Thursday 2 November 2017

Numbers 19

After Leviticus 15, what should rise to the top of the list (only 58% guessed - but that's a good start) but Numbers 19, the red heifer.

The colour scarlet crimson here once and twice in Leviticus, is used 25 times in Exodus with the same stems in reverse order, crimson scarlet.

The word I have used for purify is ברר. I cannot use that word for sin. Yet purify is the selected gloss for חטא in several translations of this chapter. The sin offering (my current solution) is not the same as the bloody offerings of Leviticus. There is only the one butchered animal here and her ashes are the sin offering. When combined with living water, and administered by sprinkling with hyssop, they provide a bloodless recreation of the sin offering of that heifer, ruddy, outside the camp. (See also Hebrews 9:13, 13:11 for the use of this rite as an explanatory figure of speech in the New Testament.)

It is more than curious that the sin offering is linked to the terminology of the segregation of women.

The uncleanness of anyone is an uncleanness of the sanctuary, the dwelling-place itself of Yahweh. This too is a change of attitude, not self-centered but other-centered. Another curious touch is the time delay of 4 days before the cleansing takes effect.

Numbers 19 Fn Min Max Syll
וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה וְאֶֽל־אַהֲרֹ֖ן לֵאמֹֽר 1 And Yahweh spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, 3e 4B 15
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
2 C This is a statute of the instruction which Yahweh commanded, saying,
Speak to the children of Israel. Let them take to you a heifer, ruddy, complete, that has no spot in it, upon which no shackle has been brought.
3d 4C 14
35
וּנְתַתֶּ֣ם אֹתָ֔הּ אֶל־אֶלְעָזָ֖ר הַכֹּהֵ֑ן
וְהוֹצִ֤יא אֹתָהּ֙ אֶל־מִח֣וּץ לַֽמַּחֲנֶ֔ה וְשָׁחַ֥ט אֹתָ֖הּ לְפָנָֽיו
3 And you will give her to Eleazar the priest,
and he will bring forth her outside the camp, and he will butcher her before his face.
3e 4C 12
20
וְלָקַ֞ח אֶלְעָזָ֧ר הַכֹּהֵ֛ן מִדָּמָ֖הּ בְּאֶצְבָּע֑וֹ
וְהִזָּ֞ה אֶל־נֹ֨כַח פְּנֵ֧י אֹֽהֶל־מוֹעֵ֛ד מִדָּמָ֖הּ שֶׁ֥בַע פְּעָמִֽים
4 And Eleazar the priest will take from the blood with his finger,
and spatter from her blood opposite, facing the tent of engagement, seven times.
3c 4A 16
20
וְשָׂרַ֥ף אֶת־הַפָּרָ֖ה לְעֵינָ֑יו
אֶת־עֹרָ֤הּ וְאֶת־בְּשָׂרָהּ֙ וְאֶת־דָּמָ֔הּ עַל־פִּרְשָׁ֖הּ יִשְׂרֹֽף
5 And he will incinerate the heifer before his eyes,
her skin, and her flesh, and her blood, over her manure he will incinerate.
3e 4C 10
17
וְלָקַ֣ח הַכֹּהֵ֗ן עֵ֥ץ אֶ֛רֶז וְאֵז֖וֹב וּשְׁנִ֣י תוֹלָ֑עַת
וְהִשְׁלִ֕יךְ אֶל־תּ֖וֹךְ שְׂרֵפַ֥ת הַפָּרָֽה
6 And the priest will take cedar wood and hyssop and scarlet crimson,
and cast it into the centre of the incineration of the heifer.
