Numbers 9:10

“Tell the Israelites: ‘When any one of you or your descendants is unclean because of a dead body, or is away on a journey, he may still observe the Passover to the LORD.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — The LORD commands Moses to relay a directive to the Israelites regarding a Passover exception. This instruction follows the initial Passover ordinance when individuals report ritual impurity or travel.

The words — The Hebrew term דַּבֵּ֛ר (da.Ber) commands "speak," establishing the prophetic transmission of the law. אִ֣ישׁ ('ish) denotes "a man," specifying the male individual subject to the exemption.

The thread — The exemption for ritual impurity originates in Numbers 9:6, where unclean men first request a delay. The principle of restoring fellowship before worship echoes in Matthew 5:24, while Christ’s ministry to the circumcised fulfills the covenantal scope in Romans 15:8.

Why it lands — The text mandates that physical contamination or displacement does not nullify covenant obligation. A reader must apply the rule by accounting for practical barriers while maintaining ritual compliance.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

דַּבֵּ֛רda.Berspeak אֶל־'el-to בְּנֵ֥יbe.Nei[the] people of יִשְׂרָאֵ֖לYis.ra.'ElIsrael לֵאמֹ֑רle./Mor<to>/ saying אִ֣ישׁ'isha man אִ֣ישׁ'isha man כִּי־ki-if יִהְיֶֽה־yih.yeh-he will be טָמֵ֣א׀ta.Me'unclean לָנֶ֡פֶשׁla./Ne.feshto/ a corpse אוֹ֩'oor בְדֶ֨רֶךְve./De.rekhon/ a journey רְחֹקָ֜הׄre.cho.Kahdistantלָכֶ֗םla./Khemto/ youא֚וֹ'oor לְדֹרֹ֣תֵיכֶ֔םle./do.Ro.tei./Khemto/ generations/ your וְעָ֥שָׂהve./'A.sahand/ he will observe פֶ֖סַחFe.sacha passover לַיהוָֽה׃la./Yah.wehto/ Yahweh

King James Version

Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If any man of you or of your posterity shall be unclean by reason of a dead body, or be in a journey afar off, yet he shall keep the passover unto the Lord.

Cross-references

Numbers 9:6 But there were some men who were unclean due to a dead body, so they could not observe the Passover on that day. And they came before Moses and Aaron that same day
Matthew 5:24 leave your gift there before the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.
Romans 15:8 For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the circumcised on behalf of God’s truth, to confirm the promises made to the patriarchs,
Romans 16:25 Now to Him who is able to strengthen you by my gospel and by the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery concealed for ages past
1 Corinthians 6:9 Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who submit to or perform homosexual acts,
1 Corinthians 11:28 Each one must examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup.
Ephesians 2:1 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins,
Ephesians 2:12 remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world.
Ephesians 3:6 This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are fellow heirs, fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus.