The Meaning of Numbers 19:13 Explained

Numbers 19:13

KJV: Whosoever toucheth the dead body of any man that is dead, and purifieth not himself, defileth the tabernacle of the LORD; and that soul shall be cut off from Israel: because the water of separation was not sprinkled upon him, he shall be unclean; his uncleanness is yet upon him.

YLT: Any one who is coming against the dead, against the body of man who dieth, and cleanseth not himself -- the tabernacle of Jehovah he hath defiled, and that person hath been cut off from Israel, for water of separation is not sprinkled upon him; he is unclean; his uncleanness is still upon him.

Darby: Whoever toucheth a dead person, the dead body of a man that is dead, and purifieth not himself, defileth the tabernacle of Jehovah; and that soul shall be cut off from Israel; for the water of separation was not sprinkled upon him: he shall be unclean; his uncleanness is yet upon him.

ASV: Whosoever toucheth a dead person, the body of a man that hath died, and purifieth not himself, defileth the tabernacle of Jehovah; and that soul shall be cut off from Israel: because the water for impurity was not sprinkled upon him, he shall be unclean; his uncleanness is yet upon him.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Whosoever toucheth  the dead  body  of any man  that is dead,  and purifieth  not himself, defileth  the tabernacle  of the LORD;  and that soul  shall be cut off  from Israel:  because the water  of separation  was not sprinkled  upon him, he shall be unclean;  his uncleanness  [is] yet upon him. 

What does Numbers 19:13 Mean?

Context Summary

Numbers 19:1-22 - Purification For Uncleanness
We might have expected this chapter to occur in Leviticus. Is it not incongruous in this narrative of the pilgrimage? Nay; this is the most appropriate place, since in the desert march we are more exposed to the touch of defilement, such as needs daily cleansing, lest we be shut out from fellowship with God.
The ashes of an heifer are emblematic of the work of our Lord. See Hebrews 9:13. No blemish; never a yoke; "slain without the camp," counted an unclean thing! It was easy for the Jew to contract ceremonial defilement. To walk over a grave was enough. But the ashes of the heifer mingled with spring-or running-water restored the polluted soul to the family and the Tabernacle. So as we confess our sins, we are sprinkled from an evil conscience, we are restored to unity with God and His people, and we walk in newness of life.
For Review Questions, see the e-Sword Book Comments. [source]

Chapter Summary: Numbers 19

1  The water of separation made of the ashes of a red heifer
11  The law for the use of it in purification of the unclean

What do the individual words in Numbers 19:13 mean?

Whoever touches the dead body of anyone who has died and not does purify himself - the tabernacle of Yahweh defiles and shall be cut off person that from Israel because the water of purification not was sprinkled on him unclean shall be yet his uncleanness on him
כָּֽל־ הַנֹּגֵ֡עַ בְּמֵ֣ת בְּנֶפֶשׁ֩ הָאָדָ֨ם אֲשֶׁר־ יָמ֜וּת וְלֹ֣א יִתְחַטָּ֗א אֶת־ מִשְׁכַּ֤ן יְהוָה֙ טִמֵּ֔א וְנִכְרְתָ֛ה הַנֶּ֥פֶשׁ הַהִ֖וא מִיִּשְׂרָאֵ֑ל כִּי֩ מֵ֨י נִדָּ֜ה לֹא־ זֹרַ֤ק עָלָיו֙ טָמֵ֣א יִהְיֶ֔ה ע֖וֹד טֻמְאָת֥וֹ בֽוֹ

כָּֽל־  Whoever 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
הַנֹּגֵ֡עַ  touches 
Parse: Article, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: נָגַע  
Sense: to touch, reach, strike.
בְּמֵ֣ת  the  dead 
Parse: Preposition-b, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.
בְּנֶפֶשׁ֩  body 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: נֶפֶשׁ  
Sense: soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion.
הָאָדָ֨ם  of  anyone 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָדָם 
Sense: man, mankind.
יָמ֜וּת  has  died 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.
וְלֹ֣א  and  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
יִתְחַטָּ֗א  does  purify  himself 
Parse: Verb, Hitpael, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: חָטָא 
Sense: to sin, miss, miss the way, go wrong, incur guilt, forfeit, purify from uncleanness.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
מִשְׁכַּ֤ן  the  tabernacle  of 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מִשְׁכָּן  
Sense: dwelling place, tabernacle.
יְהוָה֙  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: Jehovah—used primarily in the combination ‘Lord Jehovah’.
טִמֵּ֔א  defiles 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: טָמֵא 
Sense: to be unclean, become unclean, become impure.
וְנִכְרְתָ֛ה  and  shall  be  cut  off 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Nifal, Conjunctive perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: כָּרַת  
Sense: to cut, cut off, cut down, cut off a body part, cut out, eliminate, kill, cut a covenant.
הַנֶּ֥פֶשׁ  person 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: נֶפֶשׁ  
Sense: soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion.
הַהִ֖וא  that 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, third person feminine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.
מִיִּשְׂרָאֵ֑ל  from  Israel 
Parse: Preposition-m, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
כִּי֩  because 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
מֵ֨י  the  water 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: מַיִם  
Sense: water, waters.
נִדָּ֜ה  of  purification 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: נִדָּה  
Sense: impurity, filthiness, menstruous, set apart.
זֹרַ֤ק  was  sprinkled 
Parse: Verb, QalPass, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: זָרַק 
Sense: to scatter, sprinkle, toss, throw, scatter abundantly, strew.
עָלָיו֙  on  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
טָמֵ֣א  unclean 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: טָמֵא  
Sense: unclean, impure.
יִהְיֶ֔ה  shall  be 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
ע֖וֹד  yet 
Parse: Adverb
Root: עֹוד  
Sense: a going round, continuance adv.
טֻמְאָת֥וֹ  his  uncleanness 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: טֻמְאָה  
Sense: uncleanness.
בֽוֹ  on  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular