19). The matter of uncleanness, and the purification accomplished by means of the red heifer, took on a moral aspect only when a person failed to obey the provisions ordained by God in connection therewith. Thus, to fail to make use of the “water of separation” as God had instructed, under circumstances where its use was prescribed, was a grievous offense that shut a man out from the mercy of God (vs. 13, 20).

Running water. Literally, “water of lives,” or living water (see Lev. 14:5; John 4:10).

18. Hyssop. In v. 6 the hyssop was burned with the red heifer. Here it is used as an instrument of sprinkling (see Ex. 12:22; Ps. 51:7).

19. The clean person shall sprinkle. A clarification of v. 12.

He shall purify himself. Even after the ceremony the defiled person was still unclean till nightfall.

20. The man that. Verse 20 is a repetition for emphasis (see v. 13).

21. Toucheth the water. As when he put together the ashes and the running water. The Oriental mind even today thinks of a close connection between ceremonial washings and personal holiness.

22. Whatsoever the unclean person toucheth. Everything touched by a person defiled by contact with a dead body became unclean, and anyone touching that thing became defiled until evening. It is evident that inanimate objects could become ceremonially unclean. Great care was taken with respect to the defilement of outward things, in order to impress the people with the need, value, and requirement of inward purity.

Ellen G. White comments

1-224T 120-122

2     4T 120

3, 4 4T 121

13   4T 123

16-19PP 277

17, 18  4T 121

19   4T 122

20   TM 97