Numbers 19:17

Num 19:17 And for an unclean [person] they shall take of the ashes of the burnt heifer of purification for sin, and running water shall be put thereto in a vessel:

Ver. 17. And running water.] Signifying the ashes of Christ’s merit, and the water of his Spirit. See 1Co 6:11 Joh 7:38-39.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

19:17-22 To cleanse with the heifer’s ashes, a special purifying mixture was made by combining ashes from the burnt purification offering with fresh water (cp. 5:17).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Of the red cow burnt for sin.

Water of the fountain or river.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

(17) of the ashes of the burnt heifer of purification for sin.—Better, of the ashes of the burnt sin-offering; literally, of the burning of the sin-offering.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

17. the sin-offering] The word is used in the same sense as in Num_19:9.

running water] Water fresh from a running stream. This is more explicit than the former account, in which (Num_19:9) the mixing of water with the ashes is taken for granted.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And for an unclean person,.... Defiled by any of the above means:

they shall take of the ashes of the burnt heifer of purification for sin; from the place where they were laid up for this use; See Gill on Num 19:9 and some have thought that they were laid up in various cities and places in the country, as well as at Jerusalem, that they might be come at easily upon occasion; otherwise they could not be had without great trouble and expense, and in some places not so soon as the law required for their purification, namely, on the third day after their defilement:

and running water shall be put thereto in a vessel; the Targum Jonathan is,"fountain water in the midst of earthen vessel;''for no water but fountain, spring, or river water, was made use of; and it should seem by what is said that ashes were first put into the vessel, and then the running water was put to them; and yet the Jewish writers say (s), that if the ashes were put in first, and then the water, it was not right; and the meaning of what is said here is, that the water and ashes should be mixed together; for it is urged from the words: "running water in a vessel", that it is plain, that the water is put in the vessel and not to the ashes; and therefore that which is said, "shall be put thereto", is to caution the person, that after he has put the ashes upon the water, that he mixes them well with his finger, and cause the water below to rise above (t).

(s) Maimon. Milchot, Parah Adumah, c. 9. sect. 1. (t) Bartenora in Misn. Temurah, c. 1. sect. 5.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Burning of the red cow, which was also a sin-offering, ver. 9. (Haydock) --- Upon the ashes they poured some running or spring water. The pagans generally preferred the water of the sea; or if they could not procure any, they mixed salt with common water. Ovid (Fast iv,) mentions a lustration made with the ashes of a calf, mixed with horse blood; and another, which was used in honour of Pales, the goddess of harvests, by the oldest virgins present, who sprinkled the ashes of calves, populos purget ut ille cinis. Athenæus (ix. 18,) observes that a stick was taken from the fire of the altar, was extinguished in water for the purification of the unclean; and the ancient Romans, who had been at a funeral, sprinkled themselves with water, and jumped over fire for the same purpose; as the Greeks were accustomed to place a vessel full of water, at the doors where a corpse was lying, that all might purify themselves when they came out. (Calmet)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

Running water, i.e, waters flowing from a spring or river which are the purest. These manifestly signify God’s Spirit, which is oft compared to water, Joh 7:38,39, and by which alone true purification is obtained.

In a vessel, where they were to be mixed, and then the water was to be strained out and kept for this use.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

17. Running water — Living, that is, pure water.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Running water. Septuagint, udwr zwn . (cf. Lev_14:5 Joh_4:10)

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Running water - Waters flowing from a spring or river, which are the purest. These manifestly signify God's spirit, which is oft compared to water, and by which alone true purification is obtained. Those who promise themselves benefit by the righteousness of Christ, while they submit not to the influence of his spirit, do but deceive themselves; for they cannot be purified by the ashes, otherwise than in the running water.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

for an unclean

(See Scofield "Num 19:2"). See Scofield "Joh 13:10".

The Scofield Reference Bible (1917 edition), notes by C. I. Scofield — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

General Information:

The idea of "unclean" represents not being acceptable to God or fit for use. (See: Metaphor)

General Information:

The ideas of "clean" and "purify" here represent being acceptable to God. (See: Metaphor)

translationWords

ash

sin offering

clean

pure

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

AND HE SHALL PUT UPON IT RUNNING WATER INTO A VESSEL. The meaning thereof is not that he should first put the ashes [of the Red Heifer] into the vessel and then put the water upon the ashes, for our Rabbis have taught that if one places the ashes in the vessel first and then the water, it invalidates [the water, so that it may not be used as water of purification]. They derived this law from the expression, running water into a vessel, which implies that the running water [alone] should be put into the vessel [i.e., there should be nothing-such as the ashes — intervening between the water and the vessel]. Perhaps they deduced it because He did not say: “And for the unclean they shall take of the ashes of the burnt heifer of purification into a vessel, and he shall put upon it running water.” But [since Scripture put it in the reverse order: And for the unclean they shall take of the ashes of the burnt heifer of purification — and running water he shall put thereto in a vessel], the meaning of the verse is as follows: “and he shall put upon the ashes the running water which was [already] in the vessel,” meaning that he should mix the ashes with the water which was in the vessel until the water flows over them.

Ramban (Nachmanides) on the Tanakh — English translation: “Commentary on the Torah by Ramban (Nachmanides). Translated and annotated by Charles B. Chavel. New York, Shilo Pub. House, 1971-1976” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.