11 'He who is coming against the dead body of any man—is unclean seven days; 12 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. 13 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. 14 '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; 17 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; 18 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. 19 '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. 21 'And it hath been to them for a statute age-during, that he who is sprinkling the water of separation doth wash his garments, and he who is coming against the water of separation is unclean till the evening, 22 and all against which the unclean person cometh is unclean, and the person who is coming against 'it' is unclean till the evening.'
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Numbers 19:11-22
Commentary on Numbers 19:11-22
(Read Numbers 19:11-22)
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 signified the power and grace of the blessed Spirit, who is compared to rivers of living water; and it is by his work that the righteousness of Christ is applied to us for our cleansing. Those who promise themselves benefit by the righteousness of Christ, while they submit not to the grace and influence of the Holy Spirit, do but deceive themselves; we cannot be purified by the ashes, otherwise than in the running water. What use could there be in these appointments, if they do not refer to the doctrines concerning the sacrifice of Christ? But comparing them with the New Testament, the knowledge to be got from them is evident. The true state of fallen man is shown in these institutions. Here we learn the defiling nature of sin, and are warned to avoid evil communications.