The one who burned the heifer must also wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and he too will be ceremonially unclean until evening.
Parallel translations
- WEB He who burns her shall wash his clothes in water, and bathe his flesh in water, and shall be unclean until the evening.
- KJV And he that burneth her shall wash his clothes in water, and bathe his flesh in water, and shall be unclean until the even.
- NKJV And the one who burns it shall wash his clothes in water, bathe in water, and shall be unclean until evening.
- NASB The one who burns the heifer shall also wash his clothes in water and bathe his body in water, and will be unclean until evening.
- NLT The man who burns the animal must also wash his clothes and bathe himself in water, and he, too, will remain unclean until evening.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The one who burned the heifer also had to wash and bathe, remaining unclean until evening.
Overview
Like the priest, the man who burned the animal contracted uncleanness from the rite. The repeated requirement underscores how thoroughly death's defilement spread, touching even those who prepared the remedy. This recurring impurity highlights the limits of the ceremonial system and the deeper cleansing humanity needs.
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Christ at the center
In the wilderness Christ is the water from the rock, the bronze serpent lifted up that the dying might look and live (John 3:14), and the star and scepter that Balaam saw rising out of Jacob.
How Numbers 19:8 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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