Numbers 9:6
New International Version
But some of them could not celebrate the Passover on that day because they were ceremonially unclean on account of a dead body. So they came to Moses and Aaron that same day

New Living Translation
But some of the men had been ceremonially defiled by touching a dead body, so they could not celebrate the Passover that day. They came to Moses and Aaron that day

English Standard Version
And there were certain men who were unclean through touching a dead body, so that they could not keep the Passover on that day, and they came before Moses and Aaron on that day.

Berean Standard Bible
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

King James Bible
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:

New King James Version
Now there were certain men who were defiled by a human corpse, so that they could not keep the Passover on that day; and they came before Moses and Aaron that day.

New American Standard Bible
But there were some men who were unclean because of contact with a dead person, so that they could not celebrate Passover on that day; and they came before Moses and Aaron on that day.

NASB 1995
But there were some men who were unclean because of the dead person, so that they could not observe Passover on that day; so they came before Moses and Aaron on that day.

NASB 1977
But there were some men who were unclean because of the dead person, so that they could not observe Passover on that day; so they came before Moses and Aaron on that day.

Legacy Standard Bible
But there were some men who were unclean because of a dead person, so that they could not celebrate Passover on that day; so they came near before Moses and Aaron on that day.

Amplified Bible
But there were certain men who were [ceremonially] unclean because of [touching] the dead body of a man, so they could not observe the Passover on that day; so they came before Moses and Aaron that same day.

Christian Standard Bible
But there were some men who were unclean because of a human corpse, so they could not observe the Passover on that day. These men came before Moses and Aaron the same day

Holman Christian Standard Bible
But there were some men who were unclean because of a human corpse, so they could not observe the Passover on that day. These men came before Moses and Aaron the same day

American Standard Version
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:

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And men who were defiled by the persons of men were not able to observe Passover in that day, and they approached before Moshe and before Ahron on that day.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And there came men who were unclean by reason of a dead body, and they were not able to keep the passover on that day; and they came before Moses and Aaron on that day.

Contemporary English Version
Some people in Israel's camp had touched a dead body and had become unfit to worship the LORD, and they could not celebrate Passover. But they asked Moses and Aaron,

Douay-Rheims Bible
But behold some who were unclean by occasion of the soul of a men, who could not make the phase on that day, coming to Moses and Aaron,

English Revised Version
And there were certain men, who were unclean by 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:

GOD'S WORD® Translation
But there were some men who had become unclean from touching a dead body, and they couldn't celebrate the Passover that day. They came to Moses and Aaron

Good News Translation
But there were some people who were ritually unclean because they had touched a corpse, and they were not able to keep the Passover on that day. They went to Moses and Aaron

International Standard Version
But there were men who couldn't observe the Passover that day because they had come in contact with a corpse. That very day, they approached Moses and Aaron

JPS Tanakh 1917
But there were certain men, who were unclean by 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.

Literal Standard Version
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,

Majority Standard Bible
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

New American Bible
There were some, however, who were unclean because of a human corpse and so could not celebrate the Passover that day. These men came up to Moses and Aaron that same day

NET Bible
It happened that some men who were ceremonially defiled by the dead body of a man could not keep the Passover on that day, so they came before Moses and before Aaron on that day.

New Revised Standard Version
Now there were certain people who were unclean through touching a corpse, so that they could not keep the passover on that day. They came before Moses and Aaron on that day,

New Heart English Bible
There were certain men, who were unclean because 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.

Webster's Bible Translation
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:

World English Bible
There were certain men who were unclean because of the dead body of a man, so that they could not keep the Passover on that day, and they came before Moses and Aaron on that day.

Young's Literal Translation
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,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Second Passover
5and they did so in the Wilderness of Sinai, at twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month. The Israelites did everything just as the LORD had commanded Moses. 6But 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 7and said to Moses, “We are unclean because of a dead body, but why should we be excluded from presenting the LORD’s offering with the other Israelites at the appointed time?”…

Cross References
Exodus 18:15
"Because the people come to me to inquire of God," Moses replied.

Numbers 5:2
"Command the Israelites to send away from the camp anyone with a skin disease, anyone who has a bodily discharge, and anyone who is defiled by a dead body.

Numbers 6:7
Even if his father or mother or brother or sister should die, he is not to defile himself, because the crown of consecration to his God is upon his head.

Numbers 9:7
and said to Moses, "We are unclean because of a dead body, but why should we be excluded from presenting the LORD's offering with the other Israelites at the appointed time?"

Numbers 19:11
Whoever touches any dead body will be unclean for seven days.

Numbers 27:2
the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, stood before Moses, Eleazar the priest, the leaders, and the whole congregation, and said,


Treasury of Scripture

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:

defiled

Numbers 5:2
Command the children of Israel, that they put out of the camp every leper, and every one that hath an issue, and whosoever is defiled by the dead:

Numbers 6:6,7
All the days that he separateth himself unto the LORD he shall come at no dead body…

Numbers 19:11,16,18
He that toucheth the dead body of any man shall be unclean seven days…

they came

Numbers 15:33
And they that found him gathering sticks brought him unto Moses and Aaron, and unto all the congregation.

