The Meaning of Numbers 9:6 Explained

Numbers 9:6

KJV: And there were certain men, who were defiled by the dead body of a man, that they could not keep the passover on that day: and they came before Moses and before Aaron on that day:

YLT: And there are men who have been defiled by the body of a man, and they have not been able to prepare the passover on that day, and they come near before Moses, and before Aaron, on that day,

Darby: And there were men, who were unclean through the dead body of a man, and could not hold the passover on that day; and they came before Moses and before Aaron on that day.

ASV: And there were certain men, who were unclean by reason of the dead body of a man, so that they could not keep the passover on that day: and they came before Moses and before Aaron on that day:

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And there were certain men,  who were defiled  by the dead body  of a man,  that they could  not keep  the passover  on that day:  and they came  before  Moses  and before  Aaron  on that day: 

What does Numbers 9:6 Mean?

Context Summary

Numbers 9:1-14 - Keeping The Passover
The Passover was celebrated in Egypt, Exodus 12:1-51; in the Wilderness, Leviticus 1:14; and in the land of Canaan, Joshua 5:1-15. The thought of our redemption must underpin all the great movements of individuals and the Church, This one was specially memorable, because it led to the institution of "the little Passover," Numbers 9:6-7. Moses did not hasten to give an answer of his own, but waited upon God. The divine nature makes allowance for disabilities, over which we have no control. See 2 Chronicles 30:13-20.
In the welcome given to strangers, we discover the wideness of God's mercy. We, too, were strangers and foreigners, Ephesians 2:19-21. My soul, never forget how thou wast once a stranger to the covenant of promise! Thine were the crumbs of the feast! But God has made thee sit with the children and included thee in the gracious provisions of His covenant! [source]

Chapter Summary: Numbers 9

1  The Passover is again commanded
6  A second Passover for the unclean or absent
15  The cloud directs the removals and encampments of the Israelites

What do the individual words in Numbers 9:6 mean?

And there were [certain] men who were defiled by corpse a human so that not they could keep the Passover on day that and they came before Moses and Aaron day that
וַיְהִ֣י אֲנָשִׁ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֨ר הָי֤וּ טְמֵאִים֙ לְנֶ֣פֶשׁ אָדָ֔ם וְלֹא־ יָכְל֥וּ לַעֲשֹׂת־ הַפֶּ֖סַח בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֑וּא וַֽיִּקְרְב֞וּ לִפְנֵ֥י מֹשֶׁ֛ה וְלִפְנֵ֥י אַהֲרֹ֖ן בַּיּ֥וֹם הַהֽוּא

וַיְהִ֣י  And  there  were 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
אֲנָשִׁ֗ים  [certain]  men 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱנׄושׁ 
Sense: man, mortal man, person, mankind.
טְמֵאִים֙  defiled 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural
Root: טָמֵא  
Sense: unclean, impure.
לְנֶ֣פֶשׁ  by  corpse 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: נֶפֶשׁ  
Sense: soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion.
אָדָ֔ם  a  human 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָדָם 
Sense: man, mankind.
וְלֹא־  so  that  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
יָכְל֥וּ  they  could 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: יָכֹל  
Sense: to prevail, overcome, endure, have power, be able.
לַעֲשֹׂת־  keep 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
הַפֶּ֖סַח  the  Passover 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: פֶּסַח  
Sense: passover.
בַּיּ֣וֹם  on  day 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
הַה֑וּא  that 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, third person masculine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.
וַֽיִּקְרְב֞וּ  and  they  came 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: קָרַב  
Sense: to come near, approach, enter into, draw near.
לִפְנֵ֥י  before 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, common plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
מֹשֶׁ֛ה  Moses 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֹשֶׁה  
Sense: the prophet and lawgiver, leader of the exodus.
אַהֲרֹ֖ן  Aaron 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אַהֲרֹון  
Sense: brother of Moses, a Levite and the first high priest.
בַּיּ֥וֹם  day 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
הַהֽוּא  that 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, third person masculine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.