Numbers – Chapter 19

Old Testament22 Verses

Chapter Summary

"And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying:" — so begins Numbers 19. The chapter centers on Eleazar, Aaron and Moses. Across its 22 verses, two threads run through the text: holiness and family and covenant relationships. The Church invites us to read this chapter within the whole sweep of salvation history, where every page points toward Christ.

1And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying:

2This is the observance of the victim, which the Lord hath ordained. Command the children of Israel, that they bring unto thee a red cow of full age, in which there is no blemish, and which hath not carried the yoke:

3And you shall deliver her to Eleazar the priest, who shall bring her forth without the camp, and shall immolate her in the sight of all:

4And dipping his finger in her blood, shall sprinkle it over against the door of the tabernacle seven times,

5And shall burn her in the sight of all delivering up to the fire her skin, and her flesh, and her blood, and her dung.

6The priest shall also take cedar wood, and hyssop, and scarlet twice dyed, and cast it into the flame, with which the cow is consumed.

7And then after washing his garments, and body, he shall enter into the camp, and shall be unclean until the evening.

8He also that hath burned her, shall wash his garments, and his body, and shall be unclean until the evening.

9And a man that is clean shall gather up the ashes of the cow, and shall pour them forth without the camp in a most clean place, that they may be reserved for the multitude of the children of Israel, and for a water of aspersion: because the cow was burnt for sin.

10And when he that carried the ashes of the cow, hath washed his garments, he shall be unclean until the evening. The children of Israel, and the strangers that dwell among them, shall observe this for a holy thing by a perpetual ordinance.

11He that toucheth the corpse of a man, and is therefore unclean seven days,

12Shall be sprinkled with this water on the third day, and on the seventh, and so shall be cleansed. If he were not sprinkled on the third day, he cannot be cleansed on the seventh.

13Every one that toucheth the corpse of a man, and is not sprinkled with this mixture, shall profane the tabernacle of the Lord, and shall perish out of Israel: because he was not sprinkled with the water of expiation, he shall be unclean, and his uncleanness shall remain upon him.

14This is the law of a man that dieth in a tent: All that go into his tent and all the vessels that are there, shall be unclean seven days.

15The vessel that hath no cover, nor binding over it, shall be unclean.

16If any man in the field touch the corpse of a man that was slain, or that died of himself, or his bone, or his grave, he shall be unclean seven days.

17And they shall take of the ashes of the burning and of the sin offering, and shall pour living waters upon them into a vessel.

18And a man that is clean shall dip hyssop in them, and shall sprinkle therewith all the tent, and all the furniture, and the men that are defiled with touching any such thing:

19And in this manner he that is clean shall purify the unclean on the third and on the seventh day. And being expiated the seventh day, he shall wash both himself and his garments, and be unclean until the evening.

20If any man be not expiated after this rite, his soul shall perish out of the midst of the church: because he hath profaned the sanctuary of the Lord, and was not sprinkled with the water of purification.

21This precept shall be an ordinance for ever. He also that sprinkled the water, shall wash his garments. Every one that shall touch the waters of expiation, shall be unclean until the evening.

22Whatsoever a person toucheth who is unclean, he shall make it unclean: and the person that toucheth any of these things, shall be unclean until the evening.

Important Verses in Numbers 19

And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying:

Numbers 19:1

And dipping his finger in her blood, shall sprinkle it over against the door of the tabernacle seven times,

Numbers 19:4

And then after washing his garments, and body, he shall enter into the camp, and shall be unclean until the evening.

Numbers 19:7

If any man be not expiated after this rite, his soul shall perish out of the midst of the church: because he hath profaned the sanctuary of the Lord, and was not sprinkled with the water of purification.

Numbers 19:20

Historical Context

Numbers belongs to the Old Testament and was composed for israel on the threshold of the Promised Land, warned by the failures of the wilderness generation. Chapter 19 of 36 stands in the central portion of the book, where decisive events or teachings take shape. It is a narrative passage recounting concrete events in salvation history with 22 verses in the Douay-Rheims translation. The chapter focuses on Eleazar, Aaron and Moses, whose actions and words drive the passage forward. The passage starts with these words: "And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying:" The final verse reads: "Whatsoever a person toucheth who is unclean, he shall make it unclean: and the person that toucheth any of these…" Read against its original backdrop, Numbers takes its name from the two censuses of Israel and covers nearly forty years of wandering between Sinai and the plains of Moab. Scholarly and ecclesial tradition places the composition of Numbers around Wilderness traditions of the 13th century BC; final form by the 5th century BC.

Who Wrote It

Traditionally attributed to Moses, with priestly editing

When It Was Written

Wilderness traditions of the 13th century BC; final form by the 5th century BC

Catholic Commentary

The literal sense of Numbers 19 presents a concrete episode in the history of wilderness journey and God's faithfulness. A pivotal line is verse 1: "And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying:" The passage repeatedly touches on holiness before God.

According to Catholic interpretation, this chapter contributes to the book's portrait of wilderness journey and God's faithfulness. the Church sees Israel's journey as an image of our pilgrimage to heaven (CIC 2119). The Catechism and the liturgy frequently draw on such passages to nourish faith and moral life (CIC 2632).

Applied to the life of faith, the passage supports the Church's conviction that God guides His people through the desert. Whether read privately or heard in the liturgy, Numbers 19 calls for a response of faith, repentance, and charity.

Main Teachings

  • 'Be holy, for I am holy': God calls His people to be set apart for Him in every area of life.
  • The family is the first school of faith, where love, obedience, and forgiveness are learned.
  • Sin has real consequences, but God's judgment always aims at conversion and restoration.

People in This Chapter

Eleazar1 mentionAaron1 mentionMoses1 mention

Reflection for Today

The central section of Numbers—Chapter 19 of 36—opens a particular moment in the story of wilderness journey and God's faithfulness.

According to Catholic teaching, the Church sees Israel's journey as an image of our pilgrimage to heaven (CIC 2119). This chapter especially highlights the role of the sacraments in sanctification, a theme the Catechism develops in relation to the whole of revelation (CIC 756).

Let Numbers Chapter 19 deepen your love for the Eucharist, where the Word made flesh continues to feed His people. The same Christ who speaks in Scripture offers Himself sacramentally on the altar.

💡Catholic Reflection • Church Teachings

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Numbers Chapter 19 about?

Numbers 19 contains 22 verses. It opens with "And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying:" and closes with "Whatsoever a person toucheth who is unclean, he shall make it unclean: and the person that toucheth any of these…". The book as a whole is narrative, census lists, and law.

What is a key verse in Numbers 19?

One of the most significant verses is verse 1: "And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying:" It is often cited in Catholic teaching and preaching.

Who appears in Numbers Chapter 19?

This chapter mentions Eleazar, Aaron, Moses.

Who wrote Numbers and when?

Traditionally attributed to Moses, with priestly editing. Wilderness traditions of the 13th century BC; final form by the 5th century BC.

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