Numbers 19:7-10

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. 19:8 The one who burns it ⁴  must wash his clothes in water and bathe himself in water. He will be ceremonially unclean until evening.

19:9 “‘Then a man who is ceremonially clean must gather up the ashes of the red heifer and put them in a ceremonially clean place outside the camp. They must be kept ⁵  for the community of the Israelites for use in the water of purification ⁶  – it is a purification for sin. ⁷  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.

[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.

[19:8]  ⁴ sn Here the text makes clear that he had at least one assistant.

[19:9]  ⁵ tn Heb “it will be.”

[19:9]  ⁶ tn The expression לְמֵי נִדָּה (lÿme niddah) is “for waters of impurity.” The genitive must designate the purpose of the waters – they are for cases of impurity, and so serve for cleansing or purifying, thus “water of purification.” The word “impurity” can also mean “abhorrent” because it refers to so many kinds of impurities. It is also called a purification offering; Milgrom notes that this is fitting because the sacrificial ritual involved transfers impurity from the purified to the purifier (pp. 62-72).

[19:9]  ⁷ sn The ashes were to be stored somewhere outside the camp to be used in a water portion for cleansing someone who was defiled. This is a ritual that was enacted in the wilderness; it is something of a restoring rite for people alienated from community.