3d 4B 17
11
וְכִבֶּ֨ס בְּגָדָ֜יו הַכֹּהֵ֗ן וְרָחַ֤ץ בְּשָׂרוֹ֙ בַּמַּ֔יִם וְאַחַ֖ר יָב֣וֹא אֶל־הַֽמַּחֲנֶ֑ה
וְטָמֵ֥א הַכֹּהֵ֖ן עַד־הָעָֽרֶב
7 And the priest will scour his garments and will wash his flesh in water and after he will come into the camp.
And the priest will be unclean till evening.
3e 4C 27
10
וְהַשֹּׂרֵ֣ף אֹתָ֔הּ יְכַבֵּ֤ס בְּגָדָיו֙ בַּמַּ֔יִם וְרָחַ֥ץ בְּשָׂר֖וֹ בַּמָּ֑יִם
וְטָמֵ֖א עַד־הָעָֽרֶב
8 And the one who incinerates her will scour his garments in water, and will wash his flesh in water,
and will be unclean till evening.
3e 4C 23
7
וְאָסַ֣ף ׀ אִ֣ישׁ טָה֗וֹר אֵ֚ת אֵ֣פֶר הַפָּרָ֔ה וְהִנִּ֛יחַ מִח֥וּץ לַֽמַּחֲנֶ֖ה בְּמָק֣וֹם טָה֑וֹר
וְ֠הָיְתָה לַעֲדַ֨ת בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֧ל לְמִשְׁמֶ֛רֶת לְמֵ֥י נִדָּ֖ה חַטָּ֥את הִֽוא
9 And a clean person will gather the ashes of the heifer and leave outside the camp in a clean place.
And it will be for the assembly of the children of Israel to be kept for the waters of segregation. A sin offering it is.
3c 4C 27
22
וְ֠כִבֶּס הָאֹסֵ֨ף אֶת־אֵ֤פֶר הַפָּרָה֙ אֶת־בְּגָדָ֔יו וְטָמֵ֖א עַד־הָעָ֑רֶב
וְֽהָיְתָ֞ה לִבְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל וְלַגֵּ֛ר הַגָּ֥ר בְּתוֹכָ֖ם לְחֻקַּ֥ת עוֹלָֽם
10 ~ And the one who gathers the ashes of the heifer will scour his garments and be unclean till evening.
And it will be for the children of Israel and for the guest residing among them, for a statute forever.
3d 4C 23
21
הַנֹּגֵ֥עַ בְּמֵ֖ת לְכָל־נֶ֣פֶשׁ אָדָ֑ם
וְטָמֵ֖א שִׁבְעַ֥ת יָמִֽים
11 One who touches the dead, any human cadaver,
will be unclean seven days.
3e 4B 12
7
ה֣וּא יִתְחַטָּא־ב֞וֹ בַּיּ֧וֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֛י וּבַיּ֥וֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִ֖י יִטְהָ֑ר
וְאִם־לֹ֨א יִתְחַטָּ֜א בַּיּ֧וֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֛י וּבַיּ֥וֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִ֖י לֹ֥א יִטְהָֽר
12 B He will make a sin offering with it on the third day, and on the seventh day he will be clean,
and if he will not make a sin offering on the third day, then on the seventh day he will not be clean.
3c 4B 18
20
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
13 Anyone who touches the dead, the cadaver of the earthling that has died, and does not make a sin offering, makes the dwelling-place of Yahweh unclean, and that self will be cut off from Israel,
for the waters of segregation were not dashed on him. He is unclean. His uncleanness is yet on him.
3d 4C 42
17
זֹ֚את הַתּוֹרָ֔ה אָדָ֖ם כִּֽי־יָמ֣וּת בְּאֹ֑הֶל
כָּל־הַבָּ֤א אֶל־הָאֹ֙הֶל֙ וְכָל־אֲשֶׁ֣ר בָּאֹ֔הֶל יִטְמָ֖א שִׁבְעַ֥ת יָמִֽים
14 C This is the instruction for an earthling that dies in a tent.
All that enter the tent and all that were in the tent are unclean seven days.
3e 4C 11
20
