New International Version
Numbers 19:2
2“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.
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:
- English Standard Version (ESV)"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.
- 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
1The Lord said to Moses and Aaron: “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. 3Give it to Eleazar the priest; it is to be taken outside the camp and slaughtered in his presence. 4Then Eleazar the priest is to take some of its blood on his finger and sprinkle it seven times toward the front of the tent of meeting.
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 soldiers who had gone into battle, “This is what is required by the law that the Lord gave Moses:
- Hebrews 9:10They are only a matter of food and drink and various ceremonial washings—external regulations applying until the time of the new order.
- Numbers 19:6The priest is to take some cedar wood, hyssop and scarlet wool and throw them onto the burning heifer.
- Leviticus 14:6He is then to take the live bird and dip it, together with the cedar wood, the scarlet yarn and the hyssop, into the blood of the bird that was killed over the fresh water.
- Isaiah 1:18“Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.
- Revelation 1:5and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood,
- Exodus 12:5The animals you choose must be year-old males without defect, and you may take them from the sheep or the goats.
- Leviticus 22:20Do not bring anything with a defect, because it will not be accepted on your behalf.
- Malachi 1:13And you say, ‘What a burden!’ and you sniff at it contemptuously,” says the Lord Almighty. “When you bring injured, lame or diseased animals and offer them as sacrifices, should I accept them from your hands?” says the Lord.
- Luke 1:35The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.
- Hebrews 7:26Such a high priest truly meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens.
- 1 Peter 1:19but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.
- 1 Peter 2:22“He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.”
- Deuteronomy 21:3Then the elders of the town nearest the body shall take a heifer that has never been worked and has never worn a yoke
- 1 Samuel 6:7“Now then, get a new cart ready, with two cows that have calved and have never been yoked. Hitch the cows to the cart, but take their calves away and pen them up.
- Lamentations 1:14“My sins have been bound into a yoke; by his hands they were woven together. They have been hung on my neck, and the Lord has sapped my strength. He has given me into the hands of those 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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