The Meaning of Numbers 19:2 Explained

Numbers 19:2

KJV: This is the ordinance of the law which the LORD hath commanded, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring thee a red heifer without spot, wherein is no blemish, and upon which never came yoke:

YLT: This is a statute of the law which Jehovah hath commanded, saying, Speak unto the sons of Israel, and they bring unto thee a red cow, a perfect one, in which there is no blemish, on which no yoke hath gone up;

Darby: This is the statute of the law which Jehovah hath commanded, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring thee a red heifer without blemish, wherein is no defect, and upon which never came yoke;

ASV: This is the statute of the law which Jehovah hath commanded, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring thee a red heifer without spot, wherein is no blemish, and upon which never came yoke.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

This [is] the ordinance  of the law  which the LORD  hath commanded,  saying,  Speak  unto the children  of Israel,  that they bring  thee a red  heifer  without spot,  wherein [is] no blemish,  [and] upon which never  came  yoke: 

What does Numbers 19:2 Mean?

Study Notes

red heifer
The red heifer: Type of the sacrifice of Christ as the ground of the cleansing of the believer from the defilement contracted in his pilgrim walk through this world, and illustration of the method of his cleansing. The order is:
(1) the slaying of the sacrifice;
(2) the sevenfold sprinkling of the blood, typical public testimony before the eyes of all of the complete and never-to-be-repeated putting away of all the believer's sin as before God. Hebrews 9:12-14 ; Hebrews 10:10-12 .
(3) the reduction of the sacrifice to ashes which are preserved and become a memorial of the sacrifice;
(4) the cleansing from defilement (sin has two aspects--guilt and uncleanness) by sprinkling with the ashes mingled with water. Water is a type of both the Spirit and the Word. John 7:37-39 . Ephesians 5:26 . The operation typified is this: the Holy Spirit used the Word to convict the believer of some evil allowed in his life to the hindering of his joy, growth, and service. Thus convicted, he remembers that the guilt of his sin has been met by the sacrifice of Christ 1 John 1:7 . Instead, therefore, of despairing, the convicted believer judges and confesses the defiling thing as unworthy a saint, and is forgiven and cleansed; John 13:3-10 ; 1 John 1:7-10 .

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 19:2 mean?

this [is] the ordinance of the law which has commanded Yahweh saying speak to the sons of Israel that they bring you a heifer red without blemish there not there [is] defect that never has come [and] on which a yoke
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

זֹ֚את  this 
Parse: Pronoun, feminine singular
Root: זׄאת  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, such.
חֻקַּ֣ת  [is]  the  ordinance 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: חֻקָּה  
Sense: statute, ordinance, limit, enactment, something prescribed.
הַתּוֹרָ֔ה  of  the  law 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: תֹּורָה  
Sense: law, direction, instruction.
צִוָּ֥ה  has  commanded 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: צָוָה  
Sense: to command, charge, give orders, lay charge, give charge to, order.
יְהוָ֖ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
לֵאמֹ֑ר  saying 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
דַּבֵּ֣ר ׀  speak 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: דָּבַר 
Sense: to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing.
בְּנֵ֣י  the  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל  of  Israel 
Parse: 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.
וְיִקְח֣וּ  that  they  bring 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: יָקַח 
Sense: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.
פָרָ֨ה  a  heifer 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: פָּרָה  
Sense: cow, heifer.
אֲדֻמָּ֜ה  red 
Parse: Adjective, feminine singular
Root: אָדֹם  
Sense: red, ruddy (of man, horse, heifer, garment, water, lentils).
תְּמִימָ֗ה  without  blemish 
Parse: Adjective, feminine singular
Root: תָּמִים  
Sense: complete, whole, entire, sound.
בָּהּ֙  there  [is] 
Parse: Preposition, third person feminine singular
מ֔וּם  defect 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מְאוּם 
Sense: blemish, spot, defect.
אֲשֶׁ֛ר  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
לֹא־  never 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
עָלָ֥ה  has  come 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: סָלַק 
Sense: to go up, ascend, climb.
עָלֶ֖יהָ  [and]  on  which 
Parse: Preposition, third person feminine 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.
עֹֽל  a  yoke 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֹל  
Sense: yoke.