וְכֹל֙ כְּלִ֣י פָת֔וּחַ אֲשֶׁ֛ר אֵין־צָמִ֥יד פָּתִ֖יל עָלָ֑יו
טָמֵ֖א הֽוּא
15 And any open vessel that has no paired cover wired on it,
it is unclean.
3d 4B 16
3
וְכֹ֨ל אֲשֶׁר־יִגַּ֜ע עַל־פְּנֵ֣י הַשָּׂדֶ֗ה בַּֽחֲלַל־חֶ֙רֶב֙ א֣וֹ בְמֵ֔ת אֽוֹ־בְעֶ֥צֶם אָדָ֖ם א֣וֹ בְקָ֑בֶר
יִטְמָ֖א שִׁבְעַ֥ת יָמִֽים
16 And anyone that touches, on the surface of the field, one profaned by sword, or one who is dead, or a human bone, or a tomb,
will be unclean seven days.
3e 4B 30
6
וְלָֽקְחוּ֙ לַטָּמֵ֔א מֵעֲפַ֖ר שְׂרֵפַ֣ת הַֽחַטָּ֑את
וְנָתַ֥ן עָלָ֛יו מַ֥יִם חַיִּ֖ים אֶל־כֶּֽלִי
17 And they will take, for one who is unclean, from the dust of the incineration of the sin offering,
and living water will be given over it in a vessel.
3d 4B 15
11
וְלָקַ֨ח אֵז֜וֹב וְטָבַ֣ל בַּמַּיִם֮ אִ֣ישׁ טָהוֹר֒ וְהִזָּ֤ה עַל־הָאֹ֙הֶל֙ וְעַל־כָּל־הַכֵּלִ֔ים וְעַל־הַנְּפָשׁ֖וֹת אֲשֶׁ֣ר הָֽיוּ־שָׁ֑ם
וְעַל־הַנֹּגֵ֗עַ בַּעֶ֙צֶם֙ א֣וֹ בֶֽחָלָ֔ל א֥וֹ בַמֵּ֖ת א֥וֹ בַקָּֽבֶר
18 And a clean person will take hyssop and dip it in the water, and spatter on the tent, and over all the vessels, and over the groups who are there,
and over the one who touched the bones or the profaned or the dead or the tomb.
3e 4C 36
20
וְהִזָּ֤ה הַטָּהֹר֙ עַל־הַטָּמֵ֔א בַּיּ֥וֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֖י וּבַיּ֣וֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִ֑י
וְחִטְּאוֹ֙ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִ֔י וְכִבֶּ֧ס בְּגָדָ֛יו וְרָחַ֥ץ בַּמַּ֖יִם וְטָהֵ֥ר בָּעָֽרֶב
19 And the one who is clean will spatter over the unclean on the third day and on the seventh day,
and he will make a sin offering on the seventh day, and will scour his garments and will wash in water and will be clean in the evening.
3c 4C 21
25
וְאִ֤ישׁ אֲשֶׁר־יִטְמָא֙ וְלֹ֣א יִתְחַטָּ֔א וְנִכְרְתָ֛ה הַנֶּ֥פֶשׁ הַהִ֖וא מִתּ֣וֹךְ הַקָּהָ֑ל
כִּי֩ אֶת־מִקְדַּ֨שׁ יְהוָ֜ה טִמֵּ֗א מֵ֥י נִדָּ֛ה לֹא־זֹרַ֥ק עָלָ֖יו טָמֵ֥א הֽוּא
20 And anyone that is unclean and does not make a sin offering, then that being will be cut off from the midst of the congregation,
because the sanctuary of Yahweh he has made unclean. The waters of segregation have not been dashed on him. Unclean he is.
3d 4C 25
18
וְהָיְתָ֥ה לָּהֶ֖ם לְחֻקַּ֣ת עוֹלָ֑ם
וּמַזֵּ֤ה מֵֽי־הַנִּדָּה֙ יְכַבֵּ֣ס בְּגָדָ֔יו וְהַנֹּגֵ֙עַ֙ בְּמֵ֣י הַנִּדָּ֔ה יִטְמָ֖א עַד־הָעָֽרֶב
21 And it will be for them for a statute forever.
The one who spatters the waters of the segregation will scour his garments, and the one who touches the waters of the segregation will be unclean till evening.
3e 4C 10
28
וְכֹ֛ל אֲשֶׁר־יִגַּע־בּ֥וֹ הַטָּמֵ֖א יִטְמָ֑א
וְהַנֶּ֥פֶשׁ הַנֹּגַ֖עַת תִּטְמָ֥א עַד־הָעָֽרֶב
22 And anything that the unclean, touches he makes unclean,
but the being who touches, will be unclean till evening.
3d 4A 12
14


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