Numbers 19:17

Young's Literal Translation

and they have taken for the unclean person of the ashes of the burning of the [cleansing], and he hath put upon it running water unto a vessel;

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
For the unclean they shall take of the ashes of the burning of the sin-offering; and running water shall be put thereto in a vessel:

King James Version
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:

Lexham English Bible
For the unclean person they will take from the powder of the burnt purification offering, and they will put running water into a container.

English Standard Version
For the unclean they shall take some ashes of the burnt sin offering, and fresh water shall be added in a vessel.

New Century Version
"So you must use the ashes from the burnt offering to make that person clean again. Pour fresh water over the ashes into a jar.

New English Translation
"‘For a ceremonially unclean person you must take some of the ashes of the heifer burnt for purification from sin and pour fresh running water over them in a vessel.

Amplified Bible
'Then for the unclean person they shall take some of the ashes of the heifer burnt for the purification from sin, and running water shall be added to them in a container.

New American Standard Bible
'Then for the unclean person they shall take some of the ashes of the burnt purification from sin and running water shall be added to them in a container.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Therfore for an vncleane person they shall take of the burnt ashes of the sinne offring, and pure water shalbe put thereto in a vessel.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then for the unclean person they shall take some of the ashes of the burnt purification from sin and flowing water shall be added to them in a vessel.

Contemporary English Version
Before you can be made clean, someone who is clean must take some of the ashes from the burnt cow and stir them into a pot of spring water. That same person must dip a hyssop branch in the water and ashes, then sprinkle it on the tent and everything in it, including everyone who was inside. If you have touched a human bone, a grave, or a dead body, you must be sprinkled with that water.

Complete Jewish Bible
"For the unclean person they are to take some of the ashes of the animal burned up as a purification from sin and add them to fresh water in a container.

Darby Translation
And they shall take for the unclean of the ashes of the purification-offering that hath been burned, and shall put running water thereon in a vessel;

Easy-to-Read Version
"If you have become unclean, someone must use the ashes from the burned cow to make you clean again. They must pour fresh water over the ashes into a jar.

George Lamsa Translation
And for an unclean person they shall take some of the ashes of the burnt sin offering and shall pour running water into it in a vessel;

Good News Translation
To remove the uncleanness, some ashes from the red cow which was burned to remove sin shall be taken and put in a pot, and fresh water added.

Christian Standard Bible®
For the purification of the unclean person, they are to take some of the ashes of the burnt sin offering, put them in a jar, and add fresh water to them.

Literal Translation
And for the unclean they shall take the ashes of the burning of the sin offering, and running water in a vessel shall be put on it.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
So now for the vncleane personne, they shal take of ye a?shes of this burntsynofferinge, & put springinge water theron in to a vessell,

American Standard Version
And for the unclean they shall take of the ashes of the burning of the sin-offering; and running water shall be put thereto in a vessel:

Bible in Basic English
And for the unclean, they are to take the dust of the burning of the sin-offering, and put flowing water on it in a vessel:

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Therfore, for an vncleane person they shal take of the burnt asshes of the sinne offeryng, and runnyng water shalbe put therto in a vessell.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And for the unclean they shall take of the ashes of the burning of the purification from sin, and running water shall be put thereto in a vessel.

King James Version (1611)
And for an vncleane person they shall take of the ashes of the burnt heifer of purification for sinne, and running water shall bee put thereto in a vessell:

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And they shall take for the unclean of the burnt ashes of purification, and they shall pour upon them running water into a vessel.

English Revised Version
And for the unclean they shall take of the ashes of the burning of the sin offering, and running water shall be put thereto in a vessel:

Berean Standard Bible
For the purification of the unclean person, take some of the ashes of the burnt purification offering, put them in a jar, and pour fresh running water over them.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And thei schulen take `of the aischis of the brennyng, and of the synne, and thei schulen sende quyk watris in to a vessel on tho aischis;

Update Bible Version
And for the unclean they shall take of the ashes of the burning of the sin-offering; and running water shall be put thereto in a vessel:

Webster's Bible Translation
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 to it in a vessel:

World English Bible
For the unclean they shall take of the ashes of the burning of the sin-offering; and running water shall be put thereto in a vessel:

New King James Version
"And for an unclean person they shall take some of the ashes of the heifer burnt for purification from sin, and running water shall be put on them in a vessel.

New Living Translation
"To remove the defilement, put some of the ashes from the burnt purification offering in a jar, and pour fresh water over them.

New Life Bible
The person who is unclean must take some of the ashes from the burning of the sin gift. Clean water must be added to them in a pot.

New Revised Standard
For the unclean they shall take some ashes of the burnt purification offering, and running water shall be added in a vessel;

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And they shall take, for him that is un-clean, of the ashes of the burning of the sin-bearer, - and living water shall be put thereon in a vessel,

Douay-Rheims Bible
And they shall take of the ashes of the burning and of the sin offering, and shall pour living waters upon them into a vessel.

