English Standard Version
Numbers 19:2
2"This is the statute of the law that the Lord has commanded: Tell the people of Israel to bring you a red heifer without defect, in which there is no blemish, and on which a yoke has never come.
Numbers 19:2 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)This is the ordinance of the law which the Lord hath commanded, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring thee a red heifer without spot, wherein is no blemish, and upon which never came yoke:
- New International Version (NIV)“This is a requirement of the law that the Lord has commanded: Tell the Israelites to bring you a red heifer without defect or blemish and that has never been under a yoke.
- New King James Version (NKJV)“This is the ordinance of the law which the Lord has commanded, saying: ‘Speak to the children of Israel, that they bring you a red heifer without blemish, in which there is no defect and on which a yoke has never come.
- New Living Translation (NLT)“Here is another legal requirement commanded by the Lord: Tell the people of Israel to bring you a red heifer, a perfect animal that has no defects and has never been yoked to a plow.
Context of Numbers 19:2
1Now the Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, "This is the statute of the law that the Lord has commanded: Tell the people of Israel to bring you a red heifer without defect, in which there is no blemish, and on which a yoke has never come. 3And you shall give it to Eleazar the priest, and it shall be taken outside the camp and slaughtered before him. 4And Eleazar the priest shall take some of its blood with his finger, and sprinkle some of its blood toward the front of the tent of meeting seven times.
Read all of Numbers 19Numbers 19:2 word by word
זֹ֚את חֻקַּ֣ת הַתּוֹרָ֔ה אֲשֶׁר־צִוָּ֥ה יְהוָ֖ה לֵאמֹ֑ר דַּבֵּ֣ר׀ אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל וְיִקְח֣וּ אֵלֶיךָ֩ פָרָ֨ה אֲדֻמָּ֜ה תְּמִימָ֗ה אֲשֶׁ֤ר אֵֽין־בָּהּ֙ מ֔וּם אֲשֶׁ֛ר לֹא־עָלָ֥ה עָלֶ֖יהָ עֹֽל׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- the ordinanceחֻקָּהchûqqâh · statuteH2708
- of the lawתּוֹרָהtôrâh tôrâh · instructionH8451
- which the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- hath commandedצָוָהtsâvâh · to commandH6680
- sayingאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- Speakדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
- unto the childrenבֵּןbên · son: descendant/peopleH1121
- of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
- that they bringלָקַחlâqach · to take: bringH3947
- thee a redאָדֹם'âdôm · redH122
- heiferפָּרָהpârâh · heiferH6510
- without spotתָּמִיםtâmîym · unblemishedH8549
- no blemishמוּםm'ûm mûm · blemishH3971
- upon which neverלֹאlô' lô' lôh · notH3808
- cameעָלָה‛âlâh · to ascend: riseH5927
- yokeעֹל‛ôl ‛ôl · yokeH5923
Cross-references for Numbers 19:2
- Numbers 31:21Then Eleazar the priest said to the men in the army who had gone to battle: "This is the statute of the law that the Lord has commanded Moses:
- Hebrews 9:10but deal only with food and drink and various washings, regulations for the body imposed until the time of reformation.
- Numbers 19:6And the priest shall take cedarwood and hyssop and scarlet yarn, and throw them into the fire burning the heifer.
- Leviticus 14:6He shall take the live bird with the cedarwood and the scarlet yarn and the hyssop, and dip them and the live bird in the blood of the bird that was killed over the fresh water.
- Isaiah 1:18"Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.
- Revelation 1:5and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood
- Exodus 12:5Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats,
- Leviticus 22:20You shall not offer anything that has a blemish, for it will not be acceptable for you.
- Malachi 1:13But you say, 'What a weariness this is,' and you snort at it, says the Lord of hosts. You bring what has been taken by violence or is lame or sick, and this you bring as your offering! Shall I accept that from your hand? says the Lord.
- Luke 1:35And the angel answered her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God.
- Hebrews 7:26For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens.
- 1 Peter 1:19but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.
- 1 Peter 2:22He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth.
- Deuteronomy 21:3And the elders of the city that is nearest to the slain man shall take a heifer that has never been worked and that has not pulled in a yoke.
- 1 Samuel 6:7Now then, take and prepare a new cart and two milk cows on which there has never come a yoke, and yoke the cows to the cart, but take their calves home, away from them.
- Lamentations 1:14"My transgressions were bound into a yoke; by his hand they were fastened together; they were set upon my neck; he caused my strength to fail; the Lord gave me into the hands of those whom I cannot withstand.
Commentaries on Numbers 19:2
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2Speak unto the children of Israel that they bring thee, etc. - The ordinance of the red heifer was a sacrifice of general application. All the people were to have an interest in it, and therefore the people at large are to provide the sacrifice. This Jewish rite certainly had a reference to things done under the Gospel, as the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews has remarked: "For if," says he, "the blood of bulls and of goats," alluding, probably, to…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2A red heifer - Red, in order to shadow forth man‘s earthly body, even as the name Adam bears allusion to the red earth of which man‘s body was fashioned. Without spot, wherein is no blemish - As with sin-offerings generally Leviticus 4:3. Upon which never came yoke - So here and elsewhere (see the marginal references), in the case of female victims.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-10They made the water for the purification ceremony with ashes of the red heifer (19:9). It might be the same as the water of purification in 8:7 (see also 31:19–24). This ceremony needed the ashes of a red heifer. The color probably represented blood (compare Hebrews 9:13–14).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-222. This is the ordinance of the law--an institution of a peculiar nature ordained by law for the purification of sin, and provided at the public expense because it was for the good of the whole community. Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring thee a red heifer without spot, &c.--This is the only case in which the color of the victim is specified. It has been supposed the ordinance was designed in opposition to the superstitious notions of the…Read the comment
Topics related to Numbers 19:2
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Numbers 19
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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