Numbers 27:2,5
And they stood before Moses, and before Eleazar the priest, and before the princes and all the congregation, by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, saying, …

Exodus 18:15,19,26
And Moses said unto his father in law, Because the people come unto me to inquire of God: …

Jump to Previous
Aaron Able Account Body Celebrate Dead Defiled Hold Moses Observe Passover Prepare Touching Unclean
Jump to Next
Aaron Able Account Body Celebrate Dead Defiled Hold Moses Observe Passover Prepare Touching Unclean
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














(6) And there were certain men . . . --It has been supposed that the reference is to Mishael and Elzaphan, who appear to have buried their cousins, Nadab and Abihu, about this time (Blunt's "Script. Coincidences," pp. 66, 67,1850). If the consecration of Aaron and his sons began on the first day of the first month (Exodus 40:2; Exodus 40:12), and the death of Nadab and Abihu could not have taken place until the eighth day (Leviticus 9:1; Leviticus 9:12; Leviticus 10:19), inasmuch as the defilement caused by contact with the dead lasted for seven days (Numbers 19:11), it will follow, if this law was already in force, that those who buried Nadab and Abihu must have been unclean on the fourteenth day of the first month. Independently, then, of the doubtful inference which Professor Blunt draws from the identity of the numbers of the other tribes at the two numberings taken, the one before and the other after this time, from which he concludes that the deaths must have occurred amongst those who belonged to the tribe of Levi, which was not included in the census, this circumstance may fairly be adduced as one of the numerous undesigned coincidences with which Holy Scripture abounds. It may be observed further that, whilst reference would naturally be made to Moses on all doubtful occasions, none would be so likely to have recourse to him with the inquiry contained in Numbers 9:7 as those who had been employed by his direction (Leviticus 10:4) in the burial of Nadab and Abihu. The law contained in Leviticus 7:21 appears to have been understood to refer to all sacrificial meals. The legal uncleanness which disqualified the Israelites for participation in the Passover may be regarded as typical of the moral and spiritual disqualifications which render men unfit for participation in the Lord's Supper. . . . Verse 6. - There were certain men. It has been supposed by many that these men must have been Mishael and Elizaphan, who had recently (cf. Exodus 40:17; Leviticus 9:1; Leviticus 10:4) been defiled by burying their cousins Nadab and Abihu. This, however, is based upon the assumption that the totals given in Exodus 38:26 and in Numbers 1:46 are really independent, and that therefore no one belonging to any other tribe than that of Levi had died in the interval. As that assumption is untenable (see above on chapter Numbers 1:46), so this "coincidence" falls to the ground. We know indeed that Mishael and Elizaphan were defiled at this time, and we do not know that any one else was; but, on the other hand, the words "the dead body of a man" seem to point to a single corpse only. Dead body. Hebrew, nephesh, as in Numbers 5:2; Numbers 6:11, and other places. It is inexplicable how this word, which properly means "soul," should have come to be used of a corpse; perhaps it is an additional testimony to the complete absence from Jewish teaching of any doctrine of an immortal spirit. The Septuagint uses ψύχη here.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
But there were
וַיְהִ֣י (way·hî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

some men
אֲנָשִׁ֗ים (’ă·nā·šîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 582: Man, mankind

who
אֲשֶׁ֨ר (’ă·šer)
Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

were
הָי֤וּ (hā·yū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

unclean
טְמֵאִים֙ (ṭə·mê·’îm)
Adjective - masculine plural
Strong's 2931: Unclean

due to a dead body,
אָדָ֔ם (’ā·ḏām)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 120: Ruddy, a human being

so they could
יָכְל֥וּ (yā·ḵə·lū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 3201: To be able, have power

not
וְלֹא־ (wə·lō-)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

observe
לַעֲשֹׂת־ (la·‘ă·śōṯ-)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 6213: To do, make

the Passover
הַפֶּ֖סַח (hap·pe·saḥ)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6453: A pretermission, exemption, Passover

on that
הַה֑וּא (ha·hū)
Article | Pronoun - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1931: He, self, the same, this, that, as, are

day.
בַּיּ֣וֹם (bay·yō·wm)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3117: A day

And they came
וַֽיִּקְרְב֞וּ (way·yiq·rə·ḇū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 7126: To come near, approach

before
לִפְנֵ֥י (lip̄·nê)
Preposition-l | Noun - common plural construct
Strong's 6440: The face

Moses
מֹשֶׁ֛ה (mō·šeh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 4872: Moses -- a great Israelite leader, prophet and lawgiver

and Aaron
אַהֲרֹ֖ן (’a·hă·rōn)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 175: Aaron -- an elder brother of Moses

that same
הַהֽוּא׃ (ha·hū)
Article | Pronoun - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1931: He, self, the same, this, that, as, are

day
בַּיּ֥וֹם (bay·yō·wm)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3117: A day


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OT Law: Numbers 9:6 There were certain men who were unclean (Nu Num.)
Numbers 9:5
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