Numbers 19:16

19:16 And whoever touches the body of someone killed with a sword in the open fields, ¹  or the body of someone who died of natural causes, ²  or a human bone, or a grave, will be unclean seven days. ³ 

Numbers 19:21

19:21 “‘So this will be a perpetual ordinance for them: The one who sprinkles ⁴  the water of purification must wash his clothes, and the one who touches the water of purification will be unclean until evening. ⁵ 

[19:16]  ¹ tn The expression for “in the open field” is literally “upon the face of the field” (עַל־פְּנֵי הַשָּׂדֶה, ’al pÿne hassadeh). This ruling is in contrast now to what was contacted in the tent.

[19:16]  ² tn Heb “a dead body”; but in contrast to the person killed with a sword, this must refer to someone who died of natural causes.

[19:16]  ³ sn See Matt 23:27 and Acts 23:3 for application of this by the time of Jesus.

[19:21]  ⁴ tn The form has the conjunction with it: וּמַזֵּה (umazzeh). The conjunction subordinates the following as the special law. It could literally be translated “and this shall be…that the one who sprinkles.”

[19:21]  ⁵ sn This gives the indication of the weight of the matter, for “until the evening” is the shortest period of ritual uncleanness in the Law. The problem of contamination had to be taken seriously, but this was a relatively simple matter to deal with – if one were willing to obey the Law.