Numbers 19:7

19:7 Then the priest must wash ¹  his clothes and bathe himself ²  in water, and afterward he may come ³  into the camp, but the priest will be ceremonially unclean until evening.

Numbers 19:10

19:10 The one who gathers the ashes of the heifer must wash his clothes and be ceremonially unclean until evening. This will be a permanent ordinance both for the Israelites and the resident foreigner who lives among them.

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 

[19:7]  ¹ tn The sequence continues with the perfect tense and vav (ו) consecutive.

[19:7]  ² tn Heb “his flesh.”

[19:7]  ³ tn This is the imperfect of permission.

[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.