Revised Standard Version
For the unclean they shall take some ashes of the burnt sin offering, and running water shall be added in a vessel;

New American Standard Bible (1995)
'Then for the unclean person they shall take some of the ashes of the burnt purification from sin and flowing water shall be added to them in a vessel.

Contextual Overview

¹¹ `He who is coming against the dead body of any man -- is unclean seven days; <sup>12</sup> he doth cleanse himself for it on the third day, and on the seventh day he is clean; and if he cleanse not himself on the third day, then on the seventh day he is not clean. <sup>13</sup> Any one who is coming against the dead, against the body of man who dieth, and cleanseth not himself -- the tabernacle of Jehovah he hath defiled, and that person hath been cut off from Israel, for water of separation is not sprinkled upon him; he is unclean; his uncleanness [is] still upon him. <sup>14</sup> `This [is] the law, when a man dieth in a tent: every one who is coming in unto the tent, and all that [is] in the tent, is unclean seven days; ¹⁵ and every open vessel which hath no covering of thread upon it is unclean. ¹⁶ `And every one who cometh, on the face of the field, against the pierced of a sword, or against the dead, or against a bone of man, or against a grave, is unclean seven days; <sup>17</sup> and they have taken for the unclean person of the ashes of the burning of the [cleansing], and he hath put upon it running water unto a vessel; <sup>18</sup> and a clean person hath taken hyssop, and hath dipped [it] in water, and hath sprinkled on the tent, and on all the vessels, and on the persons who have been there, and on him who is coming against a bone, or against one pierced, or against the dead, or against a grave. <sup>19</sup> `And the clean hath sprinkled [it] on the unclean on the third day, and on the seventh day, and hath cleansed him on the seventh day, and he hath washed his garments, and hath bathed with water, and hath been clean in the evening. ²⁰ `And the man who is unclean, and doth not cleanse himself, even that person hath been cut off from the midst of the assembly; for the sanctuary of Jehovah he hath defiled; water of separation is not sprinkled upon him; he [is] unclean.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

ashes: Heb. dust, Numbers 19:9

running water shall be put thereto: Heb. living waters shall be given, Genesis 26:19, *marg. Song of Solomon 4:15, John 4:10, John 4:11, John 7:38, Revelation 7:17

Reciprocal: Exodus 40:36 - when Numbers 8:7 - water Numbers 19:12 - He shall purify Numbers 31:23 - it shall be purified Acts 21:24 - and purify

Cross-References

Genesis 13:10
And Lot lifteth up his eyes, and seeth the whole circuit of the Jordan that it [is] all a watered country (before Jehovah's destroying Sodom and Gomorrah, as Jehovah's garden, as the land of Egypt,) in thy coming toward Zoar,

Genesis 18:22
and the men turn from thence, and go towards Sodom; and Abraham is yet standing before Jehovah.

Genesis 19:13
for we are destroying this place, for their cry hath been great [before] the face of Jehovah, and Jehovah doth send us to destroy it.'

Genesis 19:14
And Lot goeth out, and speaketh unto his sons-in-law, those taking his daughters, and saith, `Rise, go out from this place, for Jehovah is destroying the city;' and he is as [one] mocking in the eyes of his sons-in-law.

Genesis 19:15
And when the dawn hath ascended, then the messengers press upon Lot, saying, `Rise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters who are found present, lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city.'

Genesis 19:16
And he lingereth, and the men lay hold on his hand, and on the hand of his wife, and on the hand of his two daughters, through the mercy of Jehovah unto him, and they bring him out, and cause him to rest without the city.

Genesis 19:18
And Lot saith unto them, `Not [so], I pray thee, my lord;

Genesis 19:22
haste, escape thither, for I am not able to do anything till thine entering thither;' therefore hath he calleth the name of the city Zoar.

Genesis 19:26
And his wife looketh expectingly from behind him, and she is -- a pillar of salt!

Genesis 19:31
And the first-born saith unto the younger, `Our father [is] old, and a man there is not in the earth to come in unto us, as [is] the way of all the earth;

Gill's Notes on the Bible

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;

:- 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 law required for their purification, namely, on the third day after their defilement:

and running water shall be put thereto in a vessel; the Targum Jonathan is,

"fountain water in the midst of earthen vessel;''

for no water but fountain, spring, or river water, was made use of; and it should seem by what is said that ashes were first put into the vessel, and then the running water was put to them; and yet the Jewish writers say s, that if the ashes were put in first, and then the water, it was not right; and the meaning of what is said here is, that the water and ashes should be mixed together; for it is urged from the words: "running water in a vessel", that it is plain, that the water is put in the vessel and not to the ashes; and therefore that which is said, "shall be put thereto", is to caution the person, that after he has put the ashes upon the water, that he mixes them well with his finger, and cause the water below to rise above t.

s Maimon. Milchot, Parah Adumah, c. 9. sect. 1. t Bartenora in Misn. Temurah, c. 1. sect. 5.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

One practical effect of attaching defilement to a dead body, and to all that touched it, etc., would be to insure early burial, and to correct a practice not uncommon in the East, of leaving the deal to be devoured by the wild beasts.