Numbers 9:7

Num 9:7 And those men said unto him, We [are] defiled by the dead body of a man: wherefore are we kept back, that we may not offer an offering of the LORD in his appointed season among the children of Israel?

Ver. 7. And those men said unto him.] Moses they knew was a meet man to resolve this case of conscience. He was a messenger, an interpreter, "one among a thousand, to show unto man his uprightness," {Job 33:23} a merchant to sell oil and balm from Gilead, to cure consciences. {Mat 25:9} Others may write cases, that is, covers of conscience; but resolve none. Conscience is a diamond, and will be wrought on by nothing but dust of diamond, such as contrition hath ground it to.

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.

Num 9:7. Wherefore are we kept back — They thus confidently expostulate with Moses, because in the first institution of the passover no mention is made of excluding such unclean persons from that ordinance. And although it might possibly have been inferred from the law recorded Lev 7:20, that persons in their condition were not to partake of that sacrifice; yet, considering that all the Israelites were expressly commanded to celebrate the passover, (Exo 12:47,) they might well entertain doubts respecting their duty in this matter, and therefore have recourse to Moses for decision. That we may not offer an offering — Which if we neglect we must be cut off, and if we keep it in these circumstances, we must also be cut off. What shall we do?

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Or, celebrate the Passover the fourteenth day of the first month.

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

Verse 7. We are defiled by the dead body of a man] It is probable that the defilement mentioned here was occasioned by assisting at the burial of some person - a work both of necessity and mercy. This circumstance however gave rise to the ordinance delivered in Nu 9:10-14, so that on particular occasions the passover might be twice celebrated:

1. At its regular time, the 14th of the first month;

2. An extra time, the 14th of the second month.

But the man who had no legal hinderance, and did not celebrate it on one or other of these times, was to be cut off from the people of God; and the reason given for this cutting off is, that he brought not the offering of God in his appointed season-therefore that man shall bear his sin, Nu 9:13.

We have already seen, from the authority of St. Paul, that Christ, our Passover, is sacrificed for us; and that it was his sacrifice that was pointed out by the paschal lamb: on this, therefore, we may observe, that those who do not sooner or later eat the true Passover, and get the salvation procured by the sprinkling of his blood, shall be cut off from among those that shall enter into the rest prepared for the people of God; and for the same reason too; they bring not the offering of God in its appointed season, and therefore they shall bear their sin.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(7) An offering.—Better, the offering, or oblation.

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

And Moses said unto them, stand still,.... Where they were; Aben Ezra says, at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation:

and I will hear what the Lord will command concerning you; as it was a singular case, of which there had been no instance before, Moses would not determine anything about it himself, but would inquire of the Lord his mind and will concerning it; and for that purpose, very probably, went into the most holy place, where the Lord had promised to meet him and commune with him, from off the mercy seat, about any matter of difficulty he should inquire about, Exo 25:22.

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

Which if we neglect, we must be cut off; and if we keep it in these circumstances, we must also be cut off. What shall we do? The passover is called

an offering of the Lord, because it was both killed and eaten in obedience to God’s command, and to God’s honour, and as a thank-offering to God for his great mercies.

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

7. Kept back — Greek, fall short or fail; Vulgate, defrauded. Since their defilement was involuntary, and even commendable, arising as it did from attending to the burial of the dead, the demand was reasonable, and worthy of being carried to the Lord.

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

Wherefore are we kept back. The direction to remove from the camp all that were defiled by the dead (Num_5:2) had not apparently been given at this time, nor was there any express command that such should not partake of the passover, for Lev_7:20 may probably refer only to such uncleannesses as are mentioned in Lev_15:3; but that men were in fact considered as defiled by contact with the dead is clear from Lev_21:1. The men, therefore, had reason for asking why they were excommunicated, and Moses for referring the matter to the Divine decision.

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

An offering - Which if we neglect, we must be cut off, and if we keep it in these circumstances, we must also be cut off. What shall we do?

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

למה נגרע WHEREFORE ARE WE KEPT BACK? — He (Moses) had said to them, “Sacrifices are not permitted to be offered by anyone who is in a state of uncleanness”. They retorted, “למה נגרע” — Why should that prevent us? Let the blood be sprinkled on our behalf by clean priests, and let the flesh be eaten by the clean”. (i.e. let us partake of the flesh at night when we shall already be clean: see Note). Thereupon he said to them: “Stand still (i.e. wait a short time) and I will hear [what the Lord will command concerning you]” — he said this with confidence, like a pupil who is certain that he will get information from his teacher at any time. Happy, indeed, is a human being (lit., one born of woman) who may so confidently rely that at any time when he wishes to do so he may speak with the Shechinah! — This section, in fact, ought to have been said by Moses, just as all the other sections of the Torah, only that these men were privileged that it should be promulgated through their intervention, because “meritorious deeds are brought about by worthy men” (Sifrei Bamidbar 68; Bava Batra 119b).

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.

Why should we be excluded. Their claim was that since their impurity had been caused by a mitzvah, why should it be something that causes a transgression?

In its proper time. The opportunity for this mitzvah will pass when the time passes.

Sforno on the Tanakh — English translation: